Spring chamber

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The back of an electric guitar of the Stratocaster type with an open spring chamber (center)
Principle of a floating vibrato system. At the bottom right of each of the three graphics is the spring chamber with the coil springs shown here by a blue line

The spring chamber is a component of various types of vibrato systems in electric guitars . It is about a size of a postcard and an average of about two centimeters deep cutout in the back of electric guitars with solid body ( english: Solid Body ). Its outline in plan view is composed of two rectangles with rounded corners. The spring chamber contains several (usually two to four) coil springs (tension springs), one end of which is attached to a side wall of the chamber on a metal suspension (spring claw). In older systems, the other end of the springs is suspended from the vibrato block that protrudes into the spring chamber. The tensile force of the coil springs counteracts the tensile force of the guitar strings and thus holds the vibrato block mounted on the front ( instrument top) of the guitar in a "floating" position.

The first electric guitar model that was equipped with this form of attachment of a vibrato system is the Fender Stratocaster presented in 1954 by the American musical instrument manufacturer Fender . In this model, the lower ends of the guitar strings also run through the spring chamber and are attached to the vibrato block. A significant technical advancement of the system took place with the introduction of Floyd Rose vibrato systems, in which the strings are not inserted into the body, but are suspended from a tailpiece equipped with fine tuners on the base plate of the vibrato system above.

The spring chamber is usually protected by a suitable cover made of plastic, which is screwed onto the back of the guitars.

literature

  • Tony Bacon, Dave Hunter: Totally Guitar - the Definitive Guide , Guitar Encyclopedia. In it: Chapter Guitar maintenance - set-up: vibratos, pp. 79–88, with a description of different vibrato types. Backbeat Books, London 2004. ISBN 1-871547-81-4
  • Guitar Basics - Everything Guitarists Need to Know! In it: Chapter Vibrato and Strings, pp. 64–76.
    Press Projekt Verlag, Bergkirchen 2003. ISSN  1430-9769