Dimebag's Squealing Lesson

[ReCycled]

Interesting explanation of his "flick" harmonic technique to get those rising screams out of his guitar. Of course you need a lot of overdrive to get the full tone.
 


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wgtZ7oOCmdM&feature=related

[metaL]

 

[|iR|Focalor]

That's one of the advantages of using a double locking tremolo system, you can bend all kinds of notes in crazy ways that would be impossible without it. It does have it's disadvantages too. Some of the cheaper versions (like the one on my Ibanez JS100) are chrome plated. After a few years, the chrome will start flaking off and it will look like shit. Over time, the hex screws that lock the strings into the bridge can strip out, usually where the hex key fits into the end of it to wrench it down, but occasionally the threads on the screw or the bridge will strip too. Most of my hex screws are rounded out on the ends, I have to use a pair of fine toothed needle nose pliers to tighten and loosen them. The screws on the nut (at the headstock) will round out too. The worst part is the nut. The metal on the nut will crush from the pressure of the nut locks squeezing the strings against the nut. This will also create a groove in the V shaped saddle at the 1st fret, which will lower the action of the string ever so slightly and usually cause an annoying string buzzing when playing any of the strings open. To my knowledge, there are no double locking trem systems that are completely immune to it. You just have to replace it all ever so often. That can be a little expensive and dangerous, especially if you try something else. It may not fit perfectly like the original bridge or nut did, forcing you to have to MacGuyver it in a strange way, which can FUBAR the intonation.

I hate having to remove anything. If you remove the nut, you could end up screwing the new one back in too tight and pinch the wood creating even more buzzing. Removing or adjusting anything that is screwed directly into the body wood is a bad idea. The wood can strip out or you can crossthread something. I stripped out one the holes that screws the neck into the body. Luckily, it didn't ruin the intonation. I rarely use the double locking trem, I always leave the nut locks off. They tend to deaden the notes and make you have to change strings more frequently. Tuning it can be a real pain in the ass too. Because it's all spring loaded, when you loosen one string, the other ones tune upwards. It always took me at least 10 to 30 minutes to get the damn thing perfectly tuned. I'd get it tuned just perfect, then lock it all down at the nut, and locking it down would tune some of the higher strings up a fraction of a step.

As you can tell, I HATE double locking trems. My next guitar will be a fixed bridge. Fuck hex keys!

[ReCycled]

I would think stainless steel screws might hold up better than ordinary mild steel plated screws.
 

[haunted]

Yes he's the master of heavy gain squeals. I've gotten ok at them, my cover of the main riff on cemetary gates is pretty spot on 

[|iR|Focalor]

I would think stainless steel screws might hold up better than ordinary mild steel plated screws.
 

I don't know if they make them, but I'd sure like to have some. As far as I know, the only kind of hex screws available are ordinary black steel. I'd like to see some made of some highly compressed and heat tempered steel that would be more resistant to damage. I doubt that'll ever happen in today's market, all companies in general design shit imperfect so that you'll have to replace it at some point.

Speaking of which, if you ever have to replace part of bridge, DO NOT buy the piece from a retail music store. They will ALWAYS charge you 8 times what it's worth... IF they even carry it. I had a hard time finding replacement hex screws. Just a simple fuckin' screw! I had to go to tons of places before I found one that did guitar repair and had some. They didn't normally sell them either, they were just parts they ordered for backroom repair work. They wanted to charge me about 10 bucks per screw. You can buy them online from a replacement parts website for about $1.25 each. Most of the walk-in retail stores would rather sell you the entire bridge and nut as a full kit for a couple hundred bucks.

That's part of the reason why I hate shopping for gear these days. These small independent mom-n-pop stores have crappy selections and are forced to charge you more to cover the overhead because they never make any sales except strings and picks. I hate going to Guitar Center, at least here in Atlanta, it may be different in other stores. The guitar and amp salesmen are doped up punks that don't know shit. Most of the time I end up educating THEM about their own products. The stores are so small compared to all the merchandise they have, it's a clusterfuck to move around and you can't see all the guitars because they have to cram them all in so tightly on the wall. The amps in the little bitty vintage/used room are stacked up like Jenga blocks and could fall over crushing in an amp-alanche at any moment. You can never get any help. The parking lot is 5 times too small, you gotta park a mile away in someone elses parking lot. It's too bad MARS Music went under, they had bigger stores and comparable prices. I got some really good deals on things there too because I chose them over Guitar Center. They used to double Guitar Center coupons and beat their ads. I had a coupon for 20 dollars off at Guitar Center, I took it to MARS and got a BOSS Metal Zone distortion pedal for about 40 bucks.

But as I'm sure Haunted will agree, you're probably better off doing any actual purchasing ONLINE. You'll more than likely pay less. The best thing to do is to fight the annoying crowds at Guitar Center and test out the products there, then come home and order it online.

[ReCycled]

Ahh you're right Foc - I'm thinking of Philips head screws, not hex. I doubt if anyone makes strong hexes other than the aviation industry or companys connected with motor racing.
 

[|iR|Focalor]

These are basically ALL there are to choose from. What I'm referring to are the "string clamp screws" and the "saddle mounting screws", those are the ones you'll be using the most and really wrenching down on.

http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Nuts,_saddles/Floyd_Rose_nuts_and_parts/1/String_Clamp_Screws_for_Floyd_Rose_Locking_Nut/Pictures.html#details

Just proves how much people are willing to screw you on these little parts. I was under the impression the best price around was $1.25 a piece. They're selling them for 28 cents a piece.