neil2726 wrote:Maybe it was just cosmetic - they look better with the bars than without !
You're right - they
do.
But even so, without the bars fitted, all you have to do is catch the rear end of the trem plate on an item of clothing as you are putting it down... It's easy enough to do... and the weight of the guitar will do the rest. The plate will de-mount from the V-shaped recess in the fulcrum bar and other
terrible things will happen. It can't happen with a Stratocaster because the front edge of the plate is bolted down, but it can with a Marvin or Bison of the same era.
I've seen it happen (in a workshop). Or rather, I've seen it after it happened. It was that sight which revealed to me just what those bars were for!
Original poster (Darryl), re Post #28: Yes, you might be able to rest your hand on the bars if the guard is mounted in an appropriate place on the guitar. You might even be able to do it in such a way as to still allow damping at the brdge, but it'll need to be very finely judged as to position.
Before you do anything irrevocable, would you be able to take the guitar round to a friend who has a Marvin, temporarily remove the unit from his guitar, blu-tak it into (experimental) place on your guitar, moving it about as necessary, and see how comfortable it is?
I suggest that because a significant number of bassists who use the Shadows Bass have found the bars too awkward to use as a handrest and have removed them. It would be awful to drill four holes in the front of a nice guitar and then find it's too uncomfortable to play (a real danger, I fear).
Paul and Robbo have confirmed what I said in the first place: the guard on the Marvin is not a handrest, even if "handrest" is a nice convenient term for it. Robbo has also made a good point about string gauge and stability. Darryl: What gauge are you using on your Marquee?
JN