Customer Feedback

If you have feedback you would like to share with us and other Stetsbar users please email us at info@stetsbar.com
We start the US tour (Roger Waters "The Wall") on 1st September. The Stetsbar is serving me very well. I'm really pleased with it. All the Best - Snowy White "By the way, I saw Les Paul himself last fall. After the show, he signed my guitar and actually played it! He really loved the tremolo. I told him all about it, how it requires no drilling, etc.:) Here's a picture of Les Paul signing my Les Paul! Dimitri Vishnepolsky Allen Weber talking about the new Strat Stetsbar . . . . . I want to give you my experience with your Stetsbar. What I liked, what I didn't like - things I saw - in the hope it can help other guitarists to make up their mind if you decide to post this. Let's start with what I liked 1 - The extremely high level of attentive service. It is great to be able to pick up the phone and talk with someone who is extremely knowledgeable about the workings of the units. 2 - The questions you asked before I bought. Like asking me to give measurements of the hole the unit would go into on my guitar. Then making sure it was sized correctly for the width of the hole. 3 - Your warranty. 4 - Once my guitar tech understood how the unit was supposed to go in (more on this later) it took all of about 15 minutes to get the Stetsbar attached to my strat style guitar. With a Les Paul or surface mount it would take even shorter time. The only reason it took so long was the need to unscrew 6 screws on the old trem system, and then un-soldering the ground from the claw and attaching it to the stetsbar. There was additional time needed to shim the neck. We ended up using a popsicle stick (maple) and sandpaper to keep it in place. And the time needed to intonate the guitar and finish the set-up like you would with any new guitar. 5 - The range is amazing! Once the Stetsbar was installed I was able to dive bomb almost an octave. The reason I could not was because my strings got so slack they were feeling and sounding as if they were not even attached to the guitar. When I pulled up, I was able to go up a minor third. 6. I really like how easy it is to adjust the bar. I was one of those who liked the bar loose so when I dropped it out of my hand, it would drop down. But with the feel of the Stets bar (see point 7), I was enticed to set it to stay in position and I was able to do some things with the Stetsbar I never could when the old trem arm was loose. 7. Now for the best part. The feel and resistance of the trem bar. The feel to me was like stretching a rubber-band. It was so easy to move the bar. I never felt any tremolo as easy to use as the Stets bar. It's like the wet dream of guitar tremolos. Fantastic! 8. The workmanship and finish of the unit was excellent. No scratches, solid metal, and the weight added to my guitar was not really noticeable. 9. There was no routing, no drilling, no cutting into the body to install the Stetsbar, and it did not scratch the finish of my guitar when putting it on. I took it off to see and even after being on and using it when I took the unit off to see, my guitar looked like it had never had a tremolo change. Now for the areas of improvement: 1. The instructions were not very clear and required a phone call to you to get a picture of an install sent via email. It would be really helpful if you could post pictures of installs, and even better would be video's of installing the unit on various guitar bodies. So if it is going on a strat type of tremolo, I could look it up on line. You could give tips on how to do the installation better. It would definitely speed up the process. 2. A way or design that would lower the action and keep it closer to that of the strat style trem systems it is replacing. Changes the player will find: 1. The Stetsbar does change the string height on strat type tremolo systems. Rather than the strings going through the body and having that low to the body saddles, your system uses a tune-o-matic which dramatically raises the string height from the body. I would guess 1/2 to 3/4 of an inch. This causes the need to raise the pick-ups and I needed longer screws to hold the pick-ups in place when they were raised to the height they needed to be. 2. Due to it being a different tremolo than I was using, it changed the sound of my guitar. ANY tremolo will change the sound of the guitar. What I noticed was the sound became more mid-rangey, a bit brighter more bell-like. But the bottom dropped. The sound was cleaner and crispier. 3. Due to the tune-o-matic there is some getting use to a different hand position than I use with the strat style tremolo. But coming from a Les Paul background, it was the same type of adjustment I had to make to go to a strat style guitar. 4. Even with radical dive-bombing the guitar stays in tune. It goes off a few cents but bending a string on a stop tail-piece can also make a sting go off a few cents. Justplaying on cold strings and when they warm up can make a guitar go out of tune a few cents. So this is really a non-issue. 5. It is a hell of a lot more fun using the Stetsbar trem than the standard issue ones. I hope this helps other guitarists make up their minds about using your system. - Sincerely, Allen Below is the text of an email from a Stesbar user Michael Lobo Amadio which we thought we would share with you. Names have been edited out to protect the feelings of a certain large company employee: Not too long ago maybe a month or so I spoke to my guitar tech. Geoff Luttrell of San Francisco Guitarworks. I had inquired as to why there isn't much info on why the Tele semi hollow doesn't have the option of having a trem arm, like a Bigsby? I had sent an email to Fender.com -----Original Message----- Hello, I haven't received an answer on this yet, I originally sent this email 2/19/07 I feel you probably get asked this question quite a bit, so I apologize in advance if this is the case. Why isn't there a Thin-line or Semi-hollow Tele with a Bigsby type of bridge? I'm interested in finding something like this and I just can't believe it's so difficult to find info on; why it's not a good thing or why it's not in production. If you could educate me on this I'd greatly appreciate it. Best regards, Michael Lobo Amadio Here's the Reply: Dated: March 1, 2007 3:46:06 PM PST Hello, Thank you for your interest in Fender Musical Instruments. This would make for a very heavy instrument. I am not aware of any plans to manufacture an instrument like this. Best Regards, Name Deleted , Consumer Relations, Fender Musical Instruments Corp. I was pretty frustrated with this lame answer. It did not answer my question as to why. It really didn't address anything I had seriously inquired about. So when I brought in my G&L Bluesboy Semi-hollow to have Geoff of S. F. Guitarworks adjust the bridge he said there shouldn't be any problem installing such a device, but he wasn't confident with the Bigsby system and how it worked. I had read of your product from the ads in Premier Guitar and Guitar One, I mentioned your name and he looked you up on the spot found your website and was impressed with what he saw. He contacted you guys the following week. Received the trem arm mechanism and found it had default screws. You guys took care of it right away. And I am now the proud owner of your Stetsbar on my G&L. I'm more than pleased it's so sensitive! I just need to use my little finger to flavor my songs and WOW! It was well worth the investment. Thank you so much, for such a wonderful invention. And it didnt add that much more weight to the guitar, it's still lighter than my Strat! Michael Lobo Amadio The Stetsbar that I fitted to my early 1980s set-neck American Series Gibson Invader came from Madison and Fifth in the UK, who are a pleasure to deal with and willing to go to great lengths to see that you get exactly the right trem ('vibrato') bridge model for your needs. It's an amazingly light but elegantly engineered bridge and base plate that form a single unit that you can fit to your precious Les Paul type guitar by bolting it down using the existing stop-tail body inserts after removing the standard bridge and stop-tail. The big plus is that - unlike all those trem bridge refits before the Stetsbar was invented - your precious guitar does not have to be cut about to accommodate the unit. I had mine fitted within 20 minutes and that included setting the intonation and a low buzz-free action as well as adjusting the tremolo arm height and "feel" (this is done by turning two grub screws in the back of the unit that loosen or tighten the tremolo's springs). The tremolo action is definitely smoother than the Bigsby on my Gretsch 6118 Double Anniversary and my 1980s Fender Strat with its vintage six-screw trem bridge - and, it moves up as well as down. The Stetsbar may not be designed for dive-bombing but it does far more than just the Bigsby wobble in the Cochran and Atkins style. Another great plus for guitarists playing country music and imitating a pedal steel is that multiple string bending does not pull the bridge forward as it does with Strat-type trem. I only wish I had known about Stetsbar before I routed out one of my precious Telecasters to take a Strat trem bridge as I now know they produce one to fit a Tele or hard tail Strat. The Stetsbar comes with all the necessary allen keys, fixing studs, protective washers and even some Nut Sauce to allow the strings to glide freely in the slots so that it always returns to tune. Thanks, Eric and guys, for bringing trem technology into the 21st century - now, how about designing an ingenious and lightweight B Bender?A grateful... Mike (Doc) Clarke, Dusty Rhodes Band (UK) With all the Tele players here, I thought you might be interested in my experience with the Stetsbar. If you haven't heard of it, go to www.stetsbar.com. I've had the Tele version for several months now, first on my G&L Bluesboy, then on a parts Tele with locking tuners and roller nut. Mounting: You have to install a supplied neck shim to kick the angle back and compensate for the tune-o-matic bridge height--the change is not really noticeable to me. After that, it takes just a few minutes to install--a little bit of fiddling required, but if I can do it, it must be really easy. It fits both of my guitars perfectly with no mods at all. Tuning: Initial setup takes a few minutes because it's a floating trem, so tightening one string loosens the others, if you know what I mean. But once up to tune and with some lube on the usual places (bridge, string tree, etc.) it stays in tune really well. Performance: Here's where it gets good. It will go up a major third, down a major third, depending on which string of course. It's VERY smooth and VERY sensitive -takes some getting used to after my Strats. But a whole lot of sonic color is available with the Stetsbar. Like pedal steel effects - I'm no country player, but if you are, you could make it really sing. It seems to increase sustain AND retain the T-tone. Seems robust enough--I haven't played it live yet, but I plan to take it to the jams this weekend. Anyway, that's my story. So far, so good, and if you're looking to add a trem to your Tele, it's a really good (if a little pricey) option. I hope this info helps somebody. DrZ Amplifiers Forum Eric, I've completed my Warmoth custom Thinline "Tele" with your Stetsbar installed. Long time guitar tech for Hootie and the Blowfish, Billy Chapman, assembled the guitar and had this to say, "That's one great piece of gear!"(meaning the Stetsbar, of course). It's the first one he had installed and we are both very satisfied with the operation and intonation. Sustain is clear. I may decide to monkey around with the action some, which will probably involve adjusting placement of the shim, or adding another, but for now all is well. All beholders are impressed. It looks great, too. FYI...we installed a GraphTech graphite nut and Gotoh locking/height-adjustable tuning keys. I have beat hell out of the Stetsbar and have had zero tuning problems as a result of that. Gary Brown - The Mickey June Show It's me, Jack again. I would just like to say thank you so much for telling me what wrench to use. I used to be able to go down a half step at most, now I can dive-bomb like no tomorrow! I admire you and your product greatly.From Jack Davison Hey Eric, Don't know if you remember me ( it's been a while ), but I've finally finished this tour that I was doing around Australia, which featured the Stetsbar tremolo on my Les Paul...see link for performance. I must say, the Stetsbars really impressed me (and everyone else on the bill) with holding tune, and especially given the extreme use I was giving it in the solo too.. (about 2/3 the way through ). It was a bit of a conversation point on the tour with all the guitar techs too...so all the best for your venture with these things. Cheers, Brian Canham Hi Eric. I love the tremolo. I've had it for 4 months now and it never fails me. The guitar stays remarkably in tune. So I'm attaching my picture for the website. My name is Dimitri Vishnepolsky and I play in a band called "Four Fried Beers". Hi, Eric- Here's a pic of your trem installed on my Bluesboy. Action is high right now. I think I'll have to either cut the maximum depth slots in the bridge saddles, or better yet, shim the neck just a little more. Any advice on those options? How would I add more neck angle? I can already tell it's going to be a winner in terms of staying in tune. Very nice! Thanks, Steve Daily The Stetsbar works great, I haven't experienced any tuning instability, pretty much feels like a hard tail when trem arm is not screwed in. It did take a awhile to get the hang of it, but once I got used to it (its smooooooooth), it became part of my style. If I had to choose again between the Stetsbar/ Bigsby/ hipshot, I'll go with the Stetsbar every day of the week. Great addition to the guitar, one which has become an invaluable tool for me. Kelvin - From the Gearpage.net Forum Hi, I have had my Stetsbar fitted and I am delighted with the results - thanks again. I have attached an image of the guitar if you would like to put it on the website gallery. Thanks, Iain Eric- Just wanted to thank you for modifying the bridge to fit my 1973 Les Paul. It works great, I'm very happy with it, and the band I play with is impressed with the new sounds I'm putting out! Here's a photo- feel free to add it to your website gallery. Thanks again, Roland It's my 1998 Les Paul Standard Double Cutaway in MINT condition and the Stetsbar that I purchased a short time ago. Please feel free to add it to your website. Thanks again! Patrick Pearce Hi Eric, At long last have completed custom with Stetsbar, Fernandes sustainer and Variax electronics! I have now fitted two of your vibratos- truly exceptional units - well done and thanks. Regards, Chris George Guitars UK I was fishing around on eBay for a tremolo unit I could install on my Les Paul with out cutting and drilling (the thought of it just sends shivers down my spine) and after an exhaustive search I came up with nada! So I did a Google search and came across this small website called Stetsbar.com. I looked at all of the very cool trem units on the site and discovered they were just what I was looking for. I emailed them and ended up speaking with Eric Stets the owner. He was extremely cool and VERY helpful. Although a bit pricey (not all that bad when the alternative is the drill and router) I took a chance and ordered one of his very cool looking devices. Three days later it arrived. I was very impressed when I opened the box. The piece was a very nicely engineered unit. After about 20 minutes (although the installation instructions recommend installing by a professional only) I had the unit mounted and a new set of strings on my Les Paul. It was a piece of cake! It looks great and works even better than I expected. You can set it so the dives will allow the strings to stick to the pickups or set it so you can add just the right amount of trem to that chord or note. It's a floating system so it takes a bit for the springs and strings to settle in (I changed out the nuts on both of the guitars I installed these on to Graph-Tech Trem-Nuts) and after a bit of playing everything locks in quite right. If you own a Les Paul style guitar (stud style bridge and stop tail piece) and want to add a trem unit without cutting, this is a GREAT system! I have installed 1 on a Roland GR-303 and a Tokai LP clone. My Fender Tele is next. Check it all out at www.stetsbar.com. Talk to Eric and tell him Mike sent you. You won't be disappointed! Please feel free to email me with comments or questions. Thanks, Mike I thought you guys might like to see the result of my little project. I sure like showing it off! The Stetsbar is tremendous! Great quality. Great design. Ease of installation, and setup. Thank you so much for such a great product and excellent customer support. Sincerely, Tim Gosman Man, I should have done this long long ago. Everything went well. Stays in tune no problem, handles heavy gauge strings well and I am in love with her all over again...lol she is a 1976 Gibson Les Paul gold top deluxe. Thank You Mr. Stets for bringing so much joy back into playing my Paul the way she was meant to be played... The surf rock world is about to be Les Paulverized!!! LOL I want to buy another Stetsbar for my father-in-laws LP Custom as he is turning 50 this April and he was very impressed with the one I got and wanted to buy one. My mother-in-law was yelling from the other room "Oh no you don't..." and you can bet as soon as I finish building my own guitar it will have a Stetsbar on it... Thanx again, Ronald E Moore Hi Eric, Here is a photo of my 2001 Gibson Les Paul Special Double Cutaway, showing my second Stetsbar installation. The first was on my 2003 Les Paul DC Plus (pictured on your Gallery Page #3). As you would imagine, this installation went far more quickly than my first, even with significantly more intonation adjustments needed for this guitar. Given my experiences with this product, I would not hesitate to install one on any new guitar that I might acquire. Thanks again for a great tremolo. Sincerely, Don Travins, Nashua, NH Hi, I wanted to let you know I received the Stetsbar and got it installed on my Les Paul already by a professional guitar tech. Dude, this is the coolest trem I have ever used. It's real smooth and looks awesome. My guitar stays in tune better and seems to have a little more sustain to it. Awesome product, well worth the money. Scott MacFeat I put a Stetsbar on my Kendrick Roadhouse (Les Paul) and transformed a superb studio guitar into my ultimate concert axe. Most trems kill your tone and turn your pride-&-joy into a boat anchor. Not the Stetsbar! Great tone - light weight - no alterations. And it holds its tune through the wildest of bends! Eric - you are a genius! Thanks, Mike Chain, www.michaelchain.com I received the Stetsbar yesterday and installed it in my Les Paul. Setting up, tuning, and intonation was easier than changing strings on a Floyd Rose system. The Stetsbar stays remarkably in tune and a lot of musicians are impressed. Regards, Stan Joyce Hi there, I recently purchased a Stetsbar from you for my 61 re-issue Gibson SG Standard & I have to say that I am highly delighted with it. Being a pro musician, my demands are high & this baby meets all of them for me! The SG stays perfectly in-tune even after dramatic usage of the bar on stage. The action of the bar is fabulous, not too tight or slack & responds to the lightest touch, beautifully. So thanks once again for helping me find a true match of design & functionality in a tremolo unit for my guitar. I will have no hesitation in recommending you & this product. I enclose a couple of photo's for your gallery, should you wish to feature it! Kind regards, Andy De Looze Just fitted one (Stetsbar). This is excellent, I also fitted Grover Locking Tuners at a coat of £37 which bolt straight in and with a bit of nut sauce on the Bridge and nut. The Tuning stability is excellent. It works by sliding the bridge back and forth and both upward and downward bends are possible. Best of all it requires no mods whatsoever to your guitar so you can put it back to exactly as it was or fit it to another guitar with a stop bar tail piece if you wish. Hagar1 on Epiphone Forum I found a local machinist who solved the problem of putting a trem on a carved top electric without modification. The tremolo mounts using the existing stop tail bushings. I recently visited Eric Stets and played a few guitars equipped with the trem. These are without a doubt one of the coolest trems on the market. Since it is surface mounted you do not lose sustain or tone at all. It is just like a fixed bridge. You also don't get that tremolo reverb thing going on and you don't have to route away all that wood and lose even more good tone. The other benefit is that you can set your hand on the bridge for muting and it will not move on you. Pretty awesome. Dave Myka on Project Guitar Forum and... by the way... the Stetsbar unit FAR exceeded my expectations! Very high quality construction. Looks great. Installed easily. Works flawlessly. No problems with tuning. No sticking or slipping. It is an awesome product. Thanks, Tim Gosman Thank you! I received the tremolo arm at the end of last week. Thank you so much for standing behind your product. I really believe you made a phenomenal "gizmo;" that's why I have three and am sure number 4 will be soon. Thanks! Marcelino Diaz Jr Hope all is well. I'm currently in LA about to head back to NY. Just played the Hollywood Bowl yesterday w/ the Richard Bona Group and the Delia w/ the Stetsbar was ROCKING IT! Literally picked her up on Friday morning and had Matt @ 30th St Guitars set her up right. Flew out here Sat am and hit the stage yesterday afternoon. She looks and plays so sweetly! Thanks so much and I'm looking forward to our relationship in the future, John Caban Your tremolo works like Strat, Bigsby, Moslite or even like Floyd Rose without any modification to my guitar. No other tremolos are like this. It didn't change the guitar weight so my original guitar tone are still there. Tuning is stable once properly setup. I like its material too, actually, I can't stop touching it. :) Thank you for the greatest gear! Kenya Takanashi Hiya Eric, Got my 335 back with the Stets installed and played it. Works great - of course! Stays in tune, tone is great. I am a very happy camper. I should be, all three of my favorite guitars now have a Stets! I'll send you pics as soon as I can get some decent shots. Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!! Your friend & fan - Michael Chain Mate, I just had the Stetsbar Pro 2 fitted to my Gibson SG and all I can say is it works flawlessly. How good are they - I am going to get one for my Les Paul when I can afford it. They just absolutely blow the opposition off the planet. I tried the Bigsby and they are just a poor 3rd compared to the Stetsbar. Your advertising is spot on, they do exactly as you state and still stay in tune. All the effort you put in to the development was worth the outcome that resulted. To say I am very satisfied with the Stetsbar would be an extreme understatement. Also how good do they look on a SG? I attach a photo so you can see for your self. I hope you sell truckloads of them. Thanks for a great product and such brilliant personal service - Mick Jones I am emailing this message to give you an early view of the STETSBAR PRO II trem that I installed on my Reverend Commando HSS, which did not have a stock tremelo option. It installed right in place of the stock bridge, no problem, even tho I was prepared to do anything to make it fit......I did not have to drill or modify anything. The guitar is a tone monster, and I use it all the time. Reverend has since discontinued the model......this one is a 2005. I am so pleased with this well designed unit! All the tones are still there........even to my high frequency challenged ears, it sounds terrific. All the harmonics, the rich overtones, and the rich clean chording with the single coils is there.....and it has all the sustain and roar with the Humbucker that I had before. It stays in tune very well. I had some doubts after taking the neck off and putting in the hardboard shim, but it seems to have had NO effect. You are right, it does take a craftsman, like me, to get it all faired and dressed up to fit properly. And I put the neck back on with slightly longer SS screws. It went on very tight . . . . . . . . . This unit is so well engineered and designed, I cannot believe you accomplished this in only 2 years of time......every part has a specific function, and the bearings in particular make all the action move back and forth flawlessly! Kudos to Eric! Again, thanx to you and your lovely wife....yall have been very helpful. I will recommend your company to anyone. You have a great thing going on there, for an old guy! See Ya one day! We'll jam on some old stuff. Richard Tucker Eric, I've always liked tremolo bars but the problem has been that it kills your tone. Over the years I've tried for other tremolo systems. In each case it had a significant negative impact on the tone, to the point that I had to sell all four guitars. I thought I would try the Stetsbar system thinking that if they did not work out at least I could keep the guitar! I bought two 2008 made in America Fender Standard Telecasters, both bodies were alder with rosewood necks. In addition, although I replaced the pickups, they were identical configurations. I played without any effects or distortion through a Fender Princeton and Vibrolux and as expected the tone was identical. Next I had the Stetsbar system installed on one of the telecasters and performed another side-by-side comparison. The tone between the two telecasters was still nearly identical. The only difference that I noticed was the telecaster with the Stetsbar system had the slightest bit more presence (something you would not notice unless you're doing a direct A B comparison). I'm so glad I bought a Stetsbar tremolo! Thanks, Rob Kalberer I noticed on your gallery page that you guys like receiving photos of guitars with Stetsbars installed. Recently I purchased a custom built First Act guitar from their studio in Boston, MA, which has an OEM StetsBar installed. Here's a pic attached to this e-mail. As a luthier, I have to admit that your tremolo is great! I am also a quietly active musician and the OEM has become my favorite trem' system to date. Great design and perfect function - it has the range of a modern tremolo but the feel of a vintage one. It is simply the best of both worlds! Thanks again, Sincerely - Mike Virok Hi Eric - unit arrived and installed no problem. Professionally manfactured and well worth the money. I also seemed to have picked up quite a bit of volume and warmer tone compared to the OEM bridge. Excellent!Thanks again, Gary Gordon I must say that the Stetsbar was the best money I've ever spent. I installed it on my Epiphone plus top Les Paul. It was very easy to install. Set up was no big deal. It was a lot easier than dealing with a Floyd Rose system. I have got it "broken in" pretty good now and it is awesome. I used Big Bends Nut Sauce on the nut and I rarely go out of tune. Thanks you for making such an awesome product. I would put my guitar up against any out there. The Stetsbar definitely took it to the next level. Thanks again, Jason Edwards My name is George Koronios, from Greece and today I fit the stetsbar in my gibson les paul. What can I say...it rocks!! It is very smooth, very sensitive. It is like I bought a new guitar, a new guitar that no one has, my custom model. I would like to thank for your innovative creation, we need people like you in the music industry. Again thank you and I am sending some photos if you like to post on you site. Best Regards, George I noticed on your gallery page that you guys like receiving photos of guitars with Stetsbars installed. Recently I purchased a custom built First Act guitar from their studio in Boston, MA, which has an OEM StetsBar installed. Here's a pic attached to this e-mail. As a luthier, I have to admit that your tremolo is great! I am also a quietly active musician and the OEM has become my favorite trem' system to date. Great design and perfect function - it has the range of a modern tremolo but the feel of a vintage one. It is simply the best of both worlds! Thanks again; Sincerely - Mike Virok Hi Eric- I received my Stetsbar on Monday, got it installed on Tuesday, and I wanted to express my gratitude, both for your excellent service, and for this sweet, sweet tremelo. I love it, and I am 100% happy with my purchase. I'll spread the word as I am able. I wish you every success with this wonderful product. Drew Tousley, Santa Cruz, CA HI ERIC..FIRST OF ALL THANK YOU!...I INSTALLED ALL THE TREMOLOS TO THE GIBSON MODELS THAT I WANTED TO UPGRADE AND THESE THINGS ARE AMAZING...I´M MORE THAN HAPPY WITH THE VERSATILITY AND FITNESS THEY ADD, AND AS I SEE THAT SOME OF YOUR CUSTOMERS SEND YOU PICS OF THEIR GUITARS I DON´T WANT TO BE LEFT BEHIND, HOPING THAT YOU ALSO THINK THAT THESE GUITARS ARE GREAT...CONSIDER ME AS A VERY HAPPY CUSTOMER, AND OF COURSE I WILL RECOMMEND THE STETSBAR TO ANYONE THAT ASK ME AND OVER ANYTHING ELSE...¡NOTHING LIKE IT IN THE MARKET! RICARDO NORIEGA Hi Peter, Received shim - thanks. I've installed the Stetsbar onto my now heavily modded MIM tele (shielded cavities, 4-way switch, pearloid scratch plate & custom shop texas specials) & couldn't be happier. It's now replaced my Baja & Aerodyne teles as my 1st choice axe. Cheers, Brendan. Eric, I've always liked tremolo bars but the problem has been that it kills your tone him. Over the years I've tried for other tremolo systems. In each case it had a significant negative impact on the tone, to the point that I had to sell all four guitars. I thought I would try the Stetsbar system thinking that if they did not work out at least I could keep the guitar! I bought two 2008 made in America Fender Standard Telecasters, both bodies were alder with rosewood necks. In addition although I replaced the pickups they were identical configurations. I played without any effects or distortion through a Fender Princeton and Vibrolux and as expected the tone was identical. Next I had the Stetsbar system installed on one of the telecasters and performed another side-by-side comparison. The tone between the two telecasters was still nearly identical. The only difference that I noticed was the telecaster with the Stetsbar system had the slightest bit more presence (something you would not notice unless you're doing a direct A B comparison). I'm so glad I bought a Stetsbar tremolo! Thanks, Rob Kalberer Hi Eric, Just a note to thank you for all the help getting a Stetsbar on my Heritage 535. I'm really enjoying using it on my guitar. Andy Brauer did a great setup. I posted my good experience on the Heritage Owners Forum. Hopefully it will bring you more customers. Here's the link if you want to check it out: Heritage Owners Forum Lovin the unit! Thanks again. Best, Ron Gordon Hello Eric, Here are a few pics of my OEM installation on my Strat. The new bridge height is roughly the same as the original bridge so I didn't have to shim or even adjust the neck tilt with the micro-adjust. String to pick-up distance is remains good too. Overall, I think it looks as though it was meant to be. Much better than if I had mounted it on the surface of the body and had a steep neck angle. It was really a pretty simple installation. The only trick was managing the depth of the recess so as to allow for ample travel of the arm balanced with resulting bridge height.Thanks again, Bob Jantz The Reverend Jetstream 390 black burst with a Stetsbar is as close to a divine axe as any human can handle. I have 11 guage flatwounds on the lower 3 strings and 10 gauge on the high 3, and hands down this is the best axe I have ever played. The bar itself fits perfectly in my mitts with a little tweaking. I love the way it looks, just like an old school hot rod racer that Dick Dale would be proud of. Oh yeah it rules on Dick Dale numbers. I can't thank both parties - Reverend and Stetsbar - enough because this IS the Holy Grail. I pick it up, it wrestles out of me things that I never had at my finger tips before. Its a natural effortless songwriter and bad assed riffer axe, and I am using it to create a mighty congregation here in southern California. I'm not a religious man, but this little axe has the wrath and benevolence of the almighty in it! Cheers Gents, Mark O'Donnell Eric, Just wanted to send a reply & photo of my two new Stetsbar tremelos mounted on my Les Paul Customs. I got them today and just installed the 2nd one. One word easily sums them up: "WOW"!!! This is the tremelo I've waited some 20 years for! It was easy enough to install and set-up, a novice like me had the action on both guitars set within a few minutes. I can't wait to have a good jam session with either guitar now! Wait until Sunday afternoon when the band sees this!!! Enclosed is a picture of the Stetsbars mounted to my 1991 LP custom black beauty (Proud Mary) and my 1980 sunburst custom (Jamie). I think the picture speaks for itself: the Stetsbar is THE finishing touch on these guitars . . . Thanks again! Sincerely, Kent Aschenbrenner lead guitarist/lead vocalist/harmonica The UV Blues Band Eric, I'm so sorry to keep bothering you over such small matters but I have one more question... I just remembered that my G&L telecaster is a semi-hollow model... If I install the Stetsbar will it cause a horrific and fatal destruction of my tele! Lol ( I know I am exaggerating!) Anyway, but will it become unstable? I also would like to add that I HAVE NEVER contacted a company with a question about a product, and gotten a straight answer FROM THE BOSS AND PRODUCT DESIGNER HIMSELF like I have gotten from you! I was leaning towards buying a vibramate for my tele and realized that after I bought the $60 hunk of " polished aluminum", the $150 Bigsby B-5, I would have been able to outfit 2 of my guitars with stetsbars for the same cost. Also the vibramate is very limited because many telecasters have 6 saddle bridges and the vibramate only supports 3 saddle bridges and does not include new saddles! Thats another $30 in saddles!!! A huge waste of time and money! Thank you, Brian Dorsey Hello again, just want to tell you that the Stetsbar I installed on my Epiphone Explorer is working without a hitch. The guitar stays in tune, goes back to correct tuning after divebombing, and I havn't even installed the locking tuning heads yet. Once in a while a string or 2 goes slightly out of tune but thats it. Thank you, the Stetsbar has got to be one of the best investments I ever made, I love it!!!! If there is any promo stuff you want to send (stickers, banners, guitar picks, straps...)Im happy to promo your Stetsbar. Don (TinPan)Block I got my Stetsbar on Thursday (9/8/11), and I had installed it and had it fully set up on my Epi Les Paul within a half hour of getting it home. This is exactly the tremolo I've been waiting for! It's easy to install and set up, you don't have to carve up your guitar, it's well-made, and it stays in tune beautifully. I couldn't be happier with it. I'm glad I found out about the Stetsbar before I bought a Bigsby... I've already shown it off to a few of my guitarist friends, and they're all blown away. I'll be ordering another one for my other LP soon, and I'm hoping I can send a few more customers your way. Many thanks, Pete Carta Thanks, Eric! . . . . just wanted you to know that I really like the Stetsbars. I've played for 48 years and never really used a vibrato until the last couple of years because my take on them was that they are "devices designed to put the guitar out of tune"! And I go nuts when the sucker is out of tune. (Drives me crazy that 90% of the online guitar video demos feature a guitar that's NOT in tune...!) Thanks again. I'll be watching the mail like a kid on Christmas Eve!!! Don Hanson PS Does your website have a "testimonials" page yet? If not, it should! (And I'll be there...!!!) The Stetsbar tremelo system.... Well, what can I say? I have a Kahler system on my Gibson Explorer, a Bigsby on one Gibson Les Paul and a Floyd Rose on my Dean. I just installed a Stetsbar on my Silverburst Les Paul and it performs much better than all of the above mentioned systems. The Stetsbar is great in that you can divebomb it and then reverse it and get some amazing sounds and it still stays in tune. I think Eric has done a great job on the design and features of the Stetsbar, even down to using a rubber bushing to control the tightness of the tremelo arm . I would recommend the Stetsbar to all guitar players. Thanks, Ronnie Williams Eric, thank you for the support of the Stetsbar. I have been beating the hell out of it since day one. It has out lasted 3 sets of frets and out lived the base plates of my Floyd Roses by 5 years (as I went through one a year when I was using them on an every day basis). Since I got this bridge that you sent to me in New York almost 5 years ago I have used it every day. The track "Twirl" was my first realization that your bridge was my ticket to a better way and tt now has a permanent home on my '61 Les Paul. The frets are new so I'll get a year and a half out of them. Then I'll have her re-fretted as she is a $4000 axe that the guy I bought her from never played her and did not abuse her and he just about gave her to me - and I sleep with her! LOL. Any way's she is waiting so its throw down time. All my Best Brother:) Joseph Sanita I can't say enough good things about Eric and the Stetsbar, but I'll try! Eric is a pleasure to do business with - he is patient in explaining his product, personable in his conversations, and proficient in his craft. All that is especially clear in the way Eric handles requests for custom work. I asked Eric if he could create a Bigsby style arm to work with the Stetsbar, and after some weeks of prototyping and feedback, he delivered a product that was exactly as I'd imagined. Now I have a bar that marries the comfort and style of an old-fashioned vibrato with the range and reliability of a modern whammy. The Stetsbar delivers on all it promises, and with the added playability of a traditional flat arm, it couldn't make me or my Les Paul any happier. Thank you, Eric! - Josh, Bourbon Missile Crisis Howdy, A long time ago, in a desert in southern Iraq far far away, i trashed my bridge on my Les Paul. I had recently heard about this new thing called the stetsbar, so being the inquisitive young lad i was, i emailed yall and i ordered one. I was very, very pleased. Fast forward about 3 1/2 years, and i am browsing the web and thought it would be cool to check out some of the new stetsbar products.... and lo and behold, like-minded people like myself had already got the idea to incorporate a piezo system into their stetsbar and yall obliged! Well, i'm thinking of upgrading to said piezo system. What do i need to know? i already have a stetsbar, so i really just need the bridge and saddle system and the proprietary preamp system. Can yall help me out here? Thanks so much, C. Christensen p.s. 3 1/2 years later, and i'm still pleased as punch with my stetsbar!

If you have feedback you would like to share with us and other Stetsbar users please email us at info@stetsbar.com

We start the US tour (Roger Waters "The Wall") on 1st September. The Stetsbar is serving me very well. I'm really pleased with it. All the Best - Snowy White

"By the way, I saw Les Paul himself last fall. After the show, he signed my guitar and actually played it! He really loved the tremolo. I told him all about it, how it requires no drilling, etc.:) Here's a picture of Les Paul signing my Les Paul! Dimitri Vishnepolsky

Les Paul, Dimitri & Stetsbar

Allen Weber talking about the new Strat Stetsbar . . . . .
I want to give you my experience with your Stetsbar. What I liked, what I didn't like - things I saw - in the hope it can help other guitarists to make up their mind if you decide to post this.
Let's start with what I liked
1 - The extremely high level of attentive service. It is great to be able to pick up the phone and talk with someone who is extremely knowledgeable about the workings of the units.
2 - The questions you asked before I bought. Like asking me to give measurements of the hole the unit would go into on my guitar. Then making sure it was sized correctly for the width of the hole.
3 - Your warranty.
4 - Once my guitar tech understood how the unit was supposed to go in (more on this later) it took all of about 15 minutes to get the Stetsbar attached to my strat style guitar. With a Les Paul or surface mount it would take even shorter time. The only reason it took so long was the need to unscrew 6 screws on the old trem system, and then un-soldering the ground from the claw and attaching it to the stetsbar. There was additional time needed to shim the neck. We ended up using a popsicle stick (maple) and sandpaper to keep it in place. And the time needed to intonate the guitar and finish the set-up like you would with any new guitar.
5 - The range is amazing! Once the Stetsbar was installed I was able to dive bomb almost an octave. The reason I could not was because my strings got so slack they were feeling and sounding as if they were not even attached to the guitar. When I pulled up, I was able to go up a minor third.
6. I really like how easy it is to adjust the bar. I was one of those who liked the bar loose so when I dropped it out of my hand, it would drop down. But with the feel of the Stets bar (see point 7), I was enticed to set it to stay in position and I was able to do some things with the Stetsbar I never could when the old trem arm was loose.
7. Now for the best part. The feel and resistance of the trem bar. The feel to me was like stretching a rubber-band. It was so easy to move the bar. I never felt any tremolo as easy to use as the Stets bar. It's like the wet dream of guitar tremolos. Fantastic!
8. The workmanship and finish of the unit was excellent. No scratches, solid metal, and the weight added to my guitar was not really noticeable.
9. There was no routing, no drilling, no cutting into the body to install the Stetsbar, and it did not scratch the finish of my guitar when putting it on. I took it off to see and even after being on and using it when I took the unit off to see, my guitar looked like it had never had a tremolo change.
Now for the areas of improvement:
1. The instructions were not very clear and required a phone call to you to get a picture of an install sent via email. It would be really helpful if you could post pictures of installs, and even better would be video's of installing the unit on various guitar bodies. So if it is going on a strat type of tremolo, I could look it up on line. You could give tips on how to do the installation better. It would definitely speed up the process.
2. A way or design that would lower the action and keep it closer to that of the strat style trem systems it is replacing.
Changes the player will find:
1. The Stetsbar does change the string height on strat type tremolo systems. Rather than the strings going through the body and having that low to the body saddles, your system uses a tune-o-matic which dramatically raises the string height from the body. I would guess 1/2 to 3/4 of an inch. This causes the need to raise the pick-ups and I needed longer screws to hold the pick-ups in place when they were raised to the height they needed to be.
2. Due to it being a different tremolo than I was using, it changed the sound of my guitar. ANY tremolo will change the sound of the guitar. What I noticed was the sound became more mid-rangey, a bit brighter more bell-like. But the bottom dropped. The sound was cleaner and crispier.
3. Due to the tune-o-matic there is some getting use to a different hand position than I use with the strat style tremolo. But coming from a Les Paul background, it was the same type of adjustment I had to make to go to a strat style guitar.
4. Even with radical dive-bombing the guitar stays in tune. It goes off a few cents but bending a string on a stop tail-piece can also make a sting go off a few cents. Justplaying on cold strings and when they warm up can make a guitar go out of tune a few cents. So this is really a non-issue.
5. It is a hell of a lot more fun using the Stetsbar trem than the standard issue ones.
I hope this helps other guitarists make up their minds about using your system. - Sincerely, Allen

Below is the text of an email from a Stesbar user Michael Lobo Amadio which we thought we would share with you. Names have been edited out to protect the feelings of a certain large company employee:
Not too long ago maybe a month or so I spoke to my guitar tech. Geoff Luttrell of San Francisco Guitarworks. I had inquired as to why there isn't much info on why the Tele semi hollow doesn't have the option of having a trem arm, like a Bigsby? I had sent an email to Fender.com

-----Original Message-----
Hello, I haven't received an answer on this yet, I originally sent this email 2/19/07 I feel you probably get asked this question quite a bit, so I apologize in advance if this is the case. Why isn't there a Thin-line or Semi-hollow Tele with a Bigsby type of bridge? I'm interested in finding something like this and I just can't believe it's so difficult to find info on; why it's not a good thing or why it's not in production. If you could educate me on this I'd greatly appreciate it.
Best regards, Michael Lobo Amadio
Here's the Reply:

Dated: March 1, 2007 3:46:06 PM PST
Hello, Thank you for your interest in Fender Musical Instruments. This would make for a very heavy instrument. I am not aware of any plans to manufacture an instrument like this.
Best Regards, Name Deleted , Consumer Relations, Fender Musical Instruments Corp.
I was pretty frustrated with this lame answer. It did not answer my question as to why. It really didn't address anything I had seriously inquired about. So when I brought in my G&L Bluesboy Semi-hollow to have Geoff of S. F. Guitarworks adjust the bridge he said there shouldn't be any problem installing such a device, but he wasn't confident with the Bigsby system and how it worked. I had read of your product from the ads in Premier Guitar and Guitar One, I mentioned your name and he looked you up on the spot found your website and was impressed with what he saw. He contacted you guys the following week. Received the trem arm mechanism and found it had default screws. You guys took care of it right away. And I am now the proud owner of your Stetsbar on my G&L. I'm more than pleased it's so sensitive! I just need to use my little finger to flavor my songs and WOW! It was well worth the investment. Thank you so much, for such a wonderful invention. And it didnt add that much more weight to the guitar, it's still lighter than my Strat! Michael Lobo Amadio

The Stetsbar that I fitted to my early 1980s set-neck American Series Gibson Invader came from Madison and Fifth in the UK, who are a pleasure to deal with and willing to go to great lengths to see that you get exactly the right trem ('vibrato') bridge model for your needs.
It's an amazingly light but elegantly engineered bridge and base plate that form a single unit that you can fit to your precious Les Paul type guitar by bolting it down using the existing stop-tail body inserts after removing the standard bridge and stop-tail. The big plus is that - unlike all those trem bridge refits before the Stetsbar was invented - your precious guitar does not have to be cut about to accommodate the unit.
I had mine fitted within 20 minutes and that included setting the intonation and a low buzz-free action as well as adjusting the tremolo arm height and "feel" (this is done by turning two grub screws in the back of the unit that loosen or tighten the tremolo's springs). The tremolo action is definitely smoother than the Bigsby on my Gretsch 6118 Double Anniversary and my 1980s Fender Strat with its vintage six-screw trem bridge - and, it moves up as well as down. The Stetsbar may not be designed for dive-bombing but it does far more than just the Bigsby wobble in the Cochran and Atkins style. Another great plus for guitarists playing country music and imitating a pedal steel is that multiple string bending does not pull the bridge forward as it does with Strat-type trem.
I only wish I had known about Stetsbar before I routed out one of my precious Telecasters to take a Strat trem bridge as I now know they produce one to fit a Tele or hard tail Strat.
The Stetsbar comes with all the necessary allen keys, fixing studs, protective washers and even some Nut Sauce to allow the strings to glide freely in the slots so that it always returns to tune. Thanks, Eric and guys, for bringing trem technology into the 21st century - now, how about designing an ingenious and lightweight B Bender?A grateful... Mike (Doc) Clarke, Dusty Rhodes Band (UK)

With all the Tele players here, I thought you might be interested in my experience with the Stetsbar. If you haven't heard of it, go to www.stetsbar.com. I've had the Tele version for several months now, first on my G&L Bluesboy, then on a parts Tele with locking tuners and roller nut.
Mounting: You have to install a supplied neck shim to kick the angle back and compensate for the tune-o-matic bridge height--the change is not really noticeable to me. After that, it takes just a few minutes to install--a little bit of fiddling required, but if I can do it, it must be really easy. It fits both of my guitars perfectly with no mods at all.
Tuning: Initial setup takes a few minutes because it's a floating trem, so tightening one string loosens the others, if you know what I mean. But once up to tune and with some lube on the usual places (bridge, string tree, etc.) it stays in tune really well.
Performance: Here's where it gets good. It will go up a major third, down a major third, depending on which string of course. It's VERY smooth and VERY sensitive -takes some getting used to after my Strats. But a whole lot of sonic color is available with the Stetsbar. Like pedal steel effects - I'm no country player, but if you are, you could make it really sing. It seems to increase sustain AND retain the T-tone.
Seems robust enough--I haven't played it live yet, but I plan to take it to the jams this weekend. Anyway, that's my story. So far, so good, and if you're looking to add a trem to your Tele, it's a really good (if a little pricey) option. I hope this info helps somebody. DrZ Amplifiers Forum

Eric, I've completed my Warmoth custom Thinline "Tele" with your Stetsbar installed. Long time guitar tech for Hootie and the Blowfish, Billy Chapman, assembled the guitar and had this to say, "That's one great piece of gear!"(meaning the Stetsbar, of course). It's the first one he had installed and we are both very satisfied with the operation and intonation. Sustain is clear. I may decide to monkey around with the action some, which will probably involve adjusting placement of the shim, or adding another, but for now all is well. All beholders are impressed. It looks great, too. FYI...we installed a GraphTech graphite nut and Gotoh locking/height-adjustable tuning keys. I have beat hell out of the Stetsbar and have had zero tuning problems as a result of that. Gary Brown - The Mickey June Show

It's me, Jack again. I would just like to say thank you so much for telling me what wrench to use. I used to be able to go down a half step at most, now I can dive-bomb like no tomorrow! I admire you and your product greatly.From Jack Davison

Hey Eric, Don't know if you remember me ( it's been a while ), but I've finally finished this tour that I was doing around Australia, which featured the Stetsbar tremolo on my Les Paul...see link for performance. I must say, the Stetsbars really impressed me (and everyone else on the bill) with holding tune, and especially given the extreme use I was giving it in the solo too.. (about 2/3 the way through ). It was a bit of a conversation point on the tour with all the guitar techs too...so all the best for your venture with these things. Cheers, Brian Canham

Hi Eric. I love the tremolo. I've had it for 4 months now and it never fails me. The guitar stays remarkably in tune. So I'm attaching my picture for the website. My name is Dimitri Vishnepolsky and I play in a band called "Four Fried Beers".

Hi, Eric- Here's a pic of your trem installed on my Bluesboy. Action is high right now. I think I'll have to either cut the maximum depth slots in the bridge saddles, or better yet, shim the neck just a little more. Any advice on those options? How would I add more neck angle? I can already tell it's going to be a winner in terms of staying in tune. Very nice! Thanks, Steve Daily

The Stetsbar works great, I haven't experienced any tuning instability, pretty much feels like a hard tail when trem arm is not screwed in. It did take a awhile to get the hang of it, but once I got used to it (its smooooooooth), it became part of my style. If I had to choose again between the Stetsbar/ Bigsby/ hipshot, I'll go with the Stetsbar every day of the week. Great addition to the guitar, one which has become an invaluable tool for me. Kelvin - From the Gearpage.net Forum

Hi, I have had my Stetsbar fitted and I am delighted with the results - thanks again. I have attached an image of the guitar if you would like to put it on the website gallery. Thanks, Iain

Eric- Just wanted to thank you for modifying the bridge to fit my 1973 Les Paul. It works great, I'm very happy with it, and the band I play with is impressed with the new sounds I'm putting out! Here's a photo- feel free to add it to your website gallery. Thanks again, Roland

It's my 1998 Les Paul Standard Double Cutaway in MINT condition and the Stetsbar that I purchased a short time ago. Please feel free to add it to your website. Thanks again! Patrick Pearce

Hi Eric, At long last have completed custom with Stetsbar, Fernandes sustainer and Variax electronics! I have now fitted two of your vibratos- truly exceptional units - well done and thanks. Regards, Chris George Guitars UK

I was fishing around on eBay for a tremolo unit I could install on my Les Paul with out cutting and drilling (the thought of it just sends shivers down my spine) and after an exhaustive search I came up with nada! So I did a Google search and came across this small website called Stetsbar.com. I looked at all of the very cool trem units on the site and discovered they were just what I was looking for. I emailed them and ended up speaking with Eric Stets the owner. He was extremely cool and VERY helpful. Although a bit pricey (not all that bad when the alternative is the drill and router) I took a chance and ordered one of his very cool looking devices. Three days later it arrived. I was very impressed when I opened the box. The piece was a very nicely engineered unit. After about 20 minutes (although the installation instructions recommend installing by a professional only) I had the unit mounted and a new set of strings on my Les Paul. It was a piece of cake! It looks great and works even better than I expected. You can set it so the dives will allow the strings to stick to the pickups or set it so you can add just the right amount of trem to that chord or note. It's a floating system so it takes a bit for the springs and strings to settle in (I changed out the nuts on both of the guitars I installed these on to Graph-Tech Trem-Nuts) and after a bit of playing everything locks in quite right. If you own a Les Paul style guitar (stud style bridge and stop tail piece) and want to add a trem unit without cutting, this is a GREAT system! I have installed 1 on a Roland GR-303 and a Tokai LP clone. My Fender Tele is next. Check it all out at www.stetsbar.com. Talk to Eric and tell him Mike sent you. You won't be disappointed! Please feel free to email me with comments or questions. Thanks, Mike

I thought you guys might like to see the result of my little project. I sure like showing it off! The Stetsbar is tremendous! Great quality. Great design. Ease of installation, and setup. Thank you so much for such a great product and excellent customer support. Sincerely, Tim Gosman

Man, I should have done this long long ago. Everything went well. Stays in tune no problem, handles heavy gauge strings well and I am in love with her all over again...lol she is a 1976 Gibson Les Paul gold top deluxe. Thank You Mr. Stets for bringing so much joy back into playing my Paul the way she was meant to be played... The surf rock world is about to be Les Paulverized!!! LOL I want to buy another Stetsbar for my father-in-laws LP Custom as he is turning 50 this April and he was very impressed with the one I got and wanted to buy one. My mother-in-law was yelling from the other room "Oh no you don't..." and you can bet as soon as I finish building my own guitar it will have a Stetsbar on it... Thanx again, Ronald E Moore

Hi Eric, Here is a photo of my 2001 Gibson Les Paul Special Double Cutaway, showing my second Stetsbar installation. The first was on my 2003 Les Paul DC Plus (pictured on your Gallery Page #3). As you would imagine, this installation went far more quickly than my first, even with significantly more intonation adjustments needed for this guitar. Given my experiences with this product, I would not hesitate to install one on any new guitar that I might acquire. Thanks again for a great tremolo. Sincerely, Don Travins, Nashua, NH

Hi, I wanted to let you know I received the Stetsbar and got it installed on my Les Paul already by a professional guitar tech. Dude, this is the coolest trem I have ever used. It's real smooth and looks awesome. My guitar stays in tune better and seems to have a little more sustain to it. Awesome product, well worth the money. Scott MacFeat

I put a Stetsbar on my Kendrick Roadhouse (Les Paul) and transformed a superb studio guitar into my ultimate concert axe. Most trems kill your tone and turn your pride-&-joy into a boat anchor. Not the Stetsbar! Great tone - light weight - no alterations. And it holds its tune through the wildest of bends! Eric - you are a genius! Thanks, Mike Chain, www.michaelchain.com

I received the Stetsbar yesterday and installed it in my Les Paul. Setting up, tuning, and intonation was easier than changing strings on a Floyd Rose system. The Stetsbar stays remarkably in tune and a lot of musicians are impressed. Regards, Stan Joyce

Hi there, I recently purchased a Stetsbar from you for my 61 re-issue Gibson SG Standard & I have to say that I am highly delighted with it. Being a pro musician, my demands are high & this baby meets all of them for me! The SG stays perfectly in-tune even after dramatic usage of the bar on stage. The action of the bar is fabulous, not too tight or slack & responds to the lightest touch, beautifully. So thanks once again for helping me find a true match of design & functionality in a tremolo unit for my guitar. I will have no hesitation in recommending you & this product. I enclose a couple of photo's for your gallery, should you wish to feature it! Kind regards, Andy De Looze

Just fitted one (Stetsbar). This is excellent, I also fitted Grover Locking Tuners at a coat of £37 which bolt straight in and with a bit of nut sauce on the Bridge and nut. The Tuning stability is excellent. It works by sliding the bridge back and forth and both upward and downward bends are possible. Best of all it requires no mods whatsoever to your guitar so you can put it back to exactly as it was or fit it to another guitar with a stop bar tail piece if you wish. Hagar1 on Epiphone Forum

I found a local machinist who solved the problem of putting a trem on a carved top electric without modification. The tremolo mounts using the existing stop tail bushings. I recently visited Eric Stets and played a few guitars equipped with the trem. These are without a doubt one of the coolest trems on the market. Since it is surface mounted you do not lose sustain or tone at all. It is just like a fixed bridge. You also don't get that tremolo reverb thing going on and you don't have to route away all that wood and lose even more good tone. The other benefit is that you can set your hand on the bridge for muting and it will not move on you. Pretty awesome. Dave Myka on Project Guitar Forum

and... by the way... the Stetsbar unit FAR exceeded my expectations! Very high quality construction. Looks great. Installed easily. Works flawlessly. No problems with tuning. No sticking or slipping. It is an awesome product. Thanks, Tim Gosman

Thank you! I received the tremolo arm at the end of last week. Thank you so much for standing behind your product. I really believe you made a phenomenal "gizmo;" that's why I have three and am sure number 4 will be soon. Thanks! Marcelino Diaz Jr

Hope all is well. I'm currently in LA about to head back to NY. Just played the Hollywood Bowl yesterday w/ the Richard Bona Group and the Delia w/ the Stetsbar was ROCKING IT! Literally picked her up on Friday morning and had Matt @ 30th St Guitars set her up right. Flew out here Sat am and hit the stage yesterday afternoon. She looks and plays so sweetly! Thanks so much and I'm looking forward to our relationship in the future, John Caban

Your tremolo works like Strat, Bigsby, Moslite or even like Floyd Rose without any modification to my guitar. No other tremolos are like this. It didn't change the guitar weight so my original guitar tone are still there. Tuning is stable once properly setup. I like its material too, actually, I can't stop touching it. :) Thank you for the greatest gear! Kenya Takanashi

Hiya Eric, Got my 335 back with the Stets installed and played it. Works great - of course! Stays in tune, tone is great. I am a very happy camper. I should be, all three of my favorite guitars now have a Stets! I'll send you pics as soon as I can get some decent shots. Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!! Your friend & fan - Michael Chain

Mate, I just had the Stetsbar Pro 2 fitted to my Gibson SG and all I can say is it works flawlessly. How good are they - I am going to get one for my Les Paul when I can afford it. They just absolutely blow the opposition off the planet. I tried the Bigsby and they are just a poor 3rd compared to the Stetsbar. Your advertising is spot on, they do exactly as you state and still stay in tune. All the effort you put in to the development was worth the outcome that resulted. To say I am very satisfied with the Stetsbar would be an extreme understatement. Also how good do they look on a SG? I attach a photo so you can see for your self. I hope you sell truckloads of them. Thanks for a great product and such brilliant personal service - Mick Jones

I am emailing this message to give you an early view of the STETSBAR PRO II trem that I installed on my Reverend Commando HSS, which did not have a stock tremelo option. It installed right in place of the stock bridge, no problem, even tho I was prepared to do anything to make it fit......I did not have to drill or modify anything. The guitar is a tone monster, and I use it all the time. Reverend has since discontinued the model......this one is a 2005.
I am so pleased with this well designed unit! All the tones are still there........even to my high frequency challenged ears, it sounds terrific. All the harmonics, the rich overtones, and the rich clean chording with the single coils is there.....and it has all the sustain and roar with the Humbucker that I had before. It stays in tune very well. I had some doubts after taking the neck off and putting in the hardboard shim, but it seems to have had NO effect. You are right, it does take a craftsman, like me, to get it all faired and dressed up to fit properly. And I put the neck back on with slightly longer SS screws. It went on very tight . . . . .
. . . . This unit is so well engineered and designed, I cannot believe you accomplished this in only 2 years of time......every part has a specific function, and the bearings in particular make all the action move back and forth flawlessly! Kudos to Eric!
Again, thanx to you and your lovely wife....yall have been very helpful. I will recommend your company to anyone. You have a great thing going on there, for an old guy! See Ya one day! We'll jam on some old stuff. Richard Tucker

Eric, I've always liked tremolo bars but the problem has been that it kills your tone. Over the years I've tried for other tremolo systems. In each case it had a significant negative impact on the tone, to the point that I had to sell all four guitars.
I thought I would try the Stetsbar system thinking that if they did not work out at least I could keep the guitar! I bought two 2008 made in America Fender Standard Telecasters, both bodies were alder with rosewood necks. In addition, although I replaced the pickups, they were identical configurations. I played without any effects or distortion through a Fender Princeton and Vibrolux and as expected the tone was identical.
Next I had the Stetsbar system installed on one of the telecasters and performed another side-by-side comparison. The tone between the two telecasters was still nearly identical. The only difference that I noticed was the telecaster with the Stetsbar system had the slightest bit more presence (something you would not notice unless you're doing a direct A B comparison). I'm so glad I bought a Stetsbar tremolo! Thanks, Rob Kalberer

I noticed on your gallery page that you guys like receiving photos of guitars with Stetsbars installed. Recently I purchased a custom built First Act guitar from their studio in Boston, MA, which has an OEM StetsBar installed. Here's a pic attached to this e-mail. As a luthier, I have to admit that your tremolo is great! I am also a quietly active musician and the OEM has become my favorite trem' system to date. Great design and perfect function - it has the range of a modern tremolo but the feel of a vintage one. It is simply the best of both worlds! Thanks again, Sincerely - Mike Virok

Hi Eric - unit arrived and installed no problem. Professionally manfactured and well worth the money. I also seemed to have picked up quite a bit of volume and warmer tone compared to the OEM bridge. Excellent!Thanks again, Gary Gordon

I must say that the Stetsbar was the best money I've ever spent. I installed it on my Epiphone plus top Les Paul. It was very easy to install. Set up was no big deal. It was a lot easier than dealing with a Floyd Rose system. I have got it "broken in" pretty good now and it is awesome. I used Big Bends Nut Sauce on the nut and I rarely go out of tune. Thanks you for making such an awesome product. I would put my guitar up against any out there. The Stetsbar definitely took it to the next level. Thanks again, Jason Edwards

My name is George Koronios, from Greece and today I fit the stetsbar in my gibson les paul. What can I say...it rocks!! It is very smooth, very sensitive. It is like I bought a new guitar, a new guitar that no one has, my custom model. I would like to thank for your innovative creation, we need people like you in the music industry. Again thank you and I am sending some photos if you like to post on you site. Best Regards, George

I noticed on your gallery page that you guys like receiving photos of guitars with Stetsbars installed. Recently I purchased a custom built First Act guitar from their studio in Boston, MA, which has an OEM StetsBar installed. Here's a pic attached to this e-mail. As a luthier, I have to admit that your tremolo is great! I am also a quietly active musician and the OEM has become my favorite trem' system to date. Great design and perfect function - it has the range of a modern tremolo but the feel of a vintage one. It is simply the best of both worlds! Thanks again; Sincerely - Mike Virok

Hi Eric- I received my Stetsbar on Monday, got it installed on Tuesday, and I wanted to express my gratitude, both for your excellent service, and for this sweet, sweet tremelo. I love it, and I am 100% happy with my purchase. I'll spread the word as I am able. I wish you every success with this wonderful product. Drew Tousley, Santa Cruz, CA

HI ERIC..FIRST OF ALL THANK YOU!...I INSTALLED ALL THE TREMOLOS TO THE GIBSON MODELS THAT I WANTED TO UPGRADE AND THESE THINGS ARE AMAZING...I´M MORE THAN HAPPY WITH THE VERSATILITY AND FITNESS THEY ADD, AND AS I SEE THAT SOME OF YOUR CUSTOMERS SEND YOU PICS OF THEIR GUITARS I DON´T WANT TO BE LEFT BEHIND, HOPING THAT YOU ALSO THINK THAT THESE GUITARS ARE GREAT...CONSIDER ME AS A VERY HAPPY CUSTOMER, AND OF COURSE I WILL RECOMMEND THE STETSBAR TO ANYONE THAT ASK ME AND OVER ANYTHING ELSE...¡NOTHING LIKE IT IN THE MARKET! RICARDO NORIEGA

Hi Peter, Received shim - thanks. I've installed the Stetsbar onto my now heavily modded MIM tele (shielded cavities, 4-way switch, pearloid scratch plate & custom shop texas specials) & couldn't be happier. It's now replaced my Baja & Aerodyne teles as my 1st choice axe. Cheers, Brendan.

Eric, I've always liked tremolo bars but the problem has been that it kills your tone him. Over the years I've tried for other tremolo systems. In each case it had a significant negative impact on the tone, to the point that I had to sell all four guitars.
I thought I would try the Stetsbar system thinking that if they did not work out at least I could keep the guitar! I bought two 2008 made in America Fender Standard Telecasters, both bodies were alder with rosewood necks. In addition although I replaced the pickups they were identical configurations. I played without any effects or distortion through a Fender Princeton and Vibrolux and as expected the tone was identical. Next I had the Stetsbar system installed on one of the telecasters and performed another side-by-side comparison. The tone between the two telecasters was still nearly identical. The only difference that I noticed was the telecaster with the Stetsbar system had the slightest bit more presence (something you would not notice unless you're doing a direct A B comparison). I'm so glad I bought a Stetsbar tremolo! Thanks, Rob Kalberer

Hi Eric, Just a note to thank you for all the help getting a Stetsbar on my Heritage 535. I'm really enjoying using it on my guitar. Andy Brauer did a great setup. I posted my good experience on the Heritage Owners Forum. Hopefully it will bring you more customers. Here's the link if you want to check it out: Heritage Owners Forum Lovin the unit! Thanks again. Best, Ron Gordon

Hello Eric, Here are a few pics of my OEM installation on my Strat. The new bridge height is roughly the same as the original bridge so I didn't have to shim or even adjust the neck tilt with the micro-adjust. String to pick-up distance is remains good too. Overall, I think it looks as though it was meant to be. Much better than if I had mounted it on the surface of the body and had a steep neck angle. It was really a pretty simple installation. The only trick was managing the depth of the recess so as to allow for ample travel of the arm balanced with resulting bridge height.Thanks again, Bob Jantz

The Reverend Jetstream 390 black burst with a Stetsbar is as close to a divine axe as any human can handle. I have 11 guage flatwounds on the lower 3 strings and 10 gauge on the high 3, and hands down this is the best axe I have ever played. The bar itself fits perfectly in my mitts with a little tweaking.
I love the way it looks, just like an old school hot rod racer that Dick Dale would be proud of. Oh yeah it rules on Dick Dale numbers. I can't thank both parties - Reverend and Stetsbar - enough because this IS the Holy Grail. I pick it up, it wrestles out of me things that I never had at my finger tips before. Its a natural effortless songwriter and bad assed riffer axe, and I am using it to create a mighty congregation here in southern California. I'm not a religious man, but this little axe has the wrath and benevolence of the almighty in it! Cheers Gents, Mark O'Donnell

Eric, Just wanted to send a reply & photo of my two new Stetsbar tremelos mounted on my Les Paul Customs. I got them today and just installed the 2nd one. One word easily sums them up: "WOW"!!! This is the tremelo I've waited some 20 years for! It was easy enough to install and set-up, a novice like me had the action on both guitars set within a few minutes. I can't wait to have a good jam session with either guitar now! Wait until Sunday afternoon when the band sees this!!! Enclosed is a picture of the Stetsbars mounted to my 1991 LP custom black beauty (Proud Mary) and my 1980 sunburst custom (Jamie). I think the picture speaks for itself: the Stetsbar is THE finishing touch on these guitars . . . Thanks again! Sincerely, Kent Aschenbrenner lead guitarist/lead vocalist/harmonica The UV Blues Band

Eric, I'm so sorry to keep bothering you over such small matters but I have one more question...
I just remembered that my G&L telecaster is a semi-hollow model... If I install the Stetsbar will it cause a horrific and fatal destruction of my tele! Lol ( I know I am exaggerating!) Anyway, but will it become unstable? I also would like to add that I HAVE NEVER contacted a company with a question about a product, and gotten a straight answer FROM THE BOSS AND PRODUCT DESIGNER HIMSELF like I have gotten from you! I was leaning towards buying a vibramate for my tele and realized that after I bought the $60 hunk of " polished aluminum", the $150 Bigsby B-5, I would have been able to outfit 2 of my guitars with stetsbars for the same cost. Also the vibramate is very limited because many telecasters have 6 saddle bridges and the vibramate only supports 3 saddle bridges and does not include new saddles! Thats another $30 in saddles!!! A huge waste of time and money! Thank you, Brian Dorsey

Hello again, just want to tell you that the Stetsbar I installed on my Epiphone Explorer is working without a hitch. The guitar stays in tune, goes back to correct tuning after divebombing, and I havn't even installed the locking tuning heads yet. Once in a while a string or 2 goes slightly out of tune but thats it. Thank you, the Stetsbar has got to be one of the best investments I ever made, I love it!!!! If there is any promo stuff you want to send (stickers, banners, guitar picks, straps...)Im happy to promo your Stetsbar. Don (TinPan)Block

I got my Stetsbar on Thursday (9/8/11), and I had installed it and had it fully set up on my Epi Les Paul within a half hour of getting it home. This is exactly the tremolo I've been waiting for! It's easy to install and set up, you don't have to carve up your guitar, it's well-made, and it stays in tune beautifully. I couldn't be happier with it. I'm glad I found out about the Stetsbar before I bought a Bigsby... I've already shown it off to a few of my guitarist friends, and they're all blown away. I'll be ordering another one for my other LP soon, and I'm hoping I can send a few more customers your way. Many thanks, Pete Carta

Thanks, Eric! . . . . just wanted you to know that I really like the Stetsbars. I've played for 48 years and never really used a vibrato until the last couple of years because my take on them was that they are "devices designed to put the guitar out of tune"! And I go nuts when the sucker is out of tune. (Drives me crazy that 90% of the online guitar video demos feature a guitar that's NOT in tune...!) Thanks again. I'll be watching the mail like a kid on Christmas Eve!!! Don Hanson
PS Does your website have a "testimonials" page yet? If not, it should! (And I'll be there...!!!)

The Stetsbar tremelo system.... Well, what can I say? I have a Kahler system on my Gibson Explorer, a Bigsby on one Gibson Les Paul and a Floyd Rose on my Dean. I just installed a Stetsbar on my Silverburst Les Paul and it performs much better than all of the above mentioned systems. The Stetsbar is great in that you can divebomb it and then reverse it and get some amazing sounds and it still stays in tune. I think Eric has done a great job on the design and features of the Stetsbar, even down to using a rubber bushing to control the tightness of the tremelo arm . I would recommend the Stetsbar to all guitar players. Thanks, Ronnie Williams

Eric, thank you for the support of the Stetsbar. I have been beating the hell out of it since day one. It has out lasted 3 sets of frets and out lived the base plates of my Floyd Roses by 5 years (as I went through one a year when I was using them on an every day basis).
Since I got this bridge that you sent to me in New York almost 5 years ago I have used it every day. The track "Twirl" was my first realization that your bridge was my ticket to a better way and tt now has a permanent home on my '61 Les Paul. The frets are new so I'll get a year and a half out of them. Then I'll have her re-fretted as she is a $4000 axe that the guy I bought her from never played her and did not abuse her and he just about gave her to me - and I sleep with her! LOL. Any way's she is waiting so its throw down time. All my Best Brother:) Joseph Sanita

I can't say enough good things about Eric and the Stetsbar, but I'll try! Eric is a pleasure to do business with - he is patient in explaining his product, personable in his conversations, and proficient in his craft. All that is especially clear in the way Eric handles requests for custom work. I asked Eric if he could create a Bigsby style arm to work with the Stetsbar, and after some weeks of prototyping and feedback, he delivered a product that was exactly as I'd imagined. Now I have a bar that marries the comfort and style of an old-fashioned vibrato with the range and reliability of a modern whammy. The Stetsbar delivers on all it promises, and with the added playability of a traditional flat arm, it couldn't make me or my Les Paul any happier. Thank you, Eric! - Josh, Bourbon Missile Crisis

Howdy, A long time ago, in a desert in southern Iraq far far away, i trashed my bridge on my Les Paul. I had recently heard about this new thing called the stetsbar, so being the inquisitive young lad i was, i emailed yall and i ordered one. I was very, very pleased. Fast forward about 3 1/2 years, and i am browsing the web and thought it would be cool to check out some of the new stetsbar products.... and lo and behold, like-minded people like myself had already got the idea to incorporate a piezo system into their stetsbar and yall obliged!

Well, i'm thinking of upgrading to said piezo system. What do i need to know? i already have a stetsbar, so i really just need the bridge and saddle system and the proprietary preamp system. Can yall help me out here? Thanks so much, C. Christensen
p.s. 3 1/2 years later, and i'm still pleased as punch with my stetsbar!

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