Anyone Use Guitar Fetish Hardware?

[deeaa*]

Ok, if you say so, I'll believe it has an effect, but still dubious of how large one...yeah, I'd love to A/B as I have a couple of strats and never even checked the block with keen eye, but I'm quite sure they're zinc alloy. At least they are quite matt and dull gray, not shiny or clean. Maybe I'll try one myself...and make sure I record plenty clips and tests both before and after.

[sumitomo]

Deeaa it truly does make a difference,I'm a witiness,I put a steel one in my SX strat and I can play it unplugged and hear it,where before it sounded muffled and it does carry that trait plugged in too.Sumi

[Tig***]

Deeaa it truly does make a difference,I'm a witiness,I put a steel one in my SX strat and I can play it unplugged and hear it,where before it sounded muffled and it does carry that trait plugged in too.Sumi

Going from the stock small zinc to the full sized brass tremolo block made my CV 50's Strat much louder unplugged, and a slight bit more sustain plugged in. I suggest everyone who has a Squier do the same.

[DeanEVO_Dude]

Did you get the discount code? You can get 30% off. I just ordered 18 orange drops, an SD Hot Rails Bridge PuP, an allparts vintage tremolo (with full size block)and a PG for less than 90 bucks, shipped.

No, I didn't... Wish I had, but still, only ordered caps ($17 shipped), got some Alpha pots and some Kluson tuners for my Stagg commin' from a few sellers off eBay. Gonna rewire the Strat and gotta replace my pots in the Dean. Gonna have the soldering iron out next weekend and play!

[deeaa*]

Going from the stock small zinc to the full sized brass tremolo block made my CV 50's Strat much louder unplugged, and a slight bit more sustain plugged in. I suggest everyone who has a Squier do the same.

Well that does it...I simply must try it now. And will make clips and tests too. The only problem is...do they vary a lot? Is there a standard to how the block is attached?

Because I have absolutely NO idea what are the trems in my strats, nada. I'm pretty sure the Squier Classic Vibe has a standard trem that belongs to it, but absolutely no idea about the other one. It most likely has all the parts from different tremolos too so there's no telling what it is.

So I think I need to go look for what options do I have...any ideas welcome!

[grungeiceman]

Awsome links by the way there going to come in handy

[deeaa*]

Hm, seems hard indeed to figure out what kind of a block might I need. Doesn't seem like there are any options for regular vintage style bridges....although the bridges themselves come in various widths, maybe the blocks are always the same.

If I understand correctly, an Allparts steel block costs $55 though, plus freight plus custom...that's like almost what I paid for the whole guitar :-)

I really do doubt however it'll make a hundred bucks worth of difference. If it doesn't really make a much of a difference if I let the tremolo float or wedge it down tight with a big piece of iron or wood, how could changing just the material of the block affect the sound so much? I don't know. I just doubt it still. But in any case I need to find one cheaper locally to try it, no way I'll shell out a hundred bucks for one...especially since I'm not all too sure if it will fit my axe OK.

[Tig***]

The sizes vary, so measure twice!
For my Squier CV, I used the Import 10.5 mm, which works perfectly except for the arm alignment of the block and tremolo plate don't line up. I don't use the tremolo much, so it doesn't bother me, but I'll machine the plate's hole if I want to attach the arm.
Maybe the MiM 10.5 might line up better, but I'd confirm that before ordering.

[deeaa*]

Thanks for the excellent pics!

Luckily it can be measured without dismantling anything. Mine seems to be 11.3 so the 'USA' variety. Good, so now just need to start asking around where to get one.

I don't care about the trem arm either, actually mine broke in 2 years ago, never bothered to try and pry the bit out so in that sense it can only improve :-)

[deeaa*]

I found a place where I can score an usa-spaced steel block for roughly forty bux. I'll get it when I get the next paycheck, provided I can pay off my Visa debt by then :-)

The more I think about it the more sense it makes for the block to make an actual difference, dubious as I always am. It is after all one of the end points of the string, and I always believed just about the biggest effect to an electric's string sound comes from anything directly attached to the strings, i.e. string angles at both ends, scale, saddle and nut material&cut bridge type in general...so now I'm starting to expect some differences actually.

[Bloozcat]

Here's a place that has the AllParts USA spaced steel trem block for $28.64 USD. Of course, there's the shipping cost, import duties, and whatever:

http://www.internetmusicsupply.com/

The AllParts steel trem block is made like the original 50's/60's Fender trem blocks with the shallow recess holes for the string ends.

[deeaa*]

Here's a place that has the AllParts USA spaced steel trem block for $28.64 USD. Of course, there's the shipping cost, import duties, and whatever:

http://www.internetmusicsupply.com/

The AllParts steel trem block is made like the original 50's/60's Fender trem blocks with the shallow recess holes for the string ends.

Thanks...it comes to pretty much the same there too. I'll see which I get it from.

BTW your sig reminds me...because I just got my new HD shipped via UPS...

In Finland the name UPS is not a very good one, because that's how we spell and say 'Oops' or 'whoops'; well anyway what many say when they drop something by accident. Very few people want to send packages via a company named 'Whoops freight services' :-)

[Eric***]

Thanks...it comes to pretty much the same there too. I'll see which I get it from.

BTW your sig reminds me...because I just got my new HD shipped via UPS...

In Finland the name UPS is not a very good one, because that's how we spell and say 'Oops' or 'whoops'; well anyway what many say when they drop something by accident. Very few people want to send packages via a company named 'Whoops freight services' :-)

Well, based on my experience with UPS, that's actually quite apropos! Packages shipped with UPS are usually the most beat up when comparing all shippers I've used (UPS, FedEx, postal service).

[James299]

I have a newer standard strat (2009 I believe) and it looks like the sustain block might be the same size as the upgrades guitar fetish has. Is it still worth it to put a GFS brass sustain block in? Also, what are the saddles and bridge made out of on a standard strat? I was thinking I'd get stainless steel saddles, but there might already be some on there, but I'm not sure. Thanks for all the feedback guys.

[deeaa*]

Well, based on my experience with UPS, that's actually quite apropos! Packages shipped with UPS are usually the most beat up when comparing all shippers I've used (UPS, FedEx, postal service).

Heheh, according to this T-shirt I just took a pic of in a store, UPS is not the fastest either. It means to say Oops, sleeping time but that's how we just spell it here :-)

[LeadedEL84]

Heheh, according to this T-shirt I just took a pic of in a store, UPS is not the fastest either. It means to say Oops, sleeping time but that's how we just spell it here :-)

That's really funny. UPS means oops in Finland. It is so appropiate. UPS is at least synonymous with oops here. I have had a few boxes delivered that looked like they narrowly survived a war. The local delivery guys I have dealt with through the years have been great. Real easy to work with and helpful. I don't know what goes on in some of the warehouses though. I've had boxes that had puncture wounds from a forklift. When my V series amp and Dean Hardtail came the boxes looked pristine. Not a mark on either. But I've had a few that looked like they were run over by a truck! About 10 years ago I had a WW II German Mauser rifle delivered that was in about 95% condition. Well it WAS in 95% condition before the box was smashed and the muzzle of the rifle was sticking out of the box. It looked like the muzzle was dragged across cement. Boy was I pissed about that one! An non replacable artifact from the 1930s totally ruined. Another one that came all messed up was my red Dean guitar I have posted in my photos in my profile here. I had that one sent to the place I was working at the time. My coworkers called me to the dock when they saw a package addressed to me. I went to get it. It was on the pallet with a bunch of items destined for the service dept. which I worked., I was shocked when I saw it. The whole bottom of the box was ripped off and the guitar was hanging out the bottom. The bubble wrap was shredded from the body of the guitar. I pulled the guitar out and looked ot over. It didn't have a scratch anywhere on it. I couldn't believe it! The box looked like it was in nuclear war. The guitar somehow survived. I think that since that guitar survived through that it was meant to make it to me in one piece. I will never part with it. I like it anyway.
UPS is a roll of the dice. I use USPS whenever I can. They seem to handle the packages with greater care. I've had a few issues with them though.