The HQ tremolo is a type of synchronized tremolo bridge installed on some Ibanez guitars. It was produced by Gotoh in Japan and was introduced in 1988.
The HQ is a non-locking, synchronized, floating tremolo. It has a stainless steel plate and saddles and hardened steel knife-edges which pivot against of pair of locking posts threaded into sleeves mounted in the guitar body. It has a low profile to minimize interference with the player's hands and a push-in tremolo arm for easy removal. It takes a non-threaded 5mm diameter tremolo arm. Some early versions had a "notch" in the rear corner behind the arm as shown in the image at the left.
| Early version w/ "notch" | 
|
The HQ appeared on two Maxxas series guitar models, the MX3 and MX5. It was also used on the Artfield series as well as a small number of models in the S series. It is very similar (if not identical to the Gotoh JT-490 trem that was installed in some Charvel guitars and probably others.
A replacement bar for the HQ can be found online.
A related tremolo the HQ-J tremolo, a.k.a. HQ Jr, was introduced a few years later.
The HQ tremolo was discontinued after 1990.
Manual[]
- HQ tremolo manual (also covers Magnum Lock tuners)
