Wilkinson/Gotoh VSVG Vintage Tremolo Nickel

If you're shopping around for a vintage style 6 hole trem, in terms of feel, looks, and build quality, there are none better at this price or below. Installation was a breeze if you have a drill, and the trem arm stays securely in place with a set screw (though you can loosen it to allow it to fall if that's what you prefer).Do be careful though - guitar finishes will crack easily if you try to drill straight into it. Try using an Xacto knife or sharp object to scribe around the drill bit, and that will help stop the spread of cracks when you begin drilling. I didn't bother with painter's tape around the area, as I had a vacuum on hand for the sawdust.You can create a floating trem, like I did, by adjusting the number of springs (about 3 for me). That will allow you to bend notes up in pitch as well as down. Ideally, you want to be able to return the trem arm to "rest" at about 1/8" or so above the guitar body. Don't forget to adjust the saddles (mine were perfect from the factory), so that it intonates where you set it. Set the saddles so that your open notes and 12th fret notes are the same note, one octave apart.Good luck!

Huge improvement over standard Fender-style vintage tremolo. The block gives better sustain + tone, the unit improves tuning stability, and the arm installs with none of the vintage "wiggle" of the screw-in type (and no need for messy lubricant or tremolo spring that you'll inevitably lose). Intonation adjustments are awkward with included tool, much easier once I replaced with thread-matched screw so that I could use screwdriver rather than hand turning.

This is an excellent tremolo! The installation was very easy.

I’ve used other Wilkinson bridges and found them well designed and manufactured. The VSVG has interesting design features that I understood before purchasing. The unusual intonation screw, the hidden saddle height screws, and the oval holes were all appealing. So I gave it a try. Unfortunately, the bridge I received has several flaws that have caused me much frustration and disappointment.The #5-40 saddle screws used on the VSVG are unusual in my experience. And on my unit they didfit loosely into the saddles. Some of them either fell out, or they were not there when I received it. But after struggling to get consistent saddle height I realized several saddle screws were missing. I tried several set screws sizes from my stock before realizing the correct size is the unusual #5-40 that is difficult to find. Why not use the standard screw size as with millions of other Strat bridges,? I didn’t even know that #5 screws existed! I found some online but had to buy 100 to get the 4 that I needed.Another problem for me is that the trem arm fits loosely in the bridge. The arm wobbles slightly even with the adjustment tightened to the max with the arm inserted. Further tightening of the screw without the arm in place prevents insertion. The arm doesn’t rotate when the screw is tight, but the arm wobbles slightly such that a 1/8 inch movement of the arm’s tip doesn’t move the bridge. This makes gentle movements impossible to perform and provides uneven feedback on larger moves.A minor problem is that my unit lacked a tip on the trem arm. I am not yet sure if I like the plain arm or not. But it’s a minor problem compared to the missing and oddball saddle screws.Maybe the problems I found result from the manufacturer (Gotoh) rather than from Wilkinson. But considering the relatively high cost of this bridge I am generally disappointed with the unit I received.

Sustain, sustain, sustain !!! Not only does it add sustain, but it keeps the strat in tune. The whammy bar can be adjusted to your liking. Very solid construction, easy to install, and of course your notes will ring out! Anyone with a squire, this would be rather inexpensive way to a major step up in sound quality.

This is worth the money for a new build if you put half as much time and love into a custom guitar as I did. This is my first choice in tremolos hands down. You will not be disappointed with the vintage tone and feel.

ont buy it

Beautifully made and solid as a rock. I much prefer the 2 1/8" string spacing to the 2 7/32" spacing of the Fender AVRI Strat bridge. The saddles are locked down so that it will hold intonation until you change it. Nice big steel block. I consider it to be a significant upgrade for building or modifying a vintage Strat or Strat-style guitar.