Wilkinson Concerns

[GuitarEC]

Okay, so I'm ini the final stages of planning out my first Warmoth build and I have fewer and fewer questions - but this one still sticks in my brain...

If I use a Wilkinson tremelo with the graphtech nut on a 13 degree warmoth neck / headstock and locking tuners - with all that, will it hold tune well with light to moderate tremelo use?  No dive bombs or anything quite like that, but the ocasional vibrato and some slight de-tuning?

Any insights would be much appreciated,

Eric "GuitarEC"

 

[dudesweet157]

I don't see why not.  My Wilky does GREAT on my strat with a Graph-tec nut, and I abuse it quite a lot.

 

[SSSJazz]

If I use a Wilkinson tremelo with the graphtech nut on a 13 degree warmoth neck / headstock and locking tuners...

ccasion14:
What a coincidence!  That's exactly what I have already on order... but arrival is still 3-4 weeks away.

 

[simple]

I never owned a Wilky until about a year ago.  I am very impressed with how well that tremolo works. It's the nicest tremolo option before you head into the Locking Floyd zone.

Many people spec what you are thinking about and claim to have excellent tuning stability with it.

 

[CD]

My old guitar teacher showed me a Fernandes strat that had the Wilkinson and some locking tuners (regular nut) and the thing wouldn't go out of tune. He was getting nuts too with the divebombs and such.

 

[GuitarEC]

Thanks for the input - my concern was how well the strings would expand and pull through the graphtech nut even with the string pressure from that 13 degree bend.  Over all it seems that folks out there are having real good times with that setup.

Many thanks for all the comments!

Eric "GuitarEC"

 

[TonyFlyingSquirrel]

Even with a Floyd, as long as you have a relitively straight string path over the nut (strat,tele, eb, but no jackson, explorer, etc...) you can perform with great tuning stability using locking tuners.

Of all of the locking tuners on the market, the Planet Waves Auto Trim tuners seem to yield the highest gear ratio of 18/1, allowing finer tuning adjustment.  Sperzels, Schallers, & Grovers are all less than that like around 12/1, 14/1, 16/1. 
The Planet Waves tuners are well made, provide a little more mass to the headstock due to a very slight increase in weight, which will add to resonance & sustain.

I've played some instruments with this arrangement and could not get it to go out of tune, & I've also played full Floyd setups that couldn't stay in tune, so my added advice here is to absolutely scrutinize the setup process.  No matter what equipment you choose to utilize, the setup is where it is going to hit paydirt or go belly up.

 

[Superbeast520]

I built a Carvin kit guitar and it had a 13% angled headstock and Wilkinson Tremolo, though I bought one from Warmoth and it was better in that it is made of steel, were as the Carvin Kit guitars Wilkinson is made of alloy, which I didn't like the tone of.

But I was amazed at the stability and how well it stayed in tune, it had nice tone as well, so I have nothing but good to say about the Wilkinson, graphite nut, combo, as that is what I used and thought it was great.

Note however I would note confuse the issue and think its a replacement for a Floyd rose double locking Trem, its definantly not that, but if your into mild trem use and simplicity of function and design, the Wilkinson is in my opinion the best 2 point Trem available. :toothy10:

 

[arrowman59]

While we are on the subject . What is the opinions for using two springs or three?

Dave

 

[Chad_Chester_Pi]

Even with a Floyd, as long as you have a relitively straight string path over the nut (strat,tele, eb, but no jackson, explorer, etc...) you can perform with great tuning stability using locking tuners.

Of all of the locking tuners on the market, the Planet Waves Auto Trim tuners seem to yield the highest gear ratio of 18/1, allowing finer tuning adjustment.  Sperzels, Schallers, & Grovers are all less than that like around 12/1, 14/1, 16/1. 
The Planet Waves tuners are well made, provide a little more mass to the headstock due to a very slight increase in weight, which will add to resonance & sustain.

I've played some instruments with this arrangement and could not get it to go out of tune, & I've also played full Floyd setups that couldn't stay in tune, so my added advice here is to absolutely scrutinize the setup process.  No matter what equipment you choose to utilize, the setup is where it is going to hit paydirt or go belly up.

Do you mean that if I use for example an Explorer headstock with a Wilkinson Trem it won't stay in tune but it will with other peg heads such as a Strat or Tele's?

 

[simple]

Do you mean that if I use for example an Explorer headstock with a Wilkinson Trem it won't stay in tune but it will with other peg heads such as a Strat or Tele's?

Pegheads that have a straight string pull to the tuners bind less in the string nut slot and help tuning stability whether you use a tremolo bridge or a hardtail bridge of ANY kind.

 

[givememytoys]

wilkinsons are nice they work and feel great i only use moderate trem action with mine and it never goes out of tune.
i use only two springs on my trems seems to be smoother this way resistace is almost the same all the way through out the range. i have found that with three springs it gets to stiff the deeper  the trem is used but this is just my personal observation. these wont replace a floyd for crazy trem action but they are as good of a non locking trem. ive ever owned/ tried.

 

[thumb55]

This is my 2nd Wilkinson strat (building my 3rd) and I don't really have tuning issues (no more than a floyd anyway)  I uses Sperzel's and a LSR nut with a standard Strat headstock.  (angled not compatable with the LSR)

I don't think I'll ever go back to the floyd.  My next project might even be a tune-o-matic (string through body) with a LSR and Sperzels.