Looking at the issues that can plague the Accent Vibrato on some Rics -
seems Winfield has done his homework and remedied some problems with the unit.
Thinking of getting a six string Ric and was considering an Accent unit to keep it looking vintage.
Anyone using one of these units on their Ric?
Anyone have the Paul Winfield unit and /or replacement lower spring?
Thanks for any info
Accent Vibrato - Y/N - Winfield
Moderators: rickenbrother, ajish4
Re: Accent Vibrato - Y/N - Winfield
Winfield hasn’t “remedied” any problems, they’ve just reproduced some Accent parts that are no longer available.
Same design and performance.
The “Accent by Paul” with the small plaque is how the earliest Accent vibrato units looked, prior to 1964. Same general unit though.
The Accent is decent but it depends on your playing style. It’s good for a light shimmer, but that’s about all.
Same design and performance.
The “Accent by Paul” with the small plaque is how the earliest Accent vibrato units looked, prior to 1964. Same general unit though.
The Accent is decent but it depends on your playing style. It’s good for a light shimmer, but that’s about all.
Re: Accent Vibrato - Y/N - Winfield
I’m not a Rick aficionado by any means, but I’ve thought a lot about vibratos on Ricks, and here’s a Personal Perspective:
If you’re concerned about authenticity, then don’t be. I mean, the only RIC model that currently comes stock with a vibrato is the 325C64, therefore, no authenticity concerns here if you buy a new one. (Scan the “All Models” web page at the RIC web site.) With the help of a Winfield adapter you can put an Accent vibrato on any other model. Of course, anyone who is familiar with the RIC line of models will notice that it is an “unauthentic” mod – not a bad one, but not truly authentic in a strict sense. The main advantage of the placing an Accent on any model is that you can do it without having to make permanent changes to the body of the guitar, i.e., drilling holes for an alternative vibrato option, e.g., a Bigsby B5. If you want a vibrato on a Rick but don’t want to permanently violate the body, the Accent may be the only choice.
So if you want that short-scale Beatles-era 325: A new one will come with the Accent. A used one probably will, but may have been replaced with a tailpiece and hopefully the seller would include the Accent as part of the deal (if he hasn’t sold it). A used one may have a Bigsby installed, although that wouldn’t be authentic on a 325C64, and might turn off guys looking for strict authenticity. (But, a lot of guys who want an alternative vibrato do replace the Accent with a Bigsby.)
As pointed out, the Winfield Accent is pretty much the same as the RIC version. One subtle modification is that the Winfield arm is a little longer and the end is not as sharp as the original. When I first got mine, I sounded like Gilbert Gottfried as I repeatedly poked myself on the end of the arm. (I ended up putting a short length of tubing over the tip.) The lower profile spring probably is an enhancement. As I see it, the greatest advantage (now) for getting the Winfield version is that the RIC Accent is selling for $250 in their Boutique, while the Winfield version is still only $200.
If you’re concerned about authenticity, then don’t be. I mean, the only RIC model that currently comes stock with a vibrato is the 325C64, therefore, no authenticity concerns here if you buy a new one. (Scan the “All Models” web page at the RIC web site.) With the help of a Winfield adapter you can put an Accent vibrato on any other model. Of course, anyone who is familiar with the RIC line of models will notice that it is an “unauthentic” mod – not a bad one, but not truly authentic in a strict sense. The main advantage of the placing an Accent on any model is that you can do it without having to make permanent changes to the body of the guitar, i.e., drilling holes for an alternative vibrato option, e.g., a Bigsby B5. If you want a vibrato on a Rick but don’t want to permanently violate the body, the Accent may be the only choice.
So if you want that short-scale Beatles-era 325: A new one will come with the Accent. A used one probably will, but may have been replaced with a tailpiece and hopefully the seller would include the Accent as part of the deal (if he hasn’t sold it). A used one may have a Bigsby installed, although that wouldn’t be authentic on a 325C64, and might turn off guys looking for strict authenticity. (But, a lot of guys who want an alternative vibrato do replace the Accent with a Bigsby.)
As pointed out, the Winfield Accent is pretty much the same as the RIC version. One subtle modification is that the Winfield arm is a little longer and the end is not as sharp as the original. When I first got mine, I sounded like Gilbert Gottfried as I repeatedly poked myself on the end of the arm. (I ended up putting a short length of tubing over the tip.) The lower profile spring probably is an enhancement. As I see it, the greatest advantage (now) for getting the Winfield version is that the RIC Accent is selling for $250 in their Boutique, while the Winfield version is still only $200.
Re: Accent Vibrato - Y/N - Winfield
There is a substantial difference in the quality between the RIC and Winfield versions in terms of metal quality and plating. It's certainly worth the extra $50 for the bona fide part, IMO.maxwell wrote: As I see it, the greatest advantage (now) for getting the Winfield version is that the RIC Accent is selling for $250 in their Boutique, while the Winfield version is still only $200.
Also, it's worth noting that an Accent conversion works best on guitars that previously had a trapeze tailpiece instead of an "R" because the strap button hole for the trapeze claw is closer to centered on the body (in the spot where it would be for a factory Accent), versus the shorter "R" tailpiece claw with a strap button closer to the top face of the body.
This is important because it can affect the break angle of the strings over the bridge (and the stiffer spring piece of a new Accent unit won't help matters).