Non rocking bridge option
Principle of the Fender 'rocking' bridge.
When the vintage style bridge was introduced by Fender on the Mustang, Jaguar and Jazzmaster it was designed so that it would rock back and forth with the movement of the tremolo or vibrato. It works by pivoting on the points of the screws fitted to the support posts. These sit in two metal cups, or thimbles as they are known, in the guitar body. The holes in the thimbles are slightly larger than the size of the support posts thus allowing for the rocking movement.
The reason for this design feature - If the bridge is fixed, when the vibrato is operated the strings have to slide across the saddles. Due to friction the strings might not always return to exactly the same position and the guitar could go out of tune, also the friction could cause premature wear to the strings and saddles.
Staytrem bridge 'non rocking' option
The Staytrem bridge is designed to function exactly the same as the Fender bridge but some players prefer for the bridge to be fixed in position, for more stability, because they do not use the vibrato or seldom use it. We now offer a non rocking option for our bridges, this is an additional collar on the support posts which will prevent any movement. It is not solidly fixed but the amount of movement is so small it will not be significant. This slight movement is necessary to allow for any discrepancy in the distance between the thimbles, which can vary slightly.
In tests we have found that the guitar will stay in tune quite well, even when using the vibrato with a non rocking bridge, due to our saddle groove design which reduces friction with the strings. However for players intending to use the vibrato frequently we would still recommend choosing the standard rocking version.
How to order the non rocking bridge.
The non rocking option is only available if requested before the order is sent, it cannot be retrofitted to the standard version of the bridge.
When ordering a Staytrem bridge if you would like it to be non rocking please message john@staytrem.com quoting your order number from the confirmation email.
This also applies if you have an outstanding pre-order.
Important
It is essential to specify which model of guitar you have as there are differences in thimble hole sizes.
Made in USA, Made in Japan and Squier guitars are 8mm while Made in Mexico guitars are 7mm.
Some Custom Shop and American Professional models already have plastic bushings to prevent movement so would just require the standard Staytrem bridge.