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Fender Hipshot Tremsetter

PostPosted: 21 Nov 2014, 11:09
by Goingdownslow
hi....anyone out there got/fitted this device please?......and if there are any users is the thing worth having?....
Thanks in advance hopefully, Paul

Re: Fender Hipshot Tremsetter

PostPosted: 21 Nov 2014, 11:44
by panchodiaz
I did. It works fine but it´s not easy to set up. I fitted them in two guitars because I had tuning problems at that time but I removed them when I learned more about setting up the guitar. It´s not needed if you know how to set up the tremolo arm properly.

Re: Fender Hipshot Tremsetter

PostPosted: 21 Nov 2014, 12:03
by pjr
I have these fitted to both my Strats. Not because they won't ordinarilly keep their tuning - they both do.
But being a country player mainly these days I find that using them enables me to do whole tone i.e. 2 semitones bends without the other strings going out of tune.
You can even do this while using drop D tuning too.
You can feel a slight notch at the zero/neutral position but for me it's not a problem. YMMV
They're not cheap either. I payed about £24 for my last one from Ebay. Some places want £35+.
On top of all this you have to be prepared to drill some holes in the trem cavity.

Cheers,

Pete

Re: Fender Hipshot Tremsetter

PostPosted: 21 Nov 2014, 13:41
by Goingdownslow
Thanks for the info.....will have a look at it again....plenty on EBay at decent money....Paul

Re: Fender Hipshot Tremsetter

PostPosted: 21 Nov 2014, 15:47
by Didier
Have a look here about this kind of devices : http://joe.emenaker.com/TremStabilizers/

Didier

Re: Fender Hipshot Tremsetter

PostPosted: 21 Nov 2014, 17:55
by stephen
Goingdownslow wrote:hi....anyone out there got/fitted this device please?......and if there are any users is the thing worth having?....
Thanks in advance hopefully, Paul


In the early 1990's I bought a new Strat Plus that was fitted with a Trem-Setter as standard. somewhat oddly, I found that so equipped, the guitar didn't return to pitch after trem use or bending, as well as the 'standard' trem system on the USA strat that I p/ex'd for the new 'improved' model! It could well have been that in those days I wasn't as adept with setting up guitars as I am now and to be honest, the Trem-Setter often needs some fine tuning to enable it to function as it should and maybe my particular one fell into that category. Anyway, after a lot of fiddling about with it, in the end I just removed it and fitted a normal claw/spring arrangement instead.
I'm not alone in this opinion either as Dan Erlewine devotes no less than four A4 pages to this subject in his excellent book.
Would I either buy another guitar that was fitted with one, or fit one to a guitar that didn't? No.......
Apart from what I've stated above, I thought that it altered the feel of the trem in a way that I didn't like. Difficult to quantify something like that, I'm afraid. It just didn't suit me. These days, I have no trouble at all getting my preferred vintage-style trems to return to pitch/stay in tune.
As with many other things guitar-related, I'm certain that there will be as many enthusiastic users of Trem-Setter equipped guitars as there are the unconverted!
Stephen.

Re: Fender Hipshot Tremsetter

PostPosted: 22 Nov 2014, 12:00
by Goingdownslow
Thanks for all the input.....Didier's link is particularly informative.....

There's another product type know as a Trem backstop.....I haven't heard the term before but they seem easier to fit and less hassle to set up.....but overall I think I'll leave it alone as I don't have any issues with fully floating trem on my G&L but I am always open to new ideas and developments.....although the Hipshot has been around a long time I I know....
Onwards and backwards as they say....
Paul