Baritone project

Funkfingers

One of the Wilkinson WV6 family with a cold rolled steel block and push-in arm.

Various saddle styles and pivot screw options to suit all tastes.

robinbowes

Mock-up with a scratchplate I have kicking around, plus a Fender trem:

Funkfingers said:

One of the Wilkinson WV6 family with a cold rolled steel block and push-in arm.

Various saddle styles and pivot screw options to suit all tastes.

I have a Wilkinson trem too, and it does indeed look like a WV6, with the elongated plate holes, and offset holes in the block.

You reckon that will actually function OK as a trem with a baritone neck on?

Funkfingers

What gauge strings would you be using? 

I need to offer a .060 or .065 bass guitar string to various drilled holes to ensure that they will fit.

Realistically, the vibrato will offer little beyond a gentle shimmer à la Jazzmaster/Jaguar "Floating" system.

Sporky

robinbowes said:

Well, I made an utter bollock of a job of dealing with the broken screw. I managed to make an overly large hole getting broken bit out, so decided to drill a large hole and put a plug in it. Then when I tried to chisel off the plug it broke off below the surface of the headstock.



Not sure what to do here. There's enough wood to get the tuner screw into, it just looks a mess.

Bah!

Veneer the back of the headstock. 

robinbowes

Funkfingers said:

What gauge strings would you be using? 

I need to offer a .060 or .065 bass guitar string to various drilled holes to ensure that they will fit.

Realistically, the vibrato will offer little beyond a gentle shimmer à la Jazzmaster/Jaguar "Floating" system.

I have a set of these:


I am not planning any diving-bombing with the trem - just a bit of wobble!

R.

Funkfingers

Will the holes in the shafts of your machineheads accept a .072 string?

robinbowes

Funkfingers said:

Will the holes in the shafts of your machineheads accept a .072 string?

It's a tight fit, but yes:

robinbowes

I was disappointed with the mess I made of the headstock on the first neck, so I ended up getting another one!

This one is a Fender Sub-sonic baritone neck, like this:



Of course, none of the many sets of tuners I have use the more modern Fender 2-peg fitting so I'll need to buy more.

Can anyone recommend a good set of tuners that will fit this neck, ie. with the two pin mounting system? Are the Fender locking tuners any good?

Thanks,

R.

Funkfingers

I have the exact same neck ℅ @paganskins.

Currently using standard non-locking Fender-badged Ping Well sealed gear 'heads. (As fitted to many MIM Fender Standard series guitars.)

My experience with the locking version is that the locking mechanism is fine but is defeated by the play between the string posts and their hex nut ferrules. 

German-made locking heads are superior.

One further consideration. These days, Fender-badged PW 'heads are available in two formats. 

1) Six equally tall posts.
2) "Staggered" tall, medium and low to achieve a more consistent break angle over the nut.

robinbowes

Funkfingers said:

I have the exact same neck ℅ @paganskins.

Currently using standard non-locking Fender-badged Ping Well sealed gear 'heads. (As fitted to many MIM Fender Standard series guitars.)

My experience with the locking version is that the locking mechanism is fine but is defeated by the play between the string posts and their hex nut ferrules. 

German-made locking heads are superior.

One further consideration. These days, Fender-badged PW 'heads are available in two formats. 

1) Six equally tall posts.
2) "Staggered" tall, medium and low to achieve a more consistent break angle over the nut.

Thanks - I've seen the staggered posts and was going to ask about them.

I'll look out for some non-locking, staggered Fender-badged tuners.

Unless you can tell me more about these "superior German-made locking heads"?

R.

Funkfingers

The 'heads on Fender American Standard guitars were manufactured in Germany by Schaller. The locking versions of these bear no logo on the locking wheels. 

Recent Schaller-branded equivalents of this design have the S logo on a smaller lock wheel. These are what I have on my American Performer Stratocaster.

robinbowes

So, Schaller-manufactured locking 'heads with no logo, or Schaller-branded 'heads with a smaller S logo.

Thanks, I'll look for those.

R.

robinbowes

These look like what I need: https://northwestguitars.co.uk/products/schaller-guitar-machine-heads-f-series-locking-6l-nickel

Funkfingers

That is the type I bought although I recall the price being slightly lower.

One word of caution. I have only tried the locking Schallers with 10-44 gauge strings. I do not know whether they will accept the larger wound strings in a baritone set. (I currently use twelves, tuned B-B.)

robinbowes

Funkfingers said:

That is the type I bought although I recall the price being slightly lower.

One word of caution. I have only tried the locking Schallers with 10-44 gauge strings. I do not know whether they will accept the larger wound strings in a baritone set. (I currently use twelves, tuned B-B.)

I ended up getting chrome ones, as the nickel were out of stock.

The string hole is 2mm on these; 0.072" is 1.8288mm, so it should fit!

R.