Watching 'live at the Rainbow' and other live performances, I notice that Brian uses the vibrato bar sparingly in live performance preferring to bend the springs more.
I'm no guitarist but is there any difference between using the vibrato bar vs string bending for sound, convenience and skill wise? A mate said that using the 'wammy' bar was a great way to detune the guitar. Then there are various you tube comments regarding guitar players... for example Dave Mustaine vs Kirk Hammet, alot of people criticize Kirk for relying too much on the vibrato where as as Dave bended the strings more.... Is there more skill/prestige to bend strings for sound than using the vibrato bar?
For guitarist here, when to you like to yank the vibrato bar? is there a time and a place for it
Biggus Dickus wrote:
If you have a proper guitar with a locking nut, you can do pretty much anything you want with the whammy bar and the guitar won't go out of tune.
What exactly do you mean a proper guitar.
The locking nut was developed in the late 70's along with the Floyd rose floating trem. The system locks strings at the bridge and nut because the bridge floats and there for doesnt proved solid anchor in the way a traditional strat trem does by being held again the body and bring designed originally to be de-pressed lowering the strings as apposed to the Floyd rose system that can lower and lift strings to a higher pitch.
There are many very good modern guitars that use a two point fixing system that allows the bridge to float that don't need a locking nut because in the last 20 years the design improvements in locking machine heads have made locking nuts largely un necessary.
Guitar makes like PRS, Charvel and indeed BMG are proper guitars and don't use a locking nut.
The double locking trem with its locking nut works great when set up properly but it isn't guitar tech friendly when strings have to be changed mid gig.
DQ1 wrote:
Using the whammy-bar bends all the strings at once versus string bending for one or more strings. String bending is more subtle then the whammy-bar.
Broadly speaking yes, but if you listen to Brian (and watch him) he employs a very very subtle light touch to the trem sometimes which ads a subtle shimmering bend to some chords and individual notes
David Gimour is another player who uses the trem in very subtle ways. So it's not always big sweeping dive bombs verses precise finger bends as one can complement the other.
There are one or two good guitar players here who could maybe explain this better than me.