This is why so many people are confused about the difference between vibrato and tremolo. A “tremolo arm” (aka a whammy bar) is a vibrato effect. It does not change volume; it change pitch. Remember this the next time you see the “Bigsby Tremolo System” or “Floyd Rose Locking Tremolo” being advertised.
Also question is, are there different types of whammy bars?
The different types of whammy bars
There are two main types of whammy bars – detachable like Fender and Floyd Rose, and those that go with a tailpiece, like a Bigsby. More broadly, there are four main types – Fender floating and synchronized designs, Bigsby, and locking – like Floyd Rose and Kahler.
Similarly, are tremolo bars worth it? A tremolo bridge (the type of bridge with a whammy bar) does add more variety to your playing, but certain types of bridges can make you lose tuning quickly, and the ones that don’t do it that much (i.e, Floyd Rose) are pretty damn expensive. It’s all up to you.
One may also ask, can a whammy bar break strings?
They can go pretty far. I’ve lifted my ML Herman Li style and have not broken any strings. Different guitars will react differently, so you’ll have to find out for yourself. EDIT: Be careful, as you can break the actual bar.
Can a whammy bar damage a guitar?
A whammy bar will not damage the guitar, nor the guitar strings. The only problem is they can go out of tune quite often (depending on your playing).
Do Strats stay in tune?
Your guitar will stay in tune more easily after bending and in instances where one string breaks. It will also be easier to put your guitar in an alternate tuning. (With the regular, floating tremolo system, lowering or raising tension on one string affects the tension of all the others.)
Do whammy bars detune your guitar?
You may notice that your strings slightly go out of tune when using a whammy bar. But in almost all cases, it’s not caused by a whammy bar itself. Although strings can indeed go out of tune after whammy bar usage, it’s mostly because something else is not functioning properly on your guitar. Nut can often be a problem.
Do whammy bars fit any guitar?
If you have a Fender Telecaster or Stratocaster, you’ll be better off letting the music store fit the whammy bar. Many whammy bars look the same, but come in different sizes and fits. Les Paul guitars require you install a tailpiece onto the bridge and body to hold the whammy bar.
How do I keep my guitar in tune with a whammy bar?
As @Bill said, you can use graphite. You can use powered teflon. I have been known to pop the string out of the slot and fold a piece of very fine sand-paper into a V and slide it through the slot once or twice, then retrying the whammy bar. Repeating that eventually gets the nut slot opened enough to avoid binding.
Is a Floyd Rose a whammy bar?
A Floyd Rose is a type of locking tremolo for electric guitars. The Floyd Rose includes a tremolo arm (or whammy bar) that you can push down to lower the guitar’s pitch, or lift to raise the guitar’s pitch.
Is whammy bar necessary?
No, they are not necessary, but no they cannot be replaced by intense vibrato. They allow you to bend DOWN, a very nice feature. what are the advantages and disadvantages of a whammy bar?
Why is the tremolo bar called tremolo?
Fender may actually be the cause of the confusion: they introduced a “vibrato unit” which created a tremolo effect, and a “tremolo bar” which is a vibrato arm.