Dive bombs with a Les Paul...

[clane04]

It may not be a "dive bomb" but what I do can be used in the same way. If I want to simulate a whammy bar I grab the note a step lower and immediately bend it up to pitch then use vibrato. That allows you to go lower just like a whammy (think bigsby). Its just like using bends and such except your down a fret or two thus the note you need is actually the higher pitch. I need a better way of explaining it.

[analogsystem]

Originally Posted by clane04

It may not be a "dive bomb" but what I do can be used in the same way. If I want to simulate a whammy bar I grab the note a step lower and immediately bend it up to pitch then use vibrato. That allows you to go lower just like a whammy (think bigsby). Its just like using bends and such except your down a fret or two thus the note you need is actually the higher pitch. I need a better way of explaining it.

This is the right idea.

What I do is.....bend the string (or 2 or 3) that I am about to use up a half or full step before I pick the note. Then you pick or begin your hammer ons while slowly releasing your bend. It sounds very similar to a bar dropping.

Another trick is to play with only your fretting hand (all hammer ons) and work the overall tension behind the nut by pushing down on the strings.

Randy Rhodes did both of these tricks on his LP to simulate some whammy bar effects.

[clane04]

Ive owned a few guitars with whammy bars (never owned a bigsby though) and have sold them all. I really can't stand restringing, going out of pitch when doing bends, and all the other heartaches associated with them. Plus, with some practice anyone can get similar sounds out of a stop tail guitar

Nice tricks analogsystem, have you ever tried tapping and bending the string, its similar to bending behind the nut, but your fretting hand bends the inital note and all others are tapped.

[Noremad]

Originally Posted by Shithead

You could always grab the body with the palm of your right hand and push the neck away from you with the left hand...and release just before the neck snaps off....

if I had a dollar everytime I dive-bombed with my LP in that very manor...

[jimification]

I don't think there's a way to ever really get full dive bombs and I wouldn't try that trick with the neck unless you are prepared to shell out on a new LP or neck repair. There's already a LOT of tension on the neck (120lbs or thereabouts I think) from the strings at pitch and that's exactly how Slash snapped the neck on his...

Clane04 / analogsystem made good suggestions: You can't really do dive bombs this way but you can mimic wammy stuff fairly well with a combination of bending and sliding. You should be able to get a passable imitation of a lot of wammy bar tricks like this (those in the beat it or panama solo for example)

I also think that trying to replicate other sounds in this way this has great benefits for your overall bending control.

[Benguitar]

Originally Posted by AXE

Nope.

Kahler 2200 series mount to the studs.

I had a 79' Gibson Explorer with a Kalher, 2200... It still requires a chunk to be cut out under it.. It mounts to the studs, But there is like a "square" that goes down so the top has to be routed a bit.

Taken, Not AS MUCH as a floyd.

[Laservampire]

Originally Posted by decoy205

Here ya go:
YouTube - 1958 Gibson Les Paul TV Junior SOLD 00959

LOL I love that video

[X–Ray]

Originally Posted by River

I do that quite a bit, actually. Doesn't drop the pitch very far, unless you actually snap the neck.

first started doing that in 1972...

my black les paul custom somehow withstood it for years without a problem and/or going out of tune.

i just make sure to do it slow with evenly applied pressure - not fast and/or jerky

once in a blue moon i will do what i call, "the bend" on a lester - typically if i am making a big noise on, "third stone from the sun."

in the early 1980s "the bend" seemed to get too popular on a lester for my taste – that is when i decided to use it very sparingly.

it is still a lot of fun though...

[Electric_Sunshine]

Slash once jumped (I think) and put his foot against the back of the headstock to whammy and popped the neck, it split him in the face which would've sucked. His guitar tech spent a night repairing it/finding a repairer for him. I might have misread his book all I know is he put his foot to the neck and it popped in his face.

Andrew

[geochem1st]

Originally Posted by Noremad

if I had a dollar everytime I dive-bombed with my LP in that very manor...

I do it with my SG when I play Little Wing, much easier than an LP.