Schaller Vintage Replacement Tremolo--anyone ever use one?

[Graffiti62]

Now that I have the means to support a hobby again, I am putting together a little wish list of parts, and stumbled upon this actually while I was looking for tuning peg options:

I know that many of you have used Schaller stuff in the past, and I've heard a lot of good things about the products they make, but has anyone had a chance to use their Fender-based tremolo?  If so, how would I go about making the request for route holes?  The website states it's a direct replacement, but with only two stud spots, that makes me a little curious, especially since they refer to this as a "vintage" tremolo replacement.

Here's the page right from Schaller's official website:

http://guitar-tremolo.com/hp135040/Artikel-Liste.htm

 

[Cagey]

I have one on one of my Strats. It's a nice part, but I don't know why Schaller describes it the way they do.

What it really amounts to is an improved Fender AmStd sized to fit a top-mount Floyd Rose route/drill pattern. In other words, if you're stuck with a top-mount Floyd and you want out from under it, this is the part you'd buy. In fact, it's your only choice.

 

[Super Turbo Deluxe Custom]

Vintage replacement?

 

[Cagey]

Vintage replacement?

I know! Not even close!

But, a more serious issue when considering it as a "replacement" is the mounting studs. An AmStd bridge's mounting posts are 56.9mm (2.2") on center, while a Floyd's (and this Schaller part's) are 74.3mm (2.93") on center. Way, way off. So, if you were replacing the AmStd part in your design (ie: before you start hogging out wood) you'd be ok. But, if you already have a guitar that's been drilled/routed for an AmStd, yer scrood unless you wanna start filling holes and cavities with dowels and blocks and starting over.

 

[Super Turbo Deluxe Custom]

Making the parts must be their strong suit.  Correctly labeling them, well....

 

[Cagey]

Right. But, as I said, it is a nice bridge. Hardened plate, cast stainless holders for roller saddles, mechanically simple...  I'd use one again if they were easier to get.

 

[Graffiti62]

I'm thinking of using for a "from the ground" build up. I've had Schaller tuners on axes before and they've always been smooth and did the job extremely well. I'm planning on using this bridge and a set of locking tuners as well. I know that this isn't going to come cheap, but my wife insisted that I get the chance to give myself a present for landing such a good job.

Now....if only this were to stick around til my first payday next Friday.....

 

[Cagey]

You might be better off with the Gotoh/Wilkinson VS100 Warmoth sells, and if you want the roller saddles get a set of these...

...from here. Everything would be more predictable/maintainable/reversible.

 

[Graffiti62]

One interesting note in regards to this was that I was able to find some good notes Cagey wrote last July on the same piece:

http://www.unofficialwarmoth.com/index.php?topic=15050.0

Thanks for the input--that's greatly appreciated!  I think I will take your advice and go with a Wilkinson with those roller bridges. Two (well, actually three) factors stick out in my mind after I gave it some thought. The first is going to be availability. Schaller tuners can be found around here without a lot of grief, but at the same time, the bridges might throw me for a loop. The second factor is cost. Precision German-machined parts don't come cheap. I was looking on a website from the UK that sold them, and they were going for €95.00, £75.00, which would have boiled out to be about (at least from recent currency exchange rates) $125.40 for just the part alone without considering shipping the piece over the puddle here to the States. International shipping isn't cheap--with my new job at Pitney-Bowes, I'm learning a lot about international shipping rates just for letters. While it costs ups $.45 to mail an envelope, it costs $.85 to mail it to Canada.

The final factor is regarding ease of production. Warmoth already has the hole template set up in their machinery for the Wilkinson. They sell it, they know how it works, they know how to support it and do what needs to be done to make the most of it. The last thing I'd want to do is ask them something that would really throw them for a flat-out loop, like the time my Dad asked me if I could run a wireless router through a dial-up modem so he didn't have to plug a phone cable into his laptop. Finally I convinced him to either bite the bullet and get cable, harass the phone company into upgrading the telephone lines in the area to support DSL, or to talk to his cellular provider and pick up an air card. He finally picked up a cellular-to-data adapter with a built in WiFi transmitter that he likes a lot.

Thanks for your help though Cagey--I think you saved me quite a few bucks, and a lot of hassle!

 

[Cagey]

No problem. Everybody helps everybody and we all get fat.

 

[duosonic]

I've had a really hard time finding these in the US and if you do these suckers don't come cheap.

 

[Torment Leaves Scars]

I know the Schaller-Floyd isn't what you're looking for opinions on but I have one on my guitar and the quality is second to none.  I can only imagine the same would go for this particular bridge.  I don't see too many complaints on the quality of Schaller products.