Do you use the built-in tremolo in Fender amps?

**stevo58** · 10-08-2018, 12:11 PM

I love Trem. Richard Thompson and Ry Cooder use it brilliantly. Jim Campilongo, too. How will you play ‘Scratch My Back’ without it?
T-Bone Burnett uses it heavily. Nearly every song on ‘Raising Sand’ uses tremolo - on one song, three instruments have it, which may be a modern record. I put bias-vary trem in the amps I build (sometimes power-tube, more recently Vibro-Champ style); I built a stand-alone reverb/harmonic unit - gorgeous trem - and have a variety of boxes for opto, square, sawtooth, and triangle-wave trem. But I’m not much of a jazzer, unfortunately. I like trem like some people like beer.

Steven

**Jim Soloway** · 10-08-2018, 01:28 PM

I used it for a long time (or a pedal equivalent). I've stopped just because I've stripped down to a really simple setup but it's a sound I love.

**Greentone** · 10-08-2018, 01:59 PM

IIRC, Billy Strange recorded with an early Princeton Reverb on "Mister Guitar." He may have used a Strat or Jazzmaster, but pretty much everyone in the Wrecking Crew was using Telecasters to record the "Fender Sound" on those records. I'd bet that--despite the record cover--he, too, used a Tele on "Deep Purple."

I get good results from either a Tele or a Strat (with flats) into a small Fender and the Valverb.

**DRS** · 10-08-2018, 02:36 PM

There are so many really good trem pedals you don't need to worry about the trem (or lack of it) on your amp.
You can also spend a lot of money on trems. It's a rabbit hole if ever there was one.
You can get a great bias style trem with a square wave (hard) option with the Danelectro Cool Cat CT-1. They're discontinued but are everywhere for under $50 used. Only issue the housing isn't so gig friendly. It's got two goofy knobs on the front that are hard to reach live.
You can go all the way up to true pitch shifting vibrato which is the ultimate "tremolo" even though it is vibrato. Diamond Vibrato and Big Foot Magnavibe are very good. I have a Diamond Vibrato which was not cheap but sounds great. It also has a kick a$$ chorus built in. It also has inputs to control the speed and depth with expression pedals. I use the both the Diamond and the Cool Cat (set low at a slightly different speed) together to make my amp sound like a vintage Magnatone. The Diamond by itself has the true pitch shifting but is a little too smooth and perfect. It needs the rougher edge of the Cool Cat.

And there are dozens of other trems and vibes. Don't get me started on rotary speaker sims.

**mad dog** · 10-08-2018, 03:56 PM

I hardly ever used any in amp trem. In amp vibrato, in Magnatones, that's something else altogether. That I used quite a bit. Still do even without Magnatones, via the Magnavibe BigFoot pedal.

It rarely seems appropriate for jazz though. Maybe I'll feel differently as I get more adept at jazz. Maybe not.

**Greentone** · 10-08-2018, 04:32 PM

Of all the Fender amps I owned and gigged with, ie, Twin Reverb, Pro Reverb, Deluxe Reverb, Showman, Vibroverb, Vibrolux Reverb, Tweed Vibrolux, and Vibro Champ, my favorite tremolo was in the (1) tweed Vibrolux and (2) the Vibro Champ. Superb amps.

**Greentone** · 10-08-2018, 04:36 PM

Oops...forgot the Super Reverb! Gosh, I have been through just about all the Fenders (Bandmaster and Tremolux, too). Still, best tremoloes were the Vibrolux and Vibro Champ.

**lawson-stone** · 01-25-2019, 10:22 PM

I have not used tremolo in decades, but recently I have had a lot of fun with the "Star Trek" theme played against/with "Out of Nowhere" and pulled out a Joyo Tremolo pedal for the "head."

Pretty tasteless, admittedly, but I play for fun, and this was loads of fun.

**sgosnell** · 01-25-2019, 10:44 PM

I pulled the homemade footswitch out of the back of my Vibrolux Reverb the other day, and played with the tremolo for awhile. It's fun to play with for awhile, but the novelty wears off and then I wonder why I did it. In fact, I wonder why I bothered to turn the amp on in the first place. My other amps sound better, and I can actually carry them when I need to. The tube amp guru tech in the area said it was one of the best-sounding VRs he's heard, a couple of years ago when I took it to him for repairs, but I'm just not a Fender fan.

**christianm77** · 01-26-2019, 10:03 AM

Originally Posted by lawson-stone

I have not used tremolo in decades, but recently I have had a lot of fun with the "Star Trek" theme played against/with "Out of Nowhere" and pulled out a Joyo Tremolo pedal for the "head."

Pretty tasteless, admittedly, but I play for fun, and this was loads of fun.

Love this!

**pauln** · 01-26-2019, 01:46 PM

I don't use it much at all, but when I do it is sort of in a "non tremolo" fashion...

- set it to the slowest speed and set intensity to below threshold (so it is only slightly discernible during dynamic peaks)

- attempt to mimic the jazz sound of vibes, slow at medium intensity

- my favorite: setting it slowest speed but highest intensity for playing the bridge pickup, playing bendy leads high up above the 12th fret... the beginnings and endings of individual notes randomly get caught by the onset of the sharp swells and lend a strong pedal steel sound to the articulation (this works best with the reverb off, dry tone)

**Tal_175** · 01-29-2020, 05:18 PM

One thing nice about tremolo is that it's not an as aged and cheesey sounding effect as some of the pitch modulating effects (like chorus, phaser, flanger etc). At least to my ears.

**ccroft** · 01-29-2020, 10:02 PM

Wes used it a few times. Therefore we should all use it. I just ordered a pedal for the hell of it.

**gmek** · 01-29-2020, 10:43 PM

tremolo is great, esp from fender.

bill frisell uses it a lot masterfully

**wengr** · 01-29-2020, 11:00 PM

Originally Posted by neatomic

you just need a stereo trem pedal..they are out there

classic fulltone!!

Attachment 56497

cheers

I bought this exact pedal a few years ago. I felt it attenuated the highs quite a bit. The trem effect was fine but the highs were muted and much less lifelike.
I returned it immediately and went back to amp trems. Unfortunate because I wanted it for stereo.

**Webby** · 01-30-2020, 08:03 AM

I love Tremolo, and use a Boss TR-2 for it, because my Fender bassman doesn't have it built in.
I think it's beautiful on ballads. I love laying down big chords and have them shimmer away. I always try to go for more of a vibraphone thing there.
That approach is especially fruitful on ballads, and I found out it also helps with comping in a Band setting, as i can do that without clashing with the piano.

**Herbie** · 01-30-2020, 08:26 AM

Originally Posted by lawson-stone

I have not used tremolo in decades, but recently I have had a lot of fun with the "Star Trek" theme played against/with "Out of Nowhere" and pulled out a Joyo Tremolo pedal for the "head."

Pretty tasteless, admittedly, but I play for fun, and this was loads of fun.

Highly illogical, captain!

Sounds great. Is it Your own arrangement?

**Herbie** · 01-30-2020, 08:36 AM

I remember that George Benson said somewhere that in making his Breezing record he had forgot the tremolo on in his Twin.

The speed was 0 and the intensity was up only so that if You knew that there is vibrato You'll hear it. GB realised this only after the record was published.

Of course the result was luscious!

EDIT: I found that GB-video where he talks about that. It is a Fender publicity video, nice stories:

I myself can't understand the tremolos or vibratos. I don't like someone "turning my volume pot up and down" in any tempo.

I guess everybody has his handicaps!

**entresz** · 01-30-2020, 08:52 PM

Personally I love tremolo - especially for comping in ballads.

On Wes Montgomery's smoking at the half note album, pretty sure he switches the tremolo on his Standel? amp for "Portrait of Jenny" - those octaves really shimmer.

**neatomic** · 01-30-2020, 09:35 PM

Originally Posted by wengr

I bought this exact pedal a few years ago. I felt it attenuated the highs quite a bit. The trem effect was fine but the highs were muted and much less lifelike.
I returned it immediately and went back to amp trems. Unfortunate because I wanted it for stereo.

take a look at the-

Demeter Stereo Trem STRM-1

cheers

**fep** · 01-30-2020, 10:01 PM

I wish they wouldn't put tremelo on amps. To me, just an unnecessary feature/complication to possible break down someday.

If I want tremelo, I'll use a pedal.

**neatomic** · 01-30-2020, 10:13 PM

in amp trem is completely different tone than pedal trem...one is before pre-amp...the other after...huge difference!! in intensity and tone...and feel!...

nothin beats warm tube in amp trem

pedal trem is more obviously an "effect"...its enlarged by the pre-amp!..has its purpose too!! but way different

i like both!! hah

cheers

**Longways to Go** · 01-31-2020, 12:02 AM

I got into tremolo when I bought my PRRI, which sounded great on super slow + super low. so lush !!!!

I also had a Basic Audio Throbby pedal when I was doing pedals. Superb, but now I'm done with pedals.

The only tremolo I have left now is on my old Musicman 210 HD 130.
It's sounds really good, but truthfully I can live without it.

**Hammertone** · 01-31-2020, 12:34 AM

Do you use the built-in tremolo in Fender amps?

Nope. I use the built-in tremolo in old Ampeg amps. I also use the vibrato in the fancier old Ampeg amps that have a switch allowing one to choose between the two effects. Amplitude modulation instead of frequency modulation.