Question: JP6 Tremolo Use....

[D.K.]

Welcome aboard, Overkill!

I can only agree with the guys here - it's the best trem I've ever had on a guitar (let's put it the other way - it was the best trem guitar I've ever had). The petrucci tremolo is extremely easy and comfortable to use, it has a wide enough range to do everything You want and You have no PITA every time when changing the strings. This trem really does it even on Vai's songs, and that says a lot. Mind You, none of my Petruccis was bought new, and still they were all great.

I see the Petrucci trem as a perfect weapon for all the trem effects there are, but if you primarily want to do wide, deep dive bombs, and do them pretty often, You need to pay more attention to the nut (nut sauce or something alike always comes in handy) and the string flow in the bridge - You don't need unnecessary tention there.

I always remember that many great trem players (Blackmore, Gilmour, Beck ...) have used just the standard vintage trem - and it has always sounded killer and very rarely out of tune. On the other hand, I've heard Steve Vai beeing pretty flat in the end of one song or the other live.

BTW, if You've seen a "Live in Astoria" DVD of Vai's, there is an interview with his then-tech Thomas Nordegg where he says he wishes Steve had no Floyd Rose, because all the things he does can be done without a locking nut.

Pet is the way to go.

[73h Nils]

My JP6 NEVER goes out of tune, even after practicing divebombs and Mattias Eklundh-type stuff for hours.

My JP7 seems to have slight tuning issues, but I think they're mainly due to one or two of the locking tuners requiring a tightening somewhere. I don't really use the trem on the JP7, anyway.

[Warg Master]

Petrucci uses it plenty.

My JP stays in tune just fine after loads of trem abuse. If the floyd were never a locking trem, this is what it would be. It's an awesome trem!