hipshot tremolo

shanejw

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Anyone ever use the Hipshot Contour Tremolo for Standard Strats?  I think they look pretty spiffy, just wondering if anyone has ever tried one.
 
shanejw said:
Anyone ever use the Hipshot Contour Tremolo for Standard Strats?  I think they look pretty spiffy, just wondering if anyone has ever tried one.

yeah, I've got 2 of them. IMHO better than wilkinson. they look very good, and they sound great. I can highly recommend them. use the wilkinson (recessed) rout for this trem.


otherwise, just look it up in the search. I've already posted some large reviews about this trem.
 
Oops just ordered my body today with the american standard trem rout.  I figured that would be it since what i was reading was billed as an american strat trem replacement.  i guess if i have to go with a fender trem i could live with it.  my serious trem work will more than likely be donw with my warmoth soloist.  thanks for the info.
 
shanejw said:
Oops just ordered my body today with the american standard trem rout.  I figured that would be it since what i was reading was billed as an american strat trem replacement.  i guess if i have to go with a fender trem i could live with it.  my serious trem work will more than likely be donw with my warmoth soloist.  thanks for the info.

oh that one will work too, but with the wilkinson you can make bigger pull ups and divebombs :)
 
Just ordered my hipshot trem.  Got it for $80 at guitarpartsdepot.com.  I've seen some places wanting $125 for them.  Can't wait to start putting my stuff together.
 
shanejw said:
Just ordered my hipshot trem.  Got it for $80 at guitarpartsdepot.com.  I've seen some places wanting $125 for them.  Can't wait to start putting my stuff together.

great choice. you wont regret it :)
 
How did you get your studs in the body?  I just got a call from Warmoth and they can't mount the studs unless I buy the trem from them and that is something I had them do on my other build.  Are they that tough?  You should just be able to lighty tap or press them in right?  And the really frustrating thing is that i was just told my hipshot trem is on back order for a week or two.  ugh.
 
For my Wilky, I used a rubber mallet to pound them in.

On my VIP, I got wise and used a drill press to shove them in.  It was much easier, and I didn't have to clean rubber goop off the face of my guitar afterwards.
 
Orpheo, you were right, the trem is great.  Easily the smoothest strat trem i've ever used.
 
shanejw:

Did you mount a Hipshot Contour Trem on a Warmoth body routed for the American Standard trem?  I have the inserts installed, but the bridge seems to be an uncomfortably tight fit in the American Standard rout. 
 
Yeah, i did.  I couldn't fit the trem in with the studs inserted.  I had to back the studs way out, hold the trem on them and then lower them.  I'm pretty happy with mine.  Looks great, feels super smooth.  way nicer than a fender trem.  best of luck!
 
How much downward swing did you end up with?  I may end up routing the hole a little wider front-to-back.  The Hipshot Contour Tremolo comes with a paper template with which to make a routing template.  The problem with the Warmoth American Standard rout is that it is an American Standard rout in name only.  The rout on an American Standard Strat is wider back-to-front and the corner radius is smaller, which supports retrofitting the guitar with aftermarket tremolos such as the Hipshot Contour Tremolo and the Wilkinson VS-100N that have blocks with smaller radius corners.  The Warmoth American Standard rout is little more than a vintage tremolo rout with two holes.  The Warmoth Wilkinson rout is probably a better fit for this bridge.
 
Yeah, the wilky is probably a better route as orpheo said.  I have my warmoth soloist with a floyd rose for really wild trem stuff so the strat trem is mainly a vibrato for me as it really doesn't dive that far anyway.  I mainly got mine because the fender ones look cheap and minimal.
 
I was looking at the American Standard Tremolo, and it looks like it has a block that is the same shape and dimensions as the Hipshot Contour Tremolo.  The difference must lie in the distance between the pivot points and the front of the block.  Has anyone on the forum installed an American Standard Tremolo on Warmoth body?  I would like know if that tremolo is also a tight fit.
 
Soapbar said:
I was looking at the American Standard Tremolo, and it looks like it has a block that is the same shape and dimensions as the Hipshot Contour Tremolo.   The difference must lie in the distance between the pivot points and the front of the block.  Has anyone on the forum installed an American Standard Tremolo on Warmoth body?  I would like know if that tremolo is also a tight fit.

not me, a friend of mine. and that one has a tight fit too, but not this tight. but with me, its ok. almost as much travel as with the wilkinson trem.
 
Guys, can you confirm that the Hipshot Contour Tremolo will fit in a Wilkinson RECESSED routing?

Thanks!  :icon_smile:
 
shanejw said:
I beleive that Orpheo has that setup with his.

no, i have the am. standard. a friend of mine does have it that way though, but I believe artnaz wants extra confirmation :)
 
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