The importance of the Whamy Bar on a scale of 1-10?

Question

Besides its cosmetic value and being able to bend strings/chords/power chords, being seen on a variety of guitars from the Fender Stratocaster to the Floyd Rose guitar. It has become a superstar with guitars, being synonomous with famous guitar players such as Jimmi Hendrix and Steve Vai. I am unsure on which guitar i should choose, is the whammy bar that important? Is it that useful in songs and solos?

Please give me your opinion on this.

1 being the lowest, 10 being the highest.

Answer 1

Realistically, I'd say a 2.  True, some famous players will use a whammy bar from time to time, but it can get real old if overused.

If you want to see how important a whammy is, check out how many used guitars still have the whammy bar attached -- virtually none of them!  Mainly because the owners unscrewed it and tossed it away because they never used it.

Answer 2

Yes, if the musician wants a different sounding note or to set a certain mood. 5