Things that helped me improve tuning stability on the Ibanez AZES40: 1. Replacing stock plastic nut with Graphtech Black TUSQ XL Nut PT-5000-00 or any self-lubricating nut goes a long way. 2. Apply nut sauce under string trees and onto string saddles and wiggle trem bar to spread the sauce. 3. Apply WD-40 on all six screws of the tremolo unit. 4. Thoroughly stretch strings and bend on each fret and apply same pressure as if you were playing. 5. Dive the tremolo down to set your zero point then tune. If out of tune, perform a bend, pull up, or divebomb to somewhat bring guitar back into playable tuning. 6. Replace tremolo springs with Gotoh springs. Note: I replaced the tremolo unit entirely because my playing style requires a mobile but stable trem bar for a more expressive vibrato and I couldn’t accomplish this with the stock unit. These should work on the stock bridge unit.
Bro do you have links of the black tusq xl to check the specific model and Wilkinson tremolo ? I'm also planning to upgrade my Azes40, thank you more power to your channel!
Sounds good and to much for me to explain. Check out Galeazzo Frudua on RUclips he can give you the science behind it. One key, your tremolo will only remember the state in which you set it up, if you dive tune dive tune then diving is its home state if you go out of tune just dive it, don’t bend or pull up it adds no value. You can setup your guitar by bending all the strings then tuning up if you ever go out of tune you have to bend all the strings precisely and that is a pain. If you want to eliminate all tuning issues get Wilkinson locking saddles or buy the Gotoh 510T-BS. That Gotoh bridge has a unique way to feed the strings to the block so that the string does not contact the bridge plate. Contrary to popular belief the nut is not the primary source of tuning stability it is the bridge specifically the are from the block to the saddle.
This Tremolo is a lot cheaper than the VegaTrem VT1 UltraTrem which is also a good fit for this guitar. Would you say the Vega is not worth the extra money. The AZES is the first guitar I have bought with a tremolo so know little about them.
If money were no object, I would go for the VegaTrem. It is superior in design and functionality, which allows you to divebomb and pull up similar to a Floyd Rose. However, this Wilkinson tremolo is a significant upgrade to the stock trem and can get the job done at a fraction of the price, whereas the VegaTrem almost costs just as much as the Ibanez AZES itself. I considered the VegaTrem also when searching for a replacement, but went with the Wilkinson.
Thank you! Yes, unfortunately the trem cavity required some routing since Ibanez’s proprietary bridge has a smaller shape compared to typical trem blocks. Not a huge obstacle. My local guitar tech was able to do it, but chipped off some of the paint finish, so I recommend taking it to someone who really knows what they're doing.
@@Adrian-uc7biI think the more difficult part is the screw spacing is different on that bridge vs the guitar. Guitar is 52 mm and bridge fits like 54 to 57 mm so it’s to big.
I have the same problem, what I found the modern tremolo bridge with 36mm trem clock (chunky one) probably the best choice. With 52.5 mm screw spacing.
I was looking for a video like this! I changed my nut for the graph tech one as well but didn't use any lubes. I also put locking tuners and I'm looking for a different bridge as well, maybe a Gotoh 510.
What is the distance between the 1st and 6th screw on that trem? Is it 56mm or 52,5mm? 😬 got a 56mm 6 screw wilkinson laying around and would love to put it in one of these!
According to the site I purchased it from, it can accommodate 54mm-57mm spacing. The Ibanez AZES has a spacing of 52.5mm and this bridge was still able to fit and function without any problems.
@@SimenNeverdal No problems with block depth although you’ll need to route some of the wood to fit the length of the block. Ibanez AZES trem cavity isn’t cut to standard dimensions.
@@hanskorn The Wilkinson WVP6-SB is a bit wide for your guitar, which probably explains why the block wasn't a perfect fit. The Wilkinson WOV09 (same full block but 52.5mm spacing instead of 56mm) might be an even better replacement for the AZES40 stock bridge. Thanks for the video!
@@Witcher58 The WOV09 will work, however the wood still requires some routing. The problem isn't with the string spacing, but the shape of the block itself. The wood on the back of the body is routed to accommodate the shape of the AZES40's proprietary tremolo block, which contains a slight curve in its design. Unfortunately, the wood routing follows this curve and this serves as an obstruction, preventing other blocks from properly fitting into this cavity unless removed.
Hello, I'm looking for the WV6SB strat bridge, but my guitar has 52,5mm of distancie between the 1st and the 6th screw. I know that this bridge has the 5+1 system with that extended holes for better fixing in any guitar, but, is that hole extra spacing in the holes enough for a 52,5mm bridge? Or it's just for 56mm and 54mm only? Can you please help me with that?
Hi, Martin. According to the specs, the Ibanez AZES that I installed the WV6SB trem onto has a string spacing of 52.9mm at the bridge. Based on my experience with placing this trem into this guitar, I had no problems nor did I experience any string slippage at the high E string. Hope that helps!
Sorry I can’t remember the exact model. I looked up the nuts on the Graphtech site and PT-5000-00 might be your best bet. What I do remember is the nut my local guitar tech installed was slightly longer than the required dimension. You can always sand it down if it’s too long. Hope that helps though and thanks for checking out the video.
Sir niresearch ko yung model and nakita ko sa lazada. I believe ikaw yung nagbigay ng review dun sa nakita ko :D. Sino luthier mo? Plano ko rin bumili nitong AZES40 and medyo need ko yung nagfflutter na trem eh. Balak ko sana gayahin yung upgrades mo.
Hey, Hans. Sorry I can’t remember the exact product code. I looked up the nuts on the Graphtech site and PT-5000-00 might be your best bet. What I do remember is the nut my local guitar tech installed was slightly longer than the required dimension. You can always sand it down if it’s too long. Hope that helps though and thanks for checking out the video.
Not sure if it can be dropped in without modifications, but it might fit with proper routing performed by an experienced tech. I found these on the web though: “Unfortunately you can't 'remove' the FR and replace it with anything. You could get a Luthier to remove it and then fill all the cavities with Wood Blanks and then fit a fixed Bridge but this would be too time consuming and prohibitively expensive!!!!” “Yes, if there is enough wood underneath it to screw down into. Floyd Rose routes take out a bunch of wood underneath. Your better bet is to deck and block the FR.” Hope those help!
According to the site I purchased it from, the tremolo can accommodate 54mm-57mm spacing. The Ibanez AZES has a spacing of 52.5mm and this bridge was still able to fit and function without any problems.
you're trem saddles look different than all the other ones I seen online of this model? can you tell me where you bought it I'm fixing up a friend's SX "import" strat...will the spacing of this bridge work on it?
I switched the stock Wilkinson block saddles with the Ibanez AZES saddles. Yes, most likely it will fit. This bridge can accommodate 54mm-57mm spacing. The spacing on the AZES is 52.5mm and I had no problems.
@@hanskorn great! So just the back route right? The standard block doesn’t really fits the route so I kinda figured it needs a little adjustment. I’m currently modding my azes and I’m kinda adamant on the bridge part if it fits perfectly.
The spirit of EVH is and lives through you my man.
Things that helped me improve tuning stability on the Ibanez AZES40:
1. Replacing stock plastic nut with Graphtech Black TUSQ XL Nut PT-5000-00 or any self-lubricating nut goes a long way.
2. Apply nut sauce under string trees and onto string saddles and wiggle trem bar to spread the sauce.
3. Apply WD-40 on all six screws of the tremolo unit.
4. Thoroughly stretch strings and bend on each fret and apply same pressure as if you were playing.
5. Dive the tremolo down to set your zero point then tune. If out of tune, perform a bend, pull up, or divebomb to somewhat bring guitar back into playable tuning.
6. Replace tremolo springs with Gotoh springs.
Note: I replaced the tremolo unit entirely because my playing style requires a mobile but stable trem bar for a more expressive vibrato and I couldn’t accomplish this with the stock unit. These should work on the stock bridge unit.
Bro do you have links of the black tusq xl to check the specific model and Wilkinson tremolo ? I'm also planning to upgrade my Azes40, thank you more power to your channel!
Sounds good and to much for me to explain. Check out Galeazzo Frudua on RUclips he can give you the science behind it. One key, your tremolo will only remember the state in which you set it up, if you dive tune dive tune then diving is its home state if you go out of tune just dive it, don’t bend or pull up it adds no value. You can setup your guitar by bending all the strings then tuning up if you ever go out of tune you have to bend all the strings precisely and that is a pain. If you want to eliminate all tuning issues get Wilkinson locking saddles or buy the Gotoh 510T-BS. That Gotoh bridge has a unique way to feed the strings to the block so that the string does not contact the bridge plate. Contrary to popular belief the nut is not the primary source of tuning stability it is the bridge specifically the are from the block to the saddle.
@bluwng Good to know! Thanks for the info.
sick playing! i love my azes40, already upgraded my tuners and now you've convinced me to upgrade the bridge! Cheers, friend!
Thanks! Awesome! They are amazing guitars!
Proof that you don't need expensive gear, if you can rip like this. 🤘🙂
Thank you for sharing!
Thank you again, Tomo! 🙏🏻
How was the set up out of the box.. does it need major setup or just few adjustments is enough
Sweet dude, that's more evh and Vito Bratta than the actual guys.
really well done.
This Tremolo is a lot cheaper than the VegaTrem VT1 UltraTrem which is also a good fit for this guitar. Would you say the Vega is not worth the extra money. The AZES is the first guitar I have bought with a tremolo so know little about them.
If money were no object, I would go for the VegaTrem. It is superior in design and functionality, which allows you to divebomb and pull up similar to a Floyd Rose.
However, this Wilkinson tremolo is a significant upgrade to the stock trem and can get the job done at a fraction of the price, whereas the VegaTrem almost costs just as much as the Ibanez AZES itself.
I considered the VegaTrem also when searching for a replacement, but went with the Wilkinson.
@@hanskorn Thanks Hans, yes they are 269 euros at Thomann's here in Spain , the Wilkinson does seem great value for the price.
Did you have to do any modifications to the body or did the Wilkinson bridge just fit into the routing?
Sweet mods and sick playing, respect! 🤟🏼
Thank you!
Yes, unfortunately the trem cavity
required some routing since Ibanez’s proprietary bridge has a smaller shape compared to typical trem blocks. Not a huge obstacle. My local guitar tech was able to
do it, but chipped off some of the paint
finish, so I recommend taking it to
someone who really knows what they're doing.
Thanks, much appreciated!
@@Adrian-uc7biI think the more difficult part is the screw spacing is different on that bridge vs the guitar. Guitar is 52 mm and bridge fits like 54 to 57 mm so it’s to big.
I have the same problem, what I found the modern tremolo bridge with 36mm trem clock (chunky one) probably the best choice. With 52.5 mm screw spacing.
@@D-8-Tone2 it’s hard to find ones with 52.5 mm.
I was looking for a video like this! I changed my nut for the graph tech one as well but didn't use any lubes. I also put locking tuners and I'm looking for a different bridge as well, maybe a Gotoh 510.
Can’t go wrong with a Gotoh 510! Solid hardware that can take a beating and holds tuning very well.
Amazing
I forgot to ask , what is the string spacing on the AZES?
What is the distance between the 1st and 6th screw on that trem? Is it 56mm or 52,5mm? 😬 got a 56mm 6 screw wilkinson laying around and would love to put it in one of these!
According to the site I purchased it from, it can accommodate 54mm-57mm spacing. The Ibanez AZES has a spacing of 52.5mm and this bridge was still able to fit and function without any problems.
@@hanskorn Nice! :D And the block depth was correct too? Not too deep?
@@SimenNeverdal No problems with block depth although you’ll need to route some of the wood to fit the length of the block. Ibanez AZES trem cavity isn’t cut to standard dimensions.
@@hanskorn The Wilkinson WVP6-SB is a bit wide for your guitar, which probably explains why the block wasn't a perfect fit. The Wilkinson WOV09 (same full block but 52.5mm spacing instead of 56mm) might be an even better replacement for the AZES40 stock bridge. Thanks for the video!
@@Witcher58 The WOV09 will work, however the wood still requires some routing. The problem isn't with the string spacing, but the shape of the block itself. The wood on the back of the body is routed to accommodate the shape of the AZES40's proprietary tremolo block, which contains a slight curve in its design. Unfortunately, the wood routing follows this curve and this serves as an obstruction, preventing other blocks from properly fitting into this cavity unless removed.
Hello, I'm looking for the WV6SB strat bridge, but my guitar has 52,5mm of distancie between the 1st and the 6th screw. I know that this bridge has the 5+1 system with that extended holes for better fixing in any guitar, but, is that hole extra spacing in the holes enough for a 52,5mm bridge? Or it's just for 56mm and 54mm only? Can you please help me with that?
Hi, Martin.
According to the specs, the Ibanez AZES that I installed the WV6SB trem onto has a string spacing of 52.9mm at the bridge. Based on my experience with placing this trem into this guitar, I had no problems nor did I experience any string slippage at the high E string.
Hope that helps!
@@hanskorn thank you so much! I've bought one of this a few hours ago, can't wait to try it
Your vid helps me a lot! Im going to change my azes40 trem to wilkinson wvp6 and the nut to something better like yours.
Thanks!
Hi, what model of Black Tusq XL did u use? What size?
Sorry I can’t remember the exact model. I looked up the nuts on the Graphtech site and PT-5000-00 might be your best bet. What I do remember is the nut my local guitar tech installed was slightly longer than the required dimension. You can always sand it down if it’s too long.
Hope that helps though and thanks for checking out the video.
Sir niresearch ko yung model and nakita ko sa lazada. I believe ikaw yung nagbigay ng review dun sa nakita ko :D. Sino luthier mo? Plano ko rin bumili nitong AZES40 and medyo need ko yung nagfflutter na trem eh. Balak ko sana gayahin yung upgrades mo.
nabenta mo na pala sir hehe
Yes, I bought the trem from Lazada. Any luthier/tech can get the job done.
@@hanskorn Thank you po! Sir baka pwedeng makahingi ng link nung replacement nut na nilagay niyo? Salamat ulit.
can you give me the exact product code for the TUSQ XL Nut ? Thanks in advance and a big thumbs up from Holland
Hey, Hans. Sorry I can’t remember the exact product code. I looked up the nuts on the Graphtech site and PT-5000-00 might be your best bet. What I do remember is the nut my local guitar tech installed was slightly longer than the required dimension. You can always sand it down if it’s too long.
Hope that helps though and thanks for checking out the video.
Can this tremolo bridge allow for pulling up too? like a Floyd rose ?
It can be set floating at an angle to allow for pulling up, but sadly it does not have the range of a recessed Floyd Rose.
@@hanskorn thanks for the help
Can this be fitted into a floating Floyd Rose bridge guitar?
Not sure if it can be dropped in without modifications, but it might fit with proper routing performed by an experienced tech. I found these on the web though:
“Unfortunately you can't 'remove' the FR and replace it with anything. You could get a Luthier to remove it and then fill all the cavities with Wood Blanks and then fit a fixed Bridge but this would be too time consuming and prohibitively expensive!!!!”
“Yes, if there is enough wood underneath it to screw down into.
Floyd Rose routes take out a bunch of wood underneath.
Your better bet is to deck and block the FR.”
Hope those help!
@@hanskorn thanks a lot mate...very kind of you..will check these!
is it a drop in replacement? i kinda want to buy the same bridge but i’m not good enough to do any other mods.
Unfortunately, no. You’ll need to chip away a small corner of wood to fit the block. If you’re confident with a chisel, it shouldn’t be too much work.
@@hanskorn thanks
Is this 54mm tremolo?
According to the site I purchased it from, the tremolo can accommodate 54mm-57mm spacing. The Ibanez AZES has a spacing of 52.5mm and this bridge was still able to fit and function without any problems.
you're trem saddles look different than all the other ones I seen online of this model? can you tell me where you bought it
I'm fixing up a friend's SX "import" strat...will the spacing of this bridge work on it?
I switched the stock Wilkinson block saddles with the Ibanez AZES saddles.
Yes, most likely it will fit. This bridge can accommodate 54mm-57mm spacing. The spacing on the AZES is 52.5mm and I had no problems.
Is the bridge screw fits perfectly in body? or do you need to drill a new one? Thank you. Cheers!
Bridge screws fit perfectly. No need to drill.
@@hanskorn great! So just the back route right? The standard block doesn’t really fits the route so I kinda figured it needs a little adjustment. I’m currently modding my azes and I’m kinda adamant on the bridge part if it fits perfectly.
Yes, just the back cavity which needs some minor routing to fit the standard block. Other than that, it’s pretty much drop in and play.
@@hanskorn perfect! Thanks for the reply. Great playing as well. Cheers and rock on!
@@hanskorn can standart block swap with wilkinson block?
Viral
what type of gotoh spring are you using?, PSP or SP?
Gotoh SP
@@hanskorn thanks man