Vibrola arm playing position...

[everdying]

Just curious now... for those with a maestro / vibrola / whatever...

where do u prefer the arm?

locked towards the front?
locked towards the back?
or just freely dangling and grab as needed?

i also just realized when sitting down, it cannot be used freely dangling due to how the vibrola is positioned...

yes i grew up having a floyd rose as a trem, so I'm kinda more inclined to freely dangling... but damn the arm sits so high above the body it's not that ideal...

 

[Go Nigel Go]

Not sure how I would use a Vibrola specifically since I have never been fortunate enough to own one yet, but like you I am a fan of leaving the arm free to rotate. When I play my whammy equipped guitars, it is usually because I plan on using it a lot. My typical process is to have it free to move and hold it in the crook of my right pinky finger. That allows me to keep the heel of the hand in position to palm mute and I can bend up or down in a very organic way between mutes, picks, strums etc. The right hand is just free to do whatever I want on demand without moving out of playing position. I feel like that would also work with a Vibrola, but can't say for sure. I know it works effortlessly with my Strat and Jazzmaster systems. I usually just grab a hard tail off the stand if I don't need the whammy, so I rarely just play with it hanging..

 

[gypsyseven]

I would say somewhere like on this pic…

 

[pancake81]

It think it is different for everyone depending on playing style. Like Nigel, I have not owner one personally, but I love the look. I don't use a trem/whammy at all in my playing currently, So I would probably just lock it back to keep it our of my way.

Some folks are used to free floating bars, and have muscle memory to reach down, bring it up, use it, and drop it. Lastly, I do see some folks having it locked up a bit higher, so they can just reach down lightly, and use it. All personal preference I guess

That looks like a very vintage piece of plastic Everdying. What guitar are we looking at there?

 

[Von Trapp]

As in my avatar is good for me. Depends on your playing style and what you're used to I guess.

 

[everdying]

Not sure how I would use a Vibrola specifically since I have never been fortunate enough to own one yet, but like you I am a fan of leaving the arm free to rotate. When I play my whammy equipped guitars, it is usually because I plan on using it a lot. My typical process is to have it free to move and hold it in the crook of my right pinky finger. That allows me to keep the heel of the hand in position to palm mute and I can bend up or down in a very organic way between mutes, picks, strums etc. The right hand is just free to do whatever I want on demand without moving out of playing position. I feel like that would also work with a Vibrola, but can't say for sure. I know it works effortlessly with my Strat and Jazzmaster systems. I usually just grab a hard tail off the stand if I don't need the whammy, so I rarely just play with it hanging..

ya freely dangling doesn't work for vibrolas when ur at home sitting down....the bar hits the thigh when u try to bring it to playing position...doesn't matter which leg the guitar rests on...

also since the bar sits so high... can't even do flutters by holding it with the pinky... unlike a floyd.
i guess gibson did it this way so when u turn it back and put in the case, the bar doesn't press down...

been thinking of looking for a diff shorter bar that can be bent to have a lower playing angle...

so ya for now i feel just lock it to the back and only really use it sparingly...

 

[everdying]

That looks like a very vintage piece of plastic Everdying. What guitar are we looking at there?

its the 2000 '61 w/ maestro...the one that was only made from 00-01...

 

[Go Nigel Go]

ya freely dangling doesn't work for vibrolas when ur at home sitting down....the bar hits the thigh when u try to bring it to playing position...doesn't matter which leg the guitar rests on...

also since the bar sits so high... can't even do flutters by holding it with the pinky... unlike a floyd.
i guess gibson did it this way so when u turn it back and put in the case, the bar doesn't press down...

been thinking of looking for a diff shorter bar that can be bent to have a lower playing angle...

so ya for now i feel just lock it to the back and only really use it sparingly...

Yeah. the geometry definitely looks different. I have big hands so I feel like I could make it work comfortably, but there is no telling for sure until I actually get one and make my peace with it. Obviously, everyone is going to use it differently, and what is comfortable for me may not suit everyone. YMMV

 

[smitty_p]

This pic shows about where I use it.

I don’t like to rotate it toward the back as that presents more of an obstruction to the controls.

 

[pancake81]

This pic shows about where I use it.

I don’t like to rotate it toward the back as that presents more of an obstruction to the controls.

View attachment 46678

What a beautiful SG Original 2!

 

[An Abiding Dude]

I'm backer. Just use the heel of my palm to do some light vibrato when I want it.

 

[pancake81]

I'm backer. Just use the heel of my palm to do some light vibrato when I want it.
View attachment 46679

That's an interesting technique Mr.D, I like that. Plus I think the arm looks coolest back for some weird reason. This is all on a hunch, but I feel the guitar might stay in better tune with that technique?

 

[pancake81]

I'm backer. Just use the heel of my palm to do some light vibrato when I want it.
View attachment 46679

Also, that is a damn, and I mean DAMN, nice guitar! Is that an ABR conversion? Looks great

 

[An Abiding Dude]

Also, that is a damn, and I mean DAMN, nice guitar! Is that an ABR conversion? Looks great

Thanks, P81. Yeah, that's basically my logic as far as the heel of palm technique goes. You can't go very wild on those vibrolas and they seem to be pretty stiff, but IDK, maybe it needs a "break-in" period? It stays in tune very well until you some wild vibrato on it, so I stay pretty conservative when using the arm.

This is a 2021 '61 Standard. I was at GC and it had just come in. They took it out of the shipping box in front of me and it was pretty much love at first sight. Always wanted an SG with the lyre tail piece. The only mods to it are I replaced the burstbuckers with a set of SD Seth Lovers and the truss rod cover with the engraved Les Paul signature because I figured it's a '61 model, so why not?

 

[pancake81]

Thanks, P81. Yeah, that's basically my logic as far as the heel of palm technique goes. You can't go very wild on those vibrolas and they seem to be pretty stiff, but IDK, maybe it needs a "break-in" period? It stays in tune very well until you some wild vibrato on it, so I stay pretty conservative when using the arm.

This is a 2021 '61 Standard. I was at GC and it had just come in. They took it out of the shipping box in front of me and it was pretty much love at first sight. Always wanted an SG with the lyre tail piece. The only mods to it are I replaced the burstbuckers with a set of SD Seth Lovers and the truss rod cover with the engraved Les Paul signature because I figured it's a '61 model, so why not?

Pretty much heaven right there, isn't it.

 

[smitty_p]

What a beautiful SG Original 2!

Thanks, Pancake.

 

[MR D]

This pic shows about where I use it.

I don’t like to rotate it toward the back as that presents more of an obstruction to the controls.

View attachment 46678

Oh yes, right there, the PERFECT SG Standard (Original ?)...looks exactly like the 2019 SG 'Original' I have ....just frikkin perfect ! WOW, for me, SG's do not get any better than that !

 

[MR D]

Just curious now... for those with a maestro / vibrola / whatever...

where do u prefer the arm?

locked towards the front?
locked towards the back?
or just freely dangling and grab as needed?

i also just realized when sitting down, it cannot be used freely dangling due to how the vibrola is positioned...

yes i grew up having a floyd rose as a trem, so I'm kinda more inclined to freely dangling... but damn the arm sits so high above the body it's not that ideal...

IDK what BUT Something isn't right there, that arm is way too high......how did that even get like that ?

 

[smitty_p]

Oh yes, right there, the PERFECT SG Standard (Original ?)...looks exactly like the 2019 SG 'Original' I have ....just frikkin perfect ! WOW, for me, SG's do not get any better than that !

Thank you, Mr. D!

The story behind how I got it is pretty bizarre. My wife bought it for me for my birthday one year on eBay. The bizarre part is that the eBay seller was none other than fellow forum member @dampsneaker ! He was unaware at the time that she was purchasing it for another ETSG member.

So, I ended up getting his guitar by sheer coincidence! To this day, it is one of my most cherished guitars and I play it quite often.

After receiving the guitar, my wife showed me the message exchange she had had with dampsneaker while inquiring about it and setting up the sale. He was the consummate professional and really took great care to make sure everything went smoothly.

But, yes. It is a really nice instrument, and it is an Original 2.

 

[everdying]

IDK what BUT Something isn't right there, that arm is way too high......how did that even get like that ?

got a pic of ur arm angle?

i have seen some as high as mine, some lower.
but usually those lower cannot be placed in a case, since it will get depressed no matter which way it's facing.