jhs Vibrato Arm Tension User Manual

Vibrato Arm Tension

The vibrato system fitted to this guitar features

a unique tension adjustment.

This allows you to set the vibrato arm to your preferred height

and swing tension.

Generally the vibrato arm tension is factory set loose.

Instructions

1. Insert the vibrato arm in to the arm hole located on the front of the vibrato.

2. Carefully push down on the arm to raise
the back of the vibrato upward, exposing
the small grub screw located under the
vibrato plate.

3. Keeping the vibrato raised, turn the grub
screw with a 1.5mm allen key clockwise to
tighten, anti-clockwise to loosen.

Do not overtighten the grub screw or
unscrew it from the unit.

you could damage the finish of the instrument and this would not be covered by the warranty.

IMPORTANT

Be careful not to lower the vibrato while the allen key is in position,

Grub Screw

1

Insert arm

Insert and turn allen key

3

Push and keep down

2

Guidance notes

for setting up a ‘traditional’ multi screw

floating vibrato system.

So, to the set-up.

Before we start, a little history…tremolo or vibrato?

Well of course the guitar playing world tends to refer to this kind of guitar bridge
as a ‘Tremolo’. Here, we say ‘Vibrato’. Why?

Well, ‘Tremolo’, an Italian standard musical term refers to a modulated variation in
amplitude (volume), whereas ‘Vibrato’, another Italian standard musical term,
refers to modulated variations in pitch (the note).

Clearly what we refer to colloquially as a ‘Tremolo bridge’ does not alter amplitude
(volume), but alters pitch (note).

Way back in the day, when these devices were first put on guitars by Paul Bigsby
in the late 1940’s he correctly referred to them as ‘Vibratos’, as they changed the
pitch of the strings when operated. A bit later on, confusion was introduced when
bridges which produced changes in pitch (note), were erroneously referred to as
‘Tremolos’. That confusion was made worse when guitar amplifiers began to
come on the market which had what were referred to as ‘Vibrato’ effects circuits,
which were actually modulating amplitude (volume), i.e. ‘Tremolo’.

Confused; hope not.

Simple really, we fit Vibrato Bridges, ‘cos they change the pitch (note[s]) of the
strings when operated and that’s ‘Vibrato’.

With a standard set of 9-42’s, (our recommended string gauges) at set up, bring
the strings up to concert pitch, stretch them out to full playing tension a couple of
times, then ensure the guitar is fully at concert pitch (the note).

Do the above, whatever the string gauges being used.

Depending upon where the vibrato springs have been tensioned, the bridge will
be wherever it ends up, anywhere from flat against the body, to way too high!

Take the vibrato cavity back plate off of the guitar, and leave just the two outer
springs in place, and adjust the tension of the vibrato springs until the vibrato
base plate is only just flat against the body.