Kevan

You guys are talking about two different parts of the trem. -LGM is talking about the main plate (what the saddles mount to; the plate that pivots) -Goth is talking about the tremolo block (the block that the springs hook into; Tremol-No clamps on to). For the plate, use steel. Those pivot points have to be very hard (or hardened). Brass would last about 1 song. LOL For the trem block, brass would work (works for Driskill!), and steel is fine. I've seen trem blocks in everything from Lexan to titanium. My suggestion would be to go with a steel alloy. Anywhere between 8mm and 12mm thickness will work just fine. Maiden- no worries. I'm just a big fan of 7075. It's a lot like 6061, but a little more brittle, and tougher to machine. It's by far my favorite aluminum. 6061's no slouch either. :-)

I've got some other stuff to talk to him about that doesn't really fit in this thread. Nothing personal, guys. Psst....."7075" is aluminum.

Jeremy- you might want to consider an extremly hard wood insert, or even moving to a metal insert. Mmmmm....7075..... I have a couple of other thoughts for ya, but we can talk about those on IM.

Heh heh...that's cool. Either way, it's gonna be tough to see an 8-string trem from anyone w/o some major record sales/exposure. Another problem with an 8-string SpeedLoader is: strings.

Actually, for an 8-string nut, you could take (2) 6-string locking nuts, and mill off the lower 4 sections on one of them....ta-da: 8-string locking nut. Of course, you'd have to drill/tap a new mounting hole for the back, but....still... 8-string SpeedLoader? LMAO. Not gonna happen, at least not from Floyd. You might see custom jobbies, but nothing from the factory like that. Yes, Goth Fiend- You will want at least one more spring available because of the increased tension. This means not only machining a new block for the trem, but also creating a new claw, and routing the guitar body for the extra room that's needed for those components. And of course, the added expense of an extra spring. As stated before, unless Charlie Hunter and Rusty Cooley are topping the Billboard charts, most 8-string stuff won't see major production.

There's another thread about this already on the forum: http://projectguitar.ibforums.com/index.php?showtopic=10633 A Search will help prevent duplicate posts. Please use it before starting new topics. Thanks. THREAD CLOSED

I'm gonna have to go with LGM on this one. Solder= waste of time. It's just plain not strong enough. And to show that no one escapes my wrath: Yeah, but if the screw's not flush with the body (i.e. extended past the body) you could: 1. Use a pair of vise-grips to clamp on to the broken end and 'unscrew' it. 2. Use my 'make a notch' method and unscrew it.

Regarding my method: - If the screw shaft is extending past the body edge, then you shouldn't have a problem with either a Dremel or a file. - If the screw shaft is flush with the body (or inset a little bit), then you could try a chisel. You'll need to etch a center line, and then be VERY careful when you chisel. Take your time, do a little bit on each pass, and you should be able to get a deep enough track to get a driver in there. - If you have a chisel that's approx. the same width as the screw shaft, then you *could* use the chisel 'direct' and cut out a slot by going in the same direction as the screw is going. Use the hammer and chisel to punch it straight on, cutting out small chunks at a time, until you have enough material gone to get a driver bit in there.

If you can get a Dremel or file on the end of the broken screw, cut a notch across the middle of the shaft. Do it as deep as you can. Now use a flat blade screw driver to unscrew the broken screw out of the body.

Longwing- try to post in the correct topic area. And use the proper prefix in your thread title: WTB= Want To Buy WTT= Want To Trade FS= For Sale Thanks.

Erik- I'm not sure a piezo will be sensitive enough to measure the wood down to the level I was talking about, but I wish you and your son the best of luck. I'm sure I'm not alone when I say that I'm anxious to hear your results (no pun intended). I've not done the tests myself, but I've watched luthiers bang on big body blanks looking for a sound they couldn't describe in words. There's a "tone" out there. Some hear it. Some don't. And some of us get whatever is leftover on the shop floor. (I'm kinda bummed no one got my North Drums joke....oh well...obscurity is for the few.)

...while Frank's working on the North Drums of guitars (heh heh), I'll add this to the fray: No two ears 'hear' the same. Ears are like fingerprints; they are all shaped differently. This is why a Dumble sounds great to XXXXX, but sounds like "petrified dog crap" to YYYYYY. Also, when it comes to wood, you will NEVER have two guitars that sound EXACTLY alike. I mean EXACT (Hotrock knows what kind of exact I'm talkin' about). Why not? Because the grain of the wood in those two guitars is different, courtesy of Mother Nature. It might be just a teeny-tiny variation in the grain, but it's enough to, technically, make one sound different than the other. Not different bad and not different good....just different. You and I might not be able to hear the difference between the two 'identical' guitars, but placed under the proverbial microscope, the differences are evident. Frank- no email and no call? Wassabi? Let's get this thing goin'! I'm here all week. You have my cell number, I think.

Mushy- I think it's in the right area. I don't vote on GOTM, but I do like your innovative designs. The rest of the entrants have some slick stuff too, even a couple of basses that I'd like to check out. This is such a gray area, I'm not sure what's correct and what isn't. According to the popular definition, "from scratch" would mean that every part of the guitar was carved/sanded/shaped/soldered by the entrant. Now, going by that definition, we'd have to exclude most people here, because I doubt any of them hand-braided the wire and did the jacketing for the wires that they used to wire up their guitar. I doubt Anastasia hand-wound those strings, or even the pickups (no offense). So, none of these guitars are *really* "from scratch". The next problem comes with: "Well then, how far can we go before it becomes a customization project?" Just a neck? Neck and body? What about a complete re-shape of neck, body and headstock? Chopped up into sawdust and presssure re-formed into the shape of a pumpkin? There's a squiggly line here, and I'm not sure who's on what side of it.

Everyone can relax. It's just GOTM on PG.com. It's not a cure for cancer. I'm not sure if "from scratch" should exclude pre-built necks (neck thru or not, unshaped or not). GOTM is not my forte'; it's Brian's realm, and his rules that he watches over. I figured you guys might want this bit of info about the Nebula. It seems everyone is focusing on Anastasia's entry, so.... Now, you have two guitars with pre-built necks in the From Scratch category. Both are original designs otherwise, with cool inlays and great figured woods. I would say, in the name of....something...., that we let this one slide for now, and vote on what we like best in this category. If a pre-built neck sways you to something else, then so be it. Tough news for the entrants with those pre-built necks, but that's how it goes. We'll get Bri to post an OFFICIAL definiton of "from scratch" to clear up any confusion.

The USPTO system is flawed, and time-consuming, but it does (eventually) work. Examiners have gotten better and publishing and filing in a timely manner, but they are so overloaded it's not even funny. Those guys look at someone else's desk with a 3' high pile in their INBOX and just giggle...then call the guy a rookie. :-) I don't envy them at all. Take it easy on Lovekraft and Maiden. They were just looking out for the Tremol-No. Some guys hop online and talk all sorts of smack. They thought you were one of those clowniacs. Protecting the family...heh heh. This is the first place I went public with the Tremol-No, so they take a little pride in that and want to make sure it's name stays clean. I can't blame them, and should thank them! LOL (Love/Maiden- If I'm off on that guess, please feel free to correct me.) Only 3 years? Man...they let you guys off EASY! No offense taken. It's actually a good thing that an independent party is checking on stuff (just don't send me a bill. LOL). My atty. didn't realize that the USPTO jacked up the trademark app, so you kinda helped us out by letting us know so we can get it corrected with them. I have a good idea where the missing units are, kinda. I originally sent them to "managment" at the shop. Well, as anyone that's worked in a corporate environment knows, it's a LONG flight of stairs from Mgmt. down to the actual workers. I think the Tremol-No's made it to the "workers", and are now in a box down in the shop...thus Mgmt. having "no clue where they are." That's just my guess. We'll see how it turns out.

Well, it turns out the trademark is just like the patent. Some guys at the USPTO put them up right away, others spend weeks/months on a desk. Looks like mine is on a desk somewhere. The "failure to respond" notice is common. My attorney's even gotten them AFTER a trademark has been issued. You gotta remember: we're dealing with people who are overloaded with massive amounts of paperwork, while simultaneously trying to get information scanned into an insanely large computer database. Gathering facts by what's online is NOT the best way to do it. Go for multiple sources, including the original. I think they're doing a decent job, so you won't hear me complaining. My atty. said that I can't scan the stuff in for you guys, yet....but he did tell me to tell you all: "Relax. Patents, Trademarks and Copyrights for the Tremol-No are all on the way. They will be in the USPTO database soon enough."

Try a couple of drops of BLUE Loc-Tite on the threads of the jack. If you can't find Loc-Tite brand stuff at your hardware supply store, just look for any kind of "removable thread locker". One or two drops will go a LONG way. I also use it on the tuning machine threads. They don't ever come loose now. :-)

Canadian Strat- Please be patient when you click "Submit". Don't click it 4 times, or you end up with quadruple postings. And that doesn't look so good for a new guy. :-) Thanks.

Ummm....YES. You'll have to wait another 36 hours until I can get to my atty's office. The patent and copyright paperwork are here, but the trademark stuff is at his office. I'll update you on that. I know for a fact that we got the little 'postcard' back from the USPTO regarding the trademark, so...maybe it's just not up on their server yet. Plus, I didn't trademark the term "tremolno"; I trademarked the term "Tremol-No". There's also a difference between what's published (and thus available online), and what's on an examiners desk. I have the Tremol-No patent paperwork here just to my right. I look at it everyday: "37 Total Pages including Claims & Abstract" "20 Total Claims including 3 Independent and 17 Dependent Claims" "25 Figures in 10 Drawing Sheets" It's was filed almost 2 years ago and we're awaiting official patent numbers from the USPTO. When something is APPLIED FOR (i.e. received) with the USPTO, it doesn't get PUBLISHED immediately. Some examiners publish pending documents, some do it after numbers have been issued. You *can* pay a fee and get your pending patent published BEFORE a number is issued, but....I decided against that, so you probably won't see anything with my name on it until the end of the year or so. See? This is why you need that 4th year of law school. :-) I asked the PG members, because of their excellent "hound skills" regarding online sales and Ebay auctions. Having 3000 guys look for something will net you better results than just one guy looking. I'm not too worried about them being in the hands of "The Penguin" or K.A.O.S. I just don't want to see some clowniac trying to get $300 for one on Fleabay, or even worse, 'sticky fingers' coming out of the company where they were. We'll postpone the quiz, for now. Keep current though.

Crafty- With a post like that, I'm going to have to assign some reading homework for you. First Assignment: http://www.tremol-no.com/faq.html Second Assignment: http://www.tremol-no.com/evolution.html Third Assignement: http://projectguitar.ibforums.com/index.php?showtopic=4337 We'll have a quiz tomorrow. Be prepared.

Hey Folks! How about some news? First off, let's start with the business stuff. The first licensee has backed out. Don't freak out yet (I didn't). One door closes...and a couple more open up. I'm now working with THREE companies that would like to build and sell the Tremol-No. One is in Japan, the other two are here in the U.S. I'm excited about these new folks; they're very into it and like what they see (just like you guys for the last 10 mos. LOL). I'm doing same-day or overnight on all contact with these three, so we'll try to get them to you guys by the end of the year. *crosses fingers* Regarding site updates, there's a new "multi-guitar" review up from Bob Lynch. Those of you who don't know Bob, he was one of the original Jemsite forum members (back in '97), a Berklee grad, a sickly monster player, and one of two guys on the planet I'd let setup any of my guitars. Bob's setups make Rich Harris' look like Rich just finished a shift at GC....and we all know how nice Rich's stuff is. And he's a helluva nice guy and one of my good friends. Bob got a Tremol-No a few months ago to test out. He works on the collection of a friend of his; it's about 70 guitars. He put it on a few different models with great success. His full review can be found here: http://www.tremol-no.com/lynchreview.htm Other updates include some new pics, namely of my newest goth-metal endorsee James McIlroy from Cradle Of Filth. Not everyone's cup of tea, but he's pretty tough on gear, and is in the middle of a full-on world tour, so it's a great test of the unit's durability. So far, it's survived South America. I'm going to the Cleveland and Cinci shows to talk with James about the unit, and see if we can make any improvements. He's lovin' it, and so is his tech. :-) I also just signed on a rippin' player named Milan Polak. He was the guitarist for Falco right before he passed, and has since gone on to record some great records. He's also doing producing now. He's got the skills, the exposure, and the drive that I like to see. Plus, I've always been a big Falco fan. :-) As soon as he sends in some pics and a review, I'll get it up on the site. One player that's not on the site, and probably won't be for a while because he's not really computer savvy, is a guy named Larry Rolando. You don't know it, but you've heard him. He's a massive Nashville studio musician who's played on countless records. He got his Tremol-No a few weeks ago, and after a little tweaking, he's re-loving his old custom Strat. If/when he gets online, I'll get some words from him and maybe a pic. Great player, who I hope I'm making a greater player. :-) That's it for now. I'll keep posting here with updates about the licensees. WooHoo!

Don't worry, Neal. You're ok with that post. I got polled the other day. The girl asks, "If the election were held today, who would you vote for?" Kev: "What are my choices?" Girl: "George Bush or John Kerry." Kev: "That's it?" Girl: "Yes." Kev: "Well, they're both lying azzholes, and I don't associate with those kind of people." *pause that seemed longer than it really was* Girl: "Oh." Kev: "I guess that makes me undecided." Girl: "Thanks. Bye." Just to let you guys know, I don't vote for president. I only go to the polling place to vote "no" for every single judge. Humor from my dad: Dad: "I'm writing in my vote for president." Kev: "Heh heh....who are you going to write down?" Dad: "Yosemite Sam." That's the first joke I've heard from my dad in more than 20 years. Not bad, eh? :-)

Yeah- great webstore too. Good thing they went "all e-commerce". (It's down as of the time of this posting) "PARTS SOLD ON THIS WEB SITE ARE IMPORTS. WE ARE NOT REPRESENTING THEM AS PRODUCTS OF THE FOLLOWING COMPANIES. IBANEZ, STRATOCASTER, TELECASTER, PRECISION AND JAZZ ARE REGISTERED TRADEMARKS OF FENDER MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS. LES PAUL IS A REGISTERED TRADEMARK OF GIBSON GUITAR CORPORATION." A couple of English classes, and a B in Grammar, and they'd be covered legally. As it is now, it makes zero sense, so.......dress nice.... The folks here aren't a major threat to Ibanez. But if they were, they'd get a spiffy little C&D letter first. Crafty- it's REALLY hard to shut down foreign companies (like Samick), because the laws in XXXXXX country are different than they are here. Yes, there are treaties that internationally cover patents and trademarks and copyrights, but.....the US seems to be the strictest enforcer of that. That's one of the reasons Fender said, "Screw it. We'll just buy you." with a couple of the foreign companines. Let's live in La-La Land for a minute, and pretend that Fender does get a trademark on the Strat body shape. It's NOT going to stop Chinese factories from cranking out 20,000 a month and selling them worldwide. I promise you. It won't. They won't be selling any in the US, but....with more than 1,000,000 guitars sold worldwide each year, they'll be doing fine without US sales. That's just how it works. Stopping it becomes a cash cow, and you have to figure out how much you're willing to feed that cow to protect your property. Apparently, Fender has a nice sized farm.

We'll leave this open for posts, but man....you better be as eloquent as Tony Blair if you do post something here. WARNING: Flames here will result in IMMEDIATE suspension. No warnings. No excuses.

Oh no.....don't tell me "we" means you're in business with "him". Ugh.