Les Trem questions

jcwillow777 · Tue Mar 28, 2023 1:51 pm

Thinking of putting this on a couple of AL-2000s. There are a few to choose from. Knock off (Guyker) and Duesenberg II and Goldo. Does anyone here have any experience with any of those mentioned above. The Guyker is the cheapest, then the Goldo then the II.

Thanks for your help.

BatUtilityBelt · Tue Mar 28, 2023 2:01 pm

Goldo is owned by/part of Duesenberg. I had a Duesenberg Les Trem II on a guitar it came with new, and I think of that trem as the best part of that guitar. So this year I ordered 2 more Duesenberg Les Trem II units, directly from Duesenberg via their website. Being in the US, that came with several extra papers for customs purposes, so a lot of documentation overall. It was a straight-up 50/50 split between all the papers calling them Duesenberg vs calling them Goldo. As such, I'm pretty sure they are one in the same and there is no product difference, but I don't know whether that was always the case. Love the Les Trem II, and one of them is now on one of my Agiles. I have no idea on the Guyker.

jcwillow777 · Tue Mar 28, 2023 2:50 pm

Thanks, I'm leaning toward the Les Trem II.

I had a Stetsbar on my Gibson Les Paul Custom CSB. I wound up selling it. It was just WAY to sensitive for my taste.

I like the feel of a Bigsby, hoping the II is similar.

Does your case close with the Les Trem II on, or do your have to take the bar off?

BatUtilityBelt · Tue Mar 28, 2023 4:32 pm

jcwillow777 wrote: ↑Tue Mar 28, 2023 2:50 pm Does your case close with the Les Trem II on, or do your have to take the bar off?

That's the one thing I don't like about the Duesenberg. It sticks up about the same as a Bigsby, so the case really needs to accommodate it. You can flip the trem arm down just like on a Bigsby. Or you can take the arm off, but that doesn't significantly change the height of the trem mechanism as far as case clearance goes. So my guitars with Duesenbergs can go in various gig bags, but don't yet have cases that fit them well for that reason.

Partscaster · Tue Mar 28, 2023 5:55 pm

I watched a vid comparing guitar tone without trem, with Les Trem ii, and with Bigsby.
The Bigsby changed the tone a bit toward less attack and rounded highs, if I remember right.
The Les Trem ii did not change the tone to a noticeable degree, for me.

I too will probably get a Les Trem ii for my es333.
My question is, how is it without roller bridge vs w/ roller bridge.

BatUtilityBelt · Tue Mar 28, 2023 6:13 pm

Partscaster wrote: ↑Tue Mar 28, 2023 5:55 pm I too will probably get a Les Trem ii for my es333.
My question is, how is it without roller bridge vs w/ roller bridge.

Good question. I put one on an Agile Harm 1 whose TOM bridge already had some rocking freedom to it. It was not bad, but the tuning was not quite as stable as a stoptail with a standard TOM. I already had a roller bridge sitting around with nothing to do, so I swapped them, and the stability was noticeably better. So the roller bridge stayed on. My other Duesenberg equipped guitar has a roller bridge from the factory. I'd have to say a roller bridge is well worth it with a Les Trem II.

Partscaster · Tue Mar 28, 2023 9:24 pm

BatUtilityBelt wrote: ↑Tue Mar 28, 2023 6:13 pm
Partscaster wrote: ↑Tue Mar 28, 2023 5:55 pm I too will probably get a Les Trem ii for my es333.
My question is, how is it without roller bridge vs w/ roller bridge.
Good question. I put one on an Agile Harm 1 whose TOM bridge already had some rocking freedom to it. It was not bad, but the tuning was not quite as stable as a stoptail with a standard TOM. I already had a roller bridge sitting around with nothing to do, so I swapped them, and the stability was noticeably better. So the roller bridge stayed on. My other Duesenberg equipped guitar has a roller bridge from the factory. I'd have to say a roller bridge is well worth it with a Les Trem II.

Thanks for the answer. There it is. I've got a roller bridge waiting on reverb that will fit 4mm abr-1 posts.
Now I need to locate a gold les trem 2 on this continent.

BatUtilityBelt · Wed Mar 29, 2023 12:06 am

I didn't find distributors in the US, which is why I ordered directly from Duesenberg's website. The site lowered the per-unit price after my cart knew they were coming to the US, and shipping was the same whether I ordered 1, 2, or 3. I went with 2 to spread the shipping cost out.

jcwillow777 · Wed Mar 29, 2023 8:02 pm

Thanks for all your input. I decided to try the Guyker Les Trem. $52.50 and only $8.50 shipping. It's a Duesenberg Les Trem knock off. I found a few Duesenberg Les Trem IIs for $95 and up, $22.50 shipping. If it wasn't for the shipping cost, which I think is highway robbery, I would probably go with the Duesenberg.

Downside of the Geyker, it's shipping from China so it will be about a month b4 I get it. I only paid $200 for the guitars and really don't wanna spend a fortune on an upgrade. I'll do a review after I put it on.

BatUtilityBelt · Wed Mar 29, 2023 9:14 pm

Ah yeah, shipping. My Duesenberg receipt for 2 units to the USA was in Euros, but the exchange rate made it $226.60 total.

Partscaster · Thu Mar 30, 2023 6:42 pm

I have a Les Trem ii, Righty, Gold ordered from Can-a Duh!!!
And a 4mm post size, 12" radii, gold roller bridge, MIK

idiotsdelight · Fri Apr 07, 2023 8:42 pm

I had a Duesy. Couldnt get along with it. Stiff, sterile looking... sold it off easily.

Lacking Talent · Sun Apr 09, 2023 5:05 pm

I've got a V1!

jcwillow777 · Sat May 06, 2023 7:35 am

As it turns out, I bought 3 Les Trems. The first was a no name. It cost $50 plus shipping, so a little over $60 with tax through Aliexpress. Ships from China.

I also bought 2 Duesenberg Les Trems also through Aliexpress for $60 each. Total with shipping and tax was $140. These came without the box. Comparing these to pics of Duesenbergs with the box - I can't see any difference. There is a definite difference between these and the $50 unit though. Wished I had come across these b4 I installed Vibrates and B7s. I love the feel of the Les Trems over my B7s, and much cheaper.

jcwillow777 · Thu Aug 03, 2023 3:47 pm

I bought 2 more Les Trems. I love the Bigsbys I have that are screwed to the tops of the guitars I have. Those mounted to Vibramates, not so much. I have 2 B7s in boxes that I'm gonna sell. I have another Bigsby on an Agile AL-3000M Neckthru, mounted on another Vibramate. Haven't played that one in a while. Gonna get it out and see if I like it enough to keep 2.

Something about raising the Bigsby on the guitar that changes the feel. If I gotta buy another Les Trem, so be it.

I don't have any roller bridges on any of my guitars with Les Trems. I do with some of my Bigbsbys.

glasshand · Wed Aug 16, 2023 9:58 am

A Les Trem II showed up for sale near me and for a fair price, so I grabbed it and installed it on my Firebird, where I think it looks pretty sharp.

glasshand · Tue Nov 28, 2023 4:06 pm

I put a roller bridge on my Firebird with the Les Trem (just a $20 GFS unit), and I also tried something else: raising the tailpiece height by using washers under it, thereby decreasing the break angle at the bridge. It feels distinctly more "slinky" after these changes, and I think it holds tune better, too. (I had some concerns about whether there would be enough downpressure to hold the strings in the saddles, but so far no problems.)

idiotsdelight · Tue Nov 28, 2023 5:18 pm

Have you considered the GFS X Trem stud mount version that attaches into your existing anchor holes? I only mention it because I have one on the way. The black Friday sales might still be happening with them.

It leans more toward a Bigsby type of trem, which I like. Less Floydy, which I consider the Les Trems to be.

glasshand · Wed Nov 29, 2023 10:29 am

idiotsdelight wrote: ↑Tue Nov 28, 2023 5:18 pm Have you considered the GFS X Trem stud mount version that attaches into your existing anchor holes? I only mention it because I have one on the way. The black Friday sales might still be happening with them.

It leans more toward a Bigsby type of trem, which I like. Less Floydy, which I consider the Les Trems to be.

I have looked at it, but I feel like the Les Trem is better-looking (which is of course purely a matter of opinion). I'm surprised to hear you say the LT is more Floydy, since I think of it as pretty much a Bigsby type, both in its function and in the kind of range you get.

One other thing I notice is that due to their different designs, the LT and Xtrem SM arms end at very different places. Check this out: the Xtrem arm ends at around the "top" of the bridge pickup, while the LT arm ends around the middle of the neck pickup.

jcwillow777 · Wed Nov 29, 2023 10:48 am

Definitely gonna take the B7 and Vibramate off my AL- 3000 Neckthru. It adds way too much weight and I love the feel of the Les Trem over the B7/Vibramate. I like the longer arm on the Les Trem II than the GFS unit. I've purchased a boatload of stuff from GFS, pups, etc. Just a personal preferance. Gonna order another Les Trem II from Aliexpress and sell my 3 - B7s. No problem closing cases on them Les Trems. I emailed Duesenberg and they responded that the best way to case them was to point the arm parallel to the neck. There will be only a little tension on it which with will do no harm.

Just ordered another Les Trem II. Very happy with them.