Resonant Bridge - Eggle Berlin ?

AK99

A few months back I got an Eggle Berlin Pro - one with the Wilkinson VS100 (I think) locking bridge.

Something I've just noticed is that when I play a particular note -  C natural / 522 Hz - on any of the top  position on any of the 1st three  strings fretboard (1st string 8th fret / 2nd string 13th fret etc) I get a lovely ranging resonance from the guitar. Happens to a much lesser degree on the 4th string/same note - but you can hear it trying.

Problem is when I damp the vibration on the stings, it keep ringing. Turns out the whole bridge is resonating just at this particular frequency.

I kind of like it, but realise it's not an ideal situation.

Question I suppose is - is it normal for this particular model of guitar, or is there something I should/need to do in terms of setup or tremolo management to kill the resonance ?

ICBM

That VS100 locking bridge is an absolute nightmare. I never found a way of setting them up so they were completely reliable and would both lock positively enough to stop the bridge vibrating, and engage smoothly so there was no risk of it sticking in the arm-down position and instantly rendering the tuning unusable. The eccentric/cam thing on the backplate constantly works loose unless you superglue it into place - even getting it lined up perfectly and tightened at the same time is almost impossible - as does the angled collar on the arm.

Even without that it's just a weirdly thin-sounding and slightly buzzy bridge, in my opinion - I know a lot of people like them though. I eventually gave up on mine and the one belonging to the friend whose rotary switch you now have . I replaced his one with a Fender USA Standard bridge, which fits on the same posts.

Musicwolf

I replaced mine with a Wilkinson / Gotoh VS100N non locking

The locking was fine when it was set up, but a hell of a job to get it there.

drwiddly

I have several Eggle guitars with the VS100CV bridges and I very quickly grew to hate the locking mechanism. @ICBM has got it absolutely right in his comments above.

I actually like the bridge so I've set mine up to float and replaced the arms with Floyd Rose arms with the screw collar. The barrel that the arm screws into will lock to the top plate with a nylon washer to narrow the diameter. It means you don't get the fixed bridge effect when you release the arm but you lose all the faff and the arm stays where you put it.

AK99

I had wondered whether putting one of the hard-to-get/hen's teeth locking' pieces would help.

By way of experimentation - I put the tremolo bar back in to see what happens. Interestingly when it hangs down in the so called 'locked' position, the bridge resonates, but when I raise it up to horizontal, the resonance is damped, and things perform as you would expect. 

drwiddly

Unless you're sold on the locking system, I'd recommend trying my solution above.

Musicwolf

I'm not 100% clear here.

Are you saying that the bridge only resonantes with the trem arm in and locked?  When you say 'put the trem arm back in' I wasn't sure if you normally play without it.

When you say resonate, is this a buzz?  I was wondering if, in the locked position, the bottom of the trem arm isn't completely seated in the cup in the backing plate.

AK99

My apologies on the confusion Mw - I normally play without the arm, with the bridge set in a floating position (not adjusted down tight against the guitar body - if that's the right terminology ?)

The resonance isn't a buzz, but a clear ringing note that is indistinguishable from that coming from the string alone. A not unpleasant sound at all, but it only happens with that particular note. When you palm-mute the string, the note still rings and sustains -  you have to put your hand on the bridge to mute it. To be honest if I got that level of sustain everywhere else (without having to palm mute the bridge constantly - I'd be chuffed

AK99

drwiddly said:

I have several Eggle guitars with the VS100CV bridges and I very quickly grew to hate the locking mechanism. @ICBM has got it absolutely right in his comments above.

I actually like the bridge so I've set mine up to float and replaced the arms with Floyd Rose arms with the screw collar. The barrel that the arm screws into will lock to the top plate with a nylon washer to narrow the diameter. It means you don't get the fixed bridge effect when you release the arm but you lose all the faff and the arm stays where you put it.

drwiddly said:

Unless you're sold on the locking system, I'd recommend trying my solution above.

Thanks for the input. Should have talked to you before I wrote off to Wilkinson spares and bought the new arm and replacement bits

No - I just checked, with the trim arm in and down in the 'locked position', the bridge is actually locked, but the resonance continues, same as with the term floating/no arm inserted.

The only time it doesn't resonate is when I have the term arm in, and rotate up to the playing position.

Gut feel is when the arm is in the supposedly locked position it is stopping the tremolo moving enough to change the string tension - but is leaving enough play somewhere in the system for the resonance to occur. That play possibly disappearing when the arm is brought up to the full working position.

Could well be the case that I haven't assembled/bolted up the arm and assorted gubbins in below it properly perhaps with my innate cack-handedness trying to set it up.

Means I'll have to go back (once more..) and wreck my head again trying to decode again what that VS100 setup sheet is trying to tell me 

drwiddly

They are a major faff to set up. The Floyd Rose arms aren't very expensive as far as I remember so, if the resonance stops when the bridge is floating with the arm in, it might solve your problem.

drwiddly

Just had a look and there's some on eBay, with the bush and screw, for around a tenner.

Bellycaster

This one was quite Resonant!



.

AK99

drwiddly said:

Just had a look and there's some on eBay, with the bush and screw, for around a tenner.

Thanks - Ill have a quick shufti

maltingsaudio

Just a thought sounds to me like your hearing the trem springs vibrating as you play as to why it’s very odd for it to be prominent.Try wrapping a duster round them and see if it cures it. If it does tighten the trem claw. For info I have Berlin pro with original Wilkinson bridge and love it although do spend a lot of time setting it up but it’s worth it!