Over the past few weeks,
I’ve been keenly watching
how guitarists the world
over are using their tremolo
arms. I’ve observed (and heard)
a major difference in the way
European guitarists use their
tremolo arms as compared to
their American counterparts.
However, before we go deeper
into these differences in technique,
we must go back to
where all this fuss began.
In my view, there are basically
three main types of tremolo
bars. The first really important
development in this area would
be the Bigsby vibrato unit, which
evolved in the late 1940s. Initially,
this system was intended to imitate
the sound of a Hawaiian lap
steel, and I believe its intended
application was to create a
subtle effect. Chet Atkins and the
Gretsch guitars he played were
instrumental in the success of the
Bigsby because Chet used Bigsbys
a
lot on his recordings. Just as that
sound was getting embedded in
guitarists’ ears, rock ’n’ roll got
raunchier and more brazen. As a
result, guitarists started using the
Bigsby more physically, producing
wilder sounds with the device.
This was one of many instances
where technique evolved along
with the music of the day.
In 1954, Fender introduced
the revolutionary Stratocaster
model with the new optional
synchronized tremolo system—
the first response to the Bigsby’s
opening salvo and the second
crucial advance in tremolo
design. Buddy Holly used his
Strat’s tremolo arm more like
how guitarists first used the
Bigsby to generate subtle pitch
bends, but it didn’t take long
for guitarists to discover the
Stratocaster’s trem enabled more
extreme pitch changes.
With its factory-installed Bigsby, this Epiphone Casino VS is ready for
a
big night of twang-filled fun. Photo courtesy of Epiphone Guitars
At about that same time,
rockabilly music came along
and inspired even wilder use of
tremolos. As this trend grew,
prominent players like Cliff
Gallup (Gene Vincent and
His Blue Caps), Duane Eddy
(writer of the timeless “Peter
Gunn Theme”), and Eddie
Cochran (“Summertime Blues”)
incorporated the trem into their
twangy sound.
But between 1966 and 1967,
Jimi Hendrix came on the
scene and changed just about
everything imaginable about
the electric guitar. Hendrix gave
the Stratocaster much more
prominence than it had enjoyed
before, and a huge reason for
that was the radical way he used
its tremolo—indeed, the way he
abused it.
So far, we’ve looked at several
key examples of how American
guitarists used their tremolo bars
up to this point in time. But
there’s an important twist to the
story. If you’ve listened to many
European guitarists over the same
years we’ve been talking about,
you might have noticed that
most of them used their tremolo
bars to produce what might be
perceived as
finger vibrato.
For example, let’s take fusion
master Allan Holdsworth’s original
sound from The New Tony
Williams Lifetime album
Believe
It. One of the main things that
distinguished Holdsworth on
that record was how he used the
Maestro Vibrola bar on his SG
Custom (the tune “Fred” offers
a great first taste of this)—it was
yet another tremolo sound, and,
it was even more subtle than
that of the early Bigsby players.
So, the tremolo was starting
to get more use as a softer
effect as a general trend among
guitarists across the pond. If
you listen carefully, you’ll hear
a huge difference in musical
intent. This European mindset
was no doubt more influenced
by classical music, as well.
Other European guitarists who
have used this type of tremolo
effect include Norway’s Terje
Rypdal (listen to his album
If Mountains Could Sing) or
Germany’s Thomas Blug (see
his
Flash CD or look him up
on YouTube). I would also
recommend listening to John
McLaughlin play his Bigsby-equipped
Gibson Johnny Smith
on
The Promise.
By 1977 or so, Adrian Belew
and Edward Van Halen were
emerging and—presto!—change
was looming large once again!
This change was heard via
Talking Heads tunes, where
Adrian Belew was making a
ton of very unorthodox sounds
with his Stratocaster’s tremolo
arm (and with his vast array
of effects pedals). While Belew
went on to become famous
for his animal-like sounds on
King Crimson albums such as
Discipline, a third name would
come to the forefront of vibrato
design—Floyd Rose.
EVH embraced the Floyd very
early on, and once again tremolo
use got even crazier thanks in
large part to his dive-bombing.
This technique ruled for quite
a spell—well into the ’80s.
Toward the end of the decade,
Jeff Beck would surprise the hell
out of everyone with an album
called
Guitar Shop. The tones he
produced on “Where Were You”
would prove to be among the
most evocative ever pulled from
a Fender Stratocaster—and that
was because his super-advanced
trem chops allowed him to
mimic the human voice (among
other things).
Since then, Beck has owned
the title of Twang Bar King in
many people’s opinions, and
rightly so. Even more amazing
is the fact that he continues to
grow, making more and more
otherworldly sounds with each
recording. Check out the bonus
track “Cry Me a River” (from
Beck’s 2010 release
Emotion and
Commotion). There is a metric ton
of great live Beck performances to
explore on YouTube, as well.
So, to conclude for this
month, I highly encourage
players of all stripes to listen to
what is coming in from afar.
Honestly, you never can tell
what you are going to do with
that tremolo. You might be the
next innovator!
Dean Farley is chief
designer of Snake Oil
Brand Strings, and his
ideas have had a significant
influence on contemporary
string design. He is also
known as a great source of
guitar, amp, and gear lore. For more information,
visit
snakeoilstrings.com.