6 holes and 2 point trems?

Jetfire

My Blacktop strat(and a guitar body I have been given has it also) has a vintage style 6 screw trem system. Are there any benefits or reasons to look at changing it to a 2 point trem as found on the more expensive Fenders etc? And if so, is it a direct swap or are the posts etc different?

Fez

It isn't a direct swap, you need to drill holes for the posts, they need to be accurate and you need a drill press.
Whether two point trems are better is quite a debate. The purists will say only the 6 screw original versions are "proper" and so long as the guitar is properly set up with a well cut nut they are fine.

I have both types and two strats with Kahler trems and they are all great. There may be slight differences in sound and feel but they are slight. I do like a steel block in them rather than the cheapo mazak ones.

Schnozz

I've just blocked mine off - the 6 point on my AVRI didn't work very well either. Musician and G&L terms work best in my experience and both are 2 point. Gotoh 510 on Suhrs etc was nowhere near as good, but Wilkinsons work well.

Voxman

I've played both and I prefer the 2 point for slightly smoother action, easier set up, and better tuning stability. But its all down to personal taste.

ICBM

A well-set-up 6-screw can stay in tune *almost* as well as a 2-post - in fact well enough that it can be effectively the same - but it can take more work to get it there.

But I prefer them, since 2-post ones - exactly because they have less friction - also tend to 'warble', which I hate. I'm not convinced there's any other great difference in tone though.

Henrytwang

The two point tremolo on my 2002 USA Stratocaster works very well and the strings return to pitch but a properly set up six screw tremolo should work well. I just find that the two point system feels a lot smoother to operate.

Funkfingers

Jetfire said:

is it a direct swap

It would be - in the sense that the easiest option is to sell/trade the Blacktop Stratocaster to get one with your idea of a better vibrato.

Fez said:

you need to drill holes for the posts, they need to be accurate and you need a drill press.

The insert post holes need to be made at exactly the correct angle and be tight enough that the splines on the metal insert grip firmly into the body wood once in position.

Fez said:

6 screw original version ... properly set up ... with a well cut nut.

Fez has the right idea. Nut fettling and, possibly, locking 'heads.

There are also tweaks that can be done to the pivot screw holes in a tradition fulcrum vibrato to improve its return to pitch accuracy. 

BluesyDave

I've had both in various guitars (Fenders and Suhr) and I much prefer the sound of the 6 point.  As @ICBM ; said, the 2 point trems can get very warbly a little too easily.  Of course if you like that sound a 2 point would be the choice.

Sporky

2-point look much better to me. 

impmann

Imho, that would be a big downgrade.

Two post trems chirp with heavy right hand technique, have a plunky attack envelope and offer very little upgrade in performance. 

But each to their own 

Humbucked

Hmmm, What would Jeff Beck do?

Schnozz

Humbucked said:

Hmmm, What would Jeff Beck do?

Have a tonne of techs side stage to replace his guitar when it goes out of tune and then have one working on them all in-between shows.

2 posts are better than tightening down the 2 outer screws, that's for sure.

frown

https://floydrose.com/products/rtn?variant=29880817170 Pricy option, but how about something like this? Or there’s the Super Vee Blade Runner, both of which can save drilling holes and be reversible...

Jetfire

That Floyd rose thing looks cool!

It was jist musings rather than any serious thought. I always fancy building  a parts caster and loads of bodies I see are drilled for trems which I never use, it would be a cosmetic thing at the end of the day 

DrBob

Schnozz said:

Humbucked said:

Hmmm, What would Jeff Beck do?

Have a tonne of techs side stage to replace his guitar when it goes out of tune and then have one working on them all in-between shows.

2 posts are better than tightening down the 2 outer screws, that's for sure.

You say that but the last time I saw him live he played the same Strat all night and he was hammering that trem relentlessly