Anyone put an Evertune bridge into your Warmoth build?

[speedyone]

Hi everyone,

I'm looking to build my first Warmoth project, and was wanting to see if anyone had tried an Evertune bridge in one of their projects.

I just found out that Warmoth will do the routing for only $45!!! (Licensed installers will charge you $300-400....Yikes!)

My only real concern was that I don't know how the "720 mod" may effect setting up the Evertune bridge....since the 720 mod lowers the height of the fretboard closer to the body, I don't know if this will make the string height too low for the new bridge.

I'm planning on getting a Soloist body style, but with Strat style routing/knobs/set-up-- I figured this would give me the best upper fret access, since the Warmoth Strat style has horns which don't have quite as deep a cutaway.

Anyhow, I'd love to see any pics if you guys have them of the Evertune in your guitars!

I am also POSSIBLY considering a SuperVee locking or BladeRunner trem-- but when people say that with those trems their tuning is "really good" instead of "it holds tune perfectly", then it makes me want to look more toward a Floyd or Evertune...

Thanks for reading 

 

[AutoBat]

It's got string height adjusters (action) so it should be fine.  The system itself seems like a very complex way to address a minor issue.
I was at a show the previous night where the lead guitarist really went to town with his Floyd equipped guitar and he was the only one that didn't change out instruments or retune for an hour and a half.

 

[Scuffcakes]

I read through the whole site and came away with the feeling that the Evertune is the answer to a question nobody is asking.

 

[speedyone]

Well, I play with heavy bending/vibrato using 008 gauge strings, and EVERY guitar I have ever played over the last 30 years has gone out of tune, some more than others.

Floyd-equipped guitars have been the only exception to that, for me.

My technique is done developing at this point, so the Evertune seems like the right solution for me, as I hate having to retune.

I do wish I could be one of those guys whose vintage trem always stays in tune, (or so they claim,) but after trying every method known to man (Verheyen, Frudua, Erlewine) it all comes down to the fact that I just must bend strings in a weird way!

Thanks for taking time to reply to my questions guys!

I appreciate your thoughts. I'm sure I'll be posting more questions as I get ready to order parts for the build in the coming months...

 

[AutoBat]

The pros that use vintage vibratos & 'stay in tune' change out guitars & have a tech doing the grunt work offstage.

 

[Cagey]

I am also POSSIBLY considering a SuperVee locking or BladeRunner trem-- but when people say that with those trems their tuning is "really good" instead of "it holds tune perfectly", then it makes me want to look more toward a Floyd or Evertune...

The "Bladerunner" bridges are really designed as retrofits for those unfortunates who have a vintage Fender six-hole vibrato setup. If you're having a new body built and you want a vibrato bridge, there's no reason it need be drilled/routed for that system. Get it configured to accept a Wilkinson, or even a Floyd if you're the patient type.

 

[Patrick from Davis]

The only place I have heard of the evertunes is for studio stuff.  Not having to get things in tune and getting stuff down quick to save time for other time consuming things.  From what I have heard, they work nicely.  But people tend to go back to their favorite for other things, and worry about tuning in the traditional sense.
Patrick

 

[Super Turbo Deluxe Custom]

Well, I play with heavy bending/vibrato using 008 gauge strings, and EVERY guitar I have ever played over the last 30 years has gone out of tune, some more than others.

Floyd-equipped guitars have been the only exception to that, for me.

My technique is done developing at this point, so the Evertune seems like the right solution for me, as I hate having to retune.

I do wish I could be one of those guys whose vintage trem always stays in tune, (or so they claim,) but after trying every method known to man (Verheyen, Frudua, Erlewine) it all comes down to the fact that I just must bend strings in a weird way!

Thanks for taking time to reply to my questions guys!

I appreciate your thoughts. I'm sure I'll be posting more questions as I get ready to order parts for the build in the coming months...

If you have a lot of bend and vibrato in your technique, the evertune will not work.  The spring floats the string; as the string becomes untuned, the spring compensates.  If you tune the string to the point almost out of range of the evertune's ability to compensate for the sake of bending and vibrato, then you're not using it.  A turnoff for me about it is that is setup for whatever string you have on it at that time.  String gauges, within the same mfgs. can differ ever so slightly that you'd constantly be re-tweaking the string tension.  In other words, D'Adarrio .008s may be .00789 in one set and .00815 in another, along with each corresponding set.  Heat and cold effect metal and you can compensate by tuning on the fly, but set it up at home, and play an outdoor gig, your strings might be flat because the thing doing the compensating has also been altered.

 

[Cagey]

Some things work well in the lab but fail to perform in real life.

 

[lucky13]

I agree the only trem that is ever going to stay in tune after bending in real life circumstances is the Floyd...that was one of those rare but obvious light bulb moments that got it done right, after that its minor improvements like Ibanez Low Profile Trems and such but you can only go so far with the laws of physics and after that its get a second guitar and a tech to switch out and retune or do it yourself....

I dont think you can really improve on the Floyd "Stay in tune" Idea anymore than has already been done without some kind of revolutionary change in materials maybe, ie strings or tensions that dont stick, change, unwind etc. etc. once tuned to pitch.....

Come up with that material or string and your Rich for life, heck you wont even want to play guitar anymore...you'll have so much money on your hands that you wont want to spend your days and nights wanking off on a guitar neck at all. 

 

[speedyone]

If you have a lot of bend and vibrato in your technique, the evertune will not work.  The spring floats the string; as the string becomes untuned, the spring compensates.  If you tune the string to the point almost out of range of the evertune's ability to compensate for the sake of bending and vibrato, then you're not using it.  A turnoff for me about it is that is setup for whatever string you have on it at that time.  String gauges, within the same mfgs. can differ ever so slightly that you'd constantly be re-tweaking the string tension.  In other words, D'Adarrio .008s may be .00789 in one set and .00815 in another, along with each corresponding set.  Heat and cold effect metal and you can compensate by tuning on the fly, but set it up at home, and play an outdoor gig, your strings might be flat because the thing doing the compensating has also been altered.

I'm curious about your response-- is this based on your own personal experience playing the Evertune, what you've heard from guys who have one, or are you theorizing why the Evertune may not work for me?

If indeed I would still have to use the little hex tool every time I changed a set of strings (even  in the same gauge,) to reset the intonation....then heck, I may as well get a Floyd.

I have only read posts from 2 people who own the Evertune. (over at TheGearPage).

One guy said it works as advertised, and that even going from playing a hot outdoor show, back to inside a cold air-conditioned house, his guitar stayed perfectly in tune. The other person didn't make any mention of how the bridge effected for better or worse his bending/vibrato technique, he just said it stayed in tune.

I'm not a shill by any means; I just want a trem that is going to stay in tune as much as possible, with the least hassle as possible. I don't like how stiff Floyds are, so maybe the locking SuperVee is the way to go....hmmm.

Personally, the favorite trem I ever used was a Wilkinson VSVG100 (?) which was on a Soloway guitar. It had the perfect feel, but whenever I used it, inevitably the G and B string would be out of tune during a song/solo.

If there was a locking trem which felt super smooth and as "spongy" as the Wilkinson, I'd be all over that. Maybe some of the Ibanez trems, but I didn't think you could ever just buy them separately.

 

[lucky13]

I felt the same way about the Wilkinson's very nice but inevitably the G or B string would need tweaking each time I warbled the bar, though it was pretty nice feeling it struck me as being an at home recording or playing trem where just a little is needed and retakes are a possibility, without that double locking mechanism going on I think its a horse a piece......

Eddie Van Halen said he would untwist the String at the ball end once he had the string tuned up or as he went along with each twist of the Tuning Key as when you tighten up the string to pitch as your turning the Tuning Keys the string is also twisting length ways and once its pinched in the back of the Trem or hardtail Ferrule the ball end dosnt untwist along the way thus each time you use the whammy not only do you have a chance for the nut to catch the string or the string to stretch or bind at the bridge, it also can untwist at the ball end just so and thus your string is out of whack.

Some food for thought if you just cant get yourself to go Double locking, then maybe the old fashioned way of treating every string like its your last and your Whammy is essential and untwisting each ball as you tune the guitar to pitch. 

  it was Eddie's way of dealing with that headache.....talk about obsession huh .....keep in mind he boiled used strings for reuse as well...

 

[Cagey]

Usually if you have one or two strings going out, it's not the bridge's fault, it's the nut, tuner or the string itself. If the bridge had problems returning to neutral reliably, all the strings would be out.

I use nothing but Wilkinsons for vibrato, have been for years, except for one guitar I have a Schaller 3801 on. They call it a "Vintage Tremolo", but I don't know why. The stud spacing doesn't match anything vintage that I'm aware of unless you consider Floyds "vintage". In any event, it's essentially the same design mechanically as the Wilkie...

...except it uses roller saddles. Nice part. I'd use them more if they were easier to get.

Either way, you need a well-made nut of a good material such as Graphtech's TUSQ, and locking tuners. Given those, the Wilkie or the Schaller will stay in tune at least as well as a Floyd. Plus, you don't have to have a locking nut and all that mechanical gimcrackery at the bridge itself. These are very simple bridges that don't get in your way, you don't need to carry tools for and will allow you to change strings pretty much on the fly. Not to mention being dramatically less expensive.

The Floyds work well, but when he designed those he didn't have locking tuners available, hence the locking nut and sub-tuners at the bridge. Don't need any of that any more, so why pay for it and fight with it?

 

[Super Turbo Deluxe Custom]

If you have a lot of bend and vibrato in your technique, the evertune will not work.  The spring floats the string; as the string becomes untuned, the spring compensates.  If you tune the string to the point almost out of range of the evertune's ability to compensate for the sake of bending and vibrato, then you're not using it.  A turnoff for me about it is that is setup for whatever string you have on it at that time.  String gauges, within the same mfgs. can differ ever so slightly that you'd constantly be re-tweaking the string tension.  In other words, D'Adarrio .008s may be .00789 in one set and .00815 in another, along with each corresponding set.  Heat and cold effect metal and you can compensate by tuning on the fly, but set it up at home, and play an outdoor gig, your strings might be flat because the thing doing the compensating has also been altered.

I'm curious about your response-- is this based on your own personal experience playing the Evertune, what you've heard from guys who have one, or are you theorizing why the Evertune may not work for me?

If indeed I would still have to use the little hex tool every time I changed a set of strings (even  in the same gauge,) to reset the intonation....then heck, I may as well get a Floyd.

I have only read posts from 2 people who own the Evertune. (over at TheGearPage).

One guy said it works as advertised, and that even going from playing a hot outdoor show, back to inside a cold air-conditioned house, his guitar stayed perfectly in tune. The other person didn't make any mention of how the bridge effected for better or worse his bending/vibrato technique, he just said it stayed in tune.

I'm not a shill by any means; I just want a trem that is going to stay in tune as much as possible, with the least hassle as possible. I don't like how stiff Floyds are, so maybe the locking SuperVee is the way to go....hmmm.

Personally, the favorite trem I ever used was a Wilkinson VSVG100 (?) which was on a Soloway guitar. It had the perfect feel, but whenever I used it, inevitably the G and B string would be out of tune during a song/solo.

If there was a locking trem which felt super smooth and as "spongy" as the Wilkinson, I'd be all over that. Maybe some of the Ibanez trems, but I didn't think you could ever just buy them separately.

Owned one?  No.  Farted around on one at a guitar show?  Yes.  Bends are non existent, and it is not a trem.  I'm not talking about reintonating it everytime, but setting the spring tension up everytime you change strings for subtle variations in string mfg processes, which coincidentally is why EJ reintonates after every string change.

 

[speedyone]

Thanks for your replies guys!

I know the Evertune wasn't a trem, but the idea of supposedly always staying in tune was cool.

I have not tried the Schaller/Wilky roller bridge-- maybe will look into that one more.

Lots of useful info, thanks everyone for sharing your thoughts!

 

[Super Turbo Deluxe Custom]

Thank you for putting up with us.  As per usual, we all but ignored your actual question about the 720 mod and gave input on the one thing you didn't ask our opinion on.

 

[speedyone]

Hey, I love talking gear, and any input/real world info is appreciated!

Man I wish there was someone locally who had an Evertune, or BladeRunner, MannMade, etc trem to try, but my local shops only have the "run of the mill" trems like OFRs, vintage trems, and ZR/Edge trems.

The standard reply from everyone about staying in tune is always, "properly cut nut+locking tuners = always stays in tune",  but that logic just hasn't ever worked out in my experience. I either have always had incompetent techs who couldn't cut a nut (not likely after 30 years playing,) or my technique is not conducive to staying in tune (much more likely!).

As mentioned, locking tuners do not guarantee keeping in tune; in fact, the guitar which held the tune best of any I owned (except a Floyd equipped one,) was a Les Paul Studio with non-locking tuners. That one almost NEVER went out of tune, but I just prefered single coil tones, so I ended up selling it.

The Frudua method works fantastic if you are ONLY doing bends without using the trem, or if you are ONLY using the trem for shimmers/dives...if you bend a note, and THEN use the trem, you're out of tune.

These really aren't issues for most guys, I am just really anal about going out of tune! If I'm doing something like a technical instrumental song (like Yngwie or Satch) where there are many notes and no chords, there's no problem. But if a song has a lot of arpeggiated chords/clean tones, I just can't stand playing a lovely solo then returning to the chordal segments and being out of tune.

I don't like Floyds because in my experience I have had the "sitar effect" with a few, I don't like how they seem to thin out/brighten the tone, and in my opinion, it is very difficult to set-up a Floyd for optimal action/playability for my taste.

Nevertheless, I may end up going that route after spending WAY too much time trying out trems trying to find "the one" that has perfect tone/keeps tune/feels great.

Maybe nothing is perfect....but I'm always hoping to find a trem that is.

 

[AutoBat]

Perhaps the Schaller 456? It's a hardtail option.  Not locking, but it has the fine tuners like you'd find on a Floyd.
http://www.warmoth.com/Schaller-456-C713.aspx
http://guitar-bridge.com/hp193108/Bridge-Tailpiece-Combination-456.htm

 

[Cagey]

I just got a 456 for my Melody Maker because it has Klusons on it. I figured once the strings were properly stressed up and the thing was settled into tune, I'd just use the microtuners to adjust tuning as necessary. That way, I'd never have to touch those flaky Klusons until it's time to change strings again.

But, my good sense got the better of me after all so I ordered a set of Schaller Mini-Lockers for it. I not only don't trust Klusons, they're too much work. Plus, they were the last bit of non-black metal on this guitar, other than the output jack. So, they had to go. I'll just banish them to the Drawer of Misfit Hardware in case I ever sell the MM and the new owner prefers crummy tuners.

 

[laurshall]

I've been playing EverTuned guitars for years, and I can assure all of you that they do indeed work with vibrato and bending: no matter how you do it.  You don't have to take it from me though.  Guitar World and Guitar player have given them great reviews.  Satriani loves them.  John 5 says they are the "future of all guitars".  James Burton uses them.  All kinds of industry cats are using them not only in the studio but live, too.  They not only work, they are freaking awesome.