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Post subject: Re: Super Vee Blade Runner
Posted: Sat Sep 29, 2012 10:24 am
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Aspiring Musician
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Location: Cambridge UK
"I do not agree with your review". That's fine, MarcelDam! I wasn't intending to insult anyone. FWIW, I disagree with your review of the Fender (cheap and cheerful) small spring arrangement on the Am Std, but agree that that arm will still develop play after extended use. As for having to buy 5 or 6 of the springs, even in the UK I've had no problem buying a pack of 2 at very little cost.

Actually, I haven't had a trem on any guitar on which the arm DIDN'T develop play after much abuse, including genuine Floyds. The PRS one on my Custom 22 is probably the best, but it doesn't get the spanking my Strat ones do. It certainly seems well engineered, but of course we're talking about Strats here, not PRS...!

For those Bladerunner users who DO experience the same problem that I did, I have given one of several possible solutions. Ignore it if you wish, but others may be interested, like they were in Part 1 of my review. I thought that was the point of a forum?

Incidentally, nowhere have I said it looks ugly. Quite the opposite. I think the people who don't like the look of it are talking about the Floyd-type SV, not the Bladerunner.

Cheers - Peter.


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Post subject: Re: Super Vee Blade Runner
Posted: Fri Oct 05, 2012 1:07 am
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PeterS. Your right, that's the idea of a forum. Basically every Wilkinson, Gotoh or Hipshot tremolo with a push-in arm develops some play over (sometimes little) time and they need tightening that little screw located under the tremolo base plate to restore as best as possible. The only manner to not feel play in these arms is to over-tighten it, but then the arm doesn't swing to be useful. But just as you do not mind to insert that little spring I do not mind tightening that little screw or the nylon SV screw every now and than. It's just not a perfect world. But I do stand with my opinion that the SV BR is a very good tremolo. Its a pity some post comments saying "it's ugly" not knowing how it actually looks.

Best wishes, Marcel.


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Post subject: Re: Super Vee Blade Runner
Posted: Sat Oct 06, 2012 7:16 am
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This is a very helpful post. I'm leaning toward a Bladerunner for a MIM Strat project I've yet to start. It sounds like either a Callaham or Bladerunner would be a good choice, but I might go with the Bladerunner. Now all I need is the time to do this project.


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Post subject: Re: Super Vee Blade Runner
Posted: Sat Oct 06, 2012 9:03 am
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If you have an undamaged body (around the stud inserts), babalooga, and you prefer a softer trem action, you'd probably be better off with one of Callaham's more traditional trems.

With SV, whatever you do you can't get any softer than a 5-spring Strat action, in my opinion. I tried 1 spring on the Bladerunner (as mentioned above) but I don't think it really made a lot of difference and have gone back to 2.

I only stress this because. either way, the trem unit's a fair investment and you can't try before you buy, unless you happen to know someone who'd already fitted one. Here in the UK, that's unlikely! So unless you definitely want a toughish trem action - as of course lots do - steer clear of the SV.

If that's what you want, however, the SV is certainly well made and sounds good. My reservations re the nylon screw arrangement don't seem to have surfaced on MarcelDam's example. I originally advised SV of this, so they may've modded it a bit on later ones...

Cheers - Peter.


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Post subject: Re: Super Vee Blade Runner
Posted: Sat Oct 06, 2012 10:11 am
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Thanks Peter and Marcel. Both viewpoints are very helpful, this gives me something to think about before I get started on this project. So much good info here on this forum.


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Post subject: Re: Super Vee Blade Runner
Posted: Tue Jan 08, 2013 11:42 am
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Hey
For those who say the Bladerunner is "stiff", do you have the trem against the body, or is it floating? If it's floating, I can't see it being stiffer than any other floating trem (spring tension equals string tension)?

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Post subject: Re: Super Vee Blade Runner
Posted: Tue Jan 08, 2013 1:16 pm
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I have mine floating. I imagine the reason the action is stiff is because the 'pivot' is a piece of spring steel, not a real pivot like other trems. So it has resistance to bending all by itself, regardless of springs/string tension.

Try it for yourself - I can assure you it's not my imagination!


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Post subject: Re: Super Vee Blade Runner
Posted: Tue Jan 08, 2013 1:48 pm
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Hmm, if it's THAT stiff, I wonder if there is too much stress being put on the screw holes in the body - eventually causing the screws to move/shift?

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'08 Charvel US San Dimas
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Post subject: Re: Super Vee Blade Runner
Posted: Tue Jan 08, 2013 3:31 pm
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No man its not that stiff it is not stressin the body. I got a blade runner and put it in my highway 1 these things are the greatest true to vintage creation ever.
I decided not to go LSR on this and I used a Graph Tech white nut and Graph Tech White string guides the tall ones.

They have sort of figured out the bar deal and sell a kit now but it comes with it installed on mine.

I put in locking tuners and it stays in pretty well, its no floyd rose or super vee your gonna tune between songs a tad but compared to a vintage six screw its perfect.

All I know is I made the mistake AGAIN of installing a floyd in my american deluxe and its been a nightmare. 3 trips back & I had to get involved milling a channel in the nut to get a truss wrench in I had to end up filling the holes for the studs and re drilling them proper, NEVER AGAIN!!!!

Im a BLade Runner man from here on out!

The Tone on the Blade Runner is beef, and the Tusq nut even more.
I only changed the Humbucker to a Dimarzio Evolution, love the alnico 3 single coils that came stock in the highway 1.

From now on its a Fender American Special Statocaster with a Blade Runner Tremolo, Locking Tuners and a Graph Tech nut for me

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Post subject: Re: Super Vee Blade Runner
Posted: Tue Jan 08, 2013 8:05 pm
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It's a blade type of trem. Nothing new. It's pretty much just a product improved ESP Flicker I trem.

kingofesquire wrote:
If they were so great, Fender would have bought a license to make their products.


If that were true, Fender would use more locking trems.


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Post subject: Re: Super Vee Blade Runner
Posted: Tue Jan 08, 2013 9:04 pm
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http://www.espguitars.co.jp/parts/customlab/flicker/index.html

Good call on the ESP Flicker

I had no idea it existed live in my little bubble ya know.

But none the less I really dig mine and it sure made this Highway 1 a usable utility axe.

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Post subject: Re: Super Vee Blade Runner
Posted: Wed Jan 09, 2013 2:48 am
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Hi AndyK,

You really need to have a physical look at the Bladerunner - it'd answer your queries!

There can't be any strain to the body or anything else because the fixed part of the trem screws down hard on the body. That fixed part holds half of the flat steel spring, which is a bit like a narrow razor blade.

The moving part of the trem fits onto the other half of the flat steel spring. So when you fit the moving and fixed parts together and bend them (as per trem use) there is resistance to movement because you're bending against the flat spring.

Donnycraven is right. Trem action is in no way awful or unusable, but it IS stiffer than a 3-spring AmStd or Floyd. Similar to my old PRS Custom 22 with 5 springs, I'd say. Lots of people like that, of course...

Cheers - Peter.


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Post subject: Re: Super Vee Blade Runner
Posted: Wed Jan 09, 2013 2:03 pm
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I do know how the Bladerunner works, I was just thinking if you screw the thing down to the body, and the spring steel is very stiff, you would be putting force not only on the spring steel, but the screws at the body holding the thing down.

If it's not that stiff, then I guess it should be fine. Should sound way better than the stock Ping vintage trem on my Special!

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'08 Charvel US San Dimas
'85 Jackson Soloist

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Post subject: Re: Super Vee Blade Runner
Posted: Wed Jan 09, 2013 5:43 pm
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Well I can tell you this I didnt unstring before I removed neck and bridge on my highway one.
I just did this
My brother in law is clear coating and buffing my body out its a triburst.

Anyway he wanted me to hurry get it over to him tonight so I I took it apart.
I left it tuned to D standard I thought about what you said. I had 2 springs from outsides of block going to center two claws, claw was out aout 5/16" from body I removed both springs and the string tension snapped the blade runner all the way forward.

So yeah its a lttle different tensions but no its not stiff just different and way better than your stock vintage 6 screw yes.
Is it worth $150?
Absolutley.
But you will have to have locking tuners and graph tech guides and nut if you want real performance.

All this stuff is super easy to do yourself.

Thats why I dig it because after just paying over $400 for an original floyd rose install and having to take it back twice and finally redoing it myself to get it to work proper and flutter like Brad Gillis and come back pitch perfect tuned.

The little Blade Runner job was a sheer delight to me.

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Post subject: Re: Super Vee Blade Runner
Posted: Wed Jan 09, 2013 5:45 pm
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Oh and PS they told me that spring ever breaks we will send you another cuz we dont believe it ever will.

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