I have recently put together this little video on how to install and adjust the tension of the vibrato arm in your Descendant vibrato unit. The Descendant features a really cool locking and adjustable collet for the arm, which allows you to set the swing tension of the arm. From fully loose and swinging or stiff so it stays put (a little like a bigsby arm for example), whatever your preference it can be set and locked in position, but still be able to remove the arm easily without having to adjust every time.
But also, Descendant highly recommend some routine maintenance to the system to ensure it lasts well for many years to come. After all, we might clean our fretboards each string change, so why not also look after some heavy use components too. This video touches on that which might be helpful!
My first experience with a Jazzmaster was more than likely very similar to many other guitarist's first experiences with the offset instrument. It was with a poorly set-up Classic Player JM off a high street guitar shop's hanger which left me feeling pretty let down by the guitar I'd seen so many players I admired playing. Unfortunately I was of an age where I didn't really respect how important a good set-up was to a guitar, so set them aside in my mind for years as a result. Rather foolishly of course. Looking back this does perhaps explain why sadly, so many guitarists disregarded Jazzmasters (Jaguars of course fall into this association too) as inferior playing instruments. Good set-up is key to getting the most out of them, and in more recent years we have seen such a resurgence for the offset with so much more information out there on how to get the best out of them...
I've just received my fresh batch of the brilliant new Descendant Vibrato Units from Swope Guitars, so I thought I'd put together a install guide which will hopefully help you with installing and adjusting the design. It's all pretty straight forward, but there are some unique aspects to Chris' design that I wanted to highlight in this guide, to help your install go smoothly and help you get the most out of it straight out of the box.
I'm pleased to announce that I have received notification that my first batch of Descendant Vibrato units is finished, boxed up and ready to head out via courier to me! This will be the first stock batch in the UK, and I'm now accepting pre-orders for customers to secure theirs. The product listing is up and available HERE
I’ve admired Chris’ development of his Descendant Vibrato unit since his instagram account documenting the design first came about. The ideas behind his design spoke to me as something that would be a great, relevant addition to the offset guitar world. So I’m very proud to say that I’ve recently confirmed my first stock order and am now a UK dealer for the Descendant Vibrato! I’ll be accepting pre-orders soon, but I’m holding off a little bit until the assembly date is a little closer so I can better estimate the delivery for customers. Stock will be carried in the UK, and left handed offset owners will hopefully be pleased to hear I will also be carrying stock of the left handed units too.
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