Fixed bridge or floyd

[shredder487395]

i'm planning on buying a new guitar either the esp m-2 or the ibanez paul gilbert 301. i never use a trem, so i was woundering if the fixed bridge makes that big of difference in sustain and the the overal sound. which guitar would you guys get.

 

[Zax666]

There could be a three page discussion on whether a floyd robs sustain and harmonic complexity, but the added simplicity of a fixed bridge is indiscussable.

I recall the PGM had a fender style hardtail? Go for it, best, easiest, cheapest, most effective, cormfiest fixed bridge available.

If you're not going to use the Floyd, getting a guitar with one is basicly shooting yourself in the foot.

 

[SyXified]

If you're not going to use the Floyd, getting a guitar with one is basicly shooting yourself in the foot.

My sentiments exactly. Personally my philosophy is:
1. There is WAY too much to learn on guitar to strap a whammy bar, the bar of great distraction, on your guitar too early. Rather than saddle a whammy bar on so you screw around with it rather than practicing technique, I'd sooner just hold off. If I could remove the pentatonic scale from my guitar, believe me I would.

2. If you are good enough, you can get basically any sound a whammy bar could create out of your fingers. I spent time getting good vibrato bends under my fingers rather than on the bar and I can mimic most things players with bars can pull off minus huge dive bombs or excessive pulls. Still, when most people hear a solo I have recorded, they are surprised certain parts are done without a bar. Most of what you would ever need is right in your hand already.

<--- see the guitar in the picture? It goes out of tune... all the time. Screw Floyds

 

[ABQShredHead]

<--- see the guitar in the picture? It goes out of tune... all the time. Screw Floyds

Strange, I very rarely have problems with keeping in tune on lock-nut guitars. It takes some coaxing when installing strings, but once in tune they stay in tune. Brad Gillis mentioned in an old mag article to add a new string by tuning it to pitch, or even past pitch, wanking on it hard for a couple minutes, unlocking and detuning the string, and then bringing it back to pitch and locking it (and final tuning it with the microtuners). Following that advice, I have no tuning problems even after heavy wanking.

Oh, and to answer the original question, I'd buy whatever guitar feels good to you when playing it. I would not recommend ordering a guitar sight unseen from Musicians Friend or anywhere without first trying out something similar at a guitar shop. Play it before you buy it!

 

[shredder487395]

the pgm 301 comes with a Fixed Bridge.

 

[Romeo.jr]

<--- see the guitar in the picture? It goes out of tune... all the time. Screw Floyds

i have a floyd on mine and with the locking nut it hardly ever goies out of tune, if anything it can quickly be adjusted with the fine tuner, i hust make sure i loosen the nut and tune every day

 

[SyXified]

i have a floyd on mine and with the locking nut it hardly ever goies out of tune, if anything it can quickly be adjusted with the fine tuner, i hust make sure i loosen the nut and tune every day

Yeah, it's a particularly shitty floyd. Plus some when you tune up a fine tuner, everything else goes flat. Its a tension problem a good floyd won't experience as much, but anything on the lower end is doomed

 

[ABQShredHead]

Yes, they are a bear to set up properly to get just that right tension on the springs. But, once you're there, it's square.