Tweaking a Tremolo/Vibrato Tailpiece

Though they’re often called tremolo tailpieces, the effect is vibrato – pitch based, not amplitude based. The earliest vibratos were made by Bigsby, with later designs by Fender and more recently PRS as well as many others. Bigsbys are rather unique and cannot be adjusted, but Fender’s (and others) can in several ways. The most useful tweak is to add or remove the springs that hold the vibrato in place, making it harder to bend (by adding springs) or easier (by removing one or more). If your guitar already has the maximum number of springs (you won’t know unless you remove the back cover plate on most models), there’s nothing to be done. A less well-known adjustment is to loosen or tighten the screws that hold these springs in place within the body cavity. This can raise or lower the “whammy bar” a bit in either direction (up or down), making it sit more comfortably in your hand. The last adjustment is with the screws that actually hold the tailpiece in position on the top of the guitar. In older versions, this is usually six screws, though some newer models, like the American Standard Strat series have just two. These adjust how far the bar can be pulled back to raise the pitch.