I have installed Tremol-Nos in various guitars and have not run into any compatibility issues so far. All popular tremolo systems are supported, even though you do need to make sure that the Tremol-No model you use is compatible with the tremolo system. More on that later.

If you’re using vibrato alongside other guitar pedals, I recommend putting it towards the front of the signal chain, before any distortion pedals. But again, try it out for yourself and see what works for you! Summary: Tremolo vs Vibrato Tremolo is a method of playing guitar that creates a “trembling” effect on the sound. It comes from the Italian word tremolando which means “to tremble”. I’ve also recorded this clip of me playing my guitar using vibrato. Here’s me playing another guitar scale, but with vibrato. It’s a lot subtler vs tremolo.

Tremolo effects, usually just called tremolo, refers to an effect that changes the volume of your guitar up and down. This effect is produced by either an effects pedal or amp settings. Like tremolo, vibrato is a technique that alternates a sound up and down. But, instead of volume, it’s an alternation in pitch.

The pedal will fluctuate the pitch of your signal before it gets to your amplifier, giving you that distinct vibrato sound. The build quality of the Tremol-No is okay. There are things that it does well, but also things that can be improved upon. These stops do their job pretty well but they're a set-it-and-forget-it sort of deal. You can remove it easily but it's not adjustable on the fly. The Tremol-NoBut, if you don’t have a tremolo effect built in, don’t worry! There are guitar effects pedals that are specifically designed to produce tremolo.

Some guitars, you can set up like this relatively easily. If you can put the bridge-base flat to the guitar top and give the springs a bit of a tighten, you’ll eliminate some of the problems of a fully-floating tremolo. You’ll still be able to dive and wobble the bridge about but you won’t be able to pull up beyond the strings’ usual pitch. This all sounds great in theory, but let’s see whether the Tremol-No actually delivers on these claims. UnboxingYou can just apply Loctite during installation or later on, so in my opinion this issue is not that big of a deal. Advantages Vibrato systems, like the ones seen on Fender Stratocasters, can apply vibrato to all of the guitar’s strings. This can be used to add some “shimmer” to chords, like in the following recording. Using the vibrato system is a great way to make these long chords more interesting. While the Tremol-No kit does include spare screws, it would have been better if the screws came with pre-applied Loctite from the factory. This would absorb the vibrations and prevent the screws from coming loose. But, did you know that there’s actually two types of tremolo for guitar? And that your guitar’s tremolo arm isn’t actually used for tremolo? So happy to see confirmation that this works. I bought a used OG FR with a D-Tuna on it (nice freebie, I thought), routed away without a second thought. Had no idea a floating bridge didn’t work with it, although it seems pretty damn obvious now!

As a musician with over 15 years of experience, I’ll occasionally come across people mistaking the difference between tremolo vs vibrato. Again, it provides a rhythmic element to the music, but it’s often a lot more rapid than the tremolo effects. It’s mostly used to give a sense of excitement and urgency to a guitar part.It’s used to add movement and interest to a guitar part, and can help give a stronger sense of rhythm to a song. Top tip: Not all guitars have vibrato systems installed. Standard Les Paul models, and other hardtail guitars, don’t have this functionality. Using vibrato pedals Vibrato can be achieved by either doing hand vibrato, using a vibrato system, or by using a vibrato effects pedal I’ve recorded this short clip to show you what this type of tremolo sounds like. Listen to how the tremolo makes the ringing out chords tremble.