Has anyone tried the BladeRunner from Super Vee? Very curious!
- Thread starter SJ318
- Start date
ItsaBass
New member
Re: Has anyone tried the BladeRunner from Super Vee? Very curious!
Long post comin' up...
I have a Bladerunner on my Mexican Strat.
It is "just OK," and overpriced IMO.
As far as an improvement in staying in tune when using the vibrato, there is a nice difference, but not a game changing one. I have Sperzel locking tuners, which I wrap about half a turn, and a professionally installed and slotted white Tusq XL nut. I imagine that without these helpful features up at the head, there would be even less of an improvement in stability due to installing a Bladerunner.
Over half of the height adjustment screws on the unit I got were visibly oversized and/or rounded out in the hex holes, and would not adjust with the supplied wrench (which is very cheap) or with my own "good" Allen wrench. The company sent me replacements, and about 1/3 of those were stripped out as well. Luckily they sent me enough that between them and the good original ones, I was able to cobble together a working, though not perfect, set.
The saddles, screws, springs, and claw seem cheaply made (or at least cheaply plated). The fellow at Super Vee claims that they have put all this research into their design and material selection, but the saddles still look pretty cheesy to me.
The bridge plate and block seem well made enough.
They don't show you in the pix on the Website, but the standard vibrato arm does not have a plastic tip. That arm is $15 extra, and they don't come in white, only off white. I passed once I found out, and just kept the supplied arm with no tip.
The vibrato arm sits up very high, and at a fairly steep angle. I went to the metal shop at my college and one of the instructors bent it down for me with some sort of special rod bender tool.
The hold-down screws for the vibrato unit have threads too large to fit through the ovoid holes. You have to work them in...carefully, so you don't scratch the metal.
The four screw setup just so that they can display their brand name looks bad IMO.
The claw screw hole spacing did not match my stock claw's hole spacing, so I had to use its original claw. According to the guy at Super Vee, I am the first to ever mention such an issue, and some of their test guitars are MIMs. So, I don't know what's up with that. The holes in the Super Vee claw don't match any of my Strat claws, USA, MIJ, or MIM, so the problem is obviously theirs.
They require an Allen wrench for intonation adjustment.
I use 11's with a wound G, and the saddles sit pretty far forward, when normally I would set them pretty far back with the 11's. My D and G saddles are adjusted right up to the edge of the bridge plate, almost overhanging the "blade." If I used 10's or 9's with a plain G, I doubt I would be able to intonate the D string properly. If I used 9's or 10's with a wound G, the G would not be able to be set to intonate properly either. The proper spot for the saddles would be over the spring, right on the joint. And this is after I moved the vibrato slightly forward by way of doweling the original bridge holes.
It does not "feel" like a classic Strat vibrato, nor does it sound like one. It's pretty close, but definitely different. Not a problem for me, just something to be aware of before you order one.
It looks noticeably different than a classic Strat vibrato; it looks modern. Not a problem for me, but something to be aware of.
It will not accept an ashtray cover, and Super Vee do not make one for it.
I really wish that all of this was not my experience with the Bladerunner; I had high hopes, and I had actually played them on guitars in shops and thought they seemed OK. Over all, it's a nice design that I feel is mediocre and sloppy in its execution. What they've got is a lot of talk about this product as if it was this extremely well built thing, but the product itself doesn't back up the talk. They've obviously cut corners and/or slacked in their production of the unit. It feels like an outsourced version of a US-made product that was originally well built and well designed. An "Asian Floyd," if you will.
Is it better than the stock vibrato in terms of tuning stability? Yes. Will it blow you away in its greatness? No way; not even close. If it was $80 instead of $160, I'd recommend it. As it comes, with that "boutique" price tag on it, I do not recommend it. It is not bad enough that I will be selling it off, but I certainly won't be buying another. And that's really too bad, as I have three other Strats that are potential candidates.
Here is the bridge on the guitar before I set it up, modified the arm, and replaced the problematic saddle height screws:
Long post comin' up...
I have a Bladerunner on my Mexican Strat.
It is "just OK," and overpriced IMO.
As far as an improvement in staying in tune when using the vibrato, there is a nice difference, but not a game changing one. I have Sperzel locking tuners, which I wrap about half a turn, and a professionally installed and slotted white Tusq XL nut. I imagine that without these helpful features up at the head, there would be even less of an improvement in stability due to installing a Bladerunner.
Over half of the height adjustment screws on the unit I got were visibly oversized and/or rounded out in the hex holes, and would not adjust with the supplied wrench (which is very cheap) or with my own "good" Allen wrench. The company sent me replacements, and about 1/3 of those were stripped out as well. Luckily they sent me enough that between them and the good original ones, I was able to cobble together a working, though not perfect, set.
The saddles, screws, springs, and claw seem cheaply made (or at least cheaply plated). The fellow at Super Vee claims that they have put all this research into their design and material selection, but the saddles still look pretty cheesy to me.
The bridge plate and block seem well made enough.
They don't show you in the pix on the Website, but the standard vibrato arm does not have a plastic tip. That arm is $15 extra, and they don't come in white, only off white. I passed once I found out, and just kept the supplied arm with no tip.
The vibrato arm sits up very high, and at a fairly steep angle. I went to the metal shop at my college and one of the instructors bent it down for me with some sort of special rod bender tool.
The hold-down screws for the vibrato unit have threads too large to fit through the ovoid holes. You have to work them in...carefully, so you don't scratch the metal.
The four screw setup just so that they can display their brand name looks bad IMO.
The claw screw hole spacing did not match my stock claw's hole spacing, so I had to use its original claw. According to the guy at Super Vee, I am the first to ever mention such an issue, and some of their test guitars are MIMs. So, I don't know what's up with that. The holes in the Super Vee claw don't match any of my Strat claws, USA, MIJ, or MIM, so the problem is obviously theirs.
They require an Allen wrench for intonation adjustment.
I use 11's with a wound G, and the saddles sit pretty far forward, when normally I would set them pretty far back with the 11's. My D and G saddles are adjusted right up to the edge of the bridge plate, almost overhanging the "blade." If I used 10's or 9's with a plain G, I doubt I would be able to intonate the D string properly. If I used 9's or 10's with a wound G, the G would not be able to be set to intonate properly either. The proper spot for the saddles would be over the spring, right on the joint. And this is after I moved the vibrato slightly forward by way of doweling the original bridge holes.
It does not "feel" like a classic Strat vibrato, nor does it sound like one. It's pretty close, but definitely different. Not a problem for me, just something to be aware of before you order one.
It looks noticeably different than a classic Strat vibrato; it looks modern. Not a problem for me, but something to be aware of.
It will not accept an ashtray cover, and Super Vee do not make one for it.
I really wish that all of this was not my experience with the Bladerunner; I had high hopes, and I had actually played them on guitars in shops and thought they seemed OK. Over all, it's a nice design that I feel is mediocre and sloppy in its execution. What they've got is a lot of talk about this product as if it was this extremely well built thing, but the product itself doesn't back up the talk. They've obviously cut corners and/or slacked in their production of the unit. It feels like an outsourced version of a US-made product that was originally well built and well designed. An "Asian Floyd," if you will.
Is it better than the stock vibrato in terms of tuning stability? Yes. Will it blow you away in its greatness? No way; not even close. If it was $80 instead of $160, I'd recommend it. As it comes, with that "boutique" price tag on it, I do not recommend it. It is not bad enough that I will be selling it off, but I certainly won't be buying another. And that's really too bad, as I have three other Strats that are potential candidates.
Here is the bridge on the guitar before I set it up, modified the arm, and replaced the problematic saddle height screws:
Last edited:
Re: Has anyone tried the BladeRunner from Super Vee? Very curious!
To ItsaBass,
I am disappointed you don't feel like you got a great product for you money. However, if the stability of the tuning is better than a stock
Fender, then that seems like a pretty good trade off. As I said in my post, I used the same kind of "Memory Metal" on the ear piece or "temple"
on glasses from the Marchon Frame company. I never saw that metal ever break. I had to put them in a very hot sand/salt mixture, take it out
and shape it fast. Got to hold it in place while it cooled.
Yours doesn't look like the add. The picture in the add looks much more sleek. It looked like a smart replacement. Thanks for chiming in!
Steve Buffington
To ItsaBass,
I am disappointed you don't feel like you got a great product for you money. However, if the stability of the tuning is better than a stock
Fender, then that seems like a pretty good trade off. As I said in my post, I used the same kind of "Memory Metal" on the ear piece or "temple"
on glasses from the Marchon Frame company. I never saw that metal ever break. I had to put them in a very hot sand/salt mixture, take it out
and shape it fast. Got to hold it in place while it cooled.
Yours doesn't look like the add. The picture in the add looks much more sleek. It looked like a smart replacement. Thanks for chiming in!
Steve Buffington
Re: Has anyone tried the BladeRunner from Super Vee? Very curious!
Hey, I haven't tried a Bladerunner but I have found what I consider the best vintage style tremolo system on the market.
It is by Wudtone, http://www.wudtone.com/category/hardware/ I have the Constant pivot Bridge plate with shim, the 1018 cold steel sustain block and the neckplate & screws. IMO a killer combination.
The neck plate is solid as can be as it is stainless steel as are the extra long and thick neck screws made from stainless steel. This creates a wonderfully tight neck to body connection that adds heaps to the resonance and overall tonal clarity.
Then there is the Constant Pivot bridge plate with shim and the 1018 steel block. These are amazing. I have never got so much sustain from a strat style guitar before & I have been using solid steel trem blocks forever.
As for my Constant Pivot tremolo bridge....
I have been gigging with this guitar for the past few weeks, 3 gigs a week after doing the recess job and I must say…. the before recess & after recess of the shim made the most noticeable difference to my over all sustain and tonal resonance.
To compare, some time ago I built my first set neck Les Paul style guitar and when cranked it has all the sweet spots for infinite sustain as you might expect from a quality built guitar. The LP was finished with Wudtone Mahogany for the back & neck and Saffron for the flamed maple top I put on it. The body & neck are mahogany wood and it screams…..
Back to my strat style finished with Wudtone Cherry Flamenco…(pictured)
I originally had a nice tremolo bridge with a solid steel block on it but through some conversations with Andy from Wudtone, went for his C.P. bridge, block & neckplate with screws.
The build quality is 2nd to none and the solid, high mass machined block is absolute perfection.
This guitar now has sooo many sweet spots that my poor LP gets left at home (I am a strat man first & foremost anyway) and the sonic tones are soo buttery and sweet that when cranked still have clear articulation of each note even though your ears are bleeding.
I must say that without a doubt this is the best tremolo bridge out there by far.
The big names have a lesson or two to learn about quality over heritage.
If you are thinking of doing that special build for yourself or for your own brand name building, look no further that this as an essential part of the hardware to make your guitars stand out above & beyond the rest.
Also, if you are handy with a dremel or chisels, I recommend trying the recessing of the steel shim, you will be amazed at the difference. I know that there was a greatly improved tonal & sustain difference once I fitted this CP bridge, but for me, a seeker of the holy grail of tone, the recessing of the shim took me even higher and deeper into my world of tone. (As you might tell from the pics I recessed the steel shim into the body so I could get more of the bridge plate in contact with the body).
Cheers to Andy & Wudtone for making such a great tremolo bridge along with all your great wood finishes.
Many thanks
Hey, I haven't tried a Bladerunner but I have found what I consider the best vintage style tremolo system on the market.It is by Wudtone, http://www.wudtone.com/category/hardware/ I have the Constant pivot Bridge plate with shim, the 1018 cold steel sustain block and the neckplate & screws. IMO a killer combination.
The neck plate is solid as can be as it is stainless steel as are the extra long and thick neck screws made from stainless steel. This creates a wonderfully tight neck to body connection that adds heaps to the resonance and overall tonal clarity.
Then there is the Constant Pivot bridge plate with shim and the 1018 steel block. These are amazing. I have never got so much sustain from a strat style guitar before & I have been using solid steel trem blocks forever.
As for my Constant Pivot tremolo bridge....
I have been gigging with this guitar for the past few weeks, 3 gigs a week after doing the recess job and I must say…. the before recess & after recess of the shim made the most noticeable difference to my over all sustain and tonal resonance.
To compare, some time ago I built my first set neck Les Paul style guitar and when cranked it has all the sweet spots for infinite sustain as you might expect from a quality built guitar. The LP was finished with Wudtone Mahogany for the back & neck and Saffron for the flamed maple top I put on it. The body & neck are mahogany wood and it screams…..
Back to my strat style finished with Wudtone Cherry Flamenco…(pictured)
I originally had a nice tremolo bridge with a solid steel block on it but through some conversations with Andy from Wudtone, went for his C.P. bridge, block & neckplate with screws.
The build quality is 2nd to none and the solid, high mass machined block is absolute perfection.
This guitar now has sooo many sweet spots that my poor LP gets left at home (I am a strat man first & foremost anyway) and the sonic tones are soo buttery and sweet that when cranked still have clear articulation of each note even though your ears are bleeding.
I must say that without a doubt this is the best tremolo bridge out there by far.
The big names have a lesson or two to learn about quality over heritage.
If you are thinking of doing that special build for yourself or for your own brand name building, look no further that this as an essential part of the hardware to make your guitars stand out above & beyond the rest.
Also, if you are handy with a dremel or chisels, I recommend trying the recessing of the steel shim, you will be amazed at the difference. I know that there was a greatly improved tonal & sustain difference once I fitted this CP bridge, but for me, a seeker of the holy grail of tone, the recessing of the shim took me even higher and deeper into my world of tone. (As you might tell from the pics I recessed the steel shim into the body so I could get more of the bridge plate in contact with the body).
Cheers to Andy & Wudtone for making such a great tremolo bridge along with all your great wood finishes.
Many thanks
Re: Has anyone tried the BladeRunner from Super Vee? Very curious!
Hey, I haven't tried a Bladerunner but I have found what I consider the best vintage style tremolo system on the market.
It is by Wudtone, http://www.wudtone.com/category/hardware/ I have the Constant pivot Bridge plate with shim, the 1018 cold steel sustain block and the neckplate & screws. IMO a killer combination.
The neck plate is solid as can be as it is stainless steel as are the extra long and thick neck screws made from stainless steel. This creates a wonderfully tight neck to body connection that adds heaps to the resonance and overall tonal clarity.
Then there is the Constant Pivot bridge plate with shim and the 1018 steel block. These are amazing. I have never got so much sustain from a strat style guitar before & I have been using solid steel trem blocks forever.
As for my Constant Pivot tremolo bridge....
I have been gigging with this guitar for the past few weeks, 3 gigs a week after doing the recess job and I must say…. the before recess & after recess of the shim made the most noticeable difference to my over all sustain and tonal resonance.
To compare, some time ago I built my first set neck Les Paul style guitar and when cranked it has all the sweet spots for infinite sustain as you might expect from a quality built guitar. The LP was finished with Wudtone Mahogany for the back & neck and Saffron for the flamed maple top I put on it. The body & neck are mahogany wood and it screams…..
Back to my strat style finished with Wudtone Cherry Flamenco…(pictured)
I originally had a nice tremolo bridge with a solid steel block on it but through some conversations with Andy from Wudtone, went for his C.P. bridge, block & neckplate with screws.
The build quality is 2nd to none and the solid, high mass machined block is absolute perfection.
This guitar now has sooo many sweet spots that my poor LP gets left at home (I am a strat man first & foremost anyway) and the sonic tones are soo buttery and sweet that when cranked still have clear articulation of each note even though your ears are bleeding.
I must say that without a doubt this is the best tremolo bridge out there by far.
The big names have a lesson or two to learn about quality over heritage.
If you are thinking of doing that special build for yourself or for your own brand name building, look no further that this as an essential part of the hardware to make your guitars stand out above & beyond the rest.
Also, if you are handy with a dremel or chisels, I recommend trying the recessing of the steel shim, you will be amazed at the difference. I know that there was a greatly improved tonal & sustain difference once I fitted this CP bridge, but for me, a seeker of the holy grail of tone, the recessing of the shim took me even higher and deeper into my world of tone. (As you might tell from the pics I recessed the steel shim into the body so I could get more of the bridge plate in contact with the body).
Cheers to Andy & Wudtone for making such a great tremolo bridge along with all your great wood finishes.
Hey, I haven't tried a Bladerunner but I have found what I consider the best vintage style tremolo system on the market.
It is by Wudtone, http://www.wudtone.com/category/hardware/ I have the Constant pivot Bridge plate with shim, the 1018 cold steel sustain block and the neckplate & screws. IMO a killer combination.
The neck plate is solid as can be as it is stainless steel as are the extra long and thick neck screws made from stainless steel. This creates a wonderfully tight neck to body connection that adds heaps to the resonance and overall tonal clarity.
Then there is the Constant Pivot bridge plate with shim and the 1018 steel block. These are amazing. I have never got so much sustain from a strat style guitar before & I have been using solid steel trem blocks forever.
As for my Constant Pivot tremolo bridge....
I have been gigging with this guitar for the past few weeks, 3 gigs a week after doing the recess job and I must say…. the before recess & after recess of the shim made the most noticeable difference to my over all sustain and tonal resonance.
To compare, some time ago I built my first set neck Les Paul style guitar and when cranked it has all the sweet spots for infinite sustain as you might expect from a quality built guitar. The LP was finished with Wudtone Mahogany for the back & neck and Saffron for the flamed maple top I put on it. The body & neck are mahogany wood and it screams…..
Back to my strat style finished with Wudtone Cherry Flamenco…(pictured)
I originally had a nice tremolo bridge with a solid steel block on it but through some conversations with Andy from Wudtone, went for his C.P. bridge, block & neckplate with screws.
The build quality is 2nd to none and the solid, high mass machined block is absolute perfection.
This guitar now has sooo many sweet spots that my poor LP gets left at home (I am a strat man first & foremost anyway) and the sonic tones are soo buttery and sweet that when cranked still have clear articulation of each note even though your ears are bleeding.
I must say that without a doubt this is the best tremolo bridge out there by far.
The big names have a lesson or two to learn about quality over heritage.
If you are thinking of doing that special build for yourself or for your own brand name building, look no further that this as an essential part of the hardware to make your guitars stand out above & beyond the rest.
Also, if you are handy with a dremel or chisels, I recommend trying the recessing of the steel shim, you will be amazed at the difference. I know that there was a greatly improved tonal & sustain difference once I fitted this CP bridge, but for me, a seeker of the holy grail of tone, the recessing of the shim took me even higher and deeper into my world of tone. (As you might tell from the pics I recessed the steel shim into the body so I could get more of the bridge plate in contact with the body).
Cheers to Andy & Wudtone for making such a great tremolo bridge along with all your great wood finishes.
jojoguitarsd
New member
Re: Has anyone tried the BladeRunner from Super Vee? Very curious!
Hi there, I'm new here and spotted a link to your post from a chap concerned about the saddle quality with his Bladerunner on another forum.
My own experience echoes yours almost exactly.
I looked at trem options ( to upgrade a mex strat) recently and I could only find two products which claimed to help tuning stability of a 6 screw. ( I really don't like the tone of two point trems ), the Supervee Bladerunner or the Wudtone Constant Pivot Trem. I read lots about Callaham and looked at it. Although it is nicely engineered, it seems to be too similar to the original ( with plenty of forum posts about it having the same tuning issues).
Anyway, quite a few Bladerunner fans on forums ( didn't spot your post at the time). Not much on forums as yet about a new option from a company Wudtone. I knew, I wanted better tuning stability so unsure I took the plunge and bought both, Supervee and a Wudtone ( within the UK distance selling regs means whichever I didn't like was going back anyway).
SuperVee ( from Madison and Fifth) cost £137.10, ( only MIM string spacing option , you can't but a Vintage string spacing option) Wudtone Cost ( with Callaham Saddles) was £124.70 vintage spacing for a re-issue style guitar.
Main, immediately noticeable difference is the weight, the Supervee Bladerunner weighed just 233 grams, the Wudtone weighed 452grams (big difference mainly due to the block)
Fitted the Wudtone first, tightened to just touch the top surface when flat. A shim goes under the plate for it to sit on. Had to lower the saddles a little to get action back to correct height as the shim/plate combo is a little thicker but no big deal. Instant difference in acoustic volume, clarity , sustain, kinda enlarged the guitar sound but it still sounded like the same guitar. Big improvement in sustain. Felt very smooth and precise like a slightly damped 2 post. Kept tune no matter how much I abused it. Having seen it, I get why the design stays in tune, clue is in the "constant pivot" name.
Then fitted the Supervee, the screws supplied with the Supervee are a bit undersize ( compared to the original ones) but still were a tad big to get through the slots in the bladerunner, so I had to plug the holes to get a tight fit but no big deal. Again noticeable improvement with no tuning problems. It did change the character of the guitars tone though ( I think this is down to the light alloy block and saddles). The Supervee felt stiffer to use than the Wudtone and it also had some of that really annoying slack in the arm. Having looked, the threads are right up to the top of the block,. there is a soft screw you adjust to alter the stiffness of the swing( largely ineffective) . This did nothing to deal with any slack . There is always going to be ( like with fender blocks) some slack in threads when an arm is fitted this way. I think Supervee need to adopt some kind of bushing like in the Wudtone 1018 steel block.
Both of the bridges have their plus points but they are very different in their approach/feel in use / look and also the way they affect the sound of the guitar.
I'm several gigs into using this Wudtone constant pivot bridge. I don't think of it as a boutique upgrade more essential component to enable me to play the guitar as I want to. I know many folks think they can keep the original ones / Wilkinsons / Callahams in tune. I couldn't. I am using a bridge now where I don't have to worry / think about about tuning / set up etc or compromise my playing. That is to me is well worth the admission price, regardless of the value of the guitar.
So from experience now, I would say the Wudtone product offers an extraordinary improvement in tuning stability and improvements in sustain / tone and surprisingly for less money. Visually ( arm with tip) etc it all looks right to me aswell.
The Supervee seems ( without a vintage string spacing option ) to be aimed at the cheaper MIM guitar consumer market . I agree it is overpriced, relatively poor / stiff to use, has a different tone ( I agree saddles were cheap and the "Sustainium" (Aluminium ) Block ( er mojo red flag marketing spk) does not deliver like a real cold steel one does. I also agree it looks more modern and so didn't visually fit on a re-issue mex strat.
A couple of other minor but relevant differences in the packages as supplied. The Bladerunner included 3 springs, The Wudtone includes 4 and a vintage correct spaced claw.
The Bladerunner didn't include any claw mounting screws, the Wudtone included stainless steel screws ( same thread as their neck screws but with smaller diameter screw heads.)
Hi there, I'm new here and spotted a link to your post from a chap concerned about the saddle quality with his Bladerunner on another forum.
My own experience echoes yours almost exactly.
I looked at trem options ( to upgrade a mex strat) recently and I could only find two products which claimed to help tuning stability of a 6 screw. ( I really don't like the tone of two point trems ), the Supervee Bladerunner or the Wudtone Constant Pivot Trem. I read lots about Callaham and looked at it. Although it is nicely engineered, it seems to be too similar to the original ( with plenty of forum posts about it having the same tuning issues).
Anyway, quite a few Bladerunner fans on forums ( didn't spot your post at the time). Not much on forums as yet about a new option from a company Wudtone. I knew, I wanted better tuning stability so unsure I took the plunge and bought both, Supervee and a Wudtone ( within the UK distance selling regs means whichever I didn't like was going back anyway).
SuperVee ( from Madison and Fifth) cost £137.10, ( only MIM string spacing option , you can't but a Vintage string spacing option) Wudtone Cost ( with Callaham Saddles) was £124.70 vintage spacing for a re-issue style guitar.
Main, immediately noticeable difference is the weight, the Supervee Bladerunner weighed just 233 grams, the Wudtone weighed 452grams (big difference mainly due to the block)
Fitted the Wudtone first, tightened to just touch the top surface when flat. A shim goes under the plate for it to sit on. Had to lower the saddles a little to get action back to correct height as the shim/plate combo is a little thicker but no big deal. Instant difference in acoustic volume, clarity , sustain, kinda enlarged the guitar sound but it still sounded like the same guitar. Big improvement in sustain. Felt very smooth and precise like a slightly damped 2 post. Kept tune no matter how much I abused it. Having seen it, I get why the design stays in tune, clue is in the "constant pivot" name.
Then fitted the Supervee, the screws supplied with the Supervee are a bit undersize ( compared to the original ones) but still were a tad big to get through the slots in the bladerunner, so I had to plug the holes to get a tight fit but no big deal. Again noticeable improvement with no tuning problems. It did change the character of the guitars tone though ( I think this is down to the light alloy block and saddles). The Supervee felt stiffer to use than the Wudtone and it also had some of that really annoying slack in the arm. Having looked, the threads are right up to the top of the block,. there is a soft screw you adjust to alter the stiffness of the swing( largely ineffective) . This did nothing to deal with any slack . There is always going to be ( like with fender blocks) some slack in threads when an arm is fitted this way. I think Supervee need to adopt some kind of bushing like in the Wudtone 1018 steel block.
Both of the bridges have their plus points but they are very different in their approach/feel in use / look and also the way they affect the sound of the guitar.
I'm several gigs into using this Wudtone constant pivot bridge. I don't think of it as a boutique upgrade more essential component to enable me to play the guitar as I want to. I know many folks think they can keep the original ones / Wilkinsons / Callahams in tune. I couldn't. I am using a bridge now where I don't have to worry / think about about tuning / set up etc or compromise my playing. That is to me is well worth the admission price, regardless of the value of the guitar.
So from experience now, I would say the Wudtone product offers an extraordinary improvement in tuning stability and improvements in sustain / tone and surprisingly for less money. Visually ( arm with tip) etc it all looks right to me aswell.
The Supervee seems ( without a vintage string spacing option ) to be aimed at the cheaper MIM guitar consumer market . I agree it is overpriced, relatively poor / stiff to use, has a different tone ( I agree saddles were cheap and the "Sustainium" (Aluminium ) Block ( er mojo red flag marketing spk) does not deliver like a real cold steel one does. I also agree it looks more modern and so didn't visually fit on a re-issue mex strat.
A couple of other minor but relevant differences in the packages as supplied. The Bladerunner included 3 springs, The Wudtone includes 4 and a vintage correct spaced claw.
The Bladerunner didn't include any claw mounting screws, the Wudtone included stainless steel screws ( same thread as their neck screws but with smaller diameter screw heads.)
Last edited:
Rand-O-Monium
New member
Re: Has anyone tried the BladeRunner from Super Vee? Very curious!
Thanx for the head's up/reviews.
Thanx for the head's up/reviews.
Re: Has anyone tried the BladeRunner from Super Vee? Very curious!
After some time, how does the SuperVee hold up? Are the concerns still there? some of the concerns don't bother me ( string spacing, switch tip, and I'd replace the saddles with graph techs). The price is high for a vintage type trem. I am not after a vintage sound or looks, but I am not a fan of locking trems or the Wilkinson, so the Blade Runner is on the list to check out for a Warmoth project.
After some time, how does the SuperVee hold up? Are the concerns still there? some of the concerns don't bother me ( string spacing, switch tip, and I'd replace the saddles with graph techs). The price is high for a vintage type trem. I am not after a vintage sound or looks, but I am not a fan of locking trems or the Wilkinson, so the Blade Runner is on the list to check out for a Warmoth project.
Archer_of_Fish
New member
Re: Has anyone tried the BladeRunner from Super Vee? Very curious!
I have one on a guitar and don't have any issues. I don't care about the logo. I don't care about having to use an allen wrench to do intonation. I don't care about not having a white thing on the end of the trem arm. The saddles are fine by me, the way the bar sits is fine....for what it is worth you can use any saddles you want on this trem should you want to. I was able to get the bar to a height that worked for me and I was able to set it to stay in one place just fine. The bridge stays in tune really well and I was able to intonate using a set of 9-46 D'Addarios without any problems.
Does it look or sound like a vintage style trem? Nope....which is to be expected since it uses a fundamentally different concept to a traditional strat bridge.
Tonally it is brighter which some may like and some may not like. SInce I have it in a strat with a humbucker in the bridge the extra brightness is fine by me.
They are fine...I do agree that it could be slightly less expensive.
I have one on a guitar and don't have any issues. I don't care about the logo. I don't care about having to use an allen wrench to do intonation. I don't care about not having a white thing on the end of the trem arm. The saddles are fine by me, the way the bar sits is fine....for what it is worth you can use any saddles you want on this trem should you want to. I was able to get the bar to a height that worked for me and I was able to set it to stay in one place just fine. The bridge stays in tune really well and I was able to intonate using a set of 9-46 D'Addarios without any problems.
Does it look or sound like a vintage style trem? Nope....which is to be expected since it uses a fundamentally different concept to a traditional strat bridge.
Tonally it is brighter which some may like and some may not like. SInce I have it in a strat with a humbucker in the bridge the extra brightness is fine by me.
They are fine...I do agree that it could be slightly less expensive.
Re: Has anyone tried the BladeRunner from Super Vee? Very curious!
jojo here we meet again. It seems you only registered just to bash super-vee and promote wudtone again.... seems like deja-vu, right?
Well super-vee works for universal spacing. period. not only import or only vintage or only 54mm. Ok? now lets move on.....
i have expressed the flaws of your logic in another forum, where i got no responses, and now i see you run wild in the internet propagating the same stuff....
the block from super-vee IS NOT CHEAPLY MADE.
Personally maybe i will seek some more weight, but this is a counter measure to defeat poor sustain, and not the standard way to achieve sustain. Right?
Did you ever hear of swamp ash strats? or champered les pauls? or champered warmoths? Are they that stupid to invest into making their product have a poor sound?
I dont think so. So lack of weight does not directly mean lack of sustain. But adding weight might help an already badly engineered situation.
(my neck is scalloped/double action truss rod hence all the drama with the sustain).
oh and did i miss to say that aluminum is more expensive than brass/steel...
+ super-vee includes all the mounting hardware you will need.
jojo here we meet again. It seems you only registered just to bash super-vee and promote wudtone again.... seems like deja-vu, right?
Well super-vee works for universal spacing. period. not only import or only vintage or only 54mm. Ok? now lets move on.....
i have expressed the flaws of your logic in another forum, where i got no responses, and now i see you run wild in the internet propagating the same stuff....
the block from super-vee IS NOT CHEAPLY MADE.
Personally maybe i will seek some more weight, but this is a counter measure to defeat poor sustain, and not the standard way to achieve sustain. Right?
Did you ever hear of swamp ash strats? or champered les pauls? or champered warmoths? Are they that stupid to invest into making their product have a poor sound?
I dont think so. So lack of weight does not directly mean lack of sustain. But adding weight might help an already badly engineered situation.
(my neck is scalloped/double action truss rod hence all the drama with the sustain).
oh and did i miss to say that aluminum is more expensive than brass/steel...
+ super-vee includes all the mounting hardware you will need.
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Re: Has anyone tried the BladeRunner from Super Vee? Very curious!
Just installed a black Super Vee Bladerunner in a virgin Warmoth strat body.The include almost everything, except the claw screws- but I had a few laying around. it is really well made ( but expensive) and later this week I will have the guitar up and running. the bar sits higher than on most strats, so it will have to make a trip to the vise.
Just installed a black Super Vee Bladerunner in a virgin Warmoth strat body.The include almost everything, except the claw screws- but I had a few laying around. it is really well made ( but expensive) and later this week I will have the guitar up and running. the bar sits higher than on most strats, so it will have to make a trip to the vise.
jojoguitarsd
New member
Re: Has anyone tried the BladeRunner from Super Vee? Very curious!
Hello Greek Dude, try understanding what I write.
"The Supervee seems ( without a vintage string spacing option )" . This says "without a vintage string spacing option" , Get that, no 2 7/32 vintage string spacing option with the SuperVee OK , now lets move on!
your forum buddies have corrected your flawed logic as well as commented about a childish confirmation bias habit, so I don't need to , you should try reading their posts too.
Hello Greek Dude, try understanding what I write.
"The Supervee seems ( without a vintage string spacing option )" . This says "without a vintage string spacing option" , Get that, no 2 7/32 vintage string spacing option with the SuperVee OK , now lets move on!
your forum buddies have corrected your flawed logic as well as commented about a childish confirmation bias habit, so I don't need to , you should try reading their posts too.
Re: Has anyone tried the BladeRunner from Super Vee? Very curious!
your 3 posts in total here and your another 3 posts on GN2 speak for themselves. You only register when someone mentions super-vee. Its your problem man, not mine not anyone else's. I had almost forgotten about super-vee till i saw this reply.
+ about the weight/costs/etc etc etc YOU NEVER CAME BACK TO counter-argue. All you do is slipping ...
your 3 posts in total here and your another 3 posts on GN2 speak for themselves. You only register when someone mentions super-vee. Its your problem man, not mine not anyone else's. I had almost forgotten about super-vee till i saw this reply.
+ about the weight/costs/etc etc etc YOU NEVER CAME BACK TO counter-argue. All you do is slipping ...
Re: Has anyone tried the BladeRunner from Super Vee? Very curious!
Here is a demo of my super-vee bladerunner :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N-7eQLoEPao
go to 3:00 for super-vee action
Here is a demo of my super-vee bladerunner :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N-7eQLoEPao
go to 3:00 for super-vee action
Stratman
Guitaris Maximus
Re: Has anyone tried the BladeRunner from Super Vee? Very curious!
I also broke an arm in one Super-Vee.
i take back anything i said about super vee : quality = crap : arm broke inside the block.
with only 3 springs ...
I also broke an arm in one Super-Vee.
Agileguy_101
Master of his Domain
Re: Has anyone tried the BladeRunner from Super Vee? Very curious!
Sometimes **** happens that you can't blame the manufacturer for, tempting though it may be. I've had my Bladerunner for a few years now and my arm shows no signs of breaking.
Sometimes **** happens that you can't blame the manufacturer for, tempting though it may be. I've had my Bladerunner for a few years now and my arm shows no signs of breaking.
Re: Has anyone tried the BladeRunner from Super Vee? Very curious!
I have had my Bladerunner for almost a year, and the arm is fine. The steel spring loosens a bit over time, and doesn't feel stiff anymore. It is an improvement over a regular 6 or 2 post bridge, as there is no friction on the bridge's front edge. Locking tuners, a GraphTech nut & saddles help return to pitch, although for the first few months, the G would never come back in tune. I will say that the method for tightening or loosening the swing of the arm is bad....you need a screwdriver and an Allen wrench to do it, and it is easy to strip the top of that plastic nut (I did). They sell replacements, but this design is clumsy anyway- music man uses a pop in arm with an Allen wrench tensioner- you set this once and never have to do it again. I am constantly fiddling with the tension of the arm on the Bladerunner, since it never stays where I want it. Still, I like the action of the Bladerunner, but would change a few things. It should come stock with graphite saddles, or saddles with graphite inserts. The arm sits a little high, and I hate that it doesn't pop in. The arm tensioner system is wacky too, but all these in kind, I like it better than most traditional type trems.
I have had my Bladerunner for almost a year, and the arm is fine. The steel spring loosens a bit over time, and doesn't feel stiff anymore. It is an improvement over a regular 6 or 2 post bridge, as there is no friction on the bridge's front edge. Locking tuners, a GraphTech nut & saddles help return to pitch, although for the first few months, the G would never come back in tune. I will say that the method for tightening or loosening the swing of the arm is bad....you need a screwdriver and an Allen wrench to do it, and it is easy to strip the top of that plastic nut (I did). They sell replacements, but this design is clumsy anyway- music man uses a pop in arm with an Allen wrench tensioner- you set this once and never have to do it again. I am constantly fiddling with the tension of the arm on the Bladerunner, since it never stays where I want it. Still, I like the action of the Bladerunner, but would change a few things. It should come stock with graphite saddles, or saddles with graphite inserts. The arm sits a little high, and I hate that it doesn't pop in. The arm tensioner system is wacky too, but all these in kind, I like it better than most traditional type trems.
