wilkinson vs100 trem height question

[QehQeh]

Hello All:
My first post/question... This is my first Warmoth build - Compound radius neck, alder strat body, Wilkinson vs100 trem. I just got through stringing the guitar, following the 10 step Strat setup guide in Dan Erlewine's Guitar Player Repair Guide. I've got the wooden wedge holding the trem in position.
I have the bridge saddles adjusted to where the E string saddles are at their lowest position and the other saddles are raised to match the neck radius. Right now, the 2 trem pivot posts are set to where the bridge plate is floating 1/8" off of the guitar body and the strings are still touching the frets. What is an acceptable height for the bridge plate to be off the body? If I raise the E string saddles I can probabaly get the right string height, but then the other string saddles will have to be adjusted pretty much at the end of their adjustment range. Is more than 1/8" of clearance between the bridge plate and body acceptable, or should I shim the neck?
Thanks much for any advice.
QehQeh

 

[bagman67]

Does your playing involve a lot of pulling up on the twang bar?  If not, 1/8" of play should be plenty and then some.  If yes, then perhaps a recessed Wilky would be the right approach (not that it does you much good now, if you're talking about a finished axe).

 

[AutoBat]

Double check the neck pocket to ensure your neck is fully pressed down with the screws.
Just because the screws are tight does not mean the neck is fully seated.
It also may take a week or two for the truss rod & wood to get used to string tension. (You did follow the tension settings before stringing, right?)

 

[QehQeh]

Thanks for the replies.

1/8" of play should be plenty and then some…

The problem is; in order to get the correct string height, I’m going to have to go higher than 1/8”. I don’t want that.

Just because the screws are tight does not mean the neck is fully seated.
It also may take a week or two for the truss rod & wood to get used to string tension. (You did follow the tension settings before stringing, right?)

The neck is fully seated. The truss rod is adjusted to where there is around .003” relief under string tension.


Last night I did some measuring... I laid a straight edge on top of the body (pick guard is not on yet) and noticed that the neck (edge of the fret board) is not parallel to the top of the body; it tilts down slightly, toward the peg head.

Should the neck/fret board be perfectly parallel to the body?
Thanks again for any advice.

 

[Cagey]

Should the neck/fret board be perfectly parallel to the body?

Yes, unless called for otherwise. It should not be angled for a Wilkinson VS100.

It sounds like you have an angled neck pocket. With some taller bridges, such as the TOM, you need to angle the neck pocket so when the neck is mounted it will do what you describe and still leave a range of adjustment that puts the strings at the right height. If you bought that body from Warmoth, the sales order should say whether or not an angled pocket was called out.

 

[QehQeh]

Thanks Cagey. I ordered the neck, body and trem all at the same time from Warmoth so I would ASS-U-ME that the neck pocket should be right... I'm going to take the neck off tonight and do some more measuring. The neck fits reeeeally tight in the pocket (I haven't adjusted for paint clearance yet) so perhaps it's hanging up someplace.

 

[QehQeh]

Thanks the replies.
If someone could post a photo or two of their vs100 trem setup on a Strat, that shows the height of the trem plate off the body and the height of the saddles off the trem plate, I would REEEALLY appreciate it.
Thanks again,
QehQeh

 

[Steve_Karl]

 

[Cagey]

Hope this is helpful...

Also, I put a gauge on it and it's .275" from the top of the bridge base plate to the top of the guitar body. According to this drawing...

...the base plate thickness is .118", so that means I have .157" clearance, or about 5/32". Just a BCH over an eighth.

 

[QehQeh]

Steve_Karl and Cagey: Thanks so much, this is VERY helpful. You guys rock!!!
arty07:<--Steve  :guitarplayer2:<--Cagey

 

[Steve_Karl]

Glad to help.

Let us know what your discover about your setup.

 

[QehQeh]

Glad to help.

Let us know what your discover about your setup.

I think I'm OK... my set up looks pretty much like yours and Cagey's. It was just bugging me that the trem plate was so far (1/8") off of the body and the E string saddles still needed to be raised some. I guess I'm just used to seeing the trad/vintage trems where they are actually laying flat or at least the front pivot edge is touching the body. It would be nice if Warmoth/Wilkinson would provide some specs/tolerances on how they should be mounted.
Thanks again!

 

[Steve_Karl]

Good.
Glad you're feeling ok with it now.

 

[Cagey]

It would be nice if Warmoth/Wilkinson would provide some specs/tolerances on how they should be mounted. Thanks again!

They do, to some degree. As far as they're concerned, all it needs is to be mounted within a range of tolerance. So, they give you drawings about where the mounts should go and what the part dimensions are. After that, it's all up to the setup guy/player. That's why there are all those adjustments. You can set up one of those bridges so it's sitting right on the body, or 1/2" off the top. Then, you can move the saddles up and down about a 1/4" and forward/back about 1/2". Those would be ridiculous settings, of course, but the range is there in case you need it for whatever gyrations make sense to the player, or to compensate for variations in the build quality of the instrument.

Finding out what makes the most sense for most folks is what these forums are for, and that's what you've done. So, it's all good.

 

[swarfrat]

Eek. Necro post but ...

so I'm WANTING to set up so it's flat against the body, and it just doesn't look like I'll have anywhere near enough saddle height. I do have tall fret wire, but I dont' think fret wire size difference would be  significant when it comes to setup.

Is flat against the body doable with a front routed/pickguard neck with tall fret wire? Should I just shim under the trem base plate?

 

[Cagey]

I never set mine up that way, but it looks like it's doable. My base plate sits off the body about 1/8"-3/16" or so, and my saddles are down pretty close to the plate so there's lots of height adjustment left. I have 6100 frets installed, which is about as tall a fret as you can get. Have you tried it yet, or are you just concerned?

 

[swarfrat]

Tried it. I'm thinking I must not have the neck fully seated in front. When I take it off I'll have to make sure there isn't any finish dribbles or frog hair preventing it from seating all the way.

 

[Cagey]

Yeah, it doesn't take much to move the head back.

 

[swarfrat]

I forgot about commenting on this post after cleaning out the neck pocket but... there's a very very good reason to float on a piezo equipped guitar....

You get piezo bumps whenever the arm tenses up against the bushing, and whenever the base goes back flat against the guitar. The latter is especially noticable. wigle wigle WHOMP.  I think I'm also going to have to dampen my springs as well as strings behind the nut.

 

[Cagey]

I never thought of that, but it makes perfect sense.