Electric guitars with tremolo
Tremolo
— bridges of this type, also known as "tremolo machines", allow you to use a special lever to change the tension of the strings, creating, in fact, the tremolo effect. Moreover, unlike neck braces, the “machine” works with all the strings at once, which significantly expands the range of available techniques compared to fixed bridges. The disadvantages of tremolo machines are complexity in design, and often in tuning, higher cost, and sometimes also bulkiness. However, there are many varieties of such bridges, and each of them has its own specifics. Here are the most popular ones:— Vintage Tremolo. Relatively inexpensive machines originally developed by Fender and used in guitars with matching bodies (see "Body Shape"). They are easy to tune (although they require compliance with certain rules), they keep the system for a relatively long time, but they work mainly to lower the tone — the increase requires specific tuning and can only be carried out to a small height.
— Wilkinson. An improved and modified version of the Vintage Tremolo. They provide longer retention of the system and greater durability of the mechanism itself, however, they are more expensive.
— Bigsby. Typewriters used mainly on semi-acoustic guitars, as well as models in retro style. They can work both down and up, keep the tune well, are easy to set up and are very responsive, but they have a relatively small adjustment range, and are also bulky and quite expensive.
— Floyd Rose. High quality tremolo machines, popular among professional musicians. They have an extensive range of adjustment both up and down, and besides, they keep the system well with the active use of the tremolo lever (however, this is due not to the bridge design, but to the almost obligatory presence of a top lock on the neck). On the other hand, such systems are extremely difficult to tune and replace strings — in this case, the system can “fly off” even from a careless cotton on the body (and even if the string breaks, it is guaranteed to “fly off”). For these reasons, Floyd Rose is highly discouraged for beginners.
— Kahler. Usually we are talking about the Floyd Rose analogue with a slightly different way of attaching the strings, providing improved sustain; such systems have no other noticeable advantages over the original. However, other solutions from Kahler can be used in top-class instruments — they are extremely expensive, but they do not lose the system from inaccurate movement, clapping on the body and other similar influences to which Floyd Rose is sensitive.
— Zero resistance. An improved version of Floyd Rose, which is easier to tune and does not lose tune even when the string breaks, but it also costs much more.