Guys and Gals,

With the tremolo decked to the body with 5 springs:-

Claw square to the body

or

Claw angled for more tension on the bass side?

cheers

Jay

Angling the claw is pointless for a floating bridge. And with the bridge decked, the pull of the springs is against the body anyway, so even more pointless as there is no affect on the strings.

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Here is just one example of string tension for a set of D'addario 10-46 gauge strings tuned to pitch.

1st - .010 - 16.2 lbs
2nd - .013 - 15.4 lbs
3rd - .017 - 16.6 lbs
4th - .026 - 18.4 lbs
5th - .036 - 19.5 lbs
6th - .046 - 17.5 lbs

Total of 103.6 lbs of string pull, so 103.6 lbs of pull is required by the springs to balance the bridge when floating. Who could argue that? (never mind, there is always someone that doesn't get it)

As you can see, in order to try to accomplish the goal of the myth of the angled claw, you would need a zig-zag shaped claw instead of an angled claw, to really try and compensate for the differences in tension with a floating bridge, but still pointless as the string tension will be the same no matter what you do to the claw, and the total spring pull still must be the same as the total string pull to float the bridge. Note that any angling of the claw is yet another a lame attempt, in a long line of similar snake-oil remedies, at supposedly "equalizing" the spring pull on the bridge, the myth being that you can have a "better balanced bridge" this way. According to this myth, if the claw were angled, the pull on the 1st and 3rd strings would be wrong for one, and yet the tension of each is nearly equal to begin with. Same thing with the 5th and 6th strings, the angle can not be accomplished properly as the 6th string tension is less than the 5th (back to the zig-zag thing again). So, simple physics dictates that if you reduce the pull of one spring, another spring must have increased pull to keep the total pull of the springs the same as the total pull of the strings in order to float the bridge, and angling the claw does absolutely nothing to change this. If you use a different set of strings, with a different amount of tension, start all over. It reminds me of a dog chasing his short tail.

And as stated before, none of this matters if the bridge is decked, as the springs would then be pulling the bridge against the body and not against the strings.

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Por favor, disculpe mi español, no se llega a la práctica con mucha frecuencia.

Angling the claw can make the trem pull the bridge more evenly. It probably doesn't effect the total tension when floating, see above.

But by having more tension on the side with the trem arm you can look from the back of the bridge and see the bridge now pulls straight rather then favoring the trem arm side. So actually more tension on the treble side.

To me it feels better and stays in tune better that way.

But if you're not floating the bridge I wouldn't worry about it.

I figured that someone would come up with more nonsense while I was typing that post. Neither the bridge plate nor the block nor the screws flex, there is no pulling crooked vs straight for the bridge, regardless of claw angle, unless you have one made of rubber. If your bridge is flexing, or moving unevenly, the mounting holes are enlarged, or you have some other problem. Likely, only your imagination, as the metal parts are not flexing in any way, and especially not because of the angle of the claw.

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Por favor, disculpe mi español, no se llega a la práctica con mucha frecuencia.

I've setup dozens of guitars with vintage style trems like that.

Of course nothing on the bridge is flexiing. I never mention anything flexing. You're just pulling it from one side...not in the middle and it'll favor the side you're pulling on. Pretty basic physics.

Look from the back of the bridge. Press down on the trem arm. Does the side with the arm raise/lower slightly faster then the other side? Adding tension to the trem arm side combats that and you can get the bridge to raise/lower more evenly.

You don't have to try it if you don't want to.

Think about what you are saying. If one side of the bridge is "raise/lower slightly faster then the other side", then something would have to flex in order for that to be true. And it is not true, the metal isn't moving at a different speed on one side or the other, that's impossible. I have seen things like this while drinking, and I imagine that using mescaline could cause a similar illusion, but there is no basis in reality for such a strange statement as you've made here:



No, it does not. How can one side move faster than the other side unless something is flexing/twisting or whatever word that you want to use? It is metal and both sides move the same amount and speed, no way it can be otherwise. Really, it is quite funny to suggest that one side moves faster than the other.

It isn't so complicated as to be difficult to understand. If this is your understanding of physics, you didn't get your parents money's worth in school.

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Por favor, disculpe mi español, no se llega a la práctica con mucha frecuencia.

It has to do with leverage. You get more leverage against the springs that are closer to the trem arm where you're applying force with the arm.

What flexes are the springs and you're applying different amounts of force to them the further they are from the arm.

It works for me. It worked for the tech I learned it from who setup guitars for dozens of touring bands.

I'll try and find a photo.

On second thought I really have no need to argue about how to setup a term online.

Just disregard my experience as you see fit. Won't bother me.

Have a good weekend.

The claw angle would matter if we had a 1-point trem. But I don't see many of those....

I'm not buying into this whole angled claw myth. None of my strats have angled claws, and the tremelos work perfectly up and down, and they stay in tune rather well.

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"Where would rock and roll be without feedback?"

It's just a myth. Rewriting the laws of physics rarely works!

For every fact, there is an equal and opposite load of hooey.

_________________
---> "The amp should be SWITCHED OFF AND UNPLUGGED before you do this!" <---

Por favor, disculpe mi español, no se llega a la práctica con mucha frecuencia.

Ummm, if the bridge is pulled flush with the body it does not matter what you do with the claw. Anymore, I have never angled a claw, and the few times I did, it was very slight bit putting a little more tension on the heavier string side, since they pull a bit more. But truth is, what ever difference I noticed was in my head and not the guitar, especially with 5 Springs.

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Xhefri's Guitars
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If an angled claw made a difference all builders would do it.


Think about that for a while.