A tremolo for a stringed musical instrument, wherein the stringed instrument includes a top side with a holder for holding the strings above the top side of the instrument, the instrument includes a bottom, a front which is forward toward the string holder and a rear;
- the tremolo including a tremolo body supported at the top side of the instrument and toward the rear of the instrument and the strings being supported between the tremolo body and the holder on the instrument which is away from the tremolo body;
- a support on the instrument for supporting the tremolo body to swing in first and second opposite directions with respect to the top side of the instrument for adjusting the string tension as the tremolo body is swung, with swinging of the tremolo body in the first direction increasing the tension on the strings and swinging of the tremolo body in the opposite second direction decreasing the tension on the strings;
- a tremolo block connected with the tremolo body and extending toward the bottom of the instrument;
- a bottom side mechanism toward the bottom of the instrument and being opposite the tremolo body at the instrument, the bottom side mechanism having a rear part toward the rear of the instrument and a front part toward the front of the instrument and toward the string holder, the bottom side mechanism comprising:
- a positioning stopper attached to the instrument;
- a movable stopper positioned rearward of the positioning stopper, the movable stopper being movable toward the front of the instrument and being shaped for contacting the positioning stopper upon movement of the movable stopped forward for a distance and being movable rearward;
- a slide block positioned forward of the movable stopper, and the slide block is movable forwardly and rearwardly with respect to the instrument, with the slide block being movable rearwardly sufficiently and the movable stopper being movable forwardly sufficiently that the slide block may contact the movable stopper during rearward movement of the slide block when the movable stopper is forward, and the slide block and movable stopper being movable to be out-of contact;
- a link between the tremolo block and the slide block such that swinging of the tremolo body causes swinging of the tremolo block, and a connection between the tremolo block and the link so that the swinging movement of the tremolo block causes forward and rearward movement of the link;
- a first spring provided between the bottom side mechanism on the body of the instrument and the slide block, the first spring normally urging the slide block forward;
- a second spring between the movable stopper and the bottom side mechanism and also normally urging the movable stopper forward toward contacting the positioning stopper;
- whereby when the tremolo body is not being swung for changing the string tension, the slide block and the movable stopper contact each other and the movable stopper and the positioning stopper contact each other under the tensile force exerted by the strings connected with the tremolo body and against the bias of the first and second springs for bringing the tremolo body into a state of equilibrium;
- when the tremolo body is swung to tilt toward the front of the instrument for reducing the tension of the strings, the tremolo block connected with the tremolo body swings to the rear which moves the slide block and the movable stopper toward the rear and separates the movable stopper from the positioning stopper and such that upon discontinuance of swinging of the tremolo body and for reducing the tension of the strings, the slide block is returned forwardly to its original position by urging of the first spring and the movable stopper is urged forwardly by the second spring until the movable stopper contacts the positioning stopper and the tremolo body is thereby in a state of equilibrium;
- when the tremolo body is swung to tilt toward the rear of the instrument for increasing the tension on the strings, the tremolo block connected to the tremolo body swings to the front and the link moves the slide block forwardly and moves the slide block away from the movable stopper which is at the positioning stopper;
- and
- when swinging of the tremolo body caused by an operator is removed, the tension of the strings moves the slide block to the rear to its original position touching the movable stopper and restores the tremolo body to its state of equilibrium.