Guitar Modifications - Stetsbar

A

Archimedes

Veteran XV
Hey everyone,

I'm happy with the setup on most of my guitars, but my Gibson Flying V needs some work. Here's a picture of how it is currently setup:

gibsonv.jpg


There are two things in particular that I have wrong with the way the guitar is setup: one is the Maestro Tremolo System, and the other is that the tuning pegs are meant for a one-sided headstock (and the dude I got it from didn't install the locking tuning peg on the low E for whatever reason, he left the Gibson one). I don't like how the tuning keys look, but they at least work and so they aren't my main concern at the moment. I really hate the Maestro. You can't do any sort of theatrics with it because you can barely push it down a half-step and pulling up raises the note perhaps a full step. Its just a piece of shit.

Enter, the stetsbar!

AN-SB-Med.jpg


You can install these into the old bridge routing used for the stop-tail bridge, and viola! A working tremolo system equivalent to a Floyd Rose!



I am seriously considering buying one of these and having it installed, and I was wondering if anyone here had any experience with them. I love the Floyd Rose I have on my ESP, and the Maestro simply isn't cutting it (especially since I find it cumbersome and annoying). If anyone has any experience with them then post here and let me know! I'd be interested to hear what you have to say.

When I get enough scratch I will replace the tuning pegs with locking Sperzel's, but that might not happen quite yet.
 
yeah, those Maestros really suck. Never heard of the stetsbar but it seems cool. Bigsby doesn't have the range you seem to be looking for.
 
Otis is correct; I've tried Bigsbys before and they're not as versatile. To me they seem more akin to smooth jazzy vibrato, whereas I am looking to do some divebombs. I thought about putting a Bigsby on my Les Paul, but I decided to leave it with a simple stop-tail so I would have at least one guitar that isn't a floating bridge.

Oh. and the shitty thing is that the three holes that were drilled for the Maestro are going to have to stay there. I suppose I am just going to leave the screws in the guitar similar to what happens when you take off the pick guard on a Les Paul. I wish the former owner hadn't installed the Maestra, but such is life.
 
It just strikes me as a hugely complicated system with a *lot* of moving parts, and hence a lot of chance for things getting fucked up and out of tune.

There's 2 things to ask yourself. First, do you *really* need a tremolo? If not, just put a stop tailpiece on it. Second, if you do need a bar, do you really need Floyd Rose stability, or do you just occasionally wiggle the bar? If you're doing heavy bar work, then take it to a luthier, have him route it for a Floyd, and put a Floyd on it. If you're doing light bar work, there are better, less complicated solutions than a Stetsbar.

Just not a fan, sorry. :) I'm sure you'll buy it anyway and love it. But you did ask :)
 
Oh, and one more thing: Sperzels, at $60 a set, are the real deal. I have them on 2 of my Parkers - my Fly came with them standard, and I put a set on my goldtop PM-20. They really improve the feel of any guitar, and make it hold tune better, too, when combined with a properly slotted and lubricated nut. :brows:
 
old_skul said:
It just strikes me as a hugely complicated system with a *lot* of moving parts, and hence a lot of chance for things getting fucked up and out of tune.

There's 2 things to ask yourself. First, do you *really* need a tremolo? If not, just put a stop tailpiece on it. Second, if you do need a bar, do you really need Floyd Rose stability, or do you just occasionally wiggle the bar? If you're doing heavy bar work, then take it to a luthier, have him route it for a Floyd, and put a Floyd on it. If you're doing light bar work, there are better, less complicated solutions than a Stetsbar.

Just not a fan, sorry. :) I'm sure you'll buy it anyway and love it. But you did ask :)
Click to expand...
Do you have experience with them? Floyds are the shit, but I'm not sure I want to get the guitar rerouted entirely. The Stetsbar seems to be able to do what I need to do, and I haven't seen a better solution to the issue. I could simply put the stop-tail back on it, but I prefer having a bar on my guitars. As I said I already have a guitar with a stop-tail and I don't really feel the need for another one.
old_skul said:
Oh, and one more thing: Sperzels, at $60 a set, are the real deal. I have them on 2 of my Parkers - my Fly came with them standard, and I put a set on my goldtop PM-20. They really improve the feel of any guitar, and make it hold tune better, too, when combined with a properly slotted and lubricated nut. :brows:
Click to expand...
And yes, Sperzel's are amazing. I have a set on my Epiphone LP and combined with a bone nut they hold tune very well. Definitely worth the investment.
 
I have the sperzels on my tele along with a ball bearing nut,and it seems to never go out of tune unless I have unworked brandnew strings on them. What year is that v? The reason I am asking is, if itis 80s or older I would put the stop tailpiece back on it, sell it to a collector and buy I king V or some other model set up the way you like.
 
Archimedes said:
Do you have experience with them? Floyds are the shit, but I'm not sure I want to get the guitar rerouted entirely. The Stetsbar seems to be able to do what I need to do, and I haven't seen a better solution to the issue. I could simply put the stop-tail back on it, but I prefer having a bar on my guitars. As I said I already have a guitar with a stop-tail and I don't really feel the need for another one.

And yes, Sperzel's are amazing. I have a set on my Epiphone LP and combined with a bone nut they hold tune very well. Definitely worth the investment.
Click to expand...

I've never touched one, no. I just watched the videos and looked into how it all goes together. Like I said - a lot of moving parts.

If your V is older than 90 or so, I wouldn't route it for a Floyd. I'd buy an ESP V with a Floyd already in it. But there's nothing wrong with giving the Stetsbar a try. But dag....$220 is a ton of cash you could better invest in a guitar that already has a bar on it.

Here you go: 1985 Gibson flying V with tremolo - eBay (item 190422303804 end time Jul-29-10 19:55:42 PDT)

It has a Kahler trem on it, but that's an awesome guitar.
 
My guitar was made in 2007 so its far from being a collector's item, but that is a very nice looking V old_skul. The person who owned my V before me did so many modifications that there's no way I could sell it for a stock collector's item in 20 years anyway. I mean the pickups are all DiMarzio, it has a four way switch on it instead of the original three-way, and it has an active/passive switch next to the pickup selector. Plus the pick guard and "Gibson" label aren't original, and neither are the volume/tone knobs. Since its already been so heavily modified I don't feel too bad putting work into it.

Man, I love Ebay. You can find some of the best deals on that website. I bought a project, custom-built guitar for $180 and I'm sure whoever bought the parts paid much more than that. I don't have a picture of it but the birdseye maple neck alone had to at least be $400.
 
Back
Top