Tremolo Block Upgrade experiences

Majorscale

I've just snapped the tremolo arm on my CS Fender Strat and it's left the majority of the screw section embedded deep in the block. While it's possible to extract the snapped section it will be a real pain.

Anyone tried upgrading your tremolo block and did it make much of a difference?

guitars4you

Callaham are generally accepted as the best option, certainly on a guitar like yours - It is marginal gain time  but many welcome such a change - Charlie Chandler Guitar Experience stock them

CasperCaster

We did this to death just a week ago.

http://www.thefretboard.co.uk/discussion/comment/2211357/#Comment_2211357

FelineGuitars

I have some made for Feline by a UK based engineer and they make a nice difference. 

My Jap Fender strat was utterly transformed sonically by it (old block was rubbish).

However I imaging that Fender CS ones would be better to start with so the improvement will be less dramatic

We also do a conversion trem now for guitars with narrow necks . 

Has fittings for standard mounting hole spacing at the front 11.2mm spaced but the saddle spacing are only 10.5mm giving a Gibson like string spread which brings the strings in from the edges of the neck. We use the Highwood saddles on these that don't have grub screws sticking out into your hand.

munckee

FelineGuitars said:

I have some made for Feline by a UK based engineer and they make a nice difference. 

My Jap Fender strat was utterly transformed sonically by it (old block was rubbish).

However I imaging that Fender CS ones would be better to start with so the improvement will be less dramatic

We also do a conversion trem now for guitars with narrow necks . 

Has fittings for standard mounting hole spacing at the front 11.2mm spaced but the saddle spacing are only 10.5mm giving a Gibson like string spread which brings the strings in from the edges of the neck. We use the Highwood saddles on these that don't have grub screws sticking out into your hand.

Hi what sort of jap strat was it and what difference did it make?

FelineGuitars

munckee said:

FelineGuitars said:

I have some made for Feline by a UK based engineer and they make a nice difference. 

My Jap Fender strat was utterly transformed sonically by it (old block was rubbish).

However I imaging that Fender CS ones would be better to start with so the improvement will be less dramatic

We also do a conversion trem now for guitars with narrow necks . 

Has fittings for standard mounting hole spacing at the front 11.2mm spaced but the saddle spacing are only 10.5mm giving a Gibson like string spread which brings the strings in from the edges of the neck. We use the Highwood saddles on these that don't have grub screws sticking out into your hand.

Hi what sort of jap strat was it and what difference did it make?

It was a 1991 Squier Japan one with a basswood body and the block of the trem was some nasty pot metal

I thought the guitar played really nicely - especially after refretting it , and decided to have a block made.
The difference was substantial - more of everything but a good focussed bottom end - plenty of clang and musical zing too but not thin sounding at all. I later tried out titanium saddles at great expense but no improvement really - the block was great bang for the buck, but did have to be made specially as the spacing of things was very non standard.

musteatbrain

If you owned it from new, message fender custom shop. They can be great

I had a pin shear off that tensions the arm in the trem block of a strat and it totally wedged. They sent me a whole new trem from the US for free.

HAL9000

I've replaced the zinc alloy block on my MIM Strat with a Callaham item. Adds a little sustain but TBH it's quite subtle. More noticeable is that the acoustic tone is more 'zingy'.