@@Scott__C we can be the change we want to see in the world, my friend. Little things like a smile for a stranger and putting your shopping cart back before you drive away chip away at the culture of contempt that has somehow taken control over so many people.
This poor guy has been so screwed over. Despite that, he’s a lot more gracious than 99% of people would be. He’s an exemplary American, and inspiration. The guitar community really needs to come together and show this man some love. I’m a proud Kahler owner since 1986 and it’s still my favorite tremolo 🎸
I totally agree with everything you just said. Funny thing is that I prefer a fulcrum but not by much. However, I just got done setting up a Kahler steeler and it kicks the crap out of all my other fulcrums. And that was the single locking one!
Got recently my first Kahler Trem and i love it (in my Dean) , absolutely TREMendous product. It's so smooth & easier to change strings + boy the divebombs feel easy. Holds tuning perfectly. Why in earth it's not more common? 100 times better than all the cheap licensed Floyds out there. Definitely not my last Kahler. Just needs to be offered in more guitars and models. 👌👌👌👌👌
I've been playing guitar as a hobby for 50 years but I'm not a gear head and have no experience playing with tremolo bridges. You'll laugh at me, but back in the 1990s I bought a used guitar with a Kahler 2300 bridge on it, but it was missing the tremolo arm and I didn't realize that it WAS a tremolo bridge. I just always thought it was a really cool bridge with adjustments for setting the intonation, string height, and spacing etc. for each string individually. And I loved the little fine tuning knobs feature. Recently, one of the bridge's string hooks broke so I started Googling to see if I could find a replacement bridge. I was shocked to find out they cost more than what I had paid for the guitar itself! And that's when I finally discovered that it was a tremolo bridge. And I also started learning more about Kahler bridges, specifically. Long story short, after finding someone who could fix my broken bridge, and after getting a tremolo arm for it, I am now, after 50 years, finally starting to incorporate the use of a "whammy bar" in my guitar playing, and having fun with it. And now, after seeing this interview with Mr. Kahler, I am even more appreciative of his product. Well done, Sir!
That shit hits me hard whenever I see it. Gary is working hard to make sure his company carries on after he is gone so everyone who uses his bridges will still be able to get parts. At 85 after heart surgery his biggest concern as I can figure it is not letting down his customers after he’s gone. Fucking legend!
i would be really, really, REALLY sad if Gary Kahler passed away and took the Kahler brand with him. PLEASE don't let the company die, make Gary's name live on!
Then you should know we have a podcast now. Here is the link to episode 1. Subscribe and set the notifications to all, and let your friends know Kahler is coming out swinging.
Gary is really just one of the best people I have ever met. His honesty, humility, work ethic, and the respect he has for everyone is what we should all aspire to. So many people think Kahler lost the tremolo wars because Kahler was a bad trem but this isn’t the case. Kahler remained small because Gary refused to sell to an investment group and he has done everything he can to keep production in America. Made in the USA is important to him because this is where he lives and he wants the jobs he creates to support the people in the country he lives in because he considers his fellow Americans his neighbors. That’s why Kahler is expensive, because American labor doesn’t come cheap. He has tried manufacturing overseas briefly to stay competitive but decided it just wasn’t worth compromising his principles. I just have to add, if you’re a double locking fulcrum guy the Kahler Steeler is the best Floyd style bridge I have ever played. Also, this is something you might enjoy on your Floyd, it’s my favorite piece of guitar equipment in a long time. What the Auto-Latch does to your trem #kahler #floydrose #ibanez #jacksonguitars ruclips.net/video/puUARI5Yveg/видео.html
I worked for Gary Kahler directly in 2011. He is such an incredibly kind man with stories for days. Glad to see him have an opportunity to share some of his history.
He’s going to have even more time because I’m moving to Vegas and we are going to have a weekly podcast. I totally agree with you too, Gary Kahler is just a fantastic person.
@@REXYLAB awesome! If Jamie is still there building bridges for kahler, please tell him I say hello and I hope all is well. He’s been building bridges for kahler since the 80s. Great guy. Cheers 🍻
Gary is the best. When I called Kahler about a year ago with questions about setting up a 2300 for a Bass VI, I actually got Gary and he personally helped me. Then we just chatted for about 10 - 15 minutes. Much respect and best wishes on your health issues my friend.
A great man in this great USA. I have nothing but respect for his work ethic , his broad outlook on America and doing business the right way and making a fine tremolo system. All my best to you Mr. Kahler. Thanks. 🎸🇺🇸
Using Kahler on a left handed Aira Pro II XL series since early 90s. I suspect it was choosen due to how easy it was to add the extra hole for the trem on the opposite side, in a left handed setup.
I've met and talked to Gary several times over the years. He is EXACTLY how he comes across in this video; personable, open, helpful, always good for a story. I hunted down and found NOS 2710s because I believe in the quality and design of what Gary produces.
He is really just one hell of a guy. If you enjoyed this interview there is another where he tells the story of how they got Kahler bridges on Gibson guitars in 1983 on my channel as well as the two of us discussing the reissue of some of his fulcrum bridges in 2024. Speaking of 2024, Gary and I will have a podcast we are starting early next year. I invite you to subscribe and maybe you’ll even wind up with the Fender American Strat Kahler and I are giving away.
@@REXYLAB Already subbed! Can't wait to see your discussion on the Killer 2710, and I'm ecstatic to hear that the Auto Latch is coming back because I need three of them! Any idea on when they'll be available?
The thing that makes him truly patriotic is that he wants Americans to take care of America. He doesn’t say if this party had control or anything like that. He just sees the suffering and wants it to stop. He does his part too by using American made parts and paying a lot more than importing things. For example shirt I have with the $8,000 box of screws. He could have got the American thing from china for under $2,000. But he won’t do that, why… because he would be responsible for taking a job away from someone just so he could have more money. That’s why Kahler is so good, he has personal relationships with the people who make his outsourced parts and cares what happens to them.
My high school graduation gift was a BC Rich NJ Series S-type (1986) with a Kahler Flyer. Flash forward to today, and my current S-type guitar has a vintage Kahler 2200 on it. I’ve only ever known and loved Kahlers. It’s so smooth and responsive… it really does become part of you. Not that FRs are bad, they just don’t feel like a Kahler.
@@joshoptical you can watch our weekly podcast on the Kahler RUclips channel too. Every Saturday at 10 pdt. The Untold Story Of Why Kahler Lost The Tremolo Wars - Revealed! Kahler-Kast Ep. 9 ruclips.net/video/fKKSklkop4s/видео.html
I had a kahler steeler. A kahler floyd style. Great unit. I still have it but not using it cuz it needs some parts. I also had the model with the auto latch on it. That was a brilliant idea. That guitar got stolen. Gary seemd like a great guy with great integrity. Thank you Gary Kahler
I have a couple guitars with Steelers on them, one has an autolatch. That is my favorite bridge ever! You can get parts for your steeler if you look hard enough. Also, I’m going back to Kahler in October for a couple big announcements! If you like the steeler and the autolatch make sure you don’t miss that announcement.
What an absolutely fascinating and beautiful human being. This interview is a real treasure that makes me appreciate my Kahler units even more (which, needless to say, indubitably kick ass!).
I didn't give a damn about Kahlers until like yesterday, now that I'm doing a lot of research on them this video comes out. What are the odds. Gary is such a nice guy, very inspiring and grateful for his country, and he's the first american I heard talking about having second chances in America which is something I always thought about. There's nothing worse than living your life in fear of failure knowing that if you fail you'll be in the gutter for good, so you just throw away your dreams and play it safe. I hope Kahlers never stop being made, I'd really like to see these tremolos becoming more prevalent and maybe one day I'll be able to afford one lol
Gary Kahler is such a fighter! At one point he was so beat up by law suits that he couldn’t make guitar bridges. He still had a factory and employees to pay. His solution was to shift production to golf clubs.
Thank you! There will be a much longer video titled the history of Kahler coming soon that will tell all. Did you see Kahler and I are also giving away a guitar?
@@timothydarby9604 I am going to do so much demo stuff on that Strat that we are about to go from no information about Kahler to Kahler has the most information!
That's it I'm buying another Kahler. I got a Kahler from the 90s on my first guitar from when I was a kid way back when. Gary e-mailed me a few times to help me out on my repairs. I bought a 2300 last year for my tele "frankencaster" and she sings. Great system. String changes so easy. Tuning easier than a spring system. I'm still dumbfounded on how Kahler got shit on so bad all these years and the hate for Kahler trems in some articles. Bad press. If you actually read guitar player forums there's much love for these. Talk soon Gary!
With all due respect, my Answer Shift 2001 has been on my Les Paul Custom since the 80s, it is the most stabile trem system I have ever owned. It holds the tuning to a degree that is almost ridiculous. There is much hate for this trem online, I find that to be user error, I have no other explanation. It is a very well engeering piece and one must LEARN how to set it up for it to deliver on it's claims. It took me some time go get it right, but after that, it has just been working, no isues what so ever. I love the feel of a Kahler and i wanted one on my LP, back then but could not find one i could install without routiung my guitar. Now the shift is part of my guitars DNA, I doubt i will ever remove it. It is stabil, has great tone and here is bucket loads of sustain. I guess it helps having a good and stabile instrument in the fist place. Thank's for this upload, very interesting video.
Absolutely buying a trem from his conpany ...I will use it proudly. It may take time to save up as im not making much but i am pationate and love his vision. Simple but truth. Thats the life i live. Notes share emotions. Peace. Great interview.
I will be making demo videos that will show the difference in tonal variation between all the cams and rollers. When you are ready you will know exactly what one you want.
Fantastic interview, I still own a Patent Applied For , Kahler, from the early 80s. I believe it was the first one in Australia as I had a habit of going to my local guitar shop ,in a small country town ,with a Guitar Player , or GuitarWorld magazine ,and saying , " I want one of these " to which I would get "what's that ? " , "there is no distributor in Australia ". No internet in those days but the owner would make phone calls , and do what ever to make it happen .It cost me a fortune at the time , but I was building a kit Explorer ,also a nightmare to get back then ,and it just had to have a Kahler😂 . Before that, I did the same with a Floyd Rose , with no fine tuners .
Wow what an amazing man and an incredible life. This guy is what it’s about intelligent people solving a problem and the fact that he never licensed his trems and still builds them in America, he practices what he preaches. People you better pay attention to people like this man and his generation they got shit done with less than we have and they don’t complain. Incredible . Thanks
Spending the 5 days I did with Gary Kahler, sleeping in the office, getting up early and just seeing how hard he works at 85 all day long was so inspiring! Gary is someone that puts so much work in specifically because he doesn’t want to ever let his customers down.
Getting ready to get some parts, my kahler is nearly 40years old and I lost the bars and the string lock, right now it has an all parts lock and aside from that every repair and upgrade has been kahler parts ,right now I'm going to buy a bar and palm lever from kahler, but I don't know if they still make the curved tip on the bar. I always block the Floyds and don't use them and use the kahler for all the whammy bar stuff , Thank you Gary Kahler for never ever compromising
I have a G10V with a wonderbar and the lack of travel on that guitar keeps me from reaching for it very often. I have a G2V with the 600T and that thing actually works great.
When I was restomodding my Warlock, and fitting a Schaller FR bridge, I decided there wasn't enough room on the headstock to mount a proper FR locking nut. So instead of buying some counterfeit or off-brand part, I bought a behind-the-nut string lock directly from Kahler in the US, and had to shipped to me in the UK. It works perfectly, does exactly that I need to and stays in tune. My only gripe is it uses a 3/32 allen wrench rather than metric 2.5mm or 3mm 😆
Awesome interview. I am fascinated with this subject. I have a small collection of Peavey Nitro guitars. All have the Kahler 2710 Killers. I have spent countless hours trying to figure these trems out. I enjoy it, so all good. Curious if the 2700 series will ever make a comeback?
What a great bridge that is. Did you know it won an award for metallurgy when it came out?The way it was made was never done before! In the documentary we discuss the killer and I have one I will take all the way apart and put back together.
@@REXYLAB very cool. I have 4.5 of them. Got a parts model for almost nothing. Has come in handy as parts are rare and expensive. I have taken a couple completely apart, and when I say completely, I mean completely. I have the schematics which I’ve uploaded to the Peavey site where you and I have had a convo or two. Looking forward to the documentary man. Thank you.
My guitar guy put me onto these when I wanted to upgrade a rather uninspiring 70s Strat. I think it was in 1989 or 1990, and I wanted to put a Floyd on the guitar until I discovered the absolute ball ache involved in changing strings. I still have that guitar with the same Kahler on it, and it works just as well as it did 33 years ago. I lost the trem arm at some point, so I contacted them and they shipped one out to me. It's a great design
The Kahler is definitely much easier to dial in and change strings on for sure. Modern Kahlers are even easier because of the screw on the plate to lock them in.
I remember reading about his fight against counterfeiters and having to spend money defending his patents. He was actually interviewed decades ago about all the counterfeits and lawsuits that he's been involved with in an old Guitar Player Magazine. Add to that being in retail competition with Floyd Rose.
Yeah, the counterfeit thing has been probably his biggest problem ever. As far as the first interview, I had someone claim they interviewed Gary Kahler way back and when I asked them to provide the interview (only so I could read it) they disappeared like a fart in the wind. I’m not saying this is Gary Kahler’s first interview, but Gary Kahler is. If there is an interview that you know of please show me a link or let me know what magazine it is in because I really want to read it.
Wow that was an incredible interview, I've always wanted to know more about this man even though I mainly play Floyds and Ibanez Edge trems I've still always respected Kahlers. I actually have a really old Kahler that I removed from a customer's 76 Strat, it was installed incorrectly and they didn't use a locking nut. The customer let me keep it so it's been in one of my tool boxes for years, think I'll build a guitar around it and probably order a couple more new Kahler trems to show my respect for this man! It's crazy all of the bullshit he's been through but is still kicking ass! Keep up the great work man!
It was so great meeting him and there is a lot more footage for a proper documentary. I’ll be interviewing a few other key people in the history of the company. Sadly Dave Storey won’t be one as he is no longer with us. What a huge part in the development of Kahler he played. I’ll have lots of Kahler videos on my channel very soon. I hope you enjoy them.
if i may make a request please kind sir. ive seen your other videos on other bridge/guitar/bass setups. would a fullblown Kahler install and setup tutorial be out of the question? Garys from many years back are still there, however, it would seem highly appropas for a newer updated instructional. i feel certain that it would help boost sales while at the same time expanding the wonder that is Kahler. thank you both again.
@@REXYLAB ive grown quite fond of the hybrid series in the past decade. affordable quality. had a few 2300 go out in builds but that V7300 is my thang. intricate simplicity.
@@andymalnar7750 it’s actually almost identical to a brass cam/brass roller 2300. The differences are 5 hole cam on the 2300 instead of 3 (basically right hand only or either), third spring option, and only brass cam/brass roller option. So almost the same thing. I’ll do sound demos so you can her the different qualities the different cams and rollers will make on the 2300.
Actually, Gary Kahler and I are setting up to do a weekly podcast at Kahler International. I moved from Louisiana to Las Vegas and retired from being a commercial deep sea diver in the Gulf of Mexico after 25 years to do this. You can watch the progress on my channel. In the very first episode you will find out how being left handed and stuttering made Gary Kahler dedicate his life to music. No matter what you’re thinking, that ain’t it. 😉 Stay tuned!
I wish all the guitar brands had a line of guitars with Kahler bridges. I have an old Alvarez Villain AEV-425 guitar that my brother gave me with an original Kahler bridge and an original Modulus graphite neck in it. I love that guitar. It is the most stable guitar I own! And it sounds awesome and plays like butter.
Many thanks for this great interview! Gary Kahler created the finest tremolo on Earth! Steve Lynch of Autograph turned me on to Kahler whammy units in the late 80’s and they’ve been the BEST bridge for me for decades! All respect God bless.
Just got my Epi LP custom back from the tech, had a Kahler fitted to it (the trem was about the same price as the guitar, so a fools errand some may say) but I love it!
@@REXYLAB I'm trying to get close to a Steve Clark (of Def Leppard,Hysteria tour in the 80's) guitar within my budget. Did Mr Kahler have a Steve poster in his office? I couldn't quite see.
My Roland G-505 has a Kahler added back in 1985; smoothest trem I've ever used, and a breeze to change strings vs. a Floyd. It's still going strong. Thank you, Gary!
@@REXYLAB I just pulled the old roller from storage, and realized I'd misspoke. It was replaced a few years ago due to its saddle height screw having seized, possibly rusted in place. I think I did try applying penetrating oil, and other types to no avail. The roller itself is actually fine.
I bought my Fender USA Heavy Metal Strat. (a 1989 ) in 1994 and it had a Kahler Spyder trem.. and it's great. But it seems difficult to get parts for it
I've used Kahlers since the 1980's. Still have a few guitars with Kahlers. I grew up playing Gibsons, so the Kahler flat mount trems had a familiar feel when I muted the strings. I always had problems palm muting on Floyds as the guitar would go up in pitch when I rested my hand on it. I remember when Gary went to Japan to fight the counterfeiters. It was a buig deal at the time that a US manufactrer went overseas to fight them. The only Kahler I didn't care for was the Fulcrum, those seemed to have issues.
The first fulcrum, the 2500 certainly had issues. It could have been a great system but the OEMs insisted on a price point that forced one part of it to be made out of substandard material. The Killer, Spyder, and Steeler however are actually really good. I totally agree with you about palm muting. The hand position on a Floyd vs a Kahler is something I tell people all the time. It’s just simply not an issue with a cam based bridge. I have to say too, I love your RUclips handle! Very clever!
absolutely wonderful release ,your idea, and above all, the very topic of conversation. Thank you from the bottom of my heart to Kahler and you for an excellent job
Thank you so much! It brings me so much joy and fulfillment to make this content for you all. I will always do everything I can to make the investment of your time to watch my videos worth it.
Great interview! I would *love* to hear more about the Floyd suites. There's a pretty loyal following of the kahler made floyds. I WANT ONE! (Like the original N4s had)
Are you talking about the Kahler Steeler? That is the most Floyd like of the Kahlers fulcrum bridges. But… did you know Gary Kahler, Dave Petschualt, and Floyd Rose designed the Floyd Rose Pro? It’s true, and the first ones were built at APM (the Kahler machine shop). Floyd Rose Pro by Kahler? ruclips.net/user/shortstaXOF5Jsui8?feature=share
The production quality needs work but some great content here. I happen to own two Kerry King models (an Edwards by ESP V only sold in Japan in 1995-96, and a B.C. Rich KKV in the late 2000s) and have both the Takeuchi and Kahler Hybrid. Suprisingly, the Takeuchi still holds up pretty well. While I respect Gary’s refusal to license the trem - I think that’s the main reason why it was so heavily counterfeited in those early years. With no cheap version really around, many manufacturers wanting to use one as a spec differentiator, or in the case of ESP/Edwards copy a higher end signature model, had to use a knock-off. Note Takeuchi made some fairly popular versions of the Floyd Rose design under license, in particular the TRS-101 which you find in lower to mid-range Jacksons, ESP LTD/Edwards, Washburn Nuno/Dime import guitars, etc. A 4300 during those days would’ve really helped. In those trem war years, it’s surprising how many trem systems were around and how expensive the decent ones were relative to the overall cost of the guitar. Either way, the 7300 Hybrid on my BC Rich is a breeze and I don’t get why folks hate on Kahler without trying them and that we don’t find them on more guitars today. With possibly only 1-2% of all tremolo-based guitars having Kahlers there’s a huge lack of information and/or misinformation. Glad to see more content being made on them.
Well, this is as shot on location with my remote setup that I just put together to fly with so maybe let the production slide a little. Gary Kahler will just never license anything because of his personal beliefs. He fully understands that it would have been a license to print money but he doesn’t care. Now we have a podcast and the production value will be much higher. Kahler Has A Podcast Premiering Saturday May 18, 2024 at 10am PDT ruclips.net/video/mId79vFGkoE/видео.html
The first locking bridge guitar I bought was a BC Rich ST with a Kahler and I absolutely loved it. It was years before I picked up a Jackson that had a Floyd Rose. Maybe I am biased because I owned a Kahler first. But I will always prefer it over a FR bridge. I wish they were more mainstream. I AM curious though, given his personal history with Floyd, how Gary feels about the very Kahler-like FRX. I know they're not really "the same" but to look at it it's VERY obvious where he got the inspiration.
It’s funny but the FRX is far from a new idea. I’ll share a link by someone that really knows Floyds, they have a very fascinating history. Gary doesn’t really care about the FRX. I have one I plan on putting on a guitar to showcase the difference. Eventually it will probably end up at Kahler so we can have it to compare to a 2200. A big part of the reason I’m doing all this is to help bring Kahler back to where they are available again. They are a completely different beast and while they have their own quirks, none of them are quirks that a Floyd has. vintagefloydrose.com/les-paul-floyds/
@@REXYLAB Ah I remember the 2200, never had one in person, but my brain always thought they were actually "Gibson" But when you look at it, it s obvious isn't it. That is something I would love to see the return of. Bigsby isn't my style, and FR just doesn't belong on an LP.
I'd love to see an updated version of the 2520 I think it was. I put one on a partcaster I built in the 80s and it was really cool and I loved that you didn't have to do anything crazy with the strings.
i had a dean with a kahler in the early 80's i remember saving money to upgrade the rollers to steel ones. cool trem it has a smoother feel than a floyd
I have several guitars with kahler trem systems my favourite is on my Gibson sr71 WRC it's 40 years old and I've never had a problem to be honest I've never really had or played a Floyd Rose
I remember pictures in the magazines, back in the day, of a Kahler that was almost exactly like a Floyd Rose. I would be curious to hear the story about that.
@@REXYLAB Cool i cant wait. This is the first time I've caught one if your videos. I subscribed and will be watching many more. Also, i have to admit, i have a soft spot for the Wonderbar as well. I had a couple of really cool Washburns in the late 80's and one had the Wonderbar. That nostalgia is sticky stuff!
@@stevenpipes1555 I have a G10V with a wonderbar and I love it! I won’t pretend it has great action, it does not. But what it does have (along with so many of my guitars) is the ability to pull emotions out of me generated by the memories that come flooding back when I play them. So, I love the wonderbar. It’s not my first choice but it’s fantastic none the less. 1985 Washburn G-10V🎸 ruclips.net/video/YyVVItafBgo/видео.html
I have both kahler and FR equipped guitars. The kahler system always stays in tune better and restring the guitar easy. The action of whammy bar is smoother, it's just in my opinion a better system.
So cool to hear you say that! The cam system is an engineering marvel to behold, that’s for sure. We are rereleasing the steeler in 2 new forms and a very limited run of the Spyder as well as a few other things in 2024. And love my Floyds, edges, gotoh, etc. but Kahler makes all that stuff too. And it’s really good!
Next time have him go into detail about his relationship with Grover Jackson and Bernie Rico….. is Neal Moser still around? tryin to think of who could maybe come on and video chat: Glenn Tipton and KK from Priest have been loyal users, but I know KK has been using Floyd’s lately. Would Kerry King come in? Robert Fripp loves his 2200’s. People forget that Mustaine and Friedman used the fixed bridges on their Jackson’s in the mid 90’s. Les Claypool is one of the most prominent bass players that used Kahler
I learned how to install and set up The Kahler Flyer in 1980! I even have a couple of old Christmas cards from "The Kahlers". My 1977 Les Paul has a Kahler on it. The guitar is just about worn out but the Kahler's only issue is the threads in the cam for arm are stripped out. The rest of it works fine. Another total refret and stuff a zip tie in that arm hole and it should be good to go again.
Les Pauls that have a Floyd just feel weird, but with a 2200 they look cool and feel right. You can change just the cam and then it will work as good as new.
Would love to buy some Kahlers,but need some video assistance on the the stud mount version and Kahler has lost tones of money from me because I won't risk the investment, my understanding of the setup is crucial...Setup videos would up their sales exponentially!
They are all coming. That’s my job here at Kahler International. It will take a few weeks to get it going but you will see a lot about Kahler very soon.
@@REXYLAB Thank You!Looking into buying a few 7 strings(Les Paul types).I want kahlers on all my existing Les Pauls and SG. I got the ESP Glenn Tipton model and Love the Kahler setup.
I had an old Aria that I paid something like 130 euros for and it had a Kahler X-Trem. I can't believe it was actually an original USA made Kahler (When I saw that Aliexpress copy, I thought mine was a copy too, but it had the X-Trem stamped, and yea, it was an original, it worked flawlessly), selling that guitar was a MASSIVE mistake.
The X-trem was actually made in china as an attempt to compete against the import Floyds. Very good bridges but too many went missing among other things so they were discontinued. No because of quality though, the quality of a real one is very good.
@@REXYLAB oh, right! This one I had held tune perfectly and worked almost perfectly, sometimes it would end up a bit sharp and required to be just lightly touched to get back in tune.
Had two installed (original ones), always worked great. Also had a 'GOTOH' (under Floyd Rose license), that worked better and was better constructed than the original Floyd!
@@pedroleal7118 I love the Gotoh 1996T, Great bridge! It doesn’t shock me at all that your Kahlers still work great. They are built so well and all the material that they are made out of is very high quality. I think this is why the people who use them love them.
Yipes! Being that I love both Ibanez and Steve Vai I need to clarify some stuff. The Jem with a Kahler was something he or his tech did. The first Ibanez they sent him had a Floyd. It didn’t look like a Jem at all. His Jems always came with some version of the Ibanez edge (before the budget ones) that came out one year earlier in 1986. The 87 edge was modified with locking posts and a spring retainer because the Jem is the first production guitar designed to be able to be pulled up. The first 777 Ibanez Jems were green and he signed and numbered them all (I have #44). This was a tribute to his last non Ibanez guitar, a heavily modified Charvel known as the green meanie. The green jems came with a palm rest but they discontinued it and didn’t put it in anything else (some got out on different guitars but they were only meant for the green Jem). Kahler made a palm rest first so Ibanez stopped because they didn’t Gary Kahler to sue them. Vai had some guitars with the Kahler cam based trems. Check out this thing Steve did for The Squishy Guitar Project, a nonprofit organization that gave guitars to children with rare and terminal diseases when it was active. I was one of the two people that ran that nonprofit. Steve Vai gives words of encouragement to the mother of a very sick little girl ruclips.net/user/shortsFE8LOyfMQBY?feature=share
@@maxmustardman298 I’m a big admirer of Steve Vai. He is not only my favorite guitarist but I have also met him three times and each time he has done something life changing and wonderful. I will do a video on my jem collection and tell those stories in the future.
Seems like decent guy Never was a big trem guy but i never understood the dislike for Kahlers for favor of Floyds I had a early 80’s Dean Z with a Kahler that was a killer guiter
I actually think the Kahler is perfect for people who prefer a hard tail because it really acts like one. But, if you want a whammy bar the option is there.
Gary, why not force those counterfeiters to pay you a licensing fee to make a Licensed Kahler trem? Same as Licensed Floyd Rose. And require they use SAE parts if you want to save hassle dealing with metric.
@@REXYLAB I can get that, the desire for high quality control. However, business 101, if you don’t offer a version of your vibrato bridge at every price point the customers want, then another factory will. You best license it with high quality control conditions in the deal.
@@christothegreat1 I have no control over that, it’s 100% Gary’s decision. I don’t even work for Kahler, I just interviewed Gary Kahler and I’m making some videos for him. I can tell you after spending 5 days with him that he will probably never license his stuff.
Even Zippo has this problem. When they sold their 400 millionth lighter - over 20 years ago - China was selling the same amount of counterfeit Zippo in China… a YEAR. Nothing they could do about it. Source: me. I was at Zippo’s corporate offices holding both versions in my hand. The only discernible difference was that the counterfeit lacked a chamfer on one part. I was 15 in 1985 and i remember the trem wars very, very well.
Not my favourite trem, but still a great innovation. Respect to the man and his integrity. This piracy of intellectual property needs to be stopped. It saddens me when I see so called "Chibson" guitars being reviewed on RUclips. That's simply piracy.
I told him that I was a fulcrum guy but I really like the cam, especially since I know how to set it up now. But have you ever played a steeler? Best double locking fulcrum… ever!
Don't get me wrong, I love Floyds and Stetsbars, but Kahler's are my favorite. My very first guitar was an Alvarez Dana with a Kahler. My friend has 2 basses with Kahler trems, and they are outstanding.
Bought a superstrat thing and it had an fake 2300. That is going in the trash and I got a blue real 2300 in Kahler Kolor Blue. Can I mail the fake to Gary to destroy?
You can send it to me and I’ll show the difference between a real one and a fake if I you want. Or you could send it to Kahler, either way it will never be in circulation again.
I wonder if you’ve seen the kahler X-treme tremelo and regular kahler on AliExpress??the sell shit loads of them and I’ve always wondered if he gives them permission to sell them on there,may be something to look into
I have, they’re fakes. They don’t have permission to sell them and Gary Kahler is in the process of suing them. The X-trem was discontinued because lots of them “went missing” and then showed up on the black market. Even if you happen to find a legit new X-trem (and thats doubtful) it was stolen from Gary Kahler and he still paid the manufacturer for it. It is my hope when people find out that they are fakes or stolen they will not buy them. If you do buy one when you need a new part your out of luck because there are no replacement parts and Kahler parts don’t fit.
Nice! Did you know Kahler and I have teamed up with Seymour Duncan and Graph Tech to give away a dream guitar? You have as good a chance at it as anyone else. Also, next week is the premiere of the story of how Kahler got Gibson to offer their bridges as a factory option. I hope you like it. I’m flying back to Kahler in a couple weeks for some big stuff they have going on. If you haven’t yet I invite you to subscribe and set your notifications to all. Free American Fender Strat To One Lucky Viewer! ruclips.net/video/2lDeVvzypyI/видео.html
@@REXYLABDone! I have a Jackson Custom Shop Warrior being built right now that'll get the Kahler fixed bridge installed on it once it's finished. Looking to buy most likely an Ironbird with the Kahler tremolo. I've never played a Kahler before but I'm glad to see them get more positive exposure. I wish larger guitar channels talked about them more.
@@deludedreality89 I think Gary Kahler picked me to work with because I put more into getting the facts right. I don’t know if you saw the KDH video about Kahler but it was so incorrect that Kahler actually contacted him to tell him so. Unfortunately it is still up spreading misinformation. I’m constantly reaching out to bigger channels to cross promote Kahler but so far there are no takers. That’s ok though because Kahler is a good product and I’m relentless. One day they will come around. The interesting thing about Kahler is that it is designed kind of like a Mr. Potato Head. Want it to be stiffer, change the springs or add one. Want a different feel, change the bar. Left handed, no problem just flip it over. Change the tone… there are a ton of options for that! I’m working with Gary Kahler as we speak producing videos to show how to do absolutely everything with a Kahler. I predict you will start seeing them on guitars in stores again, soon.
@@REXYLAB I remember watching that KDH video. I like the versatility that the Kahler has. The ability to convert the tremolo into a fixed bridge is mind blowing. Plus, it doesn't need a rear route. I'm glad you're doing these Kahler videos. They've already helped, so keep up the great work!
@@deludedreality89 absolutely and if you like the idea of going floating to fixed bridge you’ll love my videos coming up on a Carvin DC I found with a Kahler Steeler and an autolatch. What is the autolatch you may ask? Only the best way to go from floating to fixed. And the steeler, well… the gotoh 1996t used to be my favorite version of a fulcrum trem until I played a Steeler. The Kahler Steeler is in my opinion the best double locking fulcrum bridge ever made! With the autolatch you can make it a fixed bridge with the flick of your wrist! Videos on it coming in a few weeks or you can become a member and watch the members only releases.
Great interview, but the volume and low end of his pounding on the table relative to the dialogue makes for a pretty rough listen on full range earbuds. Try a high pass filter next time.
Well, knowing is half the battle. Understand that not only will Kahler pray not fit on it but if you need a part you can’t get them anywhere. That is the biggest kick in the nuts to the head end user from counterfeiters.
Oh Yeah I remember their fulcrum trems, Killer, Steeler, Spyder etc. I remember the autolatch. My mid 80s Jackson soloist has the the one piece steel cam that doesen't have the removable cage and has the steel load lever, they mount slightly different, I once asked Gary if they could still produce that cam and he basically told me it was to pricey which I understand, he's a great guy and I love the cam system! @@REXYLAB
![Chino Pacas - Smith (ft. Junior H & Fuerza Regida) [Video Visualizador Oficial]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/BVK6k56X30Y/mqdefault.jpg)
What a great guy. Thanks for the interview. We need more Gary Kahlers in business today.
You are damn right my friend!
So right. Today, people place money and things above people and it's terrible.
@@Scott__C we can be the change we want to see in the world, my friend. Little things like a smile for a stranger and putting your shopping cart back before you drive away chip away at the culture of contempt that has somehow taken control over so many people.
This poor guy has been so screwed over. Despite that, he’s a lot more gracious than 99% of people would be. He’s an exemplary American, and inspiration. The guitar community really needs to come together and show this man some love. I’m a proud Kahler owner since 1986 and it’s still my favorite tremolo 🎸
I totally agree with everything you just said.
Funny thing is that I prefer a fulcrum but not by much. However, I just got done setting up a Kahler steeler and it kicks the crap out of all my other fulcrums.
And that was the single locking one!
Got recently my first Kahler Trem and i love it (in my Dean) , absolutely TREMendous product.
It's so smooth & easier to change strings + boy the divebombs feel easy.
Holds tuning perfectly.
Why in earth it's not more common?
100 times better than all the cheap licensed Floyds out there.
Definitely not my last Kahler. Just needs to be offered in more guitars and models. 👌👌👌👌👌
I've been playing guitar as a hobby for 50 years but I'm not a gear head and have no experience playing with tremolo bridges. You'll laugh at me, but back in the 1990s I bought a used guitar with a Kahler 2300 bridge on it, but it was missing the tremolo arm and I didn't realize that it WAS a tremolo bridge. I just always thought it was a really cool bridge with adjustments for setting the intonation, string height, and spacing etc. for each string individually. And I loved the little fine tuning knobs feature.
Recently, one of the bridge's string hooks broke so I started Googling to see if I could find a replacement bridge. I was shocked to find out they cost more than what I had paid for the guitar itself! And that's when I finally discovered that it was a tremolo bridge. And I also started learning more about Kahler bridges, specifically.
Long story short, after finding someone who could fix my broken bridge, and after getting a tremolo arm for it, I am now, after 50 years, finally starting to incorporate the use of a "whammy bar" in my guitar playing, and having fun with it.
And now, after seeing this interview with Mr. Kahler, I am even more appreciative of his product. Well done, Sir!
"I don't want to fail in the last mile." Damn! That was pretty deep.
That shit hits me hard whenever I see it. Gary is working hard to make sure his company carries on after he is gone so everyone who uses his bridges will still be able to get parts.
At 85 after heart surgery his biggest concern as I can figure it is not letting down his customers after he’s gone.
Fucking legend!
DeMolay helped mold me into the man I am today. Thank you, Mr. Kahler, for mentioning our brotherhood. We're honored to call you one of our own.
Gary Kahler told me you sent him an email and he was very touched by it. You made his day by doing that and I thought you should know.
i would be really, really, REALLY sad if Gary Kahler passed away and took the Kahler brand with him. PLEASE don't let the company die, make Gary's name live on!
Then you should know we have a podcast now. Here is the link to episode 1. Subscribe and set the notifications to all, and let your friends know Kahler is coming out swinging.
I’ve never played a Kahler, been a FR guy but…. Gary’s attitude, humility and sheer honesty of approach is absolutely inspiring.
Gary is really just one of the best people I have ever met. His honesty, humility, work ethic, and the respect he has for everyone is what we should all aspire to.
So many people think Kahler lost the tremolo wars because Kahler was a bad trem but this isn’t the case. Kahler remained small because Gary refused to sell to an investment group and he has done everything he can to keep production in America. Made in the USA is important to him because this is where he lives and he wants the jobs he creates to support the people in the country he lives in because he considers his fellow Americans his neighbors.
That’s why Kahler is expensive, because American labor doesn’t come cheap.
He has tried manufacturing overseas briefly to stay competitive but decided it just wasn’t worth compromising his principles.
I just have to add, if you’re a double locking fulcrum guy the Kahler Steeler is the best Floyd style bridge I have ever played. Also, this is something you might enjoy on your Floyd, it’s my favorite piece of guitar equipment in a long time.
What the Auto-Latch does to your trem #kahler #floydrose #ibanez #jacksonguitars
ruclips.net/video/puUARI5Yveg/видео.html
I worked for Gary Kahler directly in 2011. He is such an incredibly kind man with stories for days. Glad to see him have an opportunity to share some of his history.
He’s going to have even more time because I’m moving to Vegas and we are going to have a weekly podcast.
I totally agree with you too, Gary Kahler is just a fantastic person.
@@REXYLAB awesome! If Jamie is still there building bridges for kahler, please tell him I say hello and I hope all is well. He’s been building bridges for kahler since the 80s. Great guy. Cheers 🍻
Gary is the best. When I called Kahler about a year ago with questions about setting up a 2300 for a Bass VI, I actually got Gary and he personally helped me. Then we just chatted for about 10 - 15 minutes. Much respect and best wishes on your health issues my friend.
A great man in this great USA. I have nothing but respect for his work ethic , his broad outlook on America and doing business the right way and making a fine tremolo system. All my best to you Mr. Kahler. Thanks. 🎸🇺🇸
Then you might enjoy this. Tell your Friends.
Kahler Cast Coming Soon!
ruclips.net/video/61XXl3ajDtM/видео.html
Using Kahler on a left handed Aira Pro II XL series since early 90s. I suspect it was choosen due to how easy it was to add the extra hole for the trem on the opposite side, in a left handed setup.
@@duncanandrews6727 all Kahler cam bridges can be upgraded to that ambidextrous cam if it isn’t there to begin with.
I've met and talked to Gary several times over the years. He is EXACTLY how he comes across in this video; personable, open, helpful, always good for a story. I hunted down and found NOS 2710s because I believe in the quality and design of what Gary produces.
He is really just one hell of a guy.
If you enjoyed this interview there is another where he tells the story of how they got Kahler bridges on Gibson guitars in 1983 on my channel as well as the two of us discussing the reissue of some of his fulcrum bridges in 2024.
Speaking of 2024, Gary and I will have a podcast we are starting early next year.
I invite you to subscribe and maybe you’ll even wind up with the Fender American Strat Kahler and I are giving away.
@@REXYLAB Already subbed! Can't wait to see your discussion on the Killer 2710, and I'm ecstatic to hear that the Auto Latch is coming back because I need three of them! Any idea on when they'll be available?
@@glennbrown6020 I believe if you email harley@kahlerusa.com you can get them now.
Mr. Gary Kahler perfectly exemplifies the 'True American Spirit' 100%
You Sir, are a 'REAL AMERICAN PATRIOT'!
The thing that makes him truly patriotic is that he wants Americans to take care of America. He doesn’t say if this party had control or anything like that. He just sees the suffering and wants it to stop.
He does his part too by using American made parts and paying a lot more than importing things. For example shirt I have with the $8,000 box of screws. He could have got the American thing from china for under $2,000. But he won’t do that, why… because he would be responsible for taking a job away from someone just so he could have more money.
That’s why Kahler is so good, he has personal relationships with the people who make his outsourced parts and cares what happens to them.
My high school graduation gift was a BC Rich NJ Series S-type (1986) with a Kahler Flyer. Flash forward to today, and my current S-type guitar has a vintage Kahler 2200 on it. I’ve only ever known and loved Kahlers. It’s so smooth and responsive… it really does become part of you. Not that FRs are bad, they just don’t feel like a Kahler.
Just got my second Kahlered guitar ever, a 1984 G&L Skyhawk with factory Kahler. Watching this closely.
@@joshoptical you can watch our weekly podcast on the Kahler RUclips channel too. Every Saturday at 10 pdt.
The Untold Story Of Why Kahler Lost The Tremolo Wars - Revealed! Kahler-Kast Ep. 9
ruclips.net/video/fKKSklkop4s/видео.html
I had a kahler steeler. A kahler floyd style. Great unit. I still have it but not using it cuz it needs some parts. I also had the model with the auto latch on it. That was a brilliant idea. That guitar got stolen. Gary seemd like a great guy with great integrity. Thank you Gary Kahler
I have a couple guitars with Steelers on them, one has an autolatch. That is my favorite bridge ever!
You can get parts for your steeler if you look hard enough. Also, I’m going back to Kahler in October for a couple big announcements!
If you like the steeler and the autolatch make sure you don’t miss that announcement.
To sit here with my Blue Kahler KOLOR with this recent Gary interview is the way. Yes.
I am very glad you are enjoying it. I go back to Kahler Oct 11.
There are exciting things in the works.
What an absolutely fascinating and beautiful human being. This interview is a real treasure that makes me appreciate my Kahler units even more (which, needless to say, indubitably kick ass!).
That was really nice. Expect more from Gary Kahler in 2024.
My big brother had a beautiful G&L with a Kahler back in the day. Ive wanted one of my own ever since.
I hope you get it!
I didn't give a damn about Kahlers until like yesterday, now that I'm doing a lot of research on them this video comes out. What are the odds. Gary is such a nice guy, very inspiring and grateful for his country, and he's the first american I heard talking about having second chances in America which is something I always thought about. There's nothing worse than living your life in fear of failure knowing that if you fail you'll be in the gutter for good, so you just throw away your dreams and play it safe. I hope Kahlers never stop being made, I'd really like to see these tremolos becoming more prevalent and maybe one day I'll be able to afford one lol
Gary Kahler is such a fighter!
At one point he was so beat up by law suits that he couldn’t make guitar bridges. He still had a factory and employees to pay. His solution was to shift production to golf clubs.
Thank you very much!!! I absolutely love this! I got my first Kahler 2 years ago with my LTD JH-200, and I will always support Kahler!!!!
Thank you! There will be a much longer video titled the history of Kahler coming soon that will tell all.
Did you see Kahler and I are also giving away a guitar?
@@REXYLAB I did!!! I'm ecstatic about all of it!!!
@@timothydarby9604 I am going to do so much demo stuff on that Strat that we are about to go from no information about Kahler to Kahler has the most information!
love my original Kahler on my Les Paul
Have you seen our podcast?
@@REXYLAB I've seen this one why ?
That's it I'm buying another Kahler. I got a Kahler from the 90s on my first guitar from when I was a kid way back when. Gary e-mailed me a few times to help me out on my repairs. I bought a 2300 last year for my tele "frankencaster" and she sings. Great system. String changes so easy. Tuning easier than a spring system. I'm still dumbfounded on how Kahler got shit on so bad all these years and the hate for Kahler trems in some articles. Bad press. If you actually read guitar player forums there's much love for these. Talk soon Gary!
The only people who hate Kahler are people who let popular opinion tell them what to think. Oh yeah, and have never played one.
With all due respect, my Answer Shift 2001 has been on my Les Paul Custom since the 80s, it is the most stabile trem system I have ever owned. It holds the tuning to a degree that is almost ridiculous. There is much hate for this trem online, I find that to be user error, I have no other explanation. It is a very well engeering piece and one must LEARN how to set it up for it to deliver on it's claims. It took me some time go get it right, but after that, it has just been working, no isues what so ever.
I love the feel of a Kahler and i wanted one on my LP, back then but could not find one i could install without routiung my guitar. Now the shift is part of my guitars DNA, I doubt i will ever remove it. It is stabil, has great tone and here is bucket loads of sustain. I guess it helps having a good and stabile instrument in the fist place.
Thank's for this upload, very interesting video.
Absolutely buying a trem from his conpany ...I will use it proudly. It may take time to save up as im not making much but i am pationate and love his vision. Simple but truth. Thats the life i live. Notes share emotions. Peace. Great interview.
I will be making demo videos that will show the difference in tonal variation between all the cams and rollers. When you are ready you will know exactly what one you want.
Fantastic interview, I still own a Patent Applied For , Kahler, from the early 80s.
I believe it was the first one in Australia as I had a habit of going to my local guitar shop ,in a small country town ,with a Guitar Player , or GuitarWorld magazine ,and saying , " I want one of these " to which I would get "what's that ? " , "there is no distributor in Australia ". No internet in those days but the owner would make phone calls , and do what ever to make it happen .It cost me a fortune at the time , but I was building a kit Explorer ,also a nightmare to get back then ,and it just had to have a Kahler😂 . Before that, I did the same with a Floyd Rose , with no fine tuners .
You are my kind of guitar lunatic, I love everything about that!
Wow what an amazing man and an incredible life. This guy is what it’s about intelligent people solving a problem and the fact that he never licensed his trems and still builds them in America, he practices what he preaches. People you better pay attention to people like this man and his generation they got shit done with less than we have and they don’t complain. Incredible . Thanks
Spending the 5 days I did with Gary Kahler, sleeping in the office, getting up early and just seeing how hard he works at 85 all day long was so inspiring!
Gary is someone that puts so much work in specifically because he doesn’t want to ever let his customers down.
Getting ready to get some parts, my kahler is nearly 40years old and I lost the bars and the string lock, right now it has an all parts lock and aside from that every repair and upgrade has been kahler parts ,right now I'm going to buy a bar and palm lever from kahler, but I don't know if they still make the curved tip on the bar. I always block the Floyds and don't use them and use the kahler for all the whammy bar stuff ,
Thank you Gary Kahler for never ever compromising
That is awesome! It makes us so happy to see our bridges still going! Rebuilding them just makes them more yours.
I still have my Washburn G2V from 88 with a Wonderbar , I can say it never has stayed in tune ;-)
I have a G10V with a wonderbar and the lack of travel on that guitar keeps me from reaching for it very often. I have a G2V with the 600T and that thing actually works great.
I had a Kahler Spider on a vintage Fender HM Strat and the thing was incredible.
I still have my HM Strat and I love it, great guitars!
When I was restomodding my Warlock, and fitting a Schaller FR bridge, I decided there wasn't enough room on the headstock to mount a proper FR locking nut. So instead of buying some counterfeit or off-brand part, I bought a behind-the-nut string lock directly from Kahler in the US, and had to shipped to me in the UK. It works perfectly, does exactly that I need to and stays in tune. My only gripe is it uses a 3/32 allen wrench rather than metric 2.5mm or 3mm 😆
That’s just the Kahler way.
Awesome interview. I am fascinated with this subject. I have a small collection of Peavey Nitro guitars. All have the Kahler 2710 Killers. I have spent countless hours trying to figure these trems out. I enjoy it, so all good. Curious if the 2700 series will ever make a comeback?
What a great bridge that is. Did you know it won an award for metallurgy when it came out?The way it was made was never done before!
In the documentary we discuss the killer and I have one I will take all the way apart and put back together.
@@REXYLAB very cool. I have 4.5 of them. Got a parts model for almost nothing. Has come in handy as parts are rare and expensive. I have taken a couple completely apart, and when I say completely, I mean completely. I have the schematics which I’ve uploaded to the Peavey site where you and I have had a convo or two. Looking forward to the documentary man. Thank you.
@@bruceh9999 awesome! I think you will enjoy hearing about its design and manufacturing.
My guitar guy put me onto these when I wanted to upgrade a rather uninspiring 70s Strat. I think it was in 1989 or 1990, and I wanted to put a Floyd on the guitar until I discovered the absolute ball ache involved in changing strings. I still have that guitar with the same Kahler on it, and it works just as well as it did 33 years ago. I lost the trem arm at some point, so I contacted them and they shipped one out to me. It's a great design
The Kahler is definitely much easier to dial in and change strings on for sure. Modern Kahlers are even easier because of the screw on the plate to lock them in.
Awesome video! Gary Kahler is a great guy and makes the best bridges in the business. I'm proud to be a Kahler Artist.
Gary Kahler is a great guy, he really cares about the people who play his bridges.
Great interview with an American maker of excellent parts. Nice to get a view of the shop with guys working,Cheers
Glad you enjoyed it.
Amazing. Inspired by his story.
That makes 2 of us.
I remember reading about his fight against counterfeiters and having to spend money defending his patents. He was actually interviewed decades ago about all the counterfeits and lawsuits that he's been involved with in an old Guitar Player Magazine. Add to that being in retail competition with Floyd Rose.
Yeah, the counterfeit thing has been probably his biggest problem ever.
As far as the first interview, I had someone claim they interviewed Gary Kahler way back and when I asked them to provide the interview (only so I could read it) they disappeared like a fart in the wind.
I’m not saying this is Gary Kahler’s first interview, but Gary Kahler is.
If there is an interview that you know of please show me a link or let me know what magazine it is in because I really want to read it.
Wow that was an incredible interview, I've always wanted to know more about this man even though I mainly play Floyds and Ibanez Edge trems I've still always respected Kahlers. I actually have a really old Kahler that I removed from a customer's 76 Strat, it was installed incorrectly and they didn't use a locking nut. The customer let me keep it so it's been in one of my tool boxes for years, think I'll build a guitar around it and probably order a couple more new Kahler trems to show my respect for this man! It's crazy all of the bullshit he's been through but is still kicking ass! Keep up the great work man!
It was so great meeting him and there is a lot more footage for a proper documentary. I’ll be interviewing a few other key people in the history of the company.
Sadly Dave Storey won’t be one as he is no longer with us. What a huge part in the development of Kahler he played.
I’ll have lots of Kahler videos on my channel very soon. I hope you enjoy them.
if i may make a request please kind sir. ive seen your other videos on other bridge/guitar/bass setups. would a fullblown Kahler install and setup tutorial be out of the question? Garys from many years back are still there, however, it would seem highly appropas for a newer updated instructional. i feel certain that it would help boost sales while at the same time expanding the wonder that is Kahler. thank you both again.
That is how this all started!
You will get full videos about how to take apart and rebuild every Kahler bridge ever made.
Even the discontinued ones.
@@REXYLAB ive grown quite fond of the hybrid series in the past decade. affordable quality. had a few 2300 go out in builds but that V7300 is my thang. intricate simplicity.
@@andymalnar7750 it’s actually almost identical to a brass cam/brass roller 2300.
The differences are 5 hole cam on the 2300 instead of 3 (basically right hand only or either), third spring option, and only brass cam/brass roller option.
So almost the same thing.
I’ll do sound demos so you can her the different qualities the different cams and rollers will make on the 2300.
Awesome interview, he really is amazing!
Just wait until you see the full documentary!
Awesome interview - Thank you Gary !!!
Glad you enjoyed it.
Do you still plan on doing the Kahler documentary? I'm a big Kahler fan!
Actually, Gary Kahler and I are setting up to do a weekly podcast at Kahler International. I moved from Louisiana to Las Vegas and retired from being a commercial deep sea diver in the Gulf of Mexico after 25 years to do this. You can watch the progress on my channel.
In the very first episode you will find out how being left handed and stuttering made Gary Kahler dedicate his life to music.
No matter what you’re thinking, that ain’t it. 😉
Stay tuned!
I have a Kahler Steeler that came on my Fender Heartfield Talon III guitar and it's my best floating bridge.
It’s my favorite too!
Do you know about the reissues?
2024 Kahler Steeler Traditional
ruclips.net/video/SsFp5E2_DGE/видео.html
I wish all the guitar brands had a line of guitars with Kahler bridges. I have an old Alvarez Villain AEV-425 guitar that my brother gave me with an original Kahler bridge and an original Modulus graphite neck in it. I love that guitar. It is the most stable guitar I own! And it sounds awesome and plays like butter.
Wow, that’s bet that is an amazing guitar!
I agree. In the 80’s, Hamer offered both on their guitars.
Many thanks for this great interview! Gary Kahler created the finest tremolo on Earth! Steve Lynch of Autograph turned me on to Kahler whammy units in the late 80’s and they’ve been the BEST bridge for me for decades! All respect God bless.
Gary Kahler is definitely one of a kind. We will be doing a podcast together soon. I hope you check it out.
Just got my Epi LP custom back from the tech, had a Kahler fitted to it (the trem was about the same price as the guitar, so a fools errand some may say) but I love it!
I bought a Les Paul Studio just to install a 2200 on it.
@@REXYLAB I'm trying to get close to a Steve Clark (of Def Leppard,Hysteria tour in the 80's) guitar within my budget. Did Mr Kahler have a Steve poster in his office? I couldn't quite see.
My Roland G-505 has a Kahler added back in 1985; smoothest trem I've ever used, and a breeze to change strings vs. a Floyd. It's still going strong. Thank you, Gary!
They are super easy to deal with for sure.
@@REXYLABAnd after almost 40 years, only had to replace a saddle whose roller got seized.
Even that might have been freed up with a little 3 in 1 oil.
@@REXYLAB I just pulled the old roller from storage, and realized I'd misspoke. It was replaced a few years ago due to its saddle height screw having seized, possibly rusted in place. I think I did try applying penetrating oil, and other types to no avail. The roller itself is actually fine.
@@TechnoRiff well at least it’s fixed. I have a bunch of 80s parts including an old 2300 I’m about to make a guitar out of.
I bought my Fender USA Heavy Metal Strat. (a 1989 ) in 1994 and it had a Kahler Spyder trem.. and it's great. But it seems difficult to get parts for it
I have an HM Strat as well, love it! Kahler, whammyparts.com and Ronnie James Diode all have parts if you need them.
@@REXYLAB Wow.... Thanks Bro. .. I'm going to check that out 👍🤘
@@D.Guitar glad I could help.
Great interview!! Gary is awesome!! Been a Kahler fan since the early 90's.
Thanks! There is so much more to come!
I've used Kahlers since the 1980's. Still have a few guitars with Kahlers. I grew up playing Gibsons, so the Kahler flat mount trems had a familiar feel when I muted the strings. I always had problems palm muting on Floyds as the guitar would go up in pitch when I rested my hand on it. I remember when Gary went to Japan to fight the counterfeiters. It was a buig deal at the time that a US manufactrer went overseas to fight them. The only Kahler I didn't care for was the Fulcrum, those seemed to have issues.
The first fulcrum, the 2500 certainly had issues. It could have been a great system but the OEMs insisted on a price point that forced one part of it to be made out of substandard material. The Killer, Spyder, and Steeler however are actually really good.
I totally agree with you about palm muting. The hand position on a Floyd vs a Kahler is something I tell people all the time. It’s just simply not an issue with a cam based bridge.
I have to say too, I love your RUclips handle! Very clever!
Thank you for bringing us this content. Such a valuable part of guitar history.
It was about time the guitar community knew.
absolutely wonderful release ,your idea, and above all, the very topic of conversation. Thank you from the bottom of my heart to Kahler and you for an excellent job
Thank you so much for watching and I am so happy you enjoyed it.
Hey man, I love your content and it always puts a smile on my face, keep it up bro 😃😃
Thank you so much!
It brings me so much joy and fulfillment to make this content for you all. I will always do everything I can to make the investment of your time to watch my videos worth it.
Thanks for doing this interview!
You are welcome.
Great interview! I would *love* to hear more about the Floyd suites. There's a pretty loyal following of the kahler made floyds. I WANT ONE! (Like the original N4s had)
Are you talking about the Kahler Steeler? That is the most Floyd like of the Kahlers fulcrum bridges.
But… did you know Gary Kahler, Dave Petschualt, and Floyd Rose designed the Floyd Rose Pro?
It’s true, and the first ones were built at APM (the Kahler machine shop).
Floyd Rose Pro by Kahler?
ruclips.net/user/shortstaXOF5Jsui8?feature=share
The production quality needs work but some great content here. I happen to own two Kerry King models (an Edwards by ESP V only sold in Japan in 1995-96, and a B.C. Rich KKV in the late 2000s) and have both the Takeuchi and Kahler Hybrid. Suprisingly, the Takeuchi still holds up pretty well.
While I respect Gary’s refusal to license the trem - I think that’s the main reason why it was so heavily counterfeited in those early years. With no cheap version really around, many manufacturers wanting to use one as a spec differentiator, or in the case of ESP/Edwards copy a higher end signature model, had to use a knock-off. Note Takeuchi made some fairly popular versions of the Floyd Rose design under license, in particular the TRS-101 which you find in lower to mid-range Jacksons, ESP LTD/Edwards, Washburn Nuno/Dime import guitars, etc. A 4300 during those days would’ve really helped. In those trem war years, it’s surprising how many trem systems were around and how expensive the decent ones were relative to the overall cost of the guitar.
Either way, the 7300 Hybrid on my BC Rich is a breeze and I don’t get why folks hate on Kahler without trying them and that we don’t find them on more guitars today. With possibly only 1-2% of all tremolo-based guitars having Kahlers there’s a huge lack of information and/or misinformation. Glad to see more content being made on them.
Well, this is as shot on location with my remote setup that I just put together to fly with so maybe let the production slide a little.
Gary Kahler will just never license anything because of his personal beliefs. He fully understands that it would have been a license to print money but he doesn’t care.
Now we have a podcast and the production value will be much higher.
Kahler Has A Podcast Premiering Saturday May 18, 2024 at 10am PDT
ruclips.net/video/mId79vFGkoE/видео.html
Thanks For Sharing 🎸
🤘🏻
great interview.
Thank you
Interesting interview☕⭐🎸
Thank you
THANK YOU BOTH!!!
Thank you for watching!
The first locking bridge guitar I bought was a BC Rich ST with a Kahler and I absolutely loved it. It was years before I picked up a Jackson that had a Floyd Rose.
Maybe I am biased because I owned a Kahler first. But I will always prefer it over a FR bridge.
I wish they were more mainstream.
I AM curious though, given his personal history with Floyd, how Gary feels about the very Kahler-like FRX.
I know they're not really "the same" but to look at it it's VERY obvious where he got the inspiration.
It’s funny but the FRX is far from a new idea. I’ll share a link by someone that really knows Floyds, they have a very fascinating history.
Gary doesn’t really care about the FRX. I have one I plan on putting on a guitar to showcase the difference. Eventually it will probably end up at Kahler so we can have it to compare to a 2200.
A big part of the reason I’m doing all this is to help bring Kahler back to where they are available again. They are a completely different beast and while they have their own quirks, none of them are quirks that a Floyd has.
vintagefloydrose.com/les-paul-floyds/
@@REXYLAB Thank you sir
@@REXYLAB Ah I remember the 2200, never had one in person, but my brain always thought they were actually "Gibson"
But when you look at it, it s obvious isn't it. That is something I would love to see the return of.
Bigsby isn't my style, and FR just doesn't belong on an LP.
@@greyshadow9498 I say that all the time and if I have my way they will be back in Gibson soon.
@@greyshadow9498 no problem
I have peavey with Kahler trémolo and work real well ? thank you for Nice interview Nice Man Gary Kahler !
What Kahler do you have on your peavey? They used a lot of them.
God bless you Gary
Indeed!
Excellent work
Flyer boy! Ronnie James Diode has told me about you!
We need to talk!
eddie@rexylab.net
Beautiful
🙏
Love this. Thank you. Are there any reputable guitar makers currently installing genuine U.S.A. Kahlers from the factory? No shenanigans?
Dean is the biggest brand I know of that has factory installed Kahler bridges.
I'd love to see an updated version of the 2520 I think it was. I put one on a partcaster I built in the 80s and it was really cool and I loved that you didn't have to do anything crazy with the strings.
@@Scott__C I don’t know if that will ever happen but he has boxes of the parts for the 2500 in their raw form.
The Slayer guys, hanneman and king , sported kahlers on their ESP models. Not sure if they still do, at least in Kerrys case. Rip Jeff
@@maxmustardman298 Jeff was such a good friend of Gary’s. He misses Jeff so much and spoke at his memorial.
Kerry still plays Kahler.
i had a dean with a kahler in the early 80's i remember saving money to upgrade the rollers to steel ones. cool trem it has a smoother feel than a floyd
They are super smooth!
I have several guitars with kahler trem systems my favourite is on my Gibson sr71 WRC it's 40 years old and I've never had a problem to be honest I've never really had or played a Floyd Rose
The Floyd Rose is great too. Actually, Gary Kahler and Floyd Rose were always friendly towards one another.
Both systems are really something special.
I remember pictures in the magazines, back in the day, of a Kahler that was almost exactly like a Floyd Rose. I would be curious to hear the story about that.
That is probably the steeler. I have two versions of it as well as the Spyder and the killer. Don’t worry, I’ll cover them.
@@REXYLAB Cool i cant wait. This is the first time I've caught one if your videos. I subscribed and will be watching many more. Also, i have to admit, i have a soft spot for the Wonderbar as well. I had a couple of really cool Washburns in the late 80's and one had the Wonderbar. That nostalgia is sticky stuff!
@@stevenpipes1555 I have a G10V with a wonderbar and I love it!
I won’t pretend it has great action, it does not. But what it does have (along with so many of my guitars) is the ability to pull emotions out of me generated by the memories that come flooding back when I play them.
So, I love the wonderbar. It’s not my first choice but it’s fantastic none the less.
1985 Washburn G-10V🎸
ruclips.net/video/YyVVItafBgo/видео.html
Looking forward to seeing this.
P.s. you be careful out there.
This first interview is amazing! It starts with a bang and you might even get a tear in your eye at the end!
Thank you! I’ve definitely seen some stuff out here.
I have both kahler and FR equipped guitars. The kahler system always stays in tune better and restring the guitar easy. The action of whammy bar is smoother, it's just in my opinion a better system.
So cool to hear you say that! The cam system is an engineering marvel to behold, that’s for sure.
We are rereleasing the steeler in 2 new forms and a very limited run of the Spyder as well as a few other things in 2024.
And love my Floyds, edges, gotoh, etc. but Kahler makes all that stuff too. And it’s really good!
Next time have him go into detail about his relationship with Grover Jackson and Bernie Rico….. is Neal Moser still around?
tryin to think of who could maybe come on and video chat: Glenn Tipton and KK from Priest have been loyal users, but I know KK has been using Floyd’s lately. Would Kerry King come in? Robert Fripp loves his 2200’s. People forget that Mustaine and Friedman used the fixed bridges on their Jackson’s in the mid 90’s. Les Claypool is one of the most prominent bass players that used Kahler
We are planning on getting as many of those people on our upcoming weekly podcast as possible.
It's been Kahler for me since 1985, sure I've had Floyd's but I've always gone back to my Kahler. I won't buy another guitar without one.
Just wait until you see what’s in the works for later!
What guitars do you have them on?
@@Scott__Cmy personal guitars with Kahlers?
@@REXYLAB Sure, I was also wondering for @vintagetubeamplifiers since they said they won't buy w/o a Kahler.
Man, too many to name. A few are custom builds, some fenders a Gibson, aria pro, peavey, Yamaha.
It’s a long list.
Legendary: Gary F*CKING Kahler!!❤
I’ll show him your comment.
I learned how to install and set up The Kahler Flyer in 1980! I even have a couple of old Christmas cards from "The Kahlers". My 1977 Les Paul has a Kahler on it. The guitar is just about worn out but the Kahler's only issue is the threads in the cam for arm are stripped out. The rest of it works fine. Another total refret and stuff a zip tie in that arm hole and it should be good to go again.
Les Pauls that have a Floyd just feel weird, but with a 2200 they look cool and feel right.
You can change just the cam and then it will work as good as new.
This is already gold 7:00 in
I am so pleased you enjoyed it!
Would love to buy some Kahlers,but need some video assistance on the the stud mount version and Kahler has lost tones of money from me because I won't risk the investment, my understanding of the setup is crucial...Setup videos would up their sales exponentially!
They are all coming. That’s my job here at Kahler International. It will take a few weeks to get it going but you will see a lot about Kahler very soon.
@@REXYLAB Thank You!Looking
into buying a few 7 strings(Les Paul types).I want kahlers on all my existing Les Pauls and SG.
I got the ESP Glenn Tipton model and Love the Kahler setup.
@@MyBichSustained I have a Les Paul with a Kahler and it’s awesome!
Don’t worry, we will have great setup videos that make sense very soon.
@@REXYLAB Can't wait!
Please explain the nut setup too.
And the stringlock pro...very curious about that.
I had an old Aria that I paid something like 130 euros for and it had a Kahler X-Trem. I can't believe it was actually an original USA made Kahler (When I saw that Aliexpress copy, I thought mine was a copy too, but it had the X-Trem stamped, and yea, it was an original, it worked flawlessly), selling that guitar was a MASSIVE mistake.
The X-trem was actually made in china as an attempt to compete against the import Floyds. Very good bridges but too many went missing among other things so they were discontinued. No because of quality though, the quality of a real one is very good.
@@REXYLAB oh, right! This one I had held tune perfectly and worked almost perfectly, sometimes it would end up a bit sharp and required to be just lightly touched to get back in tune.
@@dindinbre that sounds right. The real ones are great.
❤can't wait!
I’m so glad you’re here!
Had two installed (original ones), always worked great. Also had a 'GOTOH' (under Floyd Rose license), that worked better and was better constructed than the original Floyd!
Btw, those two, still work fine until today!
@@pedroleal7118 I love the Gotoh 1996T, Great bridge!
It doesn’t shock me at all that your Kahlers still work great. They are built so well and all the material that they are made out of is very high quality. I think this is why the people who use them love them.
Ha ! So Vai initially wanted a kahler I assume, until the Ibanez guys said wait we can make you a better..wait for it...Kahler !
Yipes!
Being that I love both Ibanez and Steve Vai I need to clarify some stuff.
The Jem with a Kahler was something he or his tech did. The first Ibanez they sent him had a Floyd.
It didn’t look like a Jem at all.
His Jems always came with some version of the Ibanez edge (before the budget ones) that came out one year earlier in 1986. The 87 edge was modified with locking posts and a spring retainer because the Jem is the first production guitar designed to be able to be pulled up.
The first 777 Ibanez Jems were green and he signed and numbered them all (I have #44). This was a tribute to his last non Ibanez guitar, a heavily modified Charvel known as the green meanie.
The green jems came with a palm rest but they discontinued it and didn’t put it in anything else (some got out on different guitars but they were only meant for the green Jem).
Kahler made a palm rest first so Ibanez stopped because they didn’t Gary Kahler to sue them.
Vai had some guitars with the Kahler cam based trems.
Check out this thing Steve did for The Squishy Guitar Project, a nonprofit organization that gave guitars to children with rare and terminal diseases when it was active. I was one of the two people that ran that nonprofit.
Steve Vai gives words of encouragement to the mother of a very sick little girl
ruclips.net/user/shortsFE8LOyfMQBY?feature=share
very interesting, as usual a lot more to the story than it first seems@@REXYLAB
@@maxmustardman298 I’m a big admirer of Steve Vai. He is not only my favorite guitarist but I have also met him three times and each time he has done something life changing and wonderful.
I will do a video on my jem collection and tell those stories in the future.
Seems like decent guy
Never was a big trem guy but i never understood the dislike for Kahlers for favor of Floyds
I had a early 80’s Dean Z with a Kahler that was a killer guiter
I actually think the Kahler is perfect for people who prefer a hard tail because it really acts like one. But, if you want a whammy bar the option is there.
Gary, why not force those counterfeiters to pay you a licensing fee to make a Licensed Kahler trem? Same as Licensed Floyd Rose. And require they use SAE parts if you want to save hassle dealing with metric.
That’s a fair question. He doesn’t want to license anyone so he can control quality.
@@REXYLAB I can get that, the desire for high quality control. However, business 101, if you don’t offer a version of your vibrato bridge at every price point the customers want, then another factory will. You best license it with high quality control conditions in the deal.
@@christothegreat1 I have no control over that, it’s 100% Gary’s decision. I don’t even work for Kahler, I just interviewed Gary Kahler and I’m making some videos for him. I can tell you after spending 5 days with him that he will probably never license his stuff.
Even Zippo has this problem. When they sold their 400 millionth lighter - over 20 years ago - China was selling the same amount of counterfeit Zippo in China… a YEAR. Nothing they could do about it. Source: me. I was at Zippo’s corporate offices holding both versions in my hand. The only discernible difference was that the counterfeit lacked a chamfer on one part.
I was 15 in 1985 and i remember the trem wars very, very well.
I too was 15 and n 85. And I have a real zippo!
@@REXYLAB oh, oh, you’re halfway there
@@mrtwistyneck living on a prayer?
@@REXYLAB Si Senor
@@mrtwistyneck that was awesome!
love the shirt
The Kahler shirt where can I get one?
Super sweet❤
🤘🏻
I'm a big fan of the Shift 2001 and think it should still be available, sadly it isn't...
You can still find them out there. Ronnie James Diode is a great resource.
I will do a full tear down and rebuild on my Washburn wonderbar.
Not my favourite trem, but still a great innovation. Respect to the man and his integrity. This piracy of intellectual property needs to be stopped. It saddens me when I see so called "Chibson" guitars being reviewed on RUclips. That's simply piracy.
I told him that I was a fulcrum guy but I really like the cam, especially since I know how to set it up now.
But have you ever played a steeler? Best double locking fulcrum… ever!
@@REXYLAB Not at all familiar with the steeler. I'll check it out.
Did a bit of research on the Steeler. Very much like a Floyd Rose. I'd be interested in trying one out.
Don't get me wrong, I love Floyds and Stetsbars, but Kahler's are my favorite. My very first guitar was an Alvarez Dana with a Kahler. My friend has 2 basses with Kahler trems, and they are outstanding.
I can’t wait to put a bass trem on one of my basses. I’m thinking fretless!
Nice
Thanks
Bought a superstrat thing and it had an fake 2300. That is going in the trash and I got a blue real 2300 in Kahler Kolor Blue. Can I mail the fake to Gary to destroy?
You can send it to me and I’ll show the difference between a real one and a fake if I you want. Or you could send it to Kahler, either way it will never be in circulation again.
Send me a shipping address and I'll ship it out. Jon in Redding.@@REXYLAB
Rexylab
1042 Kidder Robin Rd
Arnaudville LA 70512
United States
I wonder if you’ve seen the kahler X-treme tremelo and regular kahler on AliExpress??the sell shit loads of them and I’ve always wondered if he gives them permission to sell them on there,may be something to look into
I have, they’re fakes.
They don’t have permission to sell them and Gary Kahler is in the process of suing them.
The X-trem was discontinued because lots of them “went missing” and then showed up on the black market.
Even if you happen to find a legit new X-trem (and thats doubtful) it was stolen from Gary Kahler and he still paid the manufacturer for it.
It is my hope when people find out that they are fakes or stolen they will not buy them. If you do buy one when you need a new part your out of luck because there are no replacement parts and Kahler parts don’t fit.
Great!! Can't wait!!
Lots of improper information will be dispelled, and this is just the beginning!
Cool. Can’t wait for this. Kahler is an often overlooked but important person to guitar tech.
@@Scott__C I’m out to change all that my friend!
Gonna buy a guitar with a Kahler tremolo and a Kahler fixed bridge guitar.
Nice!
Did you know Kahler and I have teamed up with Seymour Duncan and Graph Tech to give away a dream guitar?
You have as good a chance at it as anyone else.
Also, next week is the premiere of the story of how Kahler got Gibson to offer their bridges as a factory option. I hope you like it.
I’m flying back to Kahler in a couple weeks for some big stuff they have going on. If you haven’t yet I invite you to subscribe and set your notifications to all.
Free American Fender Strat To One Lucky Viewer!
ruclips.net/video/2lDeVvzypyI/видео.html
@@REXYLABDone! I have a Jackson Custom Shop Warrior being built right now that'll get the Kahler fixed bridge installed on it once it's finished. Looking to buy most likely an Ironbird with the Kahler tremolo.
I've never played a Kahler before but I'm glad to see them get more positive exposure. I wish larger guitar channels talked about them more.
@@deludedreality89 I think Gary Kahler picked me to work with because I put more into getting the facts right. I don’t know if you saw the KDH video about Kahler but it was so incorrect that Kahler actually contacted him to tell him so.
Unfortunately it is still up spreading misinformation.
I’m constantly reaching out to bigger channels to cross promote Kahler but so far there are no takers. That’s ok though because Kahler is a good product and I’m relentless.
One day they will come around.
The interesting thing about Kahler is that it is designed kind of like a Mr. Potato Head. Want it to be stiffer, change the springs or add one. Want a different feel, change the bar. Left handed, no problem just flip it over. Change the tone… there are a ton of options for that!
I’m working with Gary Kahler as we speak producing videos to show how to do absolutely everything with a Kahler.
I predict you will start seeing them on guitars in stores again, soon.
@@REXYLAB I remember watching that KDH video. I like the versatility that the Kahler has. The ability to convert the tremolo into a fixed bridge is mind blowing. Plus, it doesn't need a rear route. I'm glad you're doing these Kahler videos. They've already helped, so keep up the great work!
@@deludedreality89 absolutely and if you like the idea of going floating to fixed bridge you’ll love my videos coming up on a Carvin DC I found with a Kahler Steeler and an autolatch.
What is the autolatch you may ask? Only the best way to go from floating to fixed.
And the steeler, well… the gotoh 1996t used to be my favorite version of a fulcrum trem until I played a Steeler.
The Kahler Steeler is in my opinion the best double locking fulcrum bridge ever made! With the autolatch you can make it a fixed bridge with the flick of your wrist!
Videos on it coming in a few weeks or you can become a member and watch the members only releases.
First ever? I interviewed him back in the 80's for Guitarmaker magazine.
That’s what he told me, on camera.
Got a copy of the interview? I’d love to read it.
@@REXYLAB - No hard copy of it anymore. Might be online - I'll check.
@@chrispile3878 I’d appreciate that.
I love my USA made Kahler 2300 trems
I’ve seen so many of the prototypes. It’s crazy what went into making them happen.
Great interview, but the volume and low end of his pounding on the table relative to the dialogue makes for a pretty rough listen on full range earbuds. Try a high pass filter next time.
Noted!
Truly had no idea counterfeiting Kahlers was so huge. In fact after this I checked and n XTrem I have is a fake 😢 but I do have a legit Pro
Well, knowing is half the battle.
Understand that not only will Kahler pray not fit on it but if you need a part you can’t get them anywhere.
That is the biggest kick in the nuts to the head end user from counterfeiters.
I've always liked Kahler's, they're very underated and in my oppinion a better design than fulcrum vibrato's.
They made fulcrums too and those were pretty good as well.
The cam stuff is definitely their best stuff and it’s great!
They made fulcrums too and those were pretty good as well.
The cam stuff is definitely their best stuff and it’s great!
Oh Yeah I remember their fulcrum trems, Killer, Steeler, Spyder etc. I remember the autolatch. My mid 80s Jackson soloist has the the one piece steel cam that doesen't have the removable cage and has the steel load lever, they mount slightly different, I once asked Gary if they could still produce that cam and he basically told me it was to pricey which I understand, he's a great guy and I love the cam system!
@@REXYLAB
@@cecilmusick8629 I have one of those as well and had the same conversation with Gary.
PLEASE reissue the Steeler! PLEASE!
I just got a guitar with a steeler and it has the autolatch!
Video coming soon!