Kahler Tremolo System
Encyclopedia
The Kahler Tremolo System is an electric guitar
bridge with a cam
operated vibrato arm system. It was invented in 1979 by Gary Kahler and Dave Storey. They shifted their business model to making Golf clubs in the 1990s (mostly due to lower popularity of tremolo use), but are back to bridge manufacturing as of April 2005.
and stainless steel
. Stainless steel models were introduced in 1985. Brass cams and saddles have a warmer, more full tone, whereas steel produces a brighter tone with enhanced harmonics. Aluminium
cams, announced in 2004 and released in 2005, have what is described as a "bright, growling midrange with super clean harmonic
s." The 2310, their current OEM model, is the only tremolo to offer the aluminum cam - though parts are interchangeable - and offers brass rollers. Steel rollers can also be used, but, due to increased sustain and harmonics, they are primarily for metal and not preferred for other purposes.
Kahler also produces one of the only bass tremolo systems currently available (Hipshot produces a fulcrum-based unit not unlike the two-point system used on Fender Stratocaster
s currently built in the United States). Famous musicians, such as Les Claypool
and Victor Wooten
, are among its users. The first two bridges Kahler sold after their return in 2005 were 2410 bass tremolos.
Guitars that have carved tops (as opposed to flat, like the Fender Stratocaster), such as the Gibson Les Paul
, cannot properly mount the 2300 series of Kahler tremolo, and instead have to use a stud-mounted 2200 series.
For a period spanning from the mid-1980s to the time when Kahler ceased production in the early 1990s, Kahler also produced fulcrum-based systems similar to the Floyd Rose
brand of tremolos. The 2600 "Steeler" tremolo was licensed to Kahler by Floyd Rose during the late-1980s. The 2500 and 2520 (the former having steel rollers; the latter brass), were designed as an alternative to the stock Fender trem, and were offered on several Fenders during the 1980s. Today, Kahler no longer produces fulcrum-based tremolos.
Neal Moser
offers Kahler bridges on many models, and the Jackson
and ESP
Custom Shops currently offer Kahlers as a custom option. ESP and B.C. Rich
also offer the Kahler X-TREM on their more affordable signature models for Jeff Hanneman
and Kerry King
respectively. ESP and B.C. Rich
offer the Kahler Hybrid model on their mid-range guitars such as LTD JH-600 and B.C. Rich Wartribe, both with EMG pickups. Gibson
has included the Kahler system on limited edition guitars such as the Gibson Shred-X Explorer and the Gibson Tribal Explorer. Peavey
's PXD Void III and Twenty-Three III guitars also feature the Kahler system.
The Kahler tremolo system does not use a conventional "cam" as shown in the "cam" link given on this page. There is no true "cam" in the Kahler tremolo system, although it is called "cam-operated" in the patent application.
1Plays a Kahler-equipped guitar during the song "Tears Are Falling". He can be seen with his Kahler on the 2005 video KISS: Rock the Nation Live and the "Tears Are Falling" music video.
2Players of Kahler's bass tremolos
1Played a Kahler-equipped Fender Stratocaster during the World Slavery Tour in 1984/1985 - the biggest tour in Iron Maiden's history. The platinum-certified Live After Death DVD (2008) shows Murray playing his Kahler on several songs.
2Briefly played a Kahler-equipped custom B.C. Rich guitar during Sepultura's "Chaos A.D." tour but without using the tremolo bar.
3Used to play Kahler's fixed bridge model on custom Jackson guitars.
4Briefly used on the Black Strat from Mid-1983 to Mid-1997.
5Used on the first Guild Brian May signature from 1983 to 1985.
Electric guitar
An electric guitar is a guitar that uses the principle of direct electromagnetic induction to convert vibrations of its metal strings into electric audio signals. The signal generated by an electric guitar is too weak to drive a loudspeaker, so it is amplified before sending it to a loudspeaker...
bridge with a cam
Cam
A cam is a rotating or sliding piece in a mechanical linkage used especially in transforming rotary motion into linear motion or vice-versa. It is often a part of a rotating wheel or shaft that strikes a lever at one or more points on its circular path...
operated vibrato arm system. It was invented in 1979 by Gary Kahler and Dave Storey. They shifted their business model to making Golf clubs in the 1990s (mostly due to lower popularity of tremolo use), but are back to bridge manufacturing as of April 2005.
Models and varieties
Cams and saddles are available in several different types, including brassBrass
Brass is an alloy of copper and zinc; the proportions of zinc and copper can be varied to create a range of brasses with varying properties.In comparison, bronze is principally an alloy of copper and tin...
and stainless steel
Stainless steel
In metallurgy, stainless steel, also known as inox steel or inox from French "inoxydable", is defined as a steel alloy with a minimum of 10.5 or 11% chromium content by mass....
. Stainless steel models were introduced in 1985. Brass cams and saddles have a warmer, more full tone, whereas steel produces a brighter tone with enhanced harmonics. Aluminium
Aluminium
Aluminium or aluminum is a silvery white member of the boron group of chemical elements. It has the symbol Al, and its atomic number is 13. It is not soluble in water under normal circumstances....
cams, announced in 2004 and released in 2005, have what is described as a "bright, growling midrange with super clean harmonic
Harmonic
A harmonic of a wave is a component frequency of the signal that is an integer multiple of the fundamental frequency, i.e. if the fundamental frequency is f, the harmonics have frequencies 2f, 3f, 4f, . . . etc. The harmonics have the property that they are all periodic at the fundamental...
s." The 2310, their current OEM model, is the only tremolo to offer the aluminum cam - though parts are interchangeable - and offers brass rollers. Steel rollers can also be used, but, due to increased sustain and harmonics, they are primarily for metal and not preferred for other purposes.
Kahler also produces one of the only bass tremolo systems currently available (Hipshot produces a fulcrum-based unit not unlike the two-point system used on Fender Stratocaster
Fender Stratocaster
The Fender Stratocaster, often referred to as "Strat", is a model of electric guitar designed by Leo Fender, George Fullerton, and Freddie Tavares in 1954, and manufactured continuously by the Fender Musical Instruments Corporation to the present. It is a double-cutaway guitar, with an extended top...
s currently built in the United States). Famous musicians, such as Les Claypool
Les Claypool
Leslie Edward "Les" Claypool is an American musician and writer, best known as the lead vocalist and bassist in the band Primus. Claypool's playing style on the electric bass mixes tapping, flamenco-like strumming, whammy bar bends and slapping.Claypool has also self produced and engineered his...
and Victor Wooten
Victor Wooten
Victor Lemonte Wooten is an American bass player, composer, author, and producer, and has been the recipient of five Grammy Awards....
, are among its users. The first two bridges Kahler sold after their return in 2005 were 2410 bass tremolos.
Guitars that have carved tops (as opposed to flat, like the Fender Stratocaster), such as the Gibson Les Paul
Gibson Les Paul
The Gibson Les Paul was the result of a design collaboration between Gibson Guitar Corporation and the late jazz guitarist and electronics inventor Les Paul. In 1950, with the introduction of the Fender Telecaster to the musical market, electric guitars became a public craze. In reaction, Gibson...
, cannot properly mount the 2300 series of Kahler tremolo, and instead have to use a stud-mounted 2200 series.
For a period spanning from the mid-1980s to the time when Kahler ceased production in the early 1990s, Kahler also produced fulcrum-based systems similar to the Floyd Rose
Floyd Rose
The Floyd Rose Locking Tremolo, or simply Floyd Rose, is a type of locking vibrato arm for a guitar. The first of its kind, Floyd D. Rose invented the locking vibrato in 1977, and it is now manufactured by a company of the same name...
brand of tremolos. The 2600 "Steeler" tremolo was licensed to Kahler by Floyd Rose during the late-1980s. The 2500 and 2520 (the former having steel rollers; the latter brass), were designed as an alternative to the stock Fender trem, and were offered on several Fenders during the 1980s. Today, Kahler no longer produces fulcrum-based tremolos.
Neal Moser
Neal Moser
Neal Moser is an Arizona-based luthier.He began his career with guitars in 1964. He worked in the guitar industry beginning with Vox in 1965, until he went into the Navy in 1966. After finishing his tour in 1969 he worked at West Coast Organ and Amp as a guitar repairman...
offers Kahler bridges on many models, and the Jackson
Jackson Guitars
__FORCETOC__Jackson is a renowned brand of electric guitar that bears the name of its founder, Grover Jackson.-Early years:Grover Jackson obtained ownership in Charvel's Guitar Repair of Glendora, California in the 1970s with a promise to bolster Charvel's business...
and ESP
ESP Guitars
, located in North Hollywood, California, is an American-based, Japanese-owned manufacturer of electric guitars and basses.- History :In 1975, Hisatake Shibuya opened a shop called Electric Sound Products in Tokyo. It provided custom replacement parts for guitars. In 1976, ESP gained a reputation...
Custom Shops currently offer Kahlers as a custom option. ESP and B.C. Rich
B.C. Rich
B.C. Rich is a manufacturer of guitars and bass guitars founded by the late Bernardo Chavez Rico in 1969. Currently, most B.C. Rich guitars are manufactured in Asia, but luthiers of the company's custom shop continue to hand-make instruments. The Hanser Music Group, based in Kentucky, operates B.C....
also offer the Kahler X-TREM on their more affordable signature models for Jeff Hanneman
Jeff Hanneman
Jeffrey John "Jeff" Hanneman is a rhythm/lead guitarist and founding member of the American thrash metal band Slayer. Hanneman grew up in Los Angeles in a family of war veterans, and his fascination with warfare is attributed to his upbringing...
and Kerry King
Kerry King
Kerry King is an American lead and rhythm guitarist. He is best known as the lead guitarist and cofounder of American thrash metal band Slayer. He co-founded the band with Jeff Hanneman in 1981 and has been a member ever since...
respectively. ESP and B.C. Rich
B.C. Rich
B.C. Rich is a manufacturer of guitars and bass guitars founded by the late Bernardo Chavez Rico in 1969. Currently, most B.C. Rich guitars are manufactured in Asia, but luthiers of the company's custom shop continue to hand-make instruments. The Hanser Music Group, based in Kentucky, operates B.C....
offer the Kahler Hybrid model on their mid-range guitars such as LTD JH-600 and B.C. Rich Wartribe, both with EMG pickups. Gibson
Gibson
Gibson may refer to:* Gibson Amphitheatre* Gibson Appliance* Gibson Girl* Gibson Guitar Corporation* Gibson * Gibson Generating Station-Places:In the United States:* Gibson, Arkansas* Gibson, Georgia* Gibson, Iowa* Gibson, Louisiana...
has included the Kahler system on limited edition guitars such as the Gibson Shred-X Explorer and the Gibson Tribal Explorer. Peavey
Peavey Electronics
Peavey Electronics Corporation is one of the largest audio equipment manufacturers in the world, headquartered in Meridian, Mississippi in the United States.- History :...
's PXD Void III and Twenty-Three III guitars also feature the Kahler system.
The Kahler tremolo system does not use a conventional "cam" as shown in the "cam" link given on this page. There is no true "cam" in the Kahler tremolo system, although it is called "cam-operated" in the patent application.
Kahler Players - Present
- Paul StanleyPaul StanleyStanley Harvey Eisen , better known by his stage name Paul Stanley, is an American hard rock guitarist, singer, musician, painter and songwriter best known for being the rhythm guitarist and primary lead vocalist of the rock band Kiss. He is the writer or co-writer of many of the band's...
(Kiss)1 - Dave SharmanDave SharmanDave Sharman is a critically acclaimed British guitarist, singer / songwriter, whose primary genre is rock and metal. He is also a multi-instrumentalist and producer.-Career:...
- Jeff HannemanJeff HannemanJeffrey John "Jeff" Hanneman is a rhythm/lead guitarist and founding member of the American thrash metal band Slayer. Hanneman grew up in Los Angeles in a family of war veterans, and his fascination with warfare is attributed to his upbringing...
(Slayer) - Kerry KingKerry KingKerry King is an American lead and rhythm guitarist. He is best known as the lead guitarist and cofounder of American thrash metal band Slayer. He co-founded the band with Jeff Hanneman in 1981 and has been a member ever since...
(Slayer) - Jerry CantrellJerry CantrellJerry Fulton Cantrell Jr. is an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter best known for his work with the grunge/metal band Alice in Chains, as lead guitarist, backing and co-lead vocalist, and co-lyricist. He performs lead vocals on his solo projects, and is part of Alice in Chains' harmonizing...
(Alice in Chains) - Lita FordLita FordLita Ford is a British-born, American rock musician and singer who was the lead guitarist for The Runaways and achieved popularity for her solo career between the 1980s and late 2000s.-Early life:...
- Mana (musician)Mana (musician)Mana is a Japanese musician and fashion designer, best known for his role as leader and guitarist of the visual kei band Malice Mizer. His clothing label, Moi-même-Moitié, helped popularize Japan's Gothic Lolita fashion movement. Mana is currently working on his solo project Moi dix...
(Moi Dix Mois) - K.K. Downing (Judas Priest)
- Glenn TiptonGlenn TiptonGlenn Tipton is one of the Grammy Award-winning guitarists for the heavy metal band Judas Priest...
(Judas Priest) - Les ClaypoolLes ClaypoolLeslie Edward "Les" Claypool is an American musician and writer, best known as the lead vocalist and bassist in the band Primus. Claypool's playing style on the electric bass mixes tapping, flamenco-like strumming, whammy bar bends and slapping.Claypool has also self produced and engineered his...
(Primus)2 - Victor WootenVictor WootenVictor Lemonte Wooten is an American bass player, composer, author, and producer, and has been the recipient of five Grammy Awards....
2 - Karl LoganKarl LoganKarl Logan is the guitarist of the heavy metal band Manowar.Logan joined Manowar in 1994, after local band gigs in northeastern Pennsylvania with Arc Angel and Fallen Angel featuring Ed Collins .He graduated Lakeland High School near Clifford, Pa. in 1982...
(Manowar) - Mitch HarrisMitch HarrisMitch Harris is an American guitarist, born in New York then moving to Las Vegas, currently living in Birmingham, England. He started his career in the Grindcore band Righteous Pigs. He did a side project with Mick Harris - then the drummer of grindcore band Napalm Death, called Defecation...
(Napalm Death) - Kyle SokolKyle SokolKyle Sokol is an American bassist and skateboarder.Kyle Sokol is known for his style of bass playing that mostly consists of fast technical bass lines and has played in bands such as Kyle Sokol is an American [[bassist]] and [[skateboarder]]....
(Rude Squad)2 - David ShankleDavid ShankleDavid Lee Shankle is an American guitarist. He is known for his "shred" style of playing, which earned him the nickname of "the shred demon". Shankle was the guitarist for the band Manowar from 1989 to 1995 and he played on the album The Triumph of Steel. Today he has his own band, the David...
(Manowar/The David Shankle Group)
1Plays a Kahler-equipped guitar during the song "Tears Are Falling". He can be seen with his Kahler on the 2005 video KISS: Rock the Nation Live and the "Tears Are Falling" music video.
2Players of Kahler's bass tremolos
Kahler Players - Past
- Dave MurrayDave Murray (musician)David Michael Murray is an English guitarist and songwriter best known as one of the earliest members of the British heavy metal band Iron Maiden.-Biography:...
(Iron Maiden)1 - Adrian SmithAdrian SmithAdrian Frederick "H" Smith is an English musician and one of three guitarists in the heavy metal band, Iron Maiden. He is also one of the band's regular songwriters and, along with bassist Steve Harris, performs backing vocals on some songs.-Biography:While at school, Smith purchased his first...
(Iron Maiden) - Max CavaleraMax CavaleraMassimiliano Antonio "Max" Cavalera is a Brazilian singer, guitarist, and songwriter. He was the lead singer and rhythm guitarist for the heavy metal band Sepultura, before forming Soulfly in the late 1990s...
(Sepultura/Soulfly)2 - Dave MustaineDave MustaineDavid Scott "Dave" Mustaine is the founder, main songwriter, guitarist, and lead vocalist for the American heavy metal band Megadeth. Prior to Megadeth, Mustaine was the first lead guitarist and a co-songwriter of the heavy metal band Metallica until he was fired from the band in 1983. In 2009, he...
(Megadeth)3 - Marty FriedmanMarty FriedmanMarty Friedman may refer to:* Marty Friedman , musician* Marty Friedman , basketball player and coach-See also:*Martin Freedman, Canadian judge*Martin Freeman...
(Megadeth)3 - Paul GilbertPaul GilbertPaul Brandon Gilbert is an American guitarist. He is well known for his technical guitar work with Racer X and Mr...
(Racer X) - Bruce BouilletBruce BouilletBruce "Einstein" Bouillet is a guitarist who has played in the bands Racer X, The Scream, DC-10, and Epidemic.-Racer X:Bouillet played on Racer X's Second Heat, Live Extreme - Vol.I, and Live Extreme - Vol. II. After leaving the band, he joined with former Angora singer John Corabi, and his former...
(Racer X) - Steve VaiSteve VaiSteven Siro "Steve" Vai is a three time Grammy Award-winning American guitarist, songwriter and producer who has sold over 15 million albums. Steve Vai is widely known as a flamboyant guitar virtuoso....
- David GilmourDavid GilmourDavid Jon Gilmour, CBE, D.M. is an English rock musician and multi-instrumentalist who is best known as the guitarist, one of the lead singers and main songwriters in the progressive rock band Pink Floyd. In addition to his work with Pink Floyd, Gilmour has worked as a producer for a variety of...
(Pink Floyd)4 - Brian MayBrian MayBrian Harold May, CBE is an English musician and astrophysicist most widely known as the guitarist and a songwriter of the rock band Queen...
(Queen)5 - Mick MarsMick MarsMick Mars is the lead guitarist for American heavy metal band Mötley Crüe.-Career:After his family relocated from Indiana, to California, Bob Deal dropped out of high school and began playing guitar in a series of unsuccessful blues based rock bands throughout the seventies, taking on menial day...
(Motley Crue) - Joe PerryJoe PerryJoe Perry may refer to:*Joe Perry *Joe Perry **Joe Perry *Joe Perry...
(Aerosmith) - Phil CollenPhil CollenPhilip Kenneth "Phil" Collen is the co-lead guitarist and one of the backing vocalists for English rock band Def Leppard. He joined the band in 1982 following the departure of Pete Willis.-Early years:...
(Def Leppard) - Steve ClarkSteve ClarkStephen Maynard Clark was an English musician, co-lead guitarist for the British hard rock band Def Leppard up until his death in 1991 due to a combination of alcohol and multiple prescription drugs...
(Def Leppard) - Doug Messenger (Van Morrison)
- Steve LynchSteve LynchSteve Lynch is an American hard rock/heavy metal guitarist, also known as The Two-Handed Guitarist as also a guitar instructor for G.I.T. which is the famous guitar department in the Musician's Institute, situated in Los Angeles. He decided to commit himself to music and the guitar the day of...
(Autograph) - Chris HayesChris HayesChris Hayes may refer to:* Chris Hayes , American football player* Chris Hayes Canadian ice hockey player* Chris Hayes , American musician...
(Huey Lewis and The News)
1Played a Kahler-equipped Fender Stratocaster during the World Slavery Tour in 1984/1985 - the biggest tour in Iron Maiden's history. The platinum-certified Live After Death DVD (2008) shows Murray playing his Kahler on several songs.
2Briefly played a Kahler-equipped custom B.C. Rich guitar during Sepultura's "Chaos A.D." tour but without using the tremolo bar.
3Used to play Kahler's fixed bridge model on custom Jackson guitars.
4Briefly used on the Black Strat from Mid-1983 to Mid-1997.
5Used on the first Guild Brian May signature from 1983 to 1985.