Electric Guitars

[danswon]

Firsty, just wanted to say this is the first time I've posted in the new format. I hope people survived the changeover. This forum has been great before and I hope it can be great again

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Anyway, to those people that have changed the small alloy trem block found on many import strats and cheaper strat copies for full-sized brass/steel blocks, did you really truly notice a difference?

[Floyd Rosenbomb]

There is a change, that does not necessarily mean that it is better.

Also, the change is so small that it is really pretty irrelevant.

I've done both brass and steal from zinc.

[danswon]

What change did you notice?

[tiltsta]

I replaced a cheap cast zinc block from a MIM start with a GFS brass block. I noticed a real difference in the sound of the guitar. The bass and highs were more pronounced, and the whole response just sounded sweeter to my ears. I didn't measure shit, so it could be total placebo effect, but it was enough of a difference that I did a few other guitars, and got what I think is the same effect.

FWIW, I was a skeptic on the whole concept, so I bought the cheapest brass block I could find. I remember arguing with Mark Wein about it, and he convinced me to give it a shot, and I am a believer. I wouldn't drop the hundreds on something high end, but the GFS block was really cheap and it worked for me.

[danswon]

Does anyone know if there's a place (pref. UK or Europe) that does brass/steel blocks that's cheap? GFS shipping is quite high to the UK so it doesn't really make it a budget brand any more

[billybilly]

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Floyd Rosenbomb wrote:

There is a change, that does not necessarily mean that it is better.

Also, the change is so small that it is really pretty irrelevant.

I've done both brass and steal from zinc.

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I think it can make quite a difference but it does depend on what you are coming from.  While the sum is greater than the whole, it can't hurt to have a substantial block in there, especially if you have one of those old, thin, zinc ones which really do sound like shit.

[DaleH]

raising your string height a touch and adjusting your pickups can add more sustain than a trem block IMO.

[axegrinder]

I believe it makes a difference, but I back it up only with raw perception... what I notice is the body resonates more.  I haven't changed just the block, but rather switched the whole tremolo that included the big solid block (brass & steel).  For what it's worth I suspect the difference will be more dramatic for those who float their tremolo.  If your bridge is blocked or clamped down flush with the body then I wouldn't expect much tonally... my humble opinion.

[Floyd Rosenbomb]

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danswon wrote:
What change did you notice?

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The time I went from zinc to brass I remember thinking that the mids sounded a tad more open.  That was about it, and that the guitar weighed more.

To steel, that didn't make much of an impression on me, but if I was going to buy an after market trem for a strat, I would get one with a steel block.  Don't ask me why, because I myself don't know. 

[docjeffrey]

Try it and see. It can't be more than a few bucks for a GFS block, right? 

This one is only $350.

[jrockbridge]

Of course, it works, if you believe in mojo......

.

Just teasing.  I'm sure it can make some amount of difference.  But, I'm skeptical that the improvement is as dramatic as some people claim based on my own limited experience swapping out trem units.

I suspect you would notice a MUCH larger difference if you installed a tremol-no.  With a tremol-no, you can quickly change a trem from fixed (locked) to floating, or dive-only.  When the tremol-no is in the locked position, the difference in tone and sustain is dramtically different from the floating position.

You leave the back cover plate off the guitar.  Then, you can quickly change the function of the trem on the fly.  The only thing you have to be carefu about is yanking on the trem arm when it's locked down.  If you yank it hard enough while it's locked, you can dent the inside of the tremol-no.  If that happens, it will need to be replaced to float properly.    

[Mo' Cowbell]

Most of the people telling you to change your trem block are selling trem blocks. Lipstick on a pig won't make it bacon. If you really want to change the tone of a guitar, change the capacitors.

[Floyd Rosenbomb]

+ 1 on capacitors, and pot values too.  If you have a strat with dimarzios in it, I totally recommend giving 500k pots a try.  It does sounds more modern and you can still run close to a classic vibe if you want with the tone rolled down.  Dimarzio does recommend 500K pot for most of their singles. 

On another note.  I notice a difference in my tone with the back cover on or off. I think there is a little more body to the sound of the guitar with the back cover on.  This difference is in the ballpark of the change I perceived with the block swaps...I.E. small.

Lastly, have to agree with Jrock.  I've had big jumps in the quality of sound coming out of my strat by letting the bridge ride off the body vs. havening the springs pulling the trem down flush against the body.

[humbuckerstrat]

I changed out the blocks if not the whole trem on all of my 7 Strat-type guitars. I noticed a big change in my '99 Squier in which a I changed out the whole trem unit with a GFS Strat trem with a steel block. A lot more tone and sustain, the quality of the trem was just better. I had to do a lot of dremeling in the trem cavity for it move freely, tho.

[jrockbridge]

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Lastly, have to agree with Jrock.  I've had big jumps in the quality of sound coming out of my strat by letting the bridge ride off the body vs. havening the springs pulling the trem down flush against the body.

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Having a trem rest flush against the body of a guitar is a very noticeable difference in sound and sustain vs floating.  A tremol-no in the locked position is similar to the trem against the body but it's not quite as dramatic a difference.  Of course, the advantage to the tremol-no is that you can quickly transition between floating, dive-only or fixed.  

If you do decide to rest a trem against the body, the trem is essentially disabled.  Then, you have to raise up the individual saddles for each string on the brdge to get the action back where it was.  

Some people prefer to block the trem in the back with a piece of wood so that you don't have to mess with the saddles.  With a Floyd Rose type of setup, you have no option to rest the whammy against the body, unless you have a d-tuna, so blocking the whammy with a piece of wood in the back is typical.

You can also block a Strat-style trem or Floyd Rose with a trem-stopper.  I've never used one but it seems simple enough.

 

/tangent

[Bro Blue]

That Strat is yummy.

[peskypesky]

i was gullible and believed the nonsense about "upgrading" the trem-block on a couple of my Strats.

What a bunch of hogwash.

Any improvement in tone is surely from the new set of strings that are installed with the new trem block.

[Bro Blue]

It depends on the guitar and the block. Some respond well, others don't.

[McCain]

If there is a difference then I think? simply adding an extra spring would have more of an effect than a heavier block.

[humbuckerstrat]

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Bro Blue wrote:
That Strat is yummy.

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Thanks