That may be true but doesn't explain the result. Because the pattern is consistent and the same across ALL the examples. So much so you could identify which claw is which purely by viewing the graph. With both claws side by side. But swapping positions. It is having a effect
@@neilphillips1350 At best it's so subtle no one could tell the difference purely just by sound! I would challenge anyone to do a double blind test and would guarantee there is no discernable difference! The read out proves it! This is more placebo than fact!
I made blind comparison and definately youre wrong. Question is if it is more stratty or not. I mean that many people got uset to stratocaster tones made with regulat bent metal claw. I think SRV never thought about swapping it ;)
The easiest way to improve your guitar tone is with stickers. Of course vinyl stickers will give you more sustain than paper stickers. And if you want a darker tone, of course you need darker stickers. For a more airy wide open tone, just use hologram stickers, or stickers with butterflies.
@@JungYT And who, exactly, is gonna see your bling, unless you do a Jimi and bite those strings? I'll sell you a back cover for $10, and you can spend the rest on a bracelet with your name on it. LOL
spot. on. Had to dig really deep into those wave forms to see any difference. Frankly, if there was a difference, the standard one sounded better? Not to mention picking dynamic variances could easily make up any of these differences. if he was .1 mm closer to the bridge, or .1 mm deeper on the pick against the string. Seems like a stretch to sell this thing....
I certainly thought there was a difference, but it's too small to make me want to change mine. It's taken me 6mths to perfect my set up and I'm not messing with it anymore.
I couldn't hear any difference in the tone, but then I didn't expect to. Mechanically the only real purpose I could see for this is to combat string rattle which it obviously does by the fact that Darrell couldn't unhook the springs from the claw with the locking mechanism in position. While it did seem to increase the amount of sustain, it is margin of error amounts. This seems like a product for your 'studio' guitar where you are looking to get the very best out of every single part to make it sound and play as good as possible.
It looks so cool, and it makes things easy. Never mind the tiny bit of sustain. My main Strat is going for a treat. Thanks a lot, Darrell... from Denmark
One of my favourite vids! Love that you used the tech to verify the sounds, this was very informative. Love to see more like this! Horrifyingly loved the chopped Strat vid!
I love your channel man. You always have answers I'm looking for even if I didn't know I needed the info. Saint Darrell over here doing guitar god's work.
@@goldbug1974 I have when I really take the stock setup for a good pull up. I've had to put a foam block in that the back cover holds in place to keep the springs in place
I've had a spring pop off before, but I attribute this to the much higher string tension because of the lower tuning I was in only ever happened once so I still think its a non-issue
You'd be surprised what confirmation bias can achieve. If you bought cause you believe in it, you will hear a difference. Otherwise that would mean your purchase and decision was wrong. Can't have that! That is why only blind tests are kinda reliable.
I absolutely agree, the tone comes from the fingers at 99.9%, Just look at Angus Young, and he was playing with a junior SG 1 puckuo and he had removed the tone and volum pots, any way he was playing all open no pedals, nothing...👍
@@charlesmigneault7918 it doesn't. That's a massive myth that way too many people believe. Tone is 99.999% pickups, amp, speakers and a but of your pick attack. Not tone fingers lol
@@caixiuying8901 that's how it works. Want filtertron pickup sound? Just use those damn hands. Do you have big fat humbuckers but want a twangy tele sound? Use those HANDS!!!
To be fair, this claw obviously weighs more. Therefore it's useful in that aspects. Say you wanted to add weight to the body of your guitar for better balance, this would be a fairly simple and subtle way to go about that.
I was actually wondering that the other day. How were you reading my mind? Side note, after having two guitars of my own I'm starting to recognize tonal difference. One having much more bite for rock, while the other is more beautiful for cleans.
Its because you attract certain thoughts based on previous thoughts, and the youtube logarithm is learning to sync with both of those based on previous selections. It is freaky when it gets to this level of sync or as in your case just ahead of you.
On a side note, if you please would you mind make a comparison using this wave reading to finally demonstrate the difference between a full maple neck vs maple neck and rosewood fretboard?
Fun stuff Darrell. It would be good if there were numbers registered for deviations throughout the display. As usual, you did an excellent job stricking notes the same way, even though variances inevitably occur. This is a 'scratch my itch' kind of item. Also, there are many songs that need less sustain for originality. That's why we need 20+ guitars, and one more in the arsenal. 🤪 Thanks!
Great video! I could see doing this in concert with other upgrades to the nut, bridge, block etc. the collective change would likely lead to a noticeable difference.
Have to agree I allways wear headphones Darrell on your sound demos and the volume is what a noticed before you even showed the graph def more of a voice on the ringgit very cool. Love these demos DBG keep it up tim from london Ont.
the schaller claw is better lol and shiny too but actually makes setting up the trem a breeze all u do is turn the 1 screw either left or right and ur sett one thing i hate about the normal claw is having to turn 2 screws one by one in small increments to set a floyd and thats still the case with this one
Hey. I have some tone potentiometer knobs if you want to buy them. I have a set that makes the guitar brighter and a set that makes it darker. $1000 for a set of 3.
I've got two of these. They're great. A bit expensive. But I have no idea about the tone. They probably do help a tiny bit. But what I like is that they LOCK the spring in. So I can get completely crazy and I cannot pop a spring off the claw. .in the past I've had to use plyers. And a vice to bend each "claw" finger to help Lock the spring to it claw.....but I have next to no tention on my Hybrid 9-46 set of strings. Tuned to C standard.. with all 5 Springs in the back. So I can pull the bar. Dive the bar... and bend any string with no deflection on another string
Hi Darrell, thanks for the interesting video. It seems logical that adding mass will increase sustain. I saw this product, but also saw one from Schaller, the SureClaw. This is interesting because it has a drive that is activated by a hex key that applies tension to the trem springs. It has a large mass bolted directly to the guitar body. I was going to buy the product you reviewed, but decided on the Shaller instead. As for tonal differences, I heard a definite difference in note definition and tonality with the AxClaw. Once you add distortion and other effects, who knows? But this could definitely be a part of a series of small, incremental improvements that add up to a noticeable difference! I'd be interested to hear the same comparison with the Shaller SureClaw, or maybe a shootout between AxClaw and Sure Claw. Have a great day!
It's nicely machined...... its a pricey upgrade for a less than $300 strat! More suitable for a higher end guitar..... just my thoughts! Thanks Darrel!
The trem claw is one of those components that makes a rather subtle, but sometimes significant difference. A parallel could be drawn between this, and the various saddle options for strats. With the strat, I have found that the thin nickel saddles sound best- 9 out of 10 times. To me, unless the one you have actually FLEXES (which is doubtful), the springs are likely more important.
Hey Darrell, love your videos, very informative! Any thought about videos about hybrid guitars? Like shooting out the new fender acoustitronics vs godin A6? Best strings and amps for these types of guitars! Keep up the great content!
I bought this and dig it. It's not a major tone enhancer I didn't expect it to be. It's certainly better looking than the old claw and my strat resonates a bit more with this gorgeous hunk of brass in it and only 60 bucks.
What does changing the string tension on the claw do to tone? The springs should have a time delay on the vibrations travel from one end to the other, which may have an effect on tone and sustain. How does a hard tail vs tremolo compare?
The Tone Claw is a very nice looking piece, however, Leo Fender’s design practice of frugal effectiveness shows up once again as completely up to par at a fraction of the cost.
When tuning down with a whammy bar ..I have the Vega trem.....do I adjust the springs all over like I did originally when I installed it or just back screws off …and retune and repeat till it sits level with body ? thanks love the channel .......
Darrell, I'm getting ready to pull the trigger on a couple things. H&K Black Spirit 200 or Grandmeister Deluxe 40? And, PRS SE Custom 24 or Cort G290 FAT? If you get time to weigh in it would be much appreciated, Thanks.
I could definitely hear a difference, although whether you feel those differences are pronounced enough to warrant 60 quid is up to your personal feeling. I heard about 2dB more in the 250Hz area, a slightly longer sustain and a definite sharper attack.
Hi Darrell I don't know if you gonna read this but it's worth a try I would like to get your expert opinion. I bought a very inexpensive guitar Strat style I'm trying to give it an upgrade I'm thinking about HSS pick ups do you think going with Guitar Fetish pick ups, if not a good idea what would you recommend, I don't want to spend an arm and a leg on it if you know what I mean.
The differences are so negligible that I could attribute those to other tiny differences in reassembling the guitar and how Darrell strums the guitar. Verdict: Snake oil!
Big question afterwards: Are you leaving it in? (I have two hard tail Strats, and on my other normal Strat trems they all are "decked" against the body.
I own a similar patent on a spring claw, Mine is hand filed a polished by hand, no power tools. A big difference in mine, is everywhere the claw can hit the cavity, the edges are pillowtopped and rounded to never catch or dig in. The biggest game changer, is I use a special proprietary bell brass. Used with titanium neck machine screws, and a Triple chambered brass tone block, it creates the sustain of a Fernandez Sustaniac, without the battery. My claw weights 68 Grams and it's like having two toneblocks that vibrate at each other. Simply amazing versatile tones and endlless sustain. Each hand fitted to the guitar, for maximum potential.
can you do a vid on the tremel-no? i got one, but it kinda sucks lol i cant figure out how to get it dailed in so that it doesnt knock around while tightened or in dive only mode
Hey Darrel. A comparison video between the PRS SE Costum 24 and a Schecter C-1 would be really nice. From what I understand Schecter and PRS are two of your favorite brands.
I know you didn’t do it here but is there any advantage to putting the springs in a triangle configuration? I’ve seen that a whole bunch and always wondered about it.
Would of been nice if you actually tested dive bombs with that trem, that's where it might make a difference, looks like it would do a more solid job of returning after a dive and take away any play, that a standard claw may produce during a a dive.
While the Tone Claw is an improvement over the stock one, I would think that the trem block material would show the biggest gain on the tone and sustain. Now, a high-mass trem block with the Tone Claw might be a real winner.
Definitely Both. Along with steel saddles. Is a noticable tonal difference...I play Floyd Rose. Thick brass block. This claw. And original series saddles.. and all 5 Springs. Also sends more solid tone throughout
I could hear a slight difference in tone, though it was so small that it would disappear with gain. What I'm curious about is whether it contributes to tuning stability at all. Every little bit you can do to make sure everything returns to the same rest position counts. In theory anyway.
are there any vids on a build that uses all of the positively reviewed products? something like an overkill strat to see how/if they would work together vs individually with the stock setups?
I thought the cheap claw was a little brighter and clearer. The nicely engineered one had a bit more mids. I was actually expecting there to be a bigger difference. If you're going with deluxe parts, its a nice replacement for the cheap claw.
Solid peace, even if tone was not improved it is a solid structure that won’t move with vibrato bridge use. How does it differ from Schaller Sure Claw?
Looks awesome, but Im worried about the metal of the back vibrating up and down. the cheap claw is up off the body and vibration has to go thru the screw connection to the body only
My experience was similar. But than I changed the string-saddles into brass, too. That was a dramatic change of the tone. Further on I startet to change Parts into brass - versions on other guitars. Like a webster-saddle and bridge on my 335. Wow! What a difference. In my earts it sounds much better.
OMG, thank you for reviewing this, I was gonna be all over this thing, changing the block to a GFS brass or steel block as well. Acoustically did you notice much of a difference? Have you ever reviewed a Babicz bridge, I'd really like your opinion on those as well, thank you! P.S. Do you think it would have made a bigger tonal difference is the new claw was completely mated to the body of the guitar?
Is it just luck or maybe difference in strumming, but in my ears the "xpensive" one was a little brighter. Also felt that i could hear more high freq's? First place i really do not believe there is a defference.
Outstanding detailed review! Please compare the stock claw vs Schaller Sure Claw vs Tone Claw. Also please compare all 3 WITH noiseless vs standard springs on a floating Floyd Rose trem. Thanks!!! 🇺🇸
I'd be happy to see Schaller SureClaw tested - not because I expect it would affect the sound, but to have one Allen key to set springs' tension (instead of fighting with screwdriver and the both screws) seems to be sooo convenient. Plus the SureClaw looks sturdy as hell. I hate those little crappy claws and screws coming out at most strange angles... :)
I usually set my claw at a slight angle, with greter tension on the Bass side. Right or wrong, it's my preference. Not possible with devices like the SureClaw
I couldn't tell the difference at first but eventually I noticed that the cheap one sounded more glassy while the expensive one sounded beefier. I personally like the cheaper one better.
I heard a very slight difference on the first example... none on the others. But it's a beautiful piece of machinery! Be interested to know how / if it compares to the heavy duty claw that comes with a Tremol-No setup - I have those in most of my guitars.
Well, the newly designed expensive one looks nice. The difference is so subtle that it' strictly for aesthetics (if you show off the back end of your guitar often). If you're worried about the springs popping out of the regular claw, by all means do buy this.
I got a brass solid claw from another manufacturer. It only seems to make a difference when hearing the acoustic not plugged in sound. It sounds a bit more metallic. For the amplified sound, no difference.
The differences are super subtle and not enough to warrant the price difference in my book. If Mythbusters ever did these tests of alleged guitar improvement products, half of the industry would be shut down.
I’ve never had my springs pop out off the claw? And I’m pretty sure it’s more likely where the spring goes into the block is more suspect than the hoops. But I’ve never had them pop out of there either.
Dumb question from a noob: the trem claw doesn't seem to be tightened up firmly against the wood, so we're losing vibes between trem claw and springs. I've seen locking posts used on ToM and wraparound bridges to eliminate movement between bridge and posts. Wouldn't the same concept (but different execution) help with this? Something to prevent movement between the trem claw and screws? Too much thinking, I'd better go take a nap...
@@ADaviDTR Since he mentioned a 'puller', I assume he was adjusting his setup and had to take springs on and off. I've launched a few, too, when doing setup.
Hey Darrel, The idea, you might think of a "strumming machine (Don't know if it exists)" and having the guitar at the same distance from the strummer, you will always have consistent chords for these tests.
you should do a three way comparison with the Schaller Sure Claw. The Schaller unit screws down to the cavity floor so it should do better at transferring energy.
Could you guys hear the difference between the two? If so, let me know!
Enjoy :)
I could hear just a tad more sustain with the tone claw, but pretty subtle...
Hi ,that it sell in floyd rose page in axlabs too ,very good
Before watching I'm going to say no. I don't think the springs are going to transfer enough energy to the claw for the added mass to factor in.
I would have liked to have tested what happens on a blended note.
May be placebo but the tone claw sounded audibly brighter / chimey-er
Sounds nice but I think I'll wait for the active tone claw.
😁😁😁
Isn't that just an Evertune?
@@MrNeosantana LOL no
@@toemasmeems *sigh*
There's always one
Haha! Robot Claw (back off, Agnesi)!😅😅
Even two transients recorded with the same claw will never look exactely the same.
That may be true but doesn't explain the result. Because the pattern is consistent and the same across ALL the examples. So much so you could identify which claw is which purely by viewing the graph. With both claws side by side. But swapping positions.
It is having a effect
@@neilphillips1350 At best it's so subtle no one could tell the difference purely just by sound! I would challenge anyone to do a double blind test and would guarantee there is no discernable difference! The read out proves it! This is more placebo than fact!
The only difference is that it looks cooler.
Who sees it?
Exactly!
@@ricksigurdson2016 but you'll know it isn't there and it might affect the feel :-)
And most of the time you can’t see it because it’s literally hidden in the back of the guitar. Kinda useless!
I made blind comparison and definately youre wrong. Question is if it is more stratty or not. I mean that many people got uset to stratocaster tones made with regulat bent metal claw. I think SRV never thought about swapping it ;)
The easiest way to improve your guitar tone is with stickers. Of course vinyl stickers will give you more sustain than paper stickers. And if you want a darker tone, of course you need darker stickers. For a more airy wide open tone, just use hologram stickers, or stickers with butterflies.
I added a foam dinosaur sticker donated by my 3 year old kid. What tonality changes can I expect from that? I put it on the pickguard of my Tele.
You mean I can use the facelift vinyl full cover on my strat and replace my sustainer pedal?
This is basic knowledge.Billie joe Armstrong put this theory into effect through the yrs. it’s also very true with cars
That only works on First Act guitars.
@@caerphoto You can expect the sound quality to scale up quite a bit
Cheap trem claw looks like one I can build in my garage on a lazy afternoon. Expensive trem claw looks like an engineering masterpiece.
Yet the difference is negligible. What a waste of money.
Yeah, it's like girls. When you strum them with your eyes closed.
For something that is not meant to be seen!!!
I want this for the bling. I don't have a cover on my trem.
@@JungYT And who, exactly, is gonna see your bling, unless you do a Jimi and bite those strings? I'll sell you a back cover for $10, and you can spend the rest on a bracelet with your name on it. LOL
Might be the best engineered useless part I’ve ever seen.
spot. on. Had to dig really deep into those wave forms to see any difference. Frankly, if there was a difference, the standard one sounded better? Not to mention picking dynamic variances could easily make up any of these differences. if he was .1 mm closer to the bridge, or .1 mm deeper on the pick against the string. Seems like a stretch to sell this thing....
Now, that's a perfect way of putting it.
@@danherrick2310 And for $60, that's really stretching it.
I completely agree with you🤣👍
That's the best description I've seen
Finally a solution to my trem springs randomly popping off the cleat in the middle of playing!
The best idea of this whole replacement is the painters tape idea, keeping the same distance as the stock trem claw.
Excellent observation. Loosing your trem setup is extremely frustrating.
0:30 Yeeeeessss!
I certainly thought there was a difference, but it's too small to make me want to change mine. It's taken me 6mths to perfect my set up and I'm not messing with it anymore.
6 meths can make you blind. Worse than vodka from Latvia.
I couldn't hear any difference in the tone, but then I didn't expect to. Mechanically the only real purpose I could see for this is to combat string rattle which it obviously does by the fact that Darrell couldn't unhook the springs from the claw with the locking mechanism in position. While it did seem to increase the amount of sustain, it is margin of error amounts. This seems like a product for your 'studio' guitar where you are looking to get the very best out of every single part to make it sound and play as good as possible.
I think this is the best reason why you'd want these upgrades from what I've seen from anyone posting on here. Good points 👍
There was definitely a difference in tone. The new claw was brighter and fuller, in a studio setting the difference would be huge
@@worhed3722 hard to tell with RUclips compression but I can believe it.
You'd be better off and spend less money spent simply upgrading your springs.
Hahahaha... It reminds me of a guy trying to sell a set of 4 neck screws from a 51 Precision bass. The guy was asking for $1000 for the set
It looks so cool, and it makes things easy. Never mind the tiny bit of sustain. My main Strat is going for a treat. Thanks a lot, Darrell... from Denmark
One of my favourite vids!
Love that you used the tech to verify the sounds, this was very informative.
Love to see more like this!
Horrifyingly loved the chopped Strat vid!
Next up: How does wearing Chuck Taylor's improve guitar tone through a slightly over driven British amp on a Tuesday?
Definitely less ground hum when wearing Chucks. The old, American made ones. The new ones: Fuhgedaboudit! 😎
Personally I like my strats as light as possible. Low 7 lb- 6’s.
I love your channel man. You always have answers I'm looking for even if I didn't know I needed the info. Saint Darrell over here doing guitar god's work.
The plate that locks the springs in - is that a solution in search of a problem? Do springs pop out spontaneously?
That is the exact same thing I was thinking. I’ve never had a spring come off the back claw.
Double ditto I abuse the living hell out of my Floyd and never even seen one loosen?
@@goldbug1974 I have when I really take the stock setup for a good pull up. I've had to put a foam block in that the back cover holds in place to keep the springs in place
I've had a spring pop off before, but I attribute this to the much higher string tension because of the lower tuning I was in
only ever happened once so I still think its a non-issue
@@caixiuying8901 once when changing springs I damn near sprung my finger off , but that was my fault entirely. oh to be young again 😊
I just hear that your guitar sounds great! Your videos are just excellent and professional, and fun.
The one who says "there's is a slight difference ..." still believes in Santa.
Or waiting for the Easter Bunny.
Spoilers
You'd be surprised what confirmation bias can achieve. If you bought cause you believe in it, you will hear a difference. Otherwise that would mean your purchase and decision was wrong. Can't have that! That is why only blind tests are kinda reliable.
There's a HUGE difference
@@worhed3722 Yeah, in your wallet! 😉
The answer is “No”... don’t waste your hard earned money on stuff that don’t matter. Spend it on learning to be a better guitarist!
I absolutely agree, the tone comes from the fingers at 99.9%, Just look at Angus Young, and he was playing with a junior SG 1 puckuo and he had removed the tone and volum pots, any way he was playing all open no pedals, nothing...👍
@@charlesmigneault7918 it doesn't. That's a massive myth that way too many people believe. Tone is 99.999% pickups, amp, speakers and a but of your pick attack. Not tone fingers lol
@@kitten-whisperer Vin makes it sound like your fingers can turn a Strat into an LP lmao
@@caixiuying8901 that's how it works. Want filtertron pickup sound? Just use those damn hands. Do you have big fat humbuckers but want a twangy tele sound? Use those HANDS!!!
To be fair, this claw obviously weighs more. Therefore it's useful in that aspects. Say you wanted to add weight to the body of your guitar for better balance, this would be a fairly simple and subtle way to go about that.
Just got mine, will be installing this holiday season.
I was actually wondering that the other day. How were you reading my mind?
Side note, after having two guitars of my own I'm starting to recognize tonal difference. One having much more bite for rock, while the other is more beautiful for cleans.
Because one is a bass guitar and the other a banjo?
Its because you attract certain thoughts based on previous thoughts, and the youtube logarithm is learning to sync with both of those based on previous selections. It is freaky when it gets to this level of sync or as in your case just ahead of you.
That is because The Algorithm is now controlling your thoughts. Never underestimate the power of The Algorithm.
@Brett S I took the tone controls off my guitar, and filled the holes with spliffs. Now how cool is that?
You always get what you pay for! Darryl please can we see you playing the intro riff for your channel, it's literally the best on the internet!!
I think that is a royalty free stock piece of music as I have heard it on other channels.
On a side note, if you please
would you mind make a comparison using this wave reading to finally demonstrate the difference between a full maple neck vs maple neck and rosewood fretboard?
I'm pretty sure that's been done already by Warmoth. I think it was them that did video.
The difference is huge, it's crazy
Fun stuff Darrell. It would be good if there were numbers registered for deviations throughout the display. As usual, you did an excellent job stricking notes the same way, even though variances inevitably occur. This is a 'scratch my itch' kind of item. Also, there are many songs that need less sustain for originality. That's why we need 20+ guitars, and one more in the arsenal. 🤪 Thanks!
Great video as usual. It would be great to see this same video done with the Schaller Sure Claw. I use them and love them.
I like Darrell's content its not boring at the same time its helpful to anyone guitar player
Great video! I could see doing this in concert with other upgrades to the nut, bridge, block etc. the collective change would likely lead to a noticeable difference.
I feel like this is kind of a solution looking for a problem scenario.
Hehey Darrell was waiting for the tone claw... Good day man... Love your content... A fan from India
It makes me sad that we can't get this stuff easily here. I called up Bajaao about a Wilkinson trem and they quoted 30k as the minimum.
@@Nooboroshi exactly man... It's real sad... 😢
Have to agree I allways wear headphones Darrell on your sound demos and the volume is what a noticed before you even showed the graph def more of a voice on the ringgit very cool. Love these demos DBG keep it up tim from london Ont.
Even if there is no advantage from the tone claw, it shines like jewelry! I'm sold..... lol
the schaller claw is better lol
and shiny too but actually makes setting up the trem a breeze
all u do is turn the 1 screw either left or right and ur sett one thing i hate about the normal claw is having to turn 2 screws one by one in small increments to set a floyd and thats still the case with this one
the normal ones polish up too
Ordered one!! I spare no expense for my #1 Strat. Also installed the Free-way 10-way switch based on your video of it.
Hey. I have some tone potentiometer knobs if you want to buy them. I have a set that makes the guitar brighter and a set that makes it darker. $1000 for a set of 3.
I dont know how long I've been out of the channel, but that last part of the new intro killed me 😂
I've got two of these. They're great. A bit expensive. But I have no idea about the tone. They probably do help a tiny bit. But what I like is that they LOCK the spring in. So I can get completely crazy and I cannot pop a spring off the claw. .in the past I've had to use plyers. And a vice to bend each "claw" finger to help Lock the spring to it claw.....but I have next to no tention on my Hybrid 9-46 set of strings. Tuned to C standard.. with all 5 Springs in the back. So I can pull the bar. Dive the bar... and bend any string with no deflection on another string
Hi Darrell, thanks for the interesting video. It seems logical that adding mass will increase sustain. I saw this product, but also saw one from Schaller, the SureClaw. This is interesting because it has a drive that is activated by a hex key that applies tension to the trem springs. It has a large mass bolted directly to the guitar body. I was going to buy the product you reviewed, but decided on the Shaller instead. As for tonal differences, I heard a definite difference in note definition and tonality with the AxClaw. Once you add distortion and other effects, who knows? But this could definitely be a part of a series of small, incremental improvements that add up to a noticeable difference! I'd be interested to hear the same comparison with the Shaller SureClaw, or maybe a shootout between AxClaw and Sure Claw. Have a great day!
I bought one simply because I was creating a strat from scratch, glad I did💁🏿♀️
Is the color MATTE?
It's nicely machined...... its a pricey upgrade for a less than $300 strat! More suitable for a higher end guitar..... just my thoughts! Thanks Darrel!
The trem claw is one of those components that makes a rather subtle, but sometimes significant difference. A parallel could be drawn between this, and the various saddle options for strats. With the strat, I have found that the thin nickel saddles sound best- 9 out of 10 times. To me, unless the one you have actually FLEXES (which is doubtful), the springs are likely more important.
Hey Darrell, love your videos, very informative! Any thought about videos about hybrid guitars? Like shooting out the new fender acoustitronics vs godin A6? Best strings and amps for these types of guitars! Keep up the great content!
I bought this and dig it. It's not a major tone enhancer I didn't expect it to be. It's certainly better looking than the old claw and my strat resonates a bit more with this gorgeous hunk of brass in it and only 60 bucks.
only?
@Angel-fz8dr yeah it's was pricey, but I could afford it at the time. Total impulse buy. No regrets.
What does changing the string tension on the claw do to tone? The springs should have a time delay on the vibrations travel from one end to the other, which may have an effect on tone and sustain. How does a hard tail vs tremolo compare?
2:13 there seems to be a small spelling error lol
The Tone Claw is a very nice looking piece, however, Leo Fender’s design practice of frugal effectiveness shows up once again as completely up to par at a fraction of the cost.
When tuning down with a whammy bar ..I have the Vega trem.....do I adjust the springs all over like I did originally when I installed it or just back screws off …and retune and repeat till it sits level with body ? thanks love the channel .......
Darrell, I'm getting ready to pull the trigger on a couple things. H&K Black Spirit 200 or Grandmeister Deluxe 40? And, PRS SE Custom 24 or Cort G290 FAT? If you get time to weigh in it would be much appreciated, Thanks.
I could definitely hear a difference, although whether you feel those differences are pronounced enough to warrant 60 quid is up to your personal feeling. I heard about 2dB more in the 250Hz area, a slightly longer sustain and a definite sharper attack.
On my crappy cell phone speaker I could hear some slight additional brightness along with what you stated.
Hi Darrell I don't know if you gonna read this but it's worth a try I would like to get your expert opinion. I bought a very inexpensive guitar Strat style I'm trying to give it an upgrade I'm thinking about HSS pick ups do you think going with Guitar Fetish pick ups, if not a good idea what would you recommend, I don't want to spend an arm and a leg on it if you know what I mean.
cool video . need a video on metal pins on a acoustic please Darrell
The differences are so negligible that I could attribute those to other tiny differences in reassembling the guitar and how Darrell strums the guitar.
Verdict: Snake oil!
Big question afterwards: Are you leaving it in? (I have two hard tail Strats, and on my other normal Strat trems they all are "decked" against the body.
Cool, but $60+ shipping?? 🤷♂️🎸🎶
Ouch!
Interesting, this is the first time I have heard anyone talking about this! It should definitely be talked about more often
I beg to differ.
I've never needed an upgrade to my trem claws... how often do springs pop out of properly tensioned systems? Never.
The very subtle difference you can hear (if you can hear anything) is easily attributed to variances in performance from take to take.
I’m interested in seeing the Schaller Sure Claw. It seems to make adjustments more precise and easier when setting up a floating tremolo.
Hi Darrel. Great reviews, keep it up. Could you review the new Quad Cortex? It's quite intresting equipment.
I own a similar patent on a spring claw, Mine is hand filed a polished by hand, no power tools. A big difference in mine, is everywhere the claw can hit the cavity, the edges are pillowtopped and rounded to never catch or dig in. The biggest game changer, is I use a special proprietary bell brass. Used with titanium neck machine screws, and a Triple chambered brass tone block, it creates the sustain of a Fernandez Sustaniac, without the battery. My claw weights 68 Grams and it's like having two toneblocks that vibrate at each other. Simply amazing versatile tones and endlless sustain. Each hand fitted to the guitar, for maximum potential.
can you do a vid on the tremel-no? i got one, but it kinda sucks lol i cant figure out how to get it dailed in so that it doesnt knock around while tightened or in dive only mode
Thanks great comparison
Hey Darrel. A comparison video between the PRS SE Costum 24 and a Schecter C-1 would be really nice. From what I understand Schecter and PRS are two of your favorite brands.
I know you didn’t do it here but is there any advantage to putting the springs in a triangle configuration? I’ve seen that a whole bunch and always wondered about it.
It gives you more spring tension without adding or changing springs or moving the spring claw.
You should review the new Tone Pickguard screws, they’re a must have! 😆
I have really good hearing and my ears preferred the sound of the stock tremolo claw
Would of been nice if you actually tested dive bombs with that trem, that's where it might make a difference, looks like it would do a more solid job of returning after a dive and take away any play, that a standard claw may produce during a a dive.
While the Tone Claw is an improvement over the stock one, I would think that the trem block material would show the biggest gain on the tone and sustain. Now, a high-mass trem block with the Tone Claw might be a real winner.
Some of us prefer the sound of a.fully floating trem, where the springs are actually part of the response.
@@P_Ezi Correct !!! The tone is the sum of all of the parts !!!
Agreed! I’ve replaced the block in several of my guitars and it always makes a big change in sustain and tone.
Definitely Both. Along with steel saddles. Is a noticable tonal difference...I play Floyd Rose. Thick brass block. This claw. And original series saddles.. and all 5 Springs. Also sends more solid tone throughout
Very nice sunburst Strat👍😁
I could hear a slight difference in tone, though it was so small that it would disappear with gain. What I'm curious about is whether it contributes to tuning stability at all. Every little bit you can do to make sure everything returns to the same rest position counts. In theory anyway.
I wonder 💭 how my Sustainiac would change when it trails off .
I always felt the claw needed better design on spring screws
I wonder if the locking mechanism would affect the spring resonance sound that sometimes happens.
are there any vids on a build that uses all of the positively reviewed products? something like an overkill strat to see how/if they would work together vs individually with the stock setups?
Lol, I just asked this question this morning on the Pacifica video
I thought the cheap claw was a little brighter and clearer. The nicely engineered one had a bit more mids. I was actually expecting there to be a bigger difference. If you're going with deluxe parts, its a nice replacement for the cheap claw.
Solid peace, even if tone was not improved it is a solid structure that won’t move with vibrato bridge use. How does it differ from Schaller Sure Claw?
Looks awesome, but Im worried about the metal of the back vibrating up and down. the cheap claw is up off the body and vibration has to go thru the screw connection to the body only
just want to know if you left it installed or went back to the factory claw?
My experience was similar. But than I changed the string-saddles into brass, too. That was a dramatic change of the tone. Further on I startet to change Parts into brass - versions on other guitars. Like a webster-saddle and bridge on my 335. Wow! What a difference. In my earts it sounds much better.
Darrell could you do a video on the stay tooned trem claw, curious to know if it actually does what they claim?
OMG, thank you for reviewing this, I was gonna be all over this thing, changing the block to a GFS brass or steel block as well.
Acoustically did you notice much of a difference?
Have you ever reviewed a Babicz bridge, I'd really like your opinion on those as well, thank you!
P.S. Do you think it would have made a bigger tonal difference is the new claw was completely mated to the body of the guitar?
I just bought one and Im putting Vega trem in my custom strat build and Emg pickups and fender lsr roller nut can make up my mine about the tuners yet
Is it just luck or maybe difference in strumming, but in my ears the "xpensive" one was a little brighter. Also felt that i could hear more high freq's? First place i really do not believe there is a defference.
Outstanding detailed review! Please compare the stock claw vs Schaller Sure Claw vs Tone Claw. Also please compare all 3 WITH noiseless vs standard springs on a floating Floyd Rose trem. Thanks!!! 🇺🇸
I'd be happy to see Schaller SureClaw tested - not because I expect it would affect the sound, but to have one Allen key to set springs' tension (instead of fighting with screwdriver and the both screws) seems to be sooo convenient. Plus the SureClaw looks sturdy as hell. I hate those little crappy claws and screws coming out at most strange angles... :)
I usually set my claw at a slight angle, with greter tension on the Bass side. Right or wrong, it's my preference. Not possible with devices like the SureClaw
I couldn't tell the difference at first but eventually I noticed that the cheap one sounded more glassy while the expensive one sounded beefier. I personally like the cheaper one better.
agreed
I heard a very slight difference on the first example... none on the others. But it's a beautiful piece of machinery! Be interested to know how / if it compares to the heavy duty claw that comes with a Tremol-No setup - I have those in most of my guitars.
I have issues detuning to eb on Floyds, spring come off due low tension, definitely I will test this
Well, the newly designed expensive one looks nice. The difference is so subtle that it' strictly for aesthetics (if you show off the back end of your guitar often). If you're worried about the springs popping out of the regular claw, by all means do buy this.
Hmm I love to have one for my Custom Transparent backplate ❤️🔥
I got a brass solid claw from another manufacturer. It only seems to make a difference when hearing the acoustic not plugged in sound. It sounds a bit more metallic. For the amplified sound, no difference.
The differences are super subtle and not enough to warrant the price difference in my book. If Mythbusters ever did these tests of alleged guitar improvement products, half of the industry would be shut down.
I’ve never had my springs pop out off the claw? And I’m pretty sure it’s more likely where the spring goes into the block is more suspect than the hoops. But I’ve never had them pop out of there either.
Dumb question from a noob: the trem claw doesn't seem to be tightened up firmly against the wood, so we're losing vibes between trem claw and springs. I've seen locking posts used on ToM and wraparound bridges to eliminate movement between bridge and posts. Wouldn't the same concept (but different execution) help with this? Something to prevent movement between the trem claw and screws? Too much thinking, I'd better go take a nap...
I like my tone claw. Can hardly tell a difference on RUclips. After I bought one for my PRS, just had to get another for my other guitar (MMJP6).
I refuse to block my 95 am std strat trem because it sounds perfect.the way it is. This is extraneous.
I concur with many others here. That is a beautifully engineered and machined part that no one really needs. It sure looks good though.
I go for the heavy duty solderless brass trem claws. They work.
Launched a spring through the house the other day with a puller, it was launched to the guitar gods lol
No back cover?
@@ADaviDTR Since he mentioned a 'puller', I assume he was adjusting his setup and had to take springs on and off. I've launched a few, too, when doing setup.
Hey Darrel, The idea, you might think of a "strumming machine (Don't know if it exists)" and having the guitar at the same distance from the strummer, you will always have consistent chords for these tests.
Brilliant.
you should do a three way comparison with the Schaller Sure Claw. The Schaller unit screws down to the cavity floor so it should do better at transferring energy.