Rally super strat set up
2,269 views · Published 28 January 2018 · 3:25:28 · Indexed 20 September 2026
Channel: Sam Deeks · 2018 · Howto & Style
In this video I'm setting out to do a great set up on this rare Rally 'super strat' model AND to make the point that 'cheap Chinese Floyd Rose-style tremolos' are perfectly capable of working really well. I spotted this guitar on eBay and posted a reference to it on the Reloved Guitars' Facebook page with a recommendation that, for the money, it would probably be a good little player. Simon snapped it up at a discount (due to a missing tuner knob) and brought it down my way for a going-over. What's true is that this guitar was in a mess set-up wise but underneath that I suspected that there lurked a decent guitar. That judgment was based on my experience of the superb-quality Rally GL300 & GL400 LP copies. These guitars are not only on-a-par with any other Chinese made Les Paul copy they're better in two significant respects: 1) the frets are usually completely level meaning you can set a great low action out of the box and just play and 2) the pickups sound great. The first of these things sets Rally LP copies apart from more than 95% of electric guitars regardless of price and brand - and that's no mean feat. This confidence in the Rally brand was born out when setting this guitar up. Firstly, the basic components are decent enough quality. Secondly, the cavities are shielded with conductive paint. Third, the neck set is perfect for the tremolo without having to shim or fight for a decent action. Fourth, the frets didn't need levelling. And finally, the tremolo works perfectly once properly set up. I use this video to point out that a belief that only expensive, precision steel tremolos are effective is just that; a belief. Don't get me wrong - I like precision-made hardware and top quality steel and brass as much as the next person. But I also encourage people to see through the marketing hype (and huge prices) and understand that there's nothing essentially wrong with the basic - 'cheap' - Chinese bridge featured here. Not only isn't there anything wrong with it, it actually works perfectly well. You can buy this exact same bridge from places like AliExpress for around £15. And yes, for that money, it works....reassuringly well. There are those who are certain there MUST be something wrong with inexpensive parts like this; and perhaps they won't last as long as the very expensive units; I can't say having not lived with one day to day over many years. What I can tell you is that the inexpensive unit on this Rally must be around 10 years old if not older and it still works very well. If it fails (somehow) in another few years that's still pretty exceptional service for
