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GFS Wilky trem vs. Gotoh?

anorakDan

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Any opinions out there about the Gotoh Wilkinson tremolo bridge that Warmoth offers at $92 (VS100) compared to the one offered by Guitar Fetish for $48?

Since the Brutal Legend V requires a trem bridge, I want a good one, but... I'm forced to keep the total budget as low as possible. (Imagine that?) So, are there any appreciable differences between the two to warrant nearly double the price?
 
the GFS one has a very small block, and all colors have chrome saddles

however, it works great.. and I did not notice any tone/sustain loss.
 
The GFS unit also has a narrow-mounting spring claw, so it won't match up to the holes Warmoth drilled for it in your spring cavity. It's far enough off that you'll either have to buy another claw (they're cheap) or get an aircraft bit to drill new holes. For what it's worth, I recommend the proper claw.
 
Cagey said:
so it won't match up to the holes Warmoth drilled for it in your spring cavity.

This is interesting news! Does the rear trem cavity normally come pre-drilled for the standard claw? Where / how to mount the claw was one of the things bugging me as as I build up the courage to start my first build. I've hunted on the 'official' site and can't find any info, but i'm very happy to take all the help I can get!

 
Yes, they come pre-drilled. Warmoth does that because they're sort of a unusual holes to drill. They require an "aircraft" bit in order to get the angle low enough to end up as close to parallel to the body as possible while drilling from the rear of the body and avoiding hitting the guitar body with the drill chuck or drill motor body.

"Aircraft" bits are just very long (usually 6" to 12") drill bits, but they're generally not part of most people's toolset.

07C0104.jpg


They're named for the original typical use of drilling through bulkheads in aircraft fuselages.

 
I call them broken Nissan truck exhaust manifold stud drill bits because that's what I have used many of them for. Lets you go right up through the fender well. Money makers for sure :headbang1:
 
Cagey, any idea if this trem claw from StewMac will fit the hole spacing?

http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Bridges,_tailpieces/Electric_guitar_tremolo_parts/Tremolo_Spring_Mounting_Claw.html
 
I can't say for certain, not having ordered that part from them and without knowing any dimensional data. But, just guessing from its appearance, I'd say that'd work.

The thing with Guitar Fetish parts is the vast majority of them are clones, also-rans, overstocks, B-stocks, etc. that come from Pacific Rim suppliers and are designed to go into the wide variety of "knock-off" guitars that are produced over there for 10 cents on the dollar. So, you have issues with metric vs. imperial sizing, slight variations in design to subvert our ridiculous patent system, and perhaps material differences such as die-cast vs. machined components. On the plus side, they're often pretty inexpensive compared to "genuine" parts and will work as well. You end up with the specs you want, if not the name. But the inverse is that not everything works and plays well with others. Sometimes it works out ok. Other times, not so much.

I just had the issue we're discussing here on a build with a Wilkinson equivalent from GFS. Claw was wrong, so I had to order the part from somebody else. Adds time. Same with the tuners. Look like Schallers, but they're not. Nice that they're half the price, but I snapped the bushing installing the low E. WTF? Adds a week to the build while I get replacements. Stuff like that. If you know about them ahead of time, you can sorta adjust, but sometimes you get bitten.
 
I think it's still a good option to go with the GFS bridge, whether or not I buy a replacement claw or an aircraft bit. Those I know my local Ace carries and I won't have to wait or pay for shipping. Since I've settled on the GFS pups, I may as well get their bridge on the same order. I prefer the chrome finish to the matte stainless one that Warmoth carries.

While I'm on the topic of bridges and pickups, I'm going with white plastic mounting rings for the pickups. Am I correct in assuming that the bridge pickup will need a short mounting ring, because of the trem bridge, rather than the tall one found on guitars with a TOM/Stop setup?
 
Mounting rings are trim parts. There is no right or wrong to them size-wise. You often see the bridge pickup with the taller mounting ring, as the pickup usually ends up slightly more exposed. The other consideration is angled vs. flat. Angled parts are usually used on LPs or Semi-hollows. Warmoth's carved tops are flat around the immediate pickup/bridge area, so you don't need angled rings. But, height is up to you. If you need to hide a lot of the pickup for some reason, then you want taller rings, and vice-versa. I had a situation not long ago on a Gibson where I needed to hide the pickup as much as possible, as it was so poorly made. Other brands? Not so much. But, according to your tastes/needs, your mileage may vary.
 
Oh, I was worried the taller bridge rings would be too tall to work with the flatter trem bridge. Dimensionally shorter than a TOM. But the body is not a 720 mod, so the neck will be as tall as the neck will be, and the bridge saddles will adjust to that.

I was hoping not to have to buy 2 sets of the rings I want, to get 2 short rings. But I shouldn't have to buy two sets, as the tall ones should work fine. If not, I can always sand the bottom of the ring to make it fit. It's only styrene, and I have a ton of experience sanding plastic!

Many thanks again for your input and willingness to help others not as experienced in this guitar building stuff.
 
There are a number of suppliers that will sell a set of two, where one is short and the other tall. You just have to be careful to get flat or angled bottoms, as your needs dictate. Also, you might consider metal rings. They come in black, chrome and gold, and are necessarily short because they're stamped out of sheet stock. They're what I use when I need mounting rings, as they're much more robust and I think have a more classy appearance than the plastic parts. It's also a more rigid mount, if that matters to you. They don't really hide any of the pickup, though. They're more to hide the hole and mounting stuff.
 
About the Wilkie, please keep us posted on your results. I've got two guitars (Aria & Switch) with close cousins (Wilkinson two-point, long slugs, matte finish), & they are a dream to play -- very sensitive, but they drop back perfectly even with no string-lock hardware.
 
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