Kahler question

[the rossness]

Is a kahler a floating trem like a floyd rose? If a string breaks, will the kahler go out of tune?

Can I use a kahler for multiple alternate tunings without having to go through the trouble of setting up the guitar, like I would on a floating floyd rose?

 

[neilli]

Well, just like a Floyd you're balancing the pull of the strings with the tension of the springs. It's just that a Kahler uses a cam system rather than the fulcrum of a floyd (etc). So yes, the tension of each string has an effect on the others and if a string breaks, it'll go out of tune.
And you still get the same tuning issue if you change the tension on one string i.e. going to drop D from regular, though that said, I find Kahlers react less than a Floyd.

 

[Mailman1971]

Had Kahlers on my first couple guitars. Not a fan.
"too smooth"?
Like posted above. The reaction is way softer then a floyd.

 

[the rossness]

can a kahler be set to Dive only?

 

[neilli]

I guess you could put a block of wood under the cam so it can't drop. It'd be a bit fiddly to get the height right, but once it's done it's done..

 

[scottosan]

It depends on the model. I have a 2760 Steeler which is a Floyd copy.

 

[Mailman1971]

It depends on the model. I have a 2760 Steeler which is a Floyd copy.

That is best bridge I have ever played. Too bad only a few around.

 

[rcm78]

It depends on the model. I have a 2760 Steeler which is a Floyd copy.

That is best bridge I have ever played. Too bad only a few around.

Yup, I have on on a Washburn N4. Far superior to an original Floyd!!!

 

[Schaf]

It depends on the model. I have a 2760 Steeler which is a Floyd copy.

That is best bridge I have ever played. Too bad only a few around.

Yup, I have on on a Washburn N4. Far superior to an original Floyd!!!

Do you mean far superior to the ones they make today? While I agree they are very good, I'm not sure how they can be far superior the OFR's that were made in the 80's?

 

[reverymike]

Totally agree on the Kahler Steeler - superior to any Floyd present or past.

Floyd Rose sued them so they had to stop making them. Floyd knew it was better than his.

 

[Schaf]

Totally agree on the Kahler Steeler - superior to any Floyd present or past.

Floyd Rose sued them so they had to stop making them. Floyd knew it was better than his.

I kinda doubt that's why he sued them. They did copy the design. Are you sure it wasn't Kramer that sued them? He sold the TM to Kramer pretty early on. That's why after a while pretty much everything besides Kramer had "licensed by" trems on them. Some were pretty good, some were junk. The early German made OFR's were pretty much bullet proof. Once set up correctly, those things would stay in tune for until the next string change. I have one on a Kramer that's still one of my main gigging guitars and I can gig with it, load it up and unload it and not play it until 3 weeks later. It'll still be in tune. That's been the case with all of the early German made OFR's I've owned.

I'm just saying, the Steeler is a great trem, but I'm not sure how they can be "far superior" when the early OFR's worked so well? I guess I'm asking, what made them far superior? Because the OFR's that I've had you'd have to throw the guitar on the ground to make it out of tune.

 

[zoom club]

Esp used them for a bit in the mid 90s. They are marked esp.

They seemed superior due to quality of materials. Forged instead of cast.
Hardened pivot inserts and they don't rust.

It is common knowledge that these trems are a cut above.

 

[reverymike]

Ask Tom Anderson, John Suhr, etc - most of the guys who have experience in building great guitars will tell you that the Kahler Steeler is a superior version of the OFR. I'm not arguing - as the last poster mentioned, it's pretty commonly known.