Gotoh Ge101 (vint 6 holes): how a perfect setup?

[Bruno]

How do you feel with this tremolo? (also sold by Warmoth)
I own one but it gives me no satisfaction, in particular in *return to pitch*.
My gauge strings is .010-.046: with 4 springs (oroginal package ge101) the bridge is high,
with 5 is ok but the tremolo bar is very hard to use.
In addition, the block (not steel!) rubs on the rear wall of the tremolo cavity.
So...a real failure on my relationship with this tremolo
Do you want help me to set it the best?
A link, any pics a video....
Thanks in advance

 

[mayfly]

Hi Bruno,

I have this trem as well and have seen some of the same issues.  Here's what I did:

Rubbing trem block - I just whittled the inside of the block cavity away until it moved without interference.

Returning to pitch - I have mine flat mounted with 5 springs. I do this because I use a lot of double bends when I play and I don't like it when they go out of tune.  I find I can dive bomb to my heart's content and it comes back no problem - but the heavy bar some may have issue with.

I suspect that the rubbing block is your real issue.  Fix that and I bet it will work just fine.

 

[Bruno]

I suspect that the rubbing block is your real issue.  Fix that and I bet it will work just fine.

Hello Mayflown,
thank for reply. You're right: particularly as that strat body is not by Warmoth, so... :tard
But if my next warmoth body will be with 6 holes vintage, I hope and I think it will be ok.
Or even with Warmoth *touch-ups* are necessary? (only with 6 holes tremolo bridge!)

 

[Bruno]

I did the job. A good job (no more rubbing block  :icon_thumright
Finally I can say: vIntage 6 holes tremolo, absolutely I don't like it.
My next warmoth's body will be unquestionably 2 pivots trem: Wilkinson vs100, Gotoh 510, Hipshot or Fender strat... (not floyd, again )

 

[Cagey]

Finally I can say: vIntage 6 holes tremolo, absolutely I don't like it.

Join the club. It's not a very good design. But, a surprising number people like "vintage" designs and continue to install them. You show that goofy 6 point setup to a good mechanical engineer and tell him what you're trying to accomplish, and he'll laugh at it before telling you it won't work well. Then he'll proceed to tell you how it should be done, which will almost certainly be some variation of the two-point fulcrum Floyd Rose started using 30 years ago. Not that you should use a Floyd Rose bridge, but that particular aspect of his design is correct. That's why everybody who's anybody uses it today. The best bridges from Schaller, Hipshot, Wilkinson, Floyd Rose, Gotoh, et al all do the two-point fulcrum. Some of those folks also make 6 point bridges, but only to satisfy an unusually persistent market that's large enough that it can't be ignored.