Mickguard Posted September 16, 2005 Report Share Posted September 16, 2005 I bought a black Wilkinson wraparound bridge (LP Jr style). Problem is the studs are really loose in the ferrules --even with the studs screwed down fairly low, I can rock them back and forth. That CAN'T be right, can it? Worse, for the project I want to use the bridge for, I need to set the bridge really high--but of course the looseness becomes a real problem up there. There doesn't seem to be any way to contact Wilkinson either...I bought the bridge from guitarfetish, I've contacted him to see if he can help (I'm kind of betting he will if he can). But otherwise, what can I do about this one? Edit: I've been looking at the bridge a little more...not only are the studs loose in the ferrules, but the bridge itself is loose in the studs...I mean, there's a LOT of play there, not just a little bit. Okay, so the string tension is going to eliminate much of the looseness--and I can probably tighten those down with retainer clips...but still, it can't be good that all of these parts are loose, can it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZoSo_Spencer Posted September 16, 2005 Report Share Posted September 16, 2005 Put some realy i mean really thing material over the threads....i dont have any ideas but i know there should be something - you could always swap out the posts with one of you're other guitars - maybe they would be a bit tighter fitting.... why would you need the bridge to be really high? if you want it to stop you are most likely going to have to screw the posts down until they hit the top of the studs hope it all works out Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GuitarGuy Posted September 16, 2005 Report Share Posted September 16, 2005 Teflon tape for pipes. Still a band-aid fix tho. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mickguard Posted September 16, 2005 Author Report Share Posted September 16, 2005 Yeah, I thought about wrapping the threads, but I'd rather have the studs replaced--I managed to find an email address for Wilkinson, we'll see if and how he responds. Yes, I've tried different studs -they fit tightly, as they should. But the Wilkinson's black, the other studs are chrome. Like I said, I could fit string retainers under the bridge to keep that tight against the studs, but again, that's a fix that shouldn't be necessary. As for why I need it so high: the guitar is 'inspired' by a Ric 350 --the toaster pups (all three!) are really tall, so the neck and the bridge have to be even taller! I've thought about recessing the toasters...but that would destroy the whole charm of surface-mounted pickups. That would, however, allow me to sink the neck deeper into the body, which would probably be more stable too...but again, that would ruin a lot of the charm of the guitar. What I'll probably do is mount the ferrules through a steel plate attached to the body, that will compensate for the height difference. Probably look cool too. It looks like the Wilkinson's studs are hollow too--what might be fun to try is to drill all the way through them from the top, then find screws long enough to reach into the wood. THAT would be real stable. But finding screws that long and that thin might not be possible. I don't want to use a ric-style bridge. But I also have the badass that I'm pulling off of my Melody Maker. Don't really want to use that one either though. I think the Wilkinson will look the best. (Another edit: by the way, I'm using the word 'studs' but don't know if that's right--I just mean the posts that screw into the ferrules) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZoSo_Spencer Posted September 16, 2005 Report Share Posted September 16, 2005 no.... studs is the right word im sure, the posts screw into the studs - hoping thats right - well if not i know what you are talking about Is this the guitar u got ripped off for on ebay? pics please lol i think it would be better if you did reccess the pickups into the body and they may (im not sure) obtain a warmer tone. you could always make you're own thread (metal lathe if you know someone who owns one) and put it thru the bottom of the guitar and out thru the top of the posts with a nut on the top of the post and on the back of the guitar - thatd make it real tight or just buy the thread Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marksound Posted September 16, 2005 Report Share Posted September 16, 2005 Would something like Tone Pros Locking Studs help? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mickguard Posted September 16, 2005 Author Report Share Posted September 16, 2005 Would something like Tone Pros Locking Studs help? ← Ah, didn't know about that one...or maybe I did and just passed it by because of the price...Stew Mac's a bit cheaper, but they don't seem to carry black... Hmmm...another option is to sell the Wilkinson bridge on and get one of those nicelooking Hipshot baby grands... Anyway, at least I'm making progress on the vocabulary behind all of this... What I'm calling "ferrules" seems to be "inserts" ...or "bushings"... Oh yeah, ZoZo, this is indeed the bad ebay guitar...when I got word that I was getting reimbursed for it, I took it out of the closet, tuned it up and plugged it in...and got really surprised about how great those pickups sounded --I don't know how old the guitar is or where it's from, but the pickups sound great... And since this is one of those guitars that I've always wanted, but know that I'll never buy (unless I hit the lottery of course), I decided that it'd make a great basis for my first full build.... So pics will come soon in the progress section, once I've worked out some of the kinks in the design...I'm going ahead with my idea to adapt a bolt on neck for a set neck style...but that conflicts a bit with the lines of the 350...I'll post a pic of my template prototype when I have it...I plan to spend a LOT of time working up my plans and templates for this one... Oh yeah, one nice feature --I'm using a single piece of wood (well, I'm laminating a maple back onto it). I'm really hyped about this one... Anyway recessing the pickups will make it look like just any ol' guitar... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZoSo_Spencer Posted September 16, 2005 Report Share Posted September 16, 2005 ...................danm u lol..............ive been waiting for a pic of that thing since i saw the topic about u getting ripped off lol..... i just wanna see what it looks like.... ive started my bolt to set neck conversion aswell but havent made much progress..... i bought my top for my les paul today hopefully be here in about max 8wks which is **** but hey its coming gotta get a slab of mahogany before i can start..... hope u have sucess with yours Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mickguard Posted September 16, 2005 Author Report Share Posted September 16, 2005 ...................danm u lol..............ive been waiting for a pic of that thing since i saw the topic about u getting ripped off lol..... i just wanna see what it looks like.... ive started my bolt to set neck conversion aswell but havent made much progress..... i bought my top for my les paul today hopefully be here in about max 8wks which is **** but hey its coming ← Heh heh...well, the guitar looked exactly like a 350, the only major difference was the heel, since this one was a bolt on .... I'll take a pic of how they did it, it might give you an idea edit: okay here's a thumbnail of the joint: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
j. pierce Posted September 16, 2005 Report Share Posted September 16, 2005 I dunno, if it wouldn't kill the look entirely, I might recess the pickups just a bit, just so you can lower the neck and the bridge. I hate having the strings way off the body; much too uncomfortable for me. But that's just me. It doesn't seem like much, but if you've ever played a tune-o-matic style guitar with no neck angle and the raised fretboard height . . . it leaves a little to be desired. Just my opinion. Toaster pickups = totally sweet, however. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mickguard Posted September 16, 2005 Author Report Share Posted September 16, 2005 I dunno, if it wouldn't kill the look entirely, I might recess the pickups just a bit, just so you can lower the neck and the bridge. I hate having the strings way off the body; much too uncomfortable for me. But that's just me. It doesn't seem like much, but if you've ever played a tune-o-matic style guitar with no neck angle and the raised fretboard height . . . it leaves a little to be desired. Just my opinion. Toaster pickups = totally sweet, however. ← Wish I could get my hands on a real Ric to try it out....I did play this guitar a bit before I took it to pieces --it was comfortable enough to play. I get the idea that you're just supposed to play a Ric differently... Anyway, I'm going to play around with the idea of recessing --I can do that on scrap wood to see if I like it. It might end up looking cool. The other idea I had was to add a collar of sorts for the neck--mostly to beef up the neck joint. But these are discussions for the project section... In the meantime, I heard back from guitarfetish (he's ALWAYS great about responding quickly), he says all the Wilkinsons he gets in are loose like that. Think I'll end up going with the tape idea...I think the Tone Pros would be kind of overkill... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westhemann Posted September 17, 2005 Report Share Posted September 17, 2005 wilkinsons are made for light use...the minimal loosenss of the post affects nothing.the string tension holds it tight Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZoSo_Spencer Posted September 17, 2005 Report Share Posted September 17, 2005 (edited) Heh heh...well, the guitar looked exactly like a 350, the only major difference was the heel, since this one was a bolt on .... I'll take a pic of how they did it, it might give you an idea edit: okay here's a thumbnail of the joint: ← Finnally a pic lol.....thank you, jesus the strings would sit high.....ill vote on recessing the pickups (again ) itd look awesome if you do a really tight joint around the pickups, so as though it almost looks as if there is no recess Edited September 17, 2005 by ZoSo_Spencer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mickguard Posted September 17, 2005 Author Report Share Posted September 17, 2005 Finnally a pic lol.....thank you, jesus ← Thanks for the compliment! But no, I'm not... Anyway, I kind of like the way the Rick's neck soars up there...it's part of its charm... I'm giving up on the Wilkinson --I was going to switch that out for the Badass on my Melody Maker but it doesn't retrofit -- the Badass is an original early 70s PAF bridge, not that that matters much). And the studs are a different thread type. Luckily I have a vintage style compensated bridge here, that's now gone on the Melody Maker (which is now almost back to stock --just need to find the vibrato for it!). I'm just going to sell the Wilkinson, since I don't need it right now --I'll probably buy another one in a few months when I start work on my LP Jr , but for that, I want a chrome bridge. Anyway, the Badass stands a good 5 mm taller than the Wilkinson, so that will help with the bridge height problem. I think I'll go for those Tone Pros studs --looks like they're taller too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frank falbo Posted September 17, 2005 Report Share Posted September 17, 2005 Wes, the bridge will probably tilt forward at that height, with all the play in the threads. One guaranteed fix is to install thin nuts between the stud and the anchor. Then when you get the bridge where you want it, tighten the nuts against the anchor. Then you'd have a thread lock. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mickguard Posted September 17, 2005 Author Report Share Posted September 17, 2005 I'm thinking I should compensate for the height of the bridge by building up a platform for it on the body --like I said, a piece of thick steel would do the trick, and would probably look cool too...and who knows, might have a interesting effect on the sound. For the Wilkinson, a pair of retainer clips takes care of the looseness of the bridge, but not the studs in the inserts--the pipe tape is a slight fix, but not enough... The idea of threading nuts on there could work though --or a nut, a sheath and then a cap or some other kind of 'foot' (that covers the outer lip of the inserts)...set the bridge height, tighten the nut down the nut so that the sheath locks the cap against the body....that should be pretty damn stable....hmmm....I'm kind of liking this one! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mickguard Posted September 18, 2005 Author Report Share Posted September 18, 2005 Another thought: I've been thinking about Frank's idea of getting another nut on there...this led me to an idea that what could work nicely would be a set of inserts that stand proud of the surface of the guitar --that way the studs will be gripped higher up, which would eliminate the unsteadiness of a tall bridge. Do inserts like this exist? Any links? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
javacody Posted September 18, 2005 Report Share Posted September 18, 2005 Idch, if you like wraparound type bridges, I really must recommend my friend Steve Rowen's work at pigtailmusic.com. His wraparounds are the best and he's a master machinist. He's done lots of work for Nasa and the defense department. Anyway, his stuff is precise, the bridges fit on the studs like a very tight glove (think OJ tight). They aren't hard to get on, but there is no slop in that joint at all! They run right at $80 or so, so they are a little spendy, but they are worth every penny. You can get them from pigtailmusic.com, or I think Stew-Mac still carries them. These are the same bridges Tom Anderson is using on his Atom guitars. If you order from Steve, there may be a wait however, as he's having trouble with his platers. Once they lost a shipment of bridges!!! I won't lie, I do Steve's site (I get free parts out of the deal), but there's no profit for me hawking his products. He's got the good stuff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mickguard Posted September 18, 2005 Author Report Share Posted September 18, 2005 I won't lie, I do Steve's site (I get free parts out of the deal), but there's no profit for me hawking his products. He's got the good stuff. ← I was looking at his badass style bridge, but I figure I'll go with the one I already have for this project (on the other hand, his Lp Jr tailpiece interests me for the next one!). What I'd really like to find is a TALLER stud/bushing set --the bushing should extend above the surface of the body by, let's say, 10 millimeters (and insert standard depth into the body). That should give a nice stable support to the studs on a bridge set way high... Do he do one-off's like that? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SwedishLuthier Posted September 18, 2005 Report Share Posted September 18, 2005 I have just received an order from stewmac with a pigtail bridge and the tone pros Studs/bushings. Here’s a shot report: The bridge looks really good. I agree. But for the Tone Pros studs, I NOT impressed. OK, the studs lock the bridge all right (no play there), but the posts are really loose in the bushings!!!! So what’s the ¤”#%¤”#¤% point?. I mean, I will get a rock solid joint between the bridge and the posts, but I will have to trust string tension to get the string vibration transfer to the body. The whole point of Tone Pros is to get a good coupling with the body, but I would say that both my BADASS and a GOTOH bridge (don’t remember model, but Stewmac carried it a wile ago) have better coupling to the body. No more Tone Pros for me!!! Probably the most overrated hype in the guitar community for the last years Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mickguard Posted September 18, 2005 Author Report Share Posted September 18, 2005 Ha, good to know that about the Tone Pros! Maybe they're made in the same factory in China as Wilkinsons? I'm still waiting to hear if I have a response from Wilkinson...so far nothing. FWIW, I bought a roller bridge off of guitarfetish some while back --just a knockoff of a schaller. Well, the studs on that fit nice and snug into their bushing, no play whatsoever. So why can't Wilkinson and Tone Pros achieve that? I still like my idea of fitting a sleeve to the posts....especially if I could find a threaded sleeve that would lock down over the insert. But I'd still want higher studs.... I found these studs on WD's site --they look like they're nice and long...Except I'm guessing this is for a two-point trem bridge? WD's site really sucks for info! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westhemann Posted September 18, 2005 Report Share Posted September 18, 2005 but the posts are really loose in the bushings!!!! i am going to guess that it's due to the inconsistencies of chrome and gold plating.mine fit nice and tight. when you plan on plating something you have to leave a bit of "slop" so that after plating it will still fit.sometimes the plating is thicker by a hair than others. and i don't know why you bought the tone pros...i bought them because they are heavier,better quality,and don't fall off during restringing. "resonance transfer" is a crock of hooey in all it's forms. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SwedishLuthier Posted September 18, 2005 Report Share Posted September 18, 2005 "resonance transfer" is a crock of hooey in all it's forms. ← Don’t agree 100% with you on that, but it is indeed a bit overrated. I choose Tone Pros to test them. The company uses coupling to the body as a marketing concept to promote their stuff. They are supposed to lock very well in the body. That’s what Tone Pros themselves talk about, and that’s one reason why I tried them. Obviously not completely true. The other reason is that I'm building a top of the line guitar for my first public appearance. I thought that another “brand name” (even on a so small thing as the studs” would contribute to the attention I (hopefully) will get. The fair take place during a guitar show in late October in Stockholm, Sweden, and I'm using top notch stuff on this: - GOTO tuners (I think they are better than Shaller, more even in quality) - Pigtail bridge (like I said earlier, they have got a little attention, and it look fine this far) - the Tone Pros studs (A little disappointment there… - quilted maple on a carved top… - and my own make of pickups. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westhemann Posted September 18, 2005 Report Share Posted September 18, 2005 "resonance transfer" is a crock of hooey in all it's forms. ← Don’t agree 100% with you on that, but it is indeed a bit overrated. I choose Tone Pros to test them. The company uses coupling to the body as a marketing concept to promote their stuff. They are supposed to lock very well in the body. That’s what Tone Pros themselves talk about, and that’s one reason why I tried them. Obviously not completely true. The other reason is that I'm building a top of the line guitar for my first public appearance. I thought that another “brand name” (even on a so small thing as the studs” would contribute to the attention I (hopefully) will get. The fair take place during a guitar show in late October in Stockholm, Sweden, and I'm using top notch stuff on this: - GOTO tuners (I think they are better than Shaller, more even in quality) - Pigtail bridge (like I said earlier, they have got a little attention, and it look fine this far) - the Tone Pros studs (A little disappointment there… - quilted maple on a carved top… - and my own make of pickups. ← i understand...use the teflon tape around the threads. tone pros is still considered top of the line,so regardless it will still add extra to your guitar. and compared to most other t.o.m. bridges,they are superior in build quality.but i too wish for that price that they were a perfect fit... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mickguard Posted September 18, 2005 Author Report Share Posted September 18, 2005 .but i too wish for that price that they were a perfect fit... ← No fooling! For the prices they're asking for their stuff, I can't believe it's anything less than perfect. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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