Tremolo technique

[John Boulden]

David touched briefly on this subject in one of these threads and I thought it was an important one for further debate.

I have noticed many players ruin an otherwise competent performance with an uncontrolled waggling of the tremolo at every opportunity. If they are using thinner gauge strings, sometimes this can be so marked as to be out of tune!

If you listen carefully to any Shads record you won't hear HBM using his tremolo like this anywhere, apart from notable exceptions such as Frightened City and one or two more where he was actually after a special effect. For the most part, he was after duplicating the sensitivity of a voice.

HBM often said that he liked to use the tremolo to give a note a voice-like quality. In other words, you hit the note then introduce a controlled slow up and down movement of the tremolo to sound like the vibrato in a human voice. That's why his sound was so different from anybody else. You only have to listen to how he used the tremolo on, say, the first album, to realise what a consumate player he was, even at the age of 19 or so.

I mention this because when I hear players commit this sin of over-waggle, I want to say No! NO! Go back and listen to the record!

Anyone else got tips for upcoming players who are looking for tremolo heaven?

John Boulden

[Bluesnote]

I know what you are saying John. I've watched a lot of examples of Shad tunes on Youtube. If its not overkill with echo and the addition of chorus, its as you say....the overwaggle syndrome. When you watch some of them, you'd think they were about to pull the whole mechanism off the guitar.
It only needs the gentle touch with a bit of smooth vibrato flowing through the speakers. Overwaggle is fine if you are Jeff Beck, Steve Vai or the like. But for Shads its got to be classy with character

[MeBHank]

It depends on which period of Hank's playing you're trying to copy, and what the tune is. Watch the Crackerjack clips from 1961. Oodles of waggle on display there, because the tunes (FBI and The Frightened City) demand it. On Wonderful Land, however, recorded a little later that same year, Hank is using the trem fluently and smoothly.

If someone is trying to copy Hank, they should watch and listen to his example.

J

[chas]

And don't forget an elastic band! - (see my recent post 'Tips for Using Your Trem!!' in the General section)
lol, Chas.

[abstamaria]

The problem might be that Hank himself, in his video "instructionals" on YouTube, talks about waggling the tremolo bar after each and every note it seems. On the video, he does sound to my ears somewhat different (too much tremelo or vibrato) from the recorded original versions. Well, he's an artist and he evolves, I thought.

The points made on this thread are good and I will watch my tremolo arm and use it nmore sensitively!

And

[David Martin]

My tip: modulate the note with subtlety (but Justin, above is right...) by lifting the trem only... i.e. sharpen the note and let it fall back to pitch rather than dip and pull, or pull and dip...(ooer Missus... )

[sgstandard]

IMHO, the Rez-O-Tube vibrato on the current Hank Marvin Signature Guitar is the best vibrato design, both in responsiveness, and ability to return to tune.

[roger bayliss]

Was interesting to note that on the two Crackerjack videos on Frightened City Hank holds the trem mostly but on FBI he grabs it when needed... and gives it a strong quick waggling ... he clearly adapts to the tunes as needed back then but these days predominantly holds the bar..

[dave robinson]

In he early days Hank's heavy handed attack on the trem was largely due to the heavy strings which don't respond to the trem unit in the same way as 11/50s or similar. When I was experimenting with the 13/56s I had to give it some serious welly to get anything like, but with the lighter strings I find a gentle touch is adequate. Another interesting thing I have recently done, I started using a minimum of four springs on the guitars with lighter strings and five springs on the others - it does make a difference to the sound.

[roger bayliss]

Interesting Dave about the trem springs... I have 12's on mine with 3 in the 'W' formation and it's not screwed anywhere near the top.. I did try 4 springs at first but reverted back to 3 after finding the trem stiffer for me anyhow.. just lately been messing around with set up on my 57 reissue and found that the height if the strings affects the amount of pull on the trem springs and generally the higher the strings the more the pull on the trem setting the action lower made the trem more free to move and gave a twangier tone overall. I find the thinner e/b strings need to come lower than the rest to get volume from them to match the output from the other strings and get it to ring out properly but also the bass end too needs to come down but not as much as the treble side. I mention this mainly though to pointout how the action affects string pull tension on trem springs and overall action. The trem on my 57 is fairly stiff when compared to my old Mex Strat and have contemplated shimming the neck a bit at the trem end to adjust the rake of the neck.

I was however suprised that I could use 3 springs on a set of 12's really ! it's all about setup it seems and thats the only way I can get a good 'Quack' from my strats .. I must have spent nearly 2 weeks getting the sound I wanted from my Strat along with the desired action Waddoya think ?