The Kahler Tremolo System is an

electric guitar An electric guitar is a guitar that requires external amplification in order to be heard at typical performance volumes, unlike a standard acoustic guitar (however combinations of the two - a semi-acoustic guitar and an electric acoustic gui ...

bridge A bridge is a structure built to span a physical obstacle (such as a body of water, valley, road, or rail) without blocking the way underneath. It is constructed for the purpose of providing passage over the obstacle, which is usually somethi ...

with a

cam Calmodulin (CaM) (an abbreviation for calcium-modulated protein) is a multifunctional intermediate calcium-binding messenger protein expressed in all eukaryotic cells. It is an intracellular target of the secondary messenger Ca2+, and the bind ...

operated vibrato arm system. The original flat mount and stud mount models were invented and patented by Dave Storey and licensed to Gary Kahler. Gary Kahler shifted his business model to making Golf clubs in the 1990s (mostly due to lower popularity of tremolo use), but went back to bridge manufacturing as of April 2005. Dave Storey went on to invent, patent, and manufacture his line of Dava guitar picks.

Models and varieties

Cams and saddles are available in several different types, including brass and stainless steel. Stainless steel models were introduced in 1985.

Aluminium Aluminium (aluminum in American and Canadian English) is a chemical element with the symbol Al and atomic number 13. Aluminium has a density lower than those of other common metals, at approximately one third that of steel. I ...

cams were announced in 2004 and released in 2005. 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. Kahler also produces a bass tremolo system. 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 The Fender Stratocaster, colloquially known as the Strat, is a model of electric guitar designed from 1952 into 1954 by Leo Fender, Bill Carson, George Fullerton, and Freddie Tavares. The Fender Musical Instruments Corporation has continuously ...

), such as the

Gibson Les Paul The Gibson Les Paul is a solid body electric guitar that was first sold by the Gibson Guitar Corporation in 1952. The guitar was designed by factory manager John Huis and his team with input from and endorsement by guitarist Les Paul. Its typi ...

, 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 The Floyd Rose Locking Tremolo, or simply Floyd Rose, is a type of locking vibrato arm for a guitar. Floyd D. Rose invented the locking vibrato in 1976, the first of its kind, and it is now manufactured by a company of the same name. The Floyd R ...

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 tremolo system, 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 Jackson may refer to: People and fictional characters * Jackson (name), including a list of people and fictional characters with the surname or given name Places Australia * Jackson, Queensland, a town in the Maranoa Region * Jackson North, Q ...

and

ESP ESP most commonly refers to: * Extrasensory perception, a paranormal ability ESP may also refer to: Arts, entertainment Music * ESP Guitars, a manufacturer of electric guitars * E.S. Posthumus, an independent music group formed in 2000, ...

Custom Shops currently offer Kahlers as a custom option. ESP and

B.C. Rich B.C. Rich is an American brand of acoustic and electric guitars and bass guitars founded by Bernardo Chavez Rico in 1969. History The company started making electric guitars in the 1970s. In the following decade B.C. Rich gained a broad expos ...

also offer the Kahler X-TREM on their more affordable signature models for

Jeff Hanneman Jeffrey John Hanneman (January 31, 1964 – May 2, 2013) was an American musician, best known as a founding member and guitarist of the thrash metal band Slayer. Hanneman composed both music and lyrics for every Slayer album until his death in 20 ...

and

Kerry King Kerry Ray King (born June 3, 1964) is an American musician, best known for being the co-lead guitarist and songwriter of thrash metal band Slayer. He co-founded the band with Jeff Hanneman in 1981 and remained a member for nearly four decades. ...

respectively. ESP and

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 may refer to: People * Gibson (surname) Businesses * Gibson Brands, Inc., an American manufacturer of guitars, other musical instruments, and audio equipment * Gibson Technology, and English automotive and motorsport company based * Gi ...

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. Because they are suitable for left handed as well as right handed guitars, Gaskell Guitars offers all Kahler models on their custom left handed guitar builds.

References

{{Reflist

External links

Official website
Guitar bridges