Moderators Ratae Corieltauvorum Posted December 10, 2012 Moderators Share Posted December 10, 2012 I really love the G&L dual fulcrum bridge and am pretty sure that's what I'm going to convert my #1 to.....$99I've used a Wilko VS100, great floating vibrato unit, love vintage 6 pointers, but before I order the G&L, can a few of you point me in the direction of some recent innovations in Strat vibratos....no Callahams, no expensive recreations of stuff that's been done already, just plain damn clever way to change pitch on a Strat with a bar Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Wyatt Posted December 10, 2012 Members Share Posted December 10, 2012 Innovative? Can't really help.1. My all-time favorite trem is the PRS design originally supplied by MannMade...Mannmade still makes ones for PRS, Strats and even two-point mounts. The one on my old '93 PRS was the nicest, most accurate non-locking trem I've ever used.I also like 2. The Wilkinson VG300, which pairs their two-point design with the bent steel saddles of their more vintage-style models...3. The Hipshot...4. And, since you are in the UK, you can get the convertible Wilkinson that is available in North America, the VS100C that allows you to lock it into fixed bridge. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members bubkus_jones Posted December 10, 2012 Members Share Posted December 10, 2012 Super-Vee (with a locking nut and fine tuners) or Blade Runner (non-"locking") Uses a piece of spring steel as it's movement point rather than 2 knife edges or 6 screw holes. The front of the bridge is screwed right to the body and the spring steel actually flexes. Check it out here. http://www.super-vee.com/technology.html As far as quality/tone? Eric Johnson installed a Super Vee on one of his Strats for the Experience Hendrix tour. I figure if a guy that obsessed with every little minutae of detail regarding his tone uses one, they have to be pretty decent. Yes, at $140 for the Blade Runner and $350 for the Super Vee, it's expensive, but it's rather unique in design. Not to mention that the Super Vee is supposed to give you Floyd-esque tuning stability without any non-reversable modifications to your guitar. So, you can theoretically grab your 1954 mint condition Strat, toss one of them in, play it, remove it and reinstall the original bridge and nut and no one should be able to tell you did anything. Haven't used one myself, yet, but if/when I upgrade my Strat clone, that's the bridge I'll likely go with. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members kit_strong Posted December 10, 2012 Members Share Posted December 10, 2012 Hipshot get's my vote. i have 2 at the moment and plan to put one on my CP Strat at some point too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Verne Andru Posted December 11, 2012 Members Share Posted December 11, 2012 Carl Verheyen has a great youtube demo on how to setup a standard strat whammy. Works like a hot damn.https://www.google.ca/search?q=carl+...ient=firefox-a Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Ratae Corieltauvorum Posted December 11, 2012 Author Moderators Share Posted December 11, 2012 Originally Posted by Verne Andru Carl Verheyen has a great youtube demo on how to setup a standard strat whammy. Works like a hot damn.https://www.google.ca/search?q=carl+...ient=firefox-a Is this an answer to my original question? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Verne Andru Posted December 11, 2012 Members Share Posted December 11, 2012 Originally Posted by Ratae Coritanorum Is this an answer to my original question? If this was your original question:...can a few of you point me in the direction of some recent innovations in Strat vibratos....no Callahams, no expensive recreations of stuff that's been done already, just plain damn clever way to change pitch on a Strat with a barthen my answer is yes, that is a pretty damn clever way to change pitch on a Strat IMHO. And it's free. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Ratae Corieltauvorum Posted December 11, 2012 Author Moderators Share Posted December 11, 2012 Originally Posted by Verne Andru If this was your original question:...can a few of you point me in the direction of some recent innovations in Strat vibratos....no Callahams, no expensive recreations of stuff that's been done already, just plain damn clever way to change pitch on a Strat with a barthen my answer is yes, that is a pretty damn clever way to change pitch on a Strat IMHO. And it's free. Sorry Verne but you didn't read between the lines Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members mrbrown49 Posted December 11, 2012 Members Share Posted December 11, 2012 Ratae, how does the G&L bridge compare to the VS100? I was planning on getting a VS100 for a parts caster I'm building, but I like the looks of that G&L unit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members bubkus_jones Posted December 12, 2012 Members Share Posted December 12, 2012 Originally Posted by Verne Andru Carl Verheyen has a great youtube demo on how to setup a standard strat whammy. Works like a hot damn.https://www.google.ca/search?q=carl+...ient=firefox-a I get everything about that, except that whole angled claw concept. Doesn't the fact that the bridge moves as one unit kind of negate any effect that would have? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members kayd_mon Posted December 12, 2012 Members Share Posted December 12, 2012 If a PRS bridge can fit on a Fender, then that's the best one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Verne Andru Posted December 12, 2012 Members Share Posted December 12, 2012 Originally Posted by bubkus_jones I get everything about that, except that whole angled claw concept. Doesn't the fact that the bridge moves as one unit kind of negate any effect that would have? In the one I watched he talks about the different string guages being the reason the claw needs to be angled. I was skeptical but tried it and am very impressed with the results. Stays in tune real well and bends are more musical because you're maxing out at musical intervals. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members ugameus Posted December 12, 2012 Members Share Posted December 12, 2012 MannMade is what I use. I have been very interested in trying a Babicz. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Ratae Corieltauvorum Posted December 12, 2012 Author Moderators Share Posted December 12, 2012 Originally Posted by mrbrown49 Ratae, how does the G&L bridge compare to the VS100? I was planning on getting a VS100 for a parts caster I'm building, but I like the looks of that G&L unit. All G&L users are very very happy with theirs, but I've not used one. The VS100 is about as close as you can get to Floydsville without going all the way, superb vibrato unit Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Les Paul Lover Posted December 12, 2012 Members Share Posted December 12, 2012 I like my Vigier 2 points vibrato - no knife edge, it's mounted needle anchored on 2 ball bearings. Between that and the graphite nut, it comes back to pitch all the time and is extremely stable. (I set mine floating) It might be their proprietary design though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Les Paul Lover Posted December 12, 2012 Members Share Posted December 12, 2012 Not my strat here, but pics of the metioned tremolo: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members bubkus_jones Posted December 12, 2012 Members Share Posted December 12, 2012 Originally Posted by Verne Andru In the one I watched he talks about the different string guages being the reason the claw needs to be angled. I was skeptical but tried it and am very impressed with the results. Stays in tune real well and bends are more musical because you're maxing out at musical intervals. I know his theory behind it, and I could understand if the high-e side moved at a different rate than the low-e side, but they don't. Here's a video I found that shares my thoughts. All that being said, if that's what works for Carl, all the power too him. I just think it might be something along the lines of "taking off the spring cavity cover changes your tone". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members omni Posted December 12, 2012 Members Share Posted December 12, 2012 Yeah, stay away from all that {censored}. Tighten it down if you have one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Ratae Corieltauvorum Posted December 12, 2012 Author Moderators Share Posted December 12, 2012 Originally Posted by Les Paul Lover I like my Vigier 2 points vibrato - no knife edge, it's mounted needle anchored on 2 ball bearings. Between that and the graphite nut, it comes back to pitch all the time and is extremely stable. (I set mine floating)It might be their proprietary design though. AFAIK it is indeed Vigiers own design Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Ratae Corieltauvorum Posted December 12, 2012 Author Moderators Share Posted December 12, 2012 Originally Posted by Wyatt Innovative? Can't really help.1. My all-time favorite trem is the PRS design originally supplied by MannMade...Mannmade still makes ones for PRS, Strats and even two-point mounts. The one on my old '93 PRS was the nicest, most accurate non-locking trem I've ever used. Yes, the PRS is quite a basic design, but still utilises what Callaham do and cheekily Callaham make it sound like their idea, but it's been used on certainly ESP and originally Gotoh vintage style vibratos for a long time, and that is putting the point of fulcrum through the centre line of the screws and not behind them like the Fender original does. The very clever Wilkinson's are all licensed Gotoh units who just seem to get how to do vibrato units well, but I find that range looks slightly out of place on classic Strats.I will keep my eyes out for a used Hipshot, but at 99 of your dorrars the G&L unit is hard to beat both in function and valueMany thanks for all your contributions, it has given me suitable food for contemplation Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Ratae Corieltauvorum Posted December 12, 2012 Author Moderators Share Posted December 12, 2012 Yeah, stay away from all that {censored}. Tighten it down if you have one. Nope;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Ratae Corieltauvorum Posted December 12, 2012 Author Moderators Share Posted December 12, 2012 Super-Vee (with a locking nut and fine tuners) or Blade Runner (non-"locking")Uses a piece of spring steel as it's movement point rather than 2 knife edges or 6 screw holes. The front of the bridge is screwed right to the body and the spring steel actually flexes. Check it out here. http://www.super-vee.com/technology.html The Bladerunner will figure highly in my considerations, I'm really digging that piece of spring steel.....awesome idea:thu: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Floyd Rosenbomb Posted December 12, 2012 Members Share Posted December 12, 2012 Innovation...I'll give a nod to the GFS usa strat 2 point for $50 shipped,http://www.guitarfetish.com/USA-Strat-2-Point-Hardened-Steel-Upgrade-Tremolo-System_p_775.html It is a well manufactured bridge. Block vs bent saddles is a personal thing, and I do like both. I used this bridge on a custom build a few years ago. I used it on a guitar that I wanted to play heavier rock on, and so the block saddles were a good fit for that application. I have no complaints about the bridge and I really do like the thicker arm for this trem. So the innovation for me comes down to a quality piece of gear for a very affordable price. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Verne Andru Posted December 12, 2012 Members Share Posted December 12, 2012 Does the G&L drop right in to a 2-point strat or do you have to muck with things? On the setup videos - all I'm saying is I found my strat plays and stays in tune better since I did a Carl setup. It will still go out of tune up or down a cent or so, but all the strings go out of tune the same so it sounds more musical to my ear. It could be the koolaid. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Verne Andru Posted December 12, 2012 Members Share Posted December 12, 2012 Innovation...I'll give a nod to the GFS usa strat 2 point for $50 shipped,http://www.guitarfetish.com/USA-Strat-2-Point-Hardened-Steel-Upgrade-Tremolo-System_p_775.html I bought a black version of that off an ebay seller for $35 a number of years ago. Works well. I love the steel block and ability to keep the whammy bar in place. Certainly nothing unique to GFS - that model has been around for years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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