Hi, Brass trem question

[pfrischmann]

Hi Guys,
I'm new to the board. This place is great. BTW, I own an 88 soloist (original owner) and a New EVH.

I'm working on either getting a custom shop model built or possible doing the parts thing. I have a question about the traditional bridge. How does it offect the tone compared to a standard strat bridge?

I wonder if people stopped using brass for a reason. I had a 25th anniversary Charvel for a couple of days. I found the guitar overly bright and even shrill.
I not a floyd fan (don't use trems much these days)

Can any body tell me how the bridges compare.

Thanks,
Paul

[Jackson-Charvel]

I dunno about the vintage style trems but I've always wanted a Floyd Rose in brass, not plated with gold or chrome, plain old brass.... the kind that tarnishes nicely. Same going for a tune-o-matic bridge, wish someone made them in brass.

[toejam]

I wonder if people stopped using brass for a reason. I had a 25th anniversary Charvel for a couple of days. I found the guitar overly bright and even shrill.

Brass is supposed to be warmer sounding, but I believe the 25th anniversary edition actually used steel saddles which are brighter.

[fett]

Brass is also more expensive. And I will bet you the process of making a brass bridge is a lot different than making a steel or pot metal bridge.

[DonP]

The brass knife edges won't last like steel. You'd need inserts.

[circle of the tyrants]

I wonder if people stopped using brass for a reason.

Can any body tell me how the bridges compare.

Thanks,
Paul[/quote]

People stopped using them because Floyd's came along and made them damn near obsolete. A brass trem does everything I need it to do, but guys who play more aggresively or that really like to dive deep won't see much use in a v-trem. Personally, I love brass trems. I have 9 of them currently. As far as tone, the difference between a brass v-trem and a standard v-trem is pretty dramatic. Alot more sustain and punch from a brass trem. Toejam's right about the stainless saddles on the 25th you had. I bet if you played one with brass saddles, you'd be pleasantly surprised.

[jackson1]

Brass bridges does seem to have many followers, but there's at least a couple of big players that don't like brass; Eddie Van Halen and Allan Holdsworth. Here's a snip from an interview i read on the latter recently:

Allan Holdsworth:
"I also found that the lighter the block, the better it sounds. I hate brass blocks; they just seem to absorb. It's like if you have a practice mute on a violin. You stick a piece of brass or lead on the bridge and all the sound goes; it's absorbed. And that's what I think happens with brass."

Link to the full interview: http://home.no.net/pstornes/ah/press/gp1282.html

[jackson1]

Brass is supposed to be warmer sounding, but I believe the 25th anniversary edition actually used steel saddles which are brighter.

Eddie Van Halen disagrees with you. He thinks brass sound brittle compared to steel. Just a piece of un-biased information, to keep us all more open minded and not let the warm golden color and heavy weight of brass, play tricks with us

[mm2002]

The brass knife edges won't last like steel. You'd need inserts.

Not if you use plastic trem posts!

[Jackson-Charvel]

The brass knife edges won't last like steel. You'd need inserts.

That's also another beef with me. Why they didn't design the OFR or any other trem for that matter with "REPLACEABLE" knife edges. I already know the answer and this is basically a rhetorical question, we live in a disposable society and that's why there are no user serviceable parts, just like with the difference between cars from the 60's and before compared to 21 century cars.

[pfrischmann]

Don't the Ibanez's have replaceable knife points.

[Jackson-Charvel]

>>>>>Don't the Ibanez's have replaceable knife points.<<<<<

If they do I'd love to find some replacements.

[rjohnstone]

No, they are not replacable. At least not on the original Edge trem.
The knife edges are pressed in, and they sure as hell don't come out.

[Genebaby]

That's also another beef with me. Why they didn't design the OFR or any other trem for that matter with "REPLACEABLE" knife edges. I already know the answer and this is basically a rhetorical question, we live in a disposable society and that's why there are no user serviceable parts, just like with the difference between cars from the 60's and before compared to 21 century cars.

The knife edges on the JT590, or Schaller, Floyd has replaceable knife edges. I have replaced some on a guitar I bought that came with the JT590. I wasn't sure of the condition so I ordered new trem posts and knife edges, to bring her back to new.

[Jackson-Charvel]

Genebaby where did you find replaceable knife edges for the Schaller? Pretty sure the knife edges are part of the baseplate and not even a separate piece of metal like on the Ibanez Edge.

Jackson1 makes a point about this by swapping an OFR or JT-590 with one of the Floyd Rose II baseplates if the knife edges get worn as the baseplates are compatible.