Anyone got experience with Wilkinson hardware?

[SepultuRick]

Hi just wondering if anyone had experience with Wilkinson hardware?
Vibrato Wilkinson® WVP (VRS100’s) and E-Z-LOK string lock system especially. I am thinking of buying a vintage vrs prs copy. thanks. Vintage is the brand of the guitar by the way!

 

[kmcguitars]

Re: Anyone got experience with Wilkinson hardware?

I have a Wilkinson trem on my PRS copy. It's a pretty good design, But Gotoh
makes them now. I've seen some with a set screw for the trem bar Like the original Wilkinson's that came on fender's. Mine is made by Gotoh and the bar pushes in. I don't like it like that. On a vintage Style fender 6 bolt the bar screws in. when you need the bar You just pull it up and Wammy. You let go... It falls back to where it was B4. The Gotoh I have stays in that position. You have to push it outta the way. So now the bar has a permant spot in my parts bin.

 

[Mincer]

Re: Anyone got experience with Wilkinson hardware?

i use a wilk on my brian moore- it uses a set screw so you can set the tension on the bar- i like when it stays in one position- i always set my stra that way too..

 

[octavedoctor]

Re: Anyone got experience with Wilkinson hardware?

THe wilkinson trems fitted to the Patrick Eggle LA series were great, but people didn't understand how to use them. They are fiddly to set up and if you allow the guitar to drift from concert pitch the lock mechanism doesn't locate. A lot of people assume that the guitar is at fault when in fact it's pilot error.

I don't have any time for all the roller nut rubbish though. a friend an I calculated that they offer an estimated 8 to 9 times more friction to the string than a properly cut nut.

 

[MikeS]

Re: Anyone got experience with Wilkinson hardware?

I own both a VS100N (2 point) and VSVG (6 screw) from Wilkinson.

Both are solidly built bridges. The 2 points are very stable and the arm (at least on my 2 pointer) has a set screw. The 6 screw does not have a set screw. Both can be a little tricky to set up at first (especially the 6 screw, mostly because of the way they’ve tried to incorporate the stamped saddle type design with the saddle adjustment system of the 2 pointer. However, once set up, both are incredibly stable bridges (in my experience, they are the most stable non-locking trems I’ve played).

 

[Trilogy]

Re: Anyone got experience with Wilkinson hardware?

I'm going with a Wilky on my next guitar.

Hey Mike, is string breakage an issue with them?

 

[Ironjose]

Re: Anyone got experience with Wilkinson hardware?

oh, i have many doubts about it, but the one that has screw my head over some time is that is the wilky toneless like a floyd trem?
JJ

 

[BoomBoomChild]

Re: Anyone got experience with Wilkinson hardware?

The VS100 type Wilkinson is an excellent bridge and design, very stable. I have one on my Warmoth baritone with D’Addario 14’s! It stays in tune and I use the bar a lot, it’s part of my style. However, I would recommend getting yourself a needle file set and filing the saddle slots so your strings have a nice smooth surface to run across (I recommend that for any bridge, though).

 

[MikeS]

Re: Anyone got experience with Wilkinson hardware?

Trilogy, I don't break strings, so I can't tell you if it's an issue with Wilk more than any other bridge. The saddles sure looked fine or else I would have filed them.

 

[Zerberus]

Re: Anyone got experience with Wilkinson hardware?

I have a Wilkinson trem on my PRS copy. It's a pretty good design, But Gotoh
makes them now. I've seen some with a set screw for the trem bar Like the original Wilkinson's that came on fender's. Mine is made by Gotoh and the bar pushes in. I don't like it like that. On a vintage Style fender 6 bolt the bar screws in. when you need the bar You just pull it up and Wammy. You let go... It falls back to where it was B4. The Gotoh I have stays in that position. You have to push it outta the way. So now the bar has a permant spot in my parts bin.

Ehm, the VS-100 has always had a push in bar, even the older MIA ones... the setscrew on the butt end of the collar was for setting bar tension so that it would "fall away" like you prefer if so desired...

THe main difference between the Gotoh and the USA made ones is that the screws on teh Gotoh are metric, and therefore most aren´t interchangeable...including teh trem arm collar....

BTW, OFR arm/collar assemblies also fit Wilkinsons with a minimal bit of fiddling

 

[shredaholic]

Re: Anyone got experience with Wilkinson hardware?

If it's a 'Vintage' brand guitar, that trem's probably gonna be the best part on it. Every person I know that has one of those guitars has had problems with them, so you might need to replace some parts when you get it like screws, pickups, plates, jacks etc. Once you do that though the guitar should be pretty nice.