Agileguy_101
Master of his Domain
Since I've been encountering more tuning issues that I wanted to on my Strat (just like every other Strat owner) I decided to do someting about it. I'd replaced the tuners with Fender "F" locking this summer, so I was quite sure that it wasn't slippage at the tuners. However, I wasn't at all satisfied with the nut or the bridge. So, I hopped onto Stewmac last week and got a Graph Tech nut and a Wilkinson VSVG Vintage Stratocaster bridge. Let me say right now that I'm a convert.
After I took my old bridge out of my Strat (a hightway one w/ stock pups) I dropped in the new bridge, plain and simple. No routing or anything that would degrade the value of the instrument required. Side note: It was only after I strung up the guitar that I noticed a slightly irritating factor: the hex screw that is set into the sustain block protrudes slightly, and prevents the bridge from lying flat against the body without a little bit of work. I haven't done any sanding yet, but I may end up doing it in the future.
On with the review. I love this bridge. In conjuntion with the locking tuners and the Graph Tech nut, it has solved my tuning issues. Now I'm not saying that it will stay in tune for a whole gig, or even a whole set, as I haven't gig-tested it, but I can say that my guitar now puts up a much bigger fight with the tuning demons. It's like it's working for me, trying to stay in tune.
Before I get into the sound, I'm just gonna talk a little bit about another reason I love this bridge: locking saddles. I've never been an advocate of the classic bent steel saddles that have been gracing Stratocasters since the dawn of time (or at least the dawn of the Stratocaster). They always seem to need adjusting every now and then. However, witht the VSVG, you just tighten the hex screw in the saddle and WHAMO! No intonation needed for a long, long time.
Another feature that I really love is the trem arm tension screw. I've always hated the amount of play that you get when you have the trem arm on a Strat loose. But then when you tighten it up, you have no play at all. With this tiny little screw, however, you can adjust it to the perfect setting for your playing style. You can set it up so that you can flick the bar away from you and have it resting over the selector switch instead of near the input jack.
Probably the only thing I don't like about this bridge is that it doesn't give you as much pitch bending room. My bridge is currently floating at an angle, and from where it is, I can bring my low E up to an F#, but going down, it only goes down to an A#. I probably shouldn't complain, as that is plenty of room, but I'd like to go down a bit more.
Onto the sound of the unit. In my opinion, it really does a great job at getting the classic Strat sound (well, at least as much as the bridge will give you). Keep in mind that my Strat is a Highway One with stock pups, and as far as getting classic strat tones go, those pups aren't the best. However, I feel that the bridge definetely got me a step closer to the tonal nirvana of Classic Strat Tonedom.
After I took my old bridge out of my Strat (a hightway one w/ stock pups) I dropped in the new bridge, plain and simple. No routing or anything that would degrade the value of the instrument required. Side note: It was only after I strung up the guitar that I noticed a slightly irritating factor: the hex screw that is set into the sustain block protrudes slightly, and prevents the bridge from lying flat against the body without a little bit of work. I haven't done any sanding yet, but I may end up doing it in the future.
On with the review. I love this bridge. In conjuntion with the locking tuners and the Graph Tech nut, it has solved my tuning issues. Now I'm not saying that it will stay in tune for a whole gig, or even a whole set, as I haven't gig-tested it, but I can say that my guitar now puts up a much bigger fight with the tuning demons. It's like it's working for me, trying to stay in tune.
Before I get into the sound, I'm just gonna talk a little bit about another reason I love this bridge: locking saddles. I've never been an advocate of the classic bent steel saddles that have been gracing Stratocasters since the dawn of time (or at least the dawn of the Stratocaster). They always seem to need adjusting every now and then. However, witht the VSVG, you just tighten the hex screw in the saddle and WHAMO! No intonation needed for a long, long time.
Another feature that I really love is the trem arm tension screw. I've always hated the amount of play that you get when you have the trem arm on a Strat loose. But then when you tighten it up, you have no play at all. With this tiny little screw, however, you can adjust it to the perfect setting for your playing style. You can set it up so that you can flick the bar away from you and have it resting over the selector switch instead of near the input jack.
Probably the only thing I don't like about this bridge is that it doesn't give you as much pitch bending room. My bridge is currently floating at an angle, and from where it is, I can bring my low E up to an F#, but going down, it only goes down to an A#. I probably shouldn't complain, as that is plenty of room, but I'd like to go down a bit more.
Onto the sound of the unit. In my opinion, it really does a great job at getting the classic Strat sound (well, at least as much as the bridge will give you). Keep in mind that my Strat is a Highway One with stock pups, and as far as getting classic strat tones go, those pups aren't the best. However, I feel that the bridge definetely got me a step closer to the tonal nirvana of Classic Strat Tonedom.
