2 point and 6 screw trem options, what do you like?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Kapo_Polenton
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Kapo_Polenton

Kapo_Polenton

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Lots to choose from, have floyds covered and just hating the locking nut more and more. Have a NFT on one of my guitars and that's a great option given that you can lock in the strings for stability at bridge. But beyond that, is the Gotoh 510 king? It is on all/most of the Suhrs and seems to hold tuning well with locking tuners and a good nut. Anyone experience their 6 screw 101 " vintage" trem?

There are so many options hovering around the 120-200$ range. Although I think they would be incredible, a 440$ CAD vega trem or Wilkinson locking saddle bridge are ridiculous prices. Gotoh, Super Vee trem, babicz, wilkinson cheapos, and of course the trustee NFT floyd with no locking nut. what has been good to you?
 
I’ve thought about just threading the holes where the strings go up through the block on a “vintage” style strat trem and using a long Allen bolt to “lock” the string in place and then trying locking tuners that are staggered height to do away with the Floyd string retainer bar on the headstock. Should work.
 
I had JB strat, until recently, with a two point trem and it was really good. Very smooth and stayed in tune great. Liked it a lot better than a 6 screw bridge.
 
Wilkinson are fine, installed a bunch of them. Gotoh are good quality. If you like the PRS you can get those from Mann Made, can’t remember the website. Once setup correctly the 2 post or 6 post work ok. Just need the touch to keep them in tune.
 
Never had an issue with my Gotoh 510. I do prefer the NFT Floyd though.
 
I have a the Gotoh vintage style 6-screw and I like it a lot. The only issue is getting the tops of the saddle adjustment screws smooth. I also have a Mannmade that is pretty nice too.

Just my opinion but you shouldn’t need locking tuners or locking saddles and 2-screw vs 6-screw shouldn’t be an issue either. A properly setup guitar will only really have tuning issues at the nut and that should stay in tune with light use. If you’re really diving hard on it, it’s going to go out of tune (usually the 6th or even 5th strings coming back sharp).

If it’s a 6-screw trem, lots of guys including early EVH only lowered the outside 2 screws enough to matter. The middle 4 are raised a little so the bridge doesn’t ride on them.
 
I bought a Wudtone and liked it so much that I bought 2 more. Returns to pitch as well as any 2-point trem, but sounds so much bigger and fuller. And LP Freak is 1,000% correct - the nut slots have got to be perfect if you want the guitar to stay in tune regardless of the bridge. Round bottom, ‘U’ shaped slots that ramp gently off the back of the nut to the tuning post.

https://www.wudtone.com/wudtone-tremolos-history-design-detail/
 
That's the decision I'm struggling with now on my new guitar build...Floyd, NFT Floyd, Gotoh/Wilkinson with the locking saddles, Wilkinson Por, Vega Trem. I'm just not sure I want to deal with the full Floyd anymore
 
I have the vintage 6pt Gotoh 510 and have been very happy with it (using locking Hipshot tuners). Stays in tune but yeah, the nut is just as important and has to be right.

I did a partscaster build with a Gotoh 2pt 510 for a friend of mine and loved that as well. Both stay in tune and both sound like good Strats. I always felt like Floyd Rose trems took away from the tone of a guitar, and the hassle of changing strings has kept me away from them since going through that whole experience a few times.
 
PDC said:
I bought a Wudtone and liked it so much that I bought 2 more. Returns to pitch as well as any 2-point trem, but sounds so much bigger and fuller. And LP Freak is 1,000% correct - the nut slots have got to be perfect if you want the guitar to stay in tune regardless of the bridge. Round bottom, ‘U’ shaped slots that ramp gently off the back of the nut to the tuning post.

https://www.wudtone.com/wudtone-tremolos-history-design-detail/
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Thanks fellas.. yes, I have had good luck with my LSR roller nut and locking tuners and in fact I've got a cheapo ESP with 6 screw trem and the previous guy would the strings a certain way and widened the nut slot then added pencil lead and the thing is pretty damn stable. ( No locking tuners, cheapo nut, cheap trem) If I really bomb it, I just have to dip it quick and it is back. But overall, it holds up. My only gripe are huge bends on the G string that throw a trem. That's what i want to avoid.
 
jabps said:
That's the decision I'm struggling with now on my new guitar build...Floyd, NFT Floyd, Gotoh/Wilkinson with the locking saddles, Wilkinson Por, Vega Trem. I'm just not sure I want to deal with the full Floyd anymore
Click to expand...

I'm done with them.. Playing my Charvel snake and my other superstrat, there is a sort of metalic sound imparted on the tone with the locking nut and the floyd. I also dislike the fact that you lock into specific tuning with the nut. No flexibility to change tuning on fly. I'm either sticking with NFT floyd and locking tuner or just old school and winding the string to the tuners properly so they sort of self lock.

I think the Vega IS the trem of the future but looks a little anemic back there and costs way too much in Canada.
 
I can’t even say why, but I’ve never been a fan of 2-point standard trems. Never had an issue with them I could directly relate to the 2-point aspect, but for some reason I just have zero desire to use them. Part of it is aesthetics and having a big fondness for vintage spec Strats (minus that fucking radius and fret size).

I use those Graphtech self-lubricating nuts, then hit them with Music Nomad’s Tune-It and then add a tiny drop of Super Lube on top of the string so it wicks through the string threads. I can go apeshit on a standard trem (Callaham, but it’s still a standard trem) without tuning issues. And since whenever I say that someone calls bullshit-

 
RevDrucifer said:
I can’t even say why, but I’ve never been a fan of 2-point standard trems. Never had an issue with them I could directly relate to the 2-point aspect, but for some reason I just have zero desire to use them. Part of it is aesthetics and having a big fondness for vintage spec Strats (minus that fucking radius and fret size).

I use those Graphtech self-lubricating nuts, then hit them with Music Nomad’s Tune-It and then add a tiny drop of Super Lube on top of the string so it wicks through the string threads. I can go apeshit on a standard trem (Callaham, but it’s still a standard trem) without tuning issues. And since whenever I say that someone calls bullshit-

Click to expand...


$hit, that held up like a champ! Also, I prefer the 6 screw look and feel actually to 2 point so I get you there.
 
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