The Point Technologies Point Classic Tremolo

P. 118 "Gear Review, by Lisa Sharken", Vintage Guitar, May 1999

With the growing number of manufacturers selling replacement parts, many players are taking interest in upgrading and customizing their instruments with more functional and better-sounding hardware. In the early 80s the Floyd Rose locking tremolo system became the world's most popular replacement bridge and nut. Then in the late '80s, Sperzel locking tuning keys entered the market and helped to improve the tuning on guitars with or without tremolos. Additionally, Sperzels eliminated the need for a locking nut, and trends moved back in favor of more traditional bridges. Now the quest is for a traditional-style tremolo that will improve the guitar's sound and playability.

Type Of Unit: tremolo bridge  Features: One-piece cast zinc/magnesium alloy baseblate and block, Mini-Saddle system, Point-Cone Fulcrum system, all components plated.  Price: Chrome $140, Black $156, Gold $168 (Piezo-adaptable bridge without saddles: Chrome $128, Black $144, Gold $156)  Contact: The Point Technologies, 410 Main Street, PO Box 402, Coalport, PA 16627, (814)672-5780, fax (814)672-5671.  website www.pointtremolo.com

The Point Classic is a new tremolo bridge developed by Pennsylvania guitar builder Charles Fisher. His goal was to develop a traditional-style tremolo that is mechanically better, as well as being easy to install or retrofit into most guitar bodies designed for a trem bridge.

In terms of construction, the base-plate and tremolo block on the Point Classic are cast from one piece of zinc/magnesium alloy. The bridge saddles are cast from the same alloy. Additionally, all the components are plated, including the block and tramolo bar. The Point Classic uses a patented Point-Cone fulcrum system positioned underneath the saddles, below the base plate of the bridge. It's this system that makes the Point Classic's design different from the typical fulcrum-style tremolo. Instead of pivoting on two bolts screwed into the top of the guitar's body, the Point Classic pivots on two small, bullet-like steel points attached to a small steel retention bar. The 'bullets' are each about a 1/2" long and positioned horizontally. Pointed toward the guitar's bottom strap button. The retention bar attaches to the guitar's body with three screws at the front of the tremolo cavity. On the underside of the tremolo's baseplate are two channels beveled to fit the length or the two 'bullets'.  This allows for clearance when the tremolo is depressed. Another small steel bar is attached underneath the baseplate just below the saddles. This bar has two beveled cones that fit and secure the 'bullets' points.

The Point-Cone design uses self-lubricating, hardened-steel parts to reduce fulcrum friction and decrease wear. The steel is bathed in a high-temperature oil, which microscopically impregnates the surfaces and renders a self-lubricating property to the metal fulcrum parts. The Point Technologies offers a lifetime warranty on its fulcrum parts against breakage or wear on the parts that might cause the bridge to fail to return precisely to pitch.

The bridge saddles are positioned above the baseplate and held in place by the saddle height and intonation adjustment screws. Furthermore, the individual saddles do not touch each other, allowing each string to vibrate independently and sustain freely. Unlike many traditional-style tremolo bridges, the heel of each saddle doesn't touch the baseplate, which can dampen vibrations. The Point Technologies calls this its Mini-Saddle system because the saddles are slightly smaller than typical trem bridge saddles.

We tested the Point Classic installed on a Fender Standard Strat provided by Fisher. The guitar was modified with Sperzel locking tuners, an upgraded string tree, and a Graph Tech Trem-Nut. The tremolo was set up with three springs and was adjusted to drop off the strings so they slackened all the way when the bar was fully depressed, kind of like a Floyd Rose. The bar could also be pulled up to raise the pitch a half step. The Floyd Rose is a double-locking system, with a locking nut that clamps down the strings, while the Point Classic is a standard-style bridge that does not use a locking nut. Before starting our evaluation, we pulled on the strings a bit to remove any slack, then tuned up with a Boss TU-12 (it's important to stretch new strings - pulling and retuning several times on each string).

The Point Classic has supersmooth action and is very responsive to any movement of the bar. Most importantly, the strings return to pitch after the trem is used. We were pretty abusive, showing no mercy and treating it pretty much the same way we would a Rose. We were really impressed by the way the strings came back in tune, even when bending. There were also no problems with the other strings changing pitch when bending one, as often happens with floating Floyd Rose setups. Of course, we have to consider the nut and tuners are an important part of the equation in keeping a guitar in tune, and the graphite nut and Sperzels on this guitar definitely are an upgrade over the stock equipment.

Compared to a stock Mexican Strat, the modified guitar played and sounded considerably better and even with the best possible setup, the stock guitar just doesn't hold a candle to the modified Strat with the Point Classic bridge, Sperzels, and the Graph Tech nut. When striking the strings individually, the notes sustained longer than with a traditional tremolo or on our old Strat-style Charvel with a Floyd Rose bridge.

Because piezo electronics have become more popular, Point Technologies developed a piezo-adaptable version of the Point Classic trem, pre-drilled for the individual piezo pickup wires. The bridge is sold without any saddles, so the user may select the saddles of their choice.

If you're interested in installing a new tremolo on your guitar or if you're building a custom instrument and searching for the appropriate hardware, the Point Classic is definitely worth checking out. It's a well-made bridge that sounds good and stays in tune. Simply put, it really works.

If you'd like to have a product reviewed, contact Lisa Sharken atlsharken@aol.com, or call VG at 1-800-844-1197.
 

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