treyhaislip
Well-known member
Anyone have any experience with the Gotoh VS100 tremolos? Thinking about putting one on a build. Thanks!
Gotoh VS100 Tremolo - Thoughts?
- Thread starter treyhaislip
- Start date
Snake Aces
Singlecut Slut
Re: Gotoh VS100 Tremolo - Thoughts?
I do, I have the Gotoh Wilkinson VS100 on my Warmoth carved top LP.
It's a great tremolo IMO. I love the locking posts and the locking saddles. Easy to set heights individually or even side to side with all the adjustment options. Plenty of sustain, great tone and is stable for tuning. The only tuning issue I have on mine is caused by a nut that is binding on the G string. I will get that fixed soon.
I run mine using a traditional claw with 3 springs on a 24.75" scale neck. I have great low action with low string tension that is incredibly stable. IMO it's the best trem I have used yet!
I do, I have the Gotoh Wilkinson VS100 on my Warmoth carved top LP.
It's a great tremolo IMO. I love the locking posts and the locking saddles. Easy to set heights individually or even side to side with all the adjustment options. Plenty of sustain, great tone and is stable for tuning. The only tuning issue I have on mine is caused by a nut that is binding on the G string. I will get that fixed soon.
I run mine using a traditional claw with 3 springs on a 24.75" scale neck. I have great low action with low string tension that is incredibly stable. IMO it's the best trem I have used yet!
treyhaislip
Well-known member
Re: Gotoh VS100 Tremolo - Thoughts?
Sweet! Sounds like a good choice to go with, thanks for the info!
Sweet! Sounds like a good choice to go with, thanks for the info!
Lake Placid Blues
New member
Re: Gotoh VS100 Tremolo - Thoughts?
I used one on a build I did for someone else and I have an original Wilk on one of my own guitars. Good sustain and tone in both cases. Way more bending range than vintage style trems, and smoother, and it stays in tune good with locking tuners and a well cut nut. I like them better than Floyds.
http://www.warmoth.com/Gotoh-Wilkinson-Tremolo-VS100-Chrome-P621.aspx
I used one on a build I did for someone else and I have an original Wilk on one of my own guitars. Good sustain and tone in both cases. Way more bending range than vintage style trems, and smoother, and it stays in tune good with locking tuners and a well cut nut. I like them better than Floyds.
http://www.warmoth.com/Gotoh-Wilkinson-Tremolo-VS100-Chrome-P621.aspx
Snake Aces
Singlecut Slut
Re: Gotoh VS100 Tremolo - Thoughts?
I forgot to mention I do not use locking tuners either, just standard Gotoh tuners from Warmoth for me.
I forgot to mention I do not use locking tuners either, just standard Gotoh tuners from Warmoth for me.
treyhaislip
Well-known member
Re: Gotoh VS100 Tremolo - Thoughts?
Good to hear–I was planning on Gotoh Vintage Style tuners
Good to hear–I was planning on Gotoh Vintage Style tuners
treyhaislip
Well-known member
Re: Gotoh VS100 Tremolo - Thoughts?
I am hoping to like them better than Floyds...I am building an HSH Basswood Strat and wanted a non-locking/Floyd 2 point bridge.
I am hoping to like them better than Floyds...I am building an HSH Basswood Strat and wanted a non-locking/Floyd 2 point bridge.
Chris of Arabia
Desert RATT
Re: Gotoh VS100 Tremolo - Thoughts?
yes, Yes, YES!
yes, Yes, YES!
ItsaBass
New member
Re: Gotoh VS100 Tremolo - Thoughts?
It's a very good vibrato, if the looks work on the guitar it's on. It doesn't look right on some guitars IMO.
Just in case you wanted locking tuners too, vintage-style tuners vs. locking tuners is no longer a one-or-the-other choice. You can now get locking vintage-style tuners from Gotoh. You can also get them with height adjustable posts as an option. In fact, they are my favorite locking tuners ever made, in terms of how the locking mechanism works. And getting the height-adjustable posts makes them even better on a Fender-style headstock. One thing I don't like about them, though, is the tiny screws they come with. They are really tiny! The shafts of the screws are much smaller than the screw holes in the tuners, so they aren't as tight against the tuner holes as they should be. And I can't see threads that small having much holding ability in wood anyhow. I always put standard-sized vintage tuner screws on the Gotohs instead of the screws that come with them.
It's a very good vibrato, if the looks work on the guitar it's on. It doesn't look right on some guitars IMO.
Just in case you wanted locking tuners too, vintage-style tuners vs. locking tuners is no longer a one-or-the-other choice. You can now get locking vintage-style tuners from Gotoh. You can also get them with height adjustable posts as an option. In fact, they are my favorite locking tuners ever made, in terms of how the locking mechanism works. And getting the height-adjustable posts makes them even better on a Fender-style headstock. One thing I don't like about them, though, is the tiny screws they come with. They are really tiny! The shafts of the screws are much smaller than the screw holes in the tuners, so they aren't as tight against the tuner holes as they should be. And I can't see threads that small having much holding ability in wood anyhow. I always put standard-sized vintage tuner screws on the Gotohs instead of the screws that come with them.
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treyhaislip
Well-known member
Re: Gotoh VS100 Tremolo - Thoughts?
Sweet! I'm glad to hear good things about it!
Well, I got a black one to go on a white HSH Strat with a black pickguard...I'm hoping it looks alright lol
Thanks for the info! A friend has tried to convince me to go with locking tuners...for all but one of my builds I've gone with Gotoh vintage tuners and I love them (went with a set of Charvel Jackson tuners for a used Musikraft neck for another build going on right now.)
Sweet! I'm glad to hear good things about it!
Well, I got a black one to go on a white HSH Strat with a black pickguard...I'm hoping it looks alright lol
Thanks for the info! A friend has tried to convince me to go with locking tuners...for all but one of my builds I've gone with Gotoh vintage tuners and I love them (went with a set of Charvel Jackson tuners for a used Musikraft neck for another build going on right now.)
Snake Aces
Singlecut Slut
Chris of Arabia
Desert RATT
F
Funkfingers
Guest
Re: Gotoh VS100 Vibrato - Thoughts?
Re: Gotoh VS100 Vibrato - Thoughts?
I have one of the original VS-100 vibrato bridges with the locking ferrule mechanism device set in the aluminium spring cavity cover plate. (I soon removed the locking device.) The bridge works extremely well. I use it with Sperzel locking 'heads.
Re: Gotoh VS100 Vibrato - Thoughts?
I have one of the original VS-100 vibrato bridges with the locking ferrule mechanism device set in the aluminium spring cavity cover plate. (I soon removed the locking device.) The bridge works extremely well. I use it with Sperzel locking 'heads.
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HALENisking
New member
Re: Gotoh VS100 Tremolo - Thoughts?
Hey trey, wondering how you ended up liking the trem? Thinking about going for it on a guthrie govan style build... Trying to decide between a VS100, 510 trem, or a supervee
Hey trey, wondering how you ended up liking the trem? Thinking about going for it on a guthrie govan style build... Trying to decide between a VS100, 510 trem, or a supervee
mrpinter
New member
Re: Gotoh VS100 Tremolo - Thoughts?
To the users of the Wilkinson VS100 with a Warmoth 3 x 3 tilt back headstock (and probably other makes of necks as well): if you're not having a problem with tuning stability you're just not using the whammy bar vigorously. For the Gibson style headstocks Warmoth cuts their nuts with the slots at slight angles to follow the string path. This is just enough that the strings (especially the G string) bind in the nut with tremolo use and then don't let go evenly. I had a new nut put on with straight slots, and it helped a lot, but didn't completely solve the problem. But two or three of the strings are just going out 3 or 4 cents now. I'm having a block put in the tremolo cavity to prevent upward travel of the whammy. This SHOULD fix it... fingers are crossed. The Strat style of tremolos - like the Wilkinson - in my opinion were made to use with in-line headstocks (and with locking tuners and a self lubricating nut they work perfectly in that configuration). Sorry to rain on the parade.
To the users of the Wilkinson VS100 with a Warmoth 3 x 3 tilt back headstock (and probably other makes of necks as well): if you're not having a problem with tuning stability you're just not using the whammy bar vigorously. For the Gibson style headstocks Warmoth cuts their nuts with the slots at slight angles to follow the string path. This is just enough that the strings (especially the G string) bind in the nut with tremolo use and then don't let go evenly. I had a new nut put on with straight slots, and it helped a lot, but didn't completely solve the problem. But two or three of the strings are just going out 3 or 4 cents now. I'm having a block put in the tremolo cavity to prevent upward travel of the whammy. This SHOULD fix it... fingers are crossed. The Strat style of tremolos - like the Wilkinson - in my opinion were made to use with in-line headstocks (and with locking tuners and a self lubricating nut they work perfectly in that configuration). Sorry to rain on the parade.
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Re: Gotoh VS100 Tremolo - Thoughts?
Perhaps the luthier or dude who sets up the guitar should uhm... cut the nut properly? Cut the nut at an angle with a relief at the 'tuner side' of the nut, so the string can move freely. I can do deep dives (with locking tuners, granted) on my les paul and no worries. I have to agree, I changed the head stock angle dramatically (going from 17 degrees to 5!) and the strings can move freely.
Perhaps the luthier or dude who sets up the guitar should uhm... cut the nut properly? Cut the nut at an angle with a relief at the 'tuner side' of the nut, so the string can move freely. I can do deep dives (with locking tuners, granted) on my les paul and no worries. I have to agree, I changed the head stock angle dramatically (going from 17 degrees to 5!) and the strings can move freely.
Re: Gotoh VS100 Tremolo - Thoughts?
Let's dive a bit deeper into my previous post.
I have a profound fondness for the Hipshot contour trem because of the big steel block, the pop in arm and the bearings used for the fulcrum instead of knife edges. These bearings simply can't wear out.
the bladerunner also has the stability-thing as a selling point: a leaf of spring steel.
The ABM bridge I love has a baseplate of superhard cold rolled steel. I don't know why but I really like that unit. it has a bell-like ring to it in stead of a chime I associate with a steel block.
The V100 isn't a bad trem, per se. There are simply better alternatives out there.
Let's dive a bit deeper into my previous post.
I have a profound fondness for the Hipshot contour trem because of the big steel block, the pop in arm and the bearings used for the fulcrum instead of knife edges. These bearings simply can't wear out.
the bladerunner also has the stability-thing as a selling point: a leaf of spring steel.
The ABM bridge I love has a baseplate of superhard cold rolled steel. I don't know why but I really like that unit. it has a bell-like ring to it in stead of a chime I associate with a steel block.
The V100 isn't a bad trem, per se. There are simply better alternatives out there.
