Adding a tremolo onto a Gibson can be a very daunting process and is not one for the faint-of -heart. I wanted a tremolo that would require no drilling or routing of my precious guitar. When researching options I stumbled upon a company called
Stetsbar.
Founder/inventor Eric Stets’ Stetsbar tremolo allows for non-evasive installation and seemed to be the perfect solution. After speaking with Eric over the phone I ordered a Stetsbar Pro II for my Flying V.
Installation was easy, and after stretching the strings out and using some GHS GraphitAll on the nut the guitar stayed remarkably in tune. The tremolo pitches were on par to the bends found on a Bigsby but weren’t as springy-feeling. Even though the Stetsbar Pro II is not designed for hardcore divebombs like that of a Floyd Rose or Kahler, I tried doing some crazy bends and dives on it and it performed pretty well. Of course, the strings didn’t spring back in perfect tune but that was to be expected.
What I really dig about the system is that I could drop in the Stetsbar Pro II in place of the stop tailpiece and tune-o-matic bridge with no problems, and if I want to return the guitar back into its original configuration it’s easy to do. The smooth accuracy of the floating trem is great, allowing Duane Eddy-esque effects like the “Peter Gunn” without the worry of breaking the strings and having it all go out of whack.
If you’re looking for an easy way to add a tremolo onto a Gibson-style guitar without the mess of having to drill holes or route out the body, the Stetsbar Pro II is the way to go.