Please Suggest Solutions - I Need To Lock Tuning!

[djhollowman]

Hello all!

Hoping for some suggestions here with this one:

I'm replacing the standard fulcrum bridge on a Washburn WR150 with a floating Floyd type. Now, I realise that this means serious woodwork, but since I have access to a CNC milling machine (and its operator, who is SUPERB with it!), and have done a few bits and bobs like this before, then it's not that which concerns me. It's locking the strings..........

The Washburn doesn't have a locking nut as standard. The headstock drops back at an angle too, so a flat locking nut is at the wrong height. It has a plastic(?) nut, which even if removed, doesn't leave enough of a "platform" on which to mount a locking nut to replace the plastic one with. The other problem is that because of the hole for access to the truss rod there's nowhere to actually screw a locking nut into! (The locking ones I've seen so far have the mounting holes around the middle clamp - I would need one with the holes right out at the corners to enable the screws to avoid the truss rod hole!)

So, any ideas please???

Tempted to not use a locking nut at all, and go with locking tuners - but I have no experience of these. Do they work well?

Any other mods needed?

I'm a serious whammy abuser, I'm afraid, so I'm looking for something which will actually work!

Hoping for any help at all!

Thank you!

[Sambo]

Have a look at some of Nuno bettencourt's early washburns. someof them have the locking nuts after the normal nut. you could do it like that i suppose.

Don't know how well locking tuners would work. In principle probably would! but i dunno in practice (i hate floyds!)

S

[djhollowman]

Thanks Sambo, I'll try that!

Anyone got anything else too??

[cherokee6]

I noticed a lot of Bigsbys are retro fitted and don't have locking nuts. I've seen this on Teles (yes, I know the Bigsby curse in that you will never be able to correctly fit one on a tele) and on LP's and semi-hollows. It seems locking tuners will work fine with that system.

[djhollowman]

Ok, thanks man!

[it's a floating Floyd-type trem I'm fitting, not a Bigsby, but I guess the principle is the same.]

Still wondering about replacing the original nut, or getting a locking nut onto the guitar somehow.

Surely somebody out there has encountered and solved this exact problem?????

[Sambo]

Just looked in melvyn hiscock's book and he has a guitar in there with a floyd and sperzel lockers... so spose it'd work?!

Any of the floyd crew got any input?

S

[cherokee6]

Funny thing is the only Floyd I've got is on a strat with a locking nut!! But Les Paul has the Bigsby's on a few of his gits with no locking nut and he doesn't have a problem. Of course, he doesn't dive bomb either! Try it with just the locking tuners first without messing with the neck and see how it works out. You won't have to make any mods to anything that you may regret later. You can get the tuners through Brian at Universal Jems c/o this forum, at a discount. Check out Sambo's recommendation out if you have access to a copy of Melvyn's book. If you don't have it, get it: it's a must have. Melvyn is also a member here and I would think if you shoot him a PM, he'll be happy to answer some of your questions.

[djhollowman]

Try it with just the locking tuners first without messing with the neck and see how it works out. You won't have to make any mods to anything that you may regret later.

Thanks man! Yeah, that's very much how I'm thinking at the moment!

Does anyone think there's any mileage in replacing the original nut with a locking one? I mean, technically that should be the best solution. Has no-one else ever had this exact scenario? Would be v.interested in any thoughts, comments etc.

DJ

[akvguitars]

FIRST POST!!

I've done and it's a pain.

The way I did it was to make a wooden shim for the new nut. The shim had a half-angled, half-flat bottom to match the headstock angle, as the new nut was a good deal wider than the old and "took off" of the headstock angle. I then cut the shim just behind the new nut and painted the cut section to match the headstock face, and painted and finished the sides of the shim to match the neck. It wasn't imperceptible from nearer than five feet, but it did the job.

Get some locking tuners, man. The new Planet Waves ones are self trim, full lock and 18:1 ratio! You'll hardly need your fine tuners! Install time will take less than an hour as opposed to 6-7 for the shim (not counting finish drying/final buff wait time)

cheers.

[djhollowman]

FIRST POST!!

I've done and it's a pain.

The way I did it was to make a wooden shim for the new nut. The shim had a half-angled, half-flat bottom to match the headstock angle, as the new nut was a good deal wider than the old and "took off" of the headstock angle. I then cut the shim just behind the new nut and painted the cut section to match the headstock face, and painted and finished the sides of the shim to match the neck. It wasn't imperceptible from nearer than five feet, but it did the job.

Get some locking tuners, man. The new Planet Waves ones are self trim, full lock and 18:1 ratio! You'll hardly need your fine tuners! Install time will take less than an hour as opposed to 6-7 for the shim (not counting finish drying/final buff wait time)

cheers.

Awesome! Thanks for that! Got any photos of the new nut in position?

Did you have the same problem I'm having with the truss rod hole?

Here's what my neck looks like right now, before any mods:

DJ