Want to really screw with their heads?

[PowerTube]

Here's a trick I discovered in the late 80's and it drove a friend of mine nuts trying to figure out how I was doing it. It may sound complex if I don't express myself well, but it's actually dirt simple.

On a guitar with a fully-floating trem (Floyd or copy), tell someone, "hey, did you know that there's a way to bend a note and make it go DOWN in pitch instead of UP?"

When they say, "no way," do this:

The 5th fret on the 2nd string is an E note, just like the open first string. So.... you fret the 2nd string on the 5th fret, but actually pick the first string open. With the first string E note ringing, bend the fretted (2nd string, 5th fret) note upward. Sure enough, the bending will pull the bridge and the note will drop in pitch.

Try to be at least a few feet from your "victim" so they can't see what note you're actually picking.

[shadowcat]

Re: Want to really screw with their heads?

Hey cool, I gotta try that... [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]


... shit, I have no guitars with a floyd! [img]/images/graemlins/confused.gif[/img] [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

[mazhar]

Re: Want to really screw with their heads?

hey didnt work!! how many springs u got on the floyd? and wut gauge u using??

[PowerTube]

Re: Want to really screw with their heads?

[ QUOTE ]
hey didnt work!! how many springs u got on the floyd? and wut gauge u using??

[/ QUOTE ]

I don't see why it wouldn't work on a full-floating bridge. I usually use .009's.

[ApeDosMil]

Re: Want to really screw with their heads?

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
hey didnt work!! how many springs u got on the floyd? and wut gauge u using??

[/ QUOTE ]

I don't see why it wouldn't work on a full-floating bridge. I usually use .009's.

[/ QUOTE ]

Ya well, I use .007's.

[PowerTube]

Re: Want to really screw with their heads?

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
hey didnt work!! how many springs u got on the floyd? and wut gauge u using??

[/ QUOTE ]

I don't see why it wouldn't work on a full-floating bridge. I usually use .009's.

[/ QUOTE ]

Ya well, I use .007's.

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Like Steve Vai????!!!!
[img]/images/graemlins/eek.gif[/img]
[img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

[jeff300]

Re: Want to really screw with their heads?

[ QUOTE ]
Ya well, I use .007's.

[/ QUOTE ]

What do you pick with, a feather? [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

[Oogadee Boogadee]

Re: Want to really screw with their heads?

that's actually one of the major things I hate about floating trems. when bending one of 2 fretted notes, the other goes slightly flat, so you have to either bend the 'fixed' note a hair, or anchor the bridge w/ the pick hand.

[RR05xx]

Re: Want to really screw with their heads?

.007s - i used to use .008s a long time ago - used to break high E and B strings all the time. No more of that nonsence!

[jgcable]

Re: Want to really screw with their heads?

Some call it a false harmonic. Other call it a ghost bend.
It is a natural occurance on full floating Floyds that are set up with with a loose feel. Try a double stop bend on the B and E strings around the 12th-14th fret. The false decending harmonic on the G string is extremely pronounced.

[Oogadee Boogadee]

Re: Want to really screw with their heads?

how can you change the feel of the floyd? tension is tension right? if you use lighter strings or low tunings, you have to compensate with loosening the springs right?

conversely, heavier strings need tighter springs, or more of them, to balance out.

Is that what you're referring to? I'm a fan of D'Addario's light top/heavy bottom (10-52 or 56 i think) and i use 3 springs, stretched out a decent distance.

now that i think about it, using heavier springs, with less capacity to stretch, would stiffen things up right? probably make for easier to break trem arms though.... any resonance benefits to heavier springs?

[nymenace]

Re: Want to really screw with their heads?

try sharpening the teeth where it mounts to the posts you can get a good flutter the sharper they are

[shredhed]

Re: Want to really screw with their heads?

[ QUOTE ]
that's actually one of the major things I hate about floating trems. when bending one of 2 fretted notes, the other goes slightly flat, so you have to either bend the 'fixed' note a hair, or anchor the bridge w/ the pick hand.

[/ QUOTE ]

That can actually be an asset. What I do is, while doing a lick like a trill or some pulloffs, force my hand down on the floyd. It raises the whole thing in pitch. You can make it swell and ebb - up and down. The really cool thing is You can still pick while you're doing it. Sounds really cool!
[img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]
Bob

[Freyr]

Re: Want to really screw with their heads?

Haha, I've actually done this before. Or if the person knows nothing about guitars at all you can just use the trem with you palm and raise notes without bending.

[Ace]

Re: Want to really screw with their heads?

I had similar trick I pulled on my guitar teacher when I was at MI. He would have us all start with one note, and I would raise my hand and say "mine sounds different", and he would come look at my guitar and see that I was fretting the right note but coming up a half step sharp, even though my guitar was in tune. It took him about five seconds to realize I was pushing the trem down with my forearm...