Best Tuners and Bridge?

[ernie61]

Hi,
Im making my first partscaster.I want to know what your fave Tuners and Bridges are, and why.Im leaning towards Gotoh tuners and a wilkinson bridge so far.Tell me what types and why you like them.
Thanks Ernie

[spannerman]

depends on your budget, schaller or kluson tuners are the best in my opinion and i think you're on the right track with a wilinson bridge. If you're (i presume you are) building a tele then you could look at glendale for a really nice vintage bridge?

Having said all that, I bought a really cheap knock off jobby off ebay a while back and it's REALLY good lol. Budget parts aren't all bad, and if you can get them in a shop it's good because you can inspect them yourself.

[flag72]

I baught a Joe Barden bridge of e-bay 49.00 ship very well made
Daniel

[BigDaddyLH]

There's more variations when it comes to bridges. You need to wax rhapsodic about the elusive tone you're after.

[PeterUK]

Originally Posted by ernie61

Hi,
Im making my first partscaster.I want to know what your fave Tuners and Bridges are, and why.Im leaning towards Gotoh tuners and a wilkinson bridge so far.Tell me what types and why you like them.
Thanks Ernie

Tuners are perhaps the most important part of your guitar. You'll adjust them practically everytime you play and they are a moving part and will eventually wear out. So buying the best you can will provide you with reliable tuning and an enjoyable instrument.

In contrast to my fellow UK-er spannerman, I have been very unhappy with the quality of Klusons and have ended up buying three sets to make one good one. Kluson USA, for me, have lost the plot and must instruct their Chinese manufacturers to make the cheapest, nastiest tuners around.

I say Kluson USA because Rockinger in Germany also appear to be selling Klusons and they are much better quality. So shop carefully if you go for Klusons and you might be lucky.

I use Gotoh SD91 and prefer the locking height adjustable pole tuners. They are extremely well engineered and manufactured in Japan and feel solid, hold tune and will wear very well. They are not the cheapest but they are - in my opinion - the best. My second choice is Sperzel.

Bridge-wise I have tried just about all of them apart from the Callaham. The Fender bridge is the best value for money but some of the latest models are quiet flimsey so look for a Highway One bridge which is thicker (is that right Boris?). The Wilkinson bridge works well although the screw hole spacings on the one I tried were out (a little fettling with a round file sorted it out) and out of the boutique ones: Vintique, JT Saddles, Barden and Glendale, Glendale come out tops for me. I've got a Taipan Tone coming so I'll be able to evaluate that one too.

Spend wisely on the tuners is my advice.

Hope some of this helps.

Peter

[LocustPlague]

I have one set of these:
http://store.guitarfetish.com/viklstnimafi.html
And one of these:
http://www.warmoth.com/Gotoh-Vintage...-P966C728.aspx

I think I prefer the Warmoth ones a bit more, actually. They feel a little tighter, a little less slop. I believe they're a tad bit heavier, too, which suits me just fine.

I have the $10 fender bridge plate and a set of these:
http://www.rsguitarworks.net/rsstore...roducts_id=288
This setup seems just fine, as well. I would eventually like to get set up to do my own machining, but that might be a way off...

[boris bubbanov]

These tuners:

http://www.allparts.com/Gotoh-6-in-l...k-0880-001.htm I agree that tuners wear out and they seldom get better the longer you own and play the guitar, so buy the best you can get and those are what I've listed. Now, if you never tune your guitar, it doesn't really matter.

For an inexpensive but really nicely made, no fancy budget bridge parts, check the Stew Mac Website and go for:

The #0099 Bridge plate (set the included saddles aside) then get the # 5167 saddles. Good quality brass, gently compensated, and a perfect fit for the # 0099 plate.

This plate is .060 inch thick chromed steel. If you want maximum twang ( more than some people can utilize safely), substitute the .048 inch thick $ 14 Fender AV plate from Musicians Friend. Sand these plates dead flat underneath.

Yes, the Fender Highway One plate is .060 inches thick and remarkably similar to the Stew Mac # 0099 plate. Could be coming out of the same plant in Taiwan, I suppose.

[jtricer1973]

Originally Posted by LocustPlague

I have one set of these:
http://store.guitarfetish.com/viklstnimafi.html
And one of these:
http://www.warmoth.com/Gotoh-Vintage...-P966C728.aspx

I think I prefer the Warmoth ones a bit more, actually. They feel a little tighter, a little less slop. I believe they're a tad bit heavier, too, which suits me just fine.

I have the $10 fender bridge plate and a set of these:
http://www.rsguitarworks.net/rsstore...roducts_id=288
This setup seems just fine, as well. I would eventually like to get set up to do my own machining, but that might be a way off...

I have those same tuners from Guitar Fetish. I put them on my Squier Bullet. For the money (25 bucks)I think they are pretty nice and seem to be pretty smooth and seem to work as good as any I've ever used.
Can't really help on the bridge.

[KevinB]

Boris, what is the difference between those $50 Allparts Gotohs, and the $30 Gotohs that Warmoth sells?

I still like the Tone-Pros/WD Music Klusons. They are more expensive at $60 but the nickel plating is superb and the ones I have bought have had no quality issues.

[ernie61]

Originally Posted by KevinB

Boris, what is the difference between those $50 Allparts Gotohs, and the $30 Gotohs that Warmoth sells?

I still like the Tone-Pros/WD Music Klusons. They are more expensive at $60 but the nickel plating is superb and the ones I have bought have had no quality issues.

I believe that the guitar fetish ones are "Gotoh-Style" and not actually Gotoh...but i could be wrong.
By the way, Thanks to all of you who took the time to respond to my question.Ive learned from your answers collectively but am still undecided as of yet.
Thanks again!!

[jkingma]

I use mainly Grover tuners and Wilkinson bridges. They are really good quality and I always seem to be able to find them for great prices on eBay.