# Trems on Teles. Which one?



## Milkman (Feb 2, 2006)

I have a client who wants one of Amanda's pieces in the form of a Tele. He has a MIM and he likes the neck.

He wants it beefed up with a humbucker and actually requested that I route it and install a Floyd.

I'm not asking for opinions on that. I understand that such an idea might go against Tele lovers tendencies. Frankly it's not really something I would do myself.

There are templates for such a mod and I could do that for him, but I'm seeking alternatives that might not require such extensive routing or even none at all.

I can do the standard research, but I'm interested in your opinions.

Are there any specific Tele trems you have tried and that you would recommend?

I'm thinking Bigsby is really not really in consideration.

As always (and considering that he requested a Floyd) tuning stability is the top priority.


----------



## MetalTele79 (Jul 20, 2020)

A Floyd in a tele is pretty great. I used a setup like that for about 15 years. I sold all of my Floyd equipped guitars last year as I don't use the feature much anymore in my playing but if your client wants a Floyd why not give them one?


----------



## Chito (Feb 17, 2006)

Here is a couple. 










Maverick Bridge Kit in Nickel Finish with Super-Vee V-Tone® Saddles











Stetsbar T-Style Guitar Tremolo/Vibrato


----------



## Milkman (Feb 2, 2006)

MetalTele79 said:


> A Floyd in a tele is pretty great. I used a setup like that for about 15 years. I sold all of my Floyd equipped guitars last year as I don't use the feature much anymore in my playing but if your client want a Floyd why not give them one?


That's a very reasonable question, and I'm inclined to support that notion. Why not give him what he wants?

But, I just don't really want to get into such heavy mods. I have no objection to a FR in a Tele, but I'd be more inclined to starting with a bare unfinished body and routing it for a Floyd.

The guitar in your image is pretty much bang on what he wants, with Amanda's art.

So much easier to start from scratch IMO.


----------



## silvertonebetty (Jan 4, 2015)

I use a bigsby


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## Milkman (Feb 2, 2006)

silvertonebetty said:


> I use a bigsby
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


I'll wager that if you took a poll Bigsby would come out on top if you posed the question in a general way.

But this is a specific sort of set of requirements and a Bigsby is not really designed for those. 

Not surprisingly some of the reasons most commonly repeated for Bigsby love come from aesthetic considerations. 

ie, the only whammy that looks right on a Tele is.....that sort of thing.


----------



## silvertonebetty (Jan 4, 2015)

Milkman said:


> I'll wager that if you took a poll Bigsby would come out on top if you posed the question in a general way.
> 
> But this is a specific sort of set of requirements and a Bigsby is not really designed for those.
> 
> ...


I like them because I’m not a heavy term user so it dose what I need to but I was very tempted on getting a strat with a Floyd on it . Tb honest if I was to pickup and epiphone lesPaul it be the custom and I’d add a kahler and add another pickup because that’s what Steve Clark had.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## John123 (Jul 22, 2020)

Don't you have to take it all apart to do the artwork? Give him what he wants!!


----------



## Milkman (Feb 2, 2006)

John123 said:


> Don't you have to take it all apart to do the artwork? Give him what he wants!!



Sometimes a part of satisfying a client is _clarifying_ what he wants.

What he (really) wants, is a Tele with a humbucker and a whammy and he likes the neck on the MIM tele he already has.

I'm just trying to consider options to offer him that will satisfy that.


----------



## loudtubeamps (Feb 2, 2012)

Great minds think alike. 
I put this one together last year.
Just listed it for sale.
The combo of body, pups and trem. work very well together.
All parts except the pups were sourced from eBay.


----------



## knight_yyz (Mar 14, 2015)

Does a Floyd work without a locking nut?


----------



## Milkman (Feb 2, 2006)

knight_yyz said:


> Does a Floyd work without a locking nut?


There are some types of Floyd that don't use a locking nut.

It will work as well as any two point trem I suppose but I would install the locking nut.


----------



## DavidP (Mar 7, 2006)

Seriously consider a Trem King system (Vibrato). 
I haven't played the Tele version, but the Strat system is great!


----------



## Milkman (Feb 2, 2006)

This is another concern with retrofitting a Floyd to a neck not designed for one.

This is a snip from a Tele lover.

You need to match the neck to the system. There is some adjustability on the bridge with saddle shims, but the nuts are locked in to their radius. Radius mismatch leads to problems of playability, fret buzzing....
So, if you can match the locking nut to the neck radius and have enough shims to adjust each saddle to the proper radius, you are in business. Otherwise, a 15" radius bridge and nut on a 7,25" radius neck doesn't work, imho. I have seen many a 'super strat' type of guitar with mismatched radius problems. The outside strings will be stiff at the nut even if you can shim the saddles.
Otherwise, vibrato onward! If you need a deep whammy on a tele, go for it. Get a flatter radius neck, rout the body, put in a bridge humbucker, find a way to put that locking nut on a shelf at the headstock and be happy.


----------



## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

People have nice things to say about the Jazzmaster/Jaguar style "Mastery" vibratos. They are lower-profile than BIgsby types, and do not require routing under the bridge and pickups for installation, because the routing is "behind" the bridge. Something in me whispers in my ear that having more "meat" under the bridge and bridge pickup is essential to the Telecaster sound. Moreover, the gentler string angle from saddle to tailpiece lends itself to nicer sustain.


----------



## Milkman (Feb 2, 2006)

mhammer said:


> People have nice things to say about the Jazzmaster/Jaguar style "Mastery" vibratos. They are lower-profile than BIgsby types, and do not require routing under the bridge and pickups for installation, because the routing is "behind" the bridge. Something in me whispers in my ear that having more "meat" under the bridge and bridge pickup is essential to the Telecaster sound. Moreover, the gentler string angle from saddle to tailpiece lends itself to nicer sustain.


Well, the bridge is worth looking at thanks.

As for the Tele sound, he wants a humbucker in the bridge and when it comes to that characteristic Tele tone, that pretty much kills it for me.

With one humbucker and a FR it's about as far from a Tele ......

But I just got a text from him. He understands that a Floyd is not really practical on this guitar.

We'll consider other ways to improve it and give it the Amandacaster treatment.


----------



## knight_yyz (Mar 14, 2015)

I thought the action would be horrible without the lock nut, and kind of defeats the purpose of having a Floyd. And you will have to cut a much bigger nut slot and drill holes in the neck... if you decide to go that route.


----------



## knight_yyz (Mar 14, 2015)

If you go the jazzmaster style you want the better one made by another guitar company which escapes me right now. Funky looking headstock.... Let me go look it up


----------



## knight_yyz (Mar 14, 2015)

Mastery bridge. Used in Bilt guitars.... Already mentioned by mhammer. Sorry about that. But they work 10 times better than the fender version.


----------



## Milkman (Feb 2, 2006)

knight_yyz said:


> Mastery bridge. Used in Bilt guitars.... Already mentioned by mhammer. Sorry about that. But they work 10 times better than the fender version.



I think he's no longer leaning towards a FR on this one and the Jazzmaster style would be much more subtle sort of trem, not really this guy's style. 

I think for him, a start from scratch tele body routed for a floyd and a neck with the correct radius and the lock nut shelf already milled in is the way to achieve what he had in mind.


----------



## knight_yyz (Mar 14, 2015)

I agree. Hacking up a neck to put a nut on and probably damaging the paint during routing is not a good idea.


----------



## Carey Mercer (Feb 9, 2018)

What about a duesenberg trem? I was really impressed with the immediacy of their trem system.


----------



## Milkman (Feb 2, 2006)

Carey Mercer said:


> What about a duesenberg trem? I was really impressed with the immediacy of their trem system.



I haven't tried one so I really can't say, but I would say that a more subtle type of trem such as a Bigsby or Jazz Master style wouldn't be suitable for this player. Good to add to the list for possible future projects, thanks.


----------



## VanillaTrice (Feb 24, 2016)

I'm very pro Floyd on a tele. This is one I did up a while ago. I tend to agree with the OP though, it wouldn't be ideal to do all that routing on a finished MIM fender. Probably better as a "from scratch" build unless your client absolutely must have that function and stability 🤷‍♂️.


----------



## silvertonebetty (Jan 4, 2015)

I think an hsh telecaster with a Floyd would be pretty cool


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------

