EVH Setup with 78 Striped (Non-Floyd Trem)

Love Chip - he is the man. But I have been playing non-locking trems for the last 4-5 years (after decades of Floyds) and I don't do anything according to that vid. And my non-locking guitars stay in tune literally as well as any of my old Floyd equipped guitars used to.
 
Two springs feels great on the trem and allows you to pop it quick to get everything back in tune but it didn't work for me long term. I feel an additional spring helps with tuning. I am proud to say I almost got my wilkinson to stay in tune even with a ton of abuse on the bar and crazy bends and have to dip it back way less often. I used a larger string to widen the slot and used pencil lead. Which begs the question, why would I go through this method if at the end of everything you still have to dip the trem quick to come back in tune? Also, I have no idea what he did with the strings looping it through the peg and being able to ensure he had the right amount of lead to get the desired amount of winds around the peg.

As for floyds, fook them! They might stay in tune better but I hate the clunky ass things. Pain in the ass to tune over time too once you run out of mileage and have no where to go, you have to pop the locking end off or loosen it to make adjustments. I hate everything about them. The new locking wilkinson saddles are the ultimate answer all be it expensive and not easily purchased at the moment.
 
Coolness. Thanks for posting.

Yeah need more details on amount of slack and twisting the string in the block. Video is way lacking details on this most crucial step.
 
PDC said:
Love Chip - he is the man. But I have been playing non-locking trems for the last 4-5 years (after decades of Floyds) and I don't do anything according to that vid. And my non-locking guitars stay in tune literally as well as any of my old Floyd equipped guitars used to.
Click to expand...
What tricks do you use to keep your non locking trems in tune?
 
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JohnnyGtar said:
What tricks do you use to keep your non locking trems in tune?
Click to expand...
I’m sure I’m “cheating” compared to the hardware that was available when Ed had to figure all this out for use in the studio and live arena tours. Right now, my favorite non-locking bridge is the ‘Wudtone’ Tremolo. It features beveled recesses above and below the 6 holes in the bridge plate so the plate pivots on a single fulcrum edge like a Floyd - rather than have the plate slide up and down the shafts of the screws like a Fender 6-screw. This approach is similar to the Manmande bridge and the PRS 6-screw bridge. I will say, the Wudtone is hands down the highest quality, best working 6-screw trem I have ever used.

https://www.wudtone.com/wudtone-tremolos-history-design-detail/
And I also use staggered locking tuners, so there is zero issue with counting string wraps or how you tie the end of the string through the post. Every string has between 1/2 and 3/4 of a wrap so there is virtually no opportunity for the string to shift or not return if you have slacked it with the trem.

I use graph tech self lubricating nuts and after getting the depth at the 1st fret right, I use a piece of cotton string and 3M rubbing compound to ‘polish’ the insides of the groove - sort of like Chip Ellis does in this vid with 1000 grit wet dry paper. I just think it works better to use cotton string with compound. I do like Big Bends Nut Sauce - it is just thick enough to stay put in the nut grooves Without being too gloppy.

I totally do not get the whole ‘twist the ball end of the string with your fingers as you tighten the tuner’ thing. If you think about it, once the string has made a solid turn around the tuning post, it does not (cannot) ‘twist’ while you tighten the post. It simply gets pulled tighter around the post, but it doesn’t ‘twist’ - so twisting the ball end as you tune up is just silly. (Maybe urban legend - like when Ed once said that he used the variac to INCREASE wall voltage to his heads … remember that???)

My biggest recent improvement in tuning stability was to use D’Addario NY-XL strings (9-42). I used to think strings were strings, but a buddy of mine literally swore by the NY-XLs and gave me a pak to try out. And damn but what they really do stay in tune surprisingly well.
 
Here’s how BB King did it

501DD12A-5C96-421F-B3ED-0D809EC93B12.jpeg
 
JohnnyGtar said:
What tricks do you use to keep your non locking trems in tune?
Click to expand...
Really, the same tricks you would use to keep a Floyd "locking" system in tune..

Tune all strings about 1/4 step flat. Whenever you lower the string tension with the tremolo, the strings tend to all go sharp (to varying degrees) when the bridge is returned to the decked position.

Bending a string(s) sharp however, does not seem to make the string(s) go flat after the bend - which is counterintuitive, but true.

Of course, none of this applies to a floating-locking trem, where all you have to do after lowering the string tension is quickly pull the bar back (sharp) and knock all the strings back to the correct pitch (tension).


ymmv
 
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I feel there is a diff in tone but not necessarily better. I also hate screwing with a clunky Floyd. But to the point above, those wilkinson locking saddles are going to fix a ton of issues and I'd sooner do that than screw around with all the shit Ed had to do.
 
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