Hi. New guy with trem post insert question.

[Crunchtime]

Hello everyone. I'm excited to join this forum as it seems to be excellent.

I have just started building my first Strat type guitar. I bought a nice koa body on Ebay as my starting point and plan on a Warmoth neck. I have a Wilky VG300 trem I plan to use. I was hoping the trem post of the Wilky would fit in the inserts of my body. I was told it was set up for an American Standard trem.

I started to thread the post in and was happy that it was threading right in. Suddenly it got really tight. I backed it out and looked inside the insert with a flashlight. I noticed the threads started out with a coarse thread and about a third of the way in change to a very fine thread. Is this normal?

I suppose my only option is to pull the inserts and put the Wilkinson inserts in. I would like to know the best way to pull the inserts from the body.

Can I thread a bolt in untill I hit the fine thread, grab the bolt head with a Visegrip and pull it out with some force?  Or, will some leverage be needed? I really want to avoid damage to the body.

 

[zogoibi]

I just installed inserts for a wilkinson 50 in holes drilled with a 3/8" bit.  I had to pound the inserts in with a bit of heft and a plastic mallet.  I don't think you would have the greatest luck removing them with the vise-grip method you mention:  not to say that it flat out won't work.  But, those babies are pressed in with a .5mm interference fit.  Ideally and unfortunately,  this $45 tool is probably your best bet.  http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Knobs/Special_tools_for:_Electronics.html    Please report back with how you got the job done.  I can't quite picture why there is a differential thread pitch in your existing inserts.  Might the studs for this Fender trem be compatible with the knife edges on your Wilkinson;  I've never looked at a modern Fender trem closely.  Good luck.

 

[The Dali]

Your best bet would be to get a pair of USA posts off ebay and use them and ditch the wilky posts.

 

[Crunchtime]

I pulled the old inserts with a hammer. They seem to be threaded half with standard thread and half with fine thread.

Anyway the Wilky inserts are in.

 

[zogoibi]

Handy hammering!  Looks good.