Are whammy bars bad for guitars?

Question

Do they get them out of tune faster, could they break the guitar? i had someone tell me that, but I'm not sure...

Answer 1

I had a Fender Strat with one & it threw the guitar out of tune when I used it. It depends on the guitar & how good it is!!

Answer 2

They will put your guitar out of tune faster, unless you also use what are know as "locking nuts" on the headstock. A properly set-up guitar with a good trem system and locking nuts will stay in tune pretty much perfectly unless you REALLY punish it. You would be very hard-pressed to damage your guitar by using a trem system. I've certainly never heard of anyone breaking their axe by using the whammy bar, and I've been working with insane guitarists for the better part of 20 years.

Happy WhammyDay !! :)

Answer 3

A Floyd Rose system is designed to do heavy whammy sounds , like dive bombs.
The whammy system on a Strat or Strat style guitar is really a trem system, not designed for heavy whammy work, just a subtle waver in sound.
This will not wreck a guitar , but the strings wrapped around the tuners may slip, or the nut may snag it, causing it to go out of pitch.
The string trees also may cause this.
If you want to do whammy action, best to get the Floyd style and a locking nut, and you will have no worries.

Answer 4

Guaranteed the use of tremelo arms will make for more tuning, but, break the guitar? LOLOL!!
"Whammy bar" is actually a term applied later, and came from the use of the Bigsby tremelo arm by Lonnie Mack in 1964 on "Wham". Duane Eddy, the most succesful instrumental rocker of all time, had been using tremelo arms for some time, his first album of twang guitar came out in 1959. I think probably all the surf groups used them. So, they haven't been a major problem for over 50 years. The strat I bought in1978 hasn't broken yet. I don't think they are going to be a problem now.

By the way, Les Paul himself has a
Bigsby-style tremelo arm on his own 1972 Gibson.

Answer 5

whammy bars will not break a guitar, but you do need a double locking tremolo to keep your guitar in tune. what I mean is there is a lock nut system on the neck right at the head stock at the first fret. some have a locking system on the tremolo itself as well. a drop d tuner on the lock nut is cool to have too, that way you can drop down to d for real deep tone and alternate playing styles.

Answer 6

You mean that it's pulled all the way forward, all the time, allowing you to only pull it up? Forget whether it's good or bad for the guitar or not (it's bad btw), but with the strings that high off the fret board it probably sounds awful! Everything is going to be sharp and just sound bad.... I'm kind of stunned honestly. It's common to have the bridge "float" a little bit... maybe 1/8" or so, but having it all the way forward isn't just going to damage the guitar, but nothing you play will be in tune! Seriously, that has to be the stupidest thing I've ever heard of.

Answer 7

Although mine never busted my stratocaster that is I have to admit that the guy that had it before me took it off and sold me the guitar as is that way so that's maybe why.
There's the physics of the thing. Like: Force sin(0) + mg but I'm sure you've already thought of that so I won't go on but I would like to say that's a question. How far it goes is still up to here but I will say if you ask me yes.
I performed with a Gibson 175 D for many a year and then one night I thought I would introduce the Stratocaster into the act. Live fresh one here and if playing the thing for four hours wasn't enough I was lucky I guess. If I'd had to worry about the slightest tune problem I wouldn't have it all goin' for me get it not that the Fender Stratocaster wasn't in tune no but what I'm saying is that the Gibson didn't have a whoopie bar on it to begin with so when I switched to this Strat with the whoopie bar but the bar tore off I was lucky don't you say. You see if the actual playing of the guitar a Fender that is to say a far walk from the more traditional 175D was enough for me I don't know what would have happened to me if it had had one of those things working. Really. As far as playing with the thing I've never seen anybody bust their guitar over it and It was rare that anybody at all threw the thing down in those days like when they first came out see?

A lot of players seem to get almost mechanical at keeping their guitar in tune with those things and guitar players often tune their guitars higher with no remarkable wear and tear so I'm sure the actual pounds per square inch has been worked out so I've never heard of anybody actually blowing their guitar apart with one the whoopie bar that is.
Kinda like The Eggs that Rule the World. You got 'em but they do break. ]
I once had a cheap guitar... yeah a real cheap one. The thing was an acoustic... I didn't have a whoopie bar on it but I got intoxicated and bumped it into the floor one night and the whole top came forward from the bottom so we played it like a whoopie bar. But then that's another story.
Someone is telling you something here. If you're still not sure you can ask Fender Musical Instruments Canada at their website on the web there on your PC you ok.... .... oar?
Everybody that has one complains of their guitar going out of tune a lot but in the end it's still like the Tortise in the Wind you get maybe a little used to your notes coming out at altered pitch and go a little bit more towards the pegs. I don't know. I'm glad I don't know but I'll say this: if you had one you'd know more. Get one. Buy a Fender Stratocaster from the year 1970 or so. That's the year I first played one. With a working whoopie goldburg. Nice. Very pleasant. The guy that owned it had an enormous amp that went well with the guitar and really tore into it. Took it all quite very well actually. Not a note out of tune after four hours of this. Then he put it away and it was over.

I don't know where you heard the term whammy but I've heard it too. I guess it's whammy after all.
I always called it a whoopie bar. But I think after all you'd be better to read all the answers and then if all else fails to hold buy one. Or if not at least get one and try it out for four hours or so.

Answer 8

i heard they get your guitar out of tune faster. Kurt cobain had all of the whammys taken out of his guitars. I've seen really great guitar players use them though. i seriously doubt they could ever break your guitar just because they arent really connected to the body or electronics

Answer 9

i have a wammy bar on my guitar and it usually takes months before my guitar gets out of tune and my guitar has never broken since i got it and ive had it since i was 6 now im 12

Answer 10

yes, i have heard the same, keeping that style of guitar in tune is tough. you'll notice a lot of good guitars that also don't have them (les paul)