Convert conventional Strat to hardtail?

[poodlesrule]

These questions have been bugging me for while, I decided to ask the collective forum wisdom:

Is is difficult to convert a conventional trem'd Strat to hardtail?
My thought was that, by properly measuring where saddles fall, one could compute the needed position of the replacement bridge. Sound easy at first glance. Is it?

Any vendor with dedicated kits?

How will the Strat "sound" be affected?

[Commodore 64***]

I would think blocking the trem would accomplish the same thing, and be cheaper and easier.

[Heywood Jablomie]

I would think blocking the trem would accomplish the same thing, and be cheaper and easier.

That's what I did

[markb]

Screw those 6 bolts down tight, take up the slack in the springs, job done. Stick a block of something in there if you like.

[kiteman]

I would think blocking the trem would accomplish the same thing, and be cheaper and easier.

And reversible.

[6stringdrug]

Screw those 6 bolts down tight, take up the slack in the springs, job done. Stick a block of something in there if you like.

+1, I have tried to fill the hole and put in a hardtail bridge but there was a buzz and tonekill I could not over come. Ended up taking it out and going back to stock but it was never the same. I gave that axe to my nephew. The next strat I got, I just screwed the claw screws down as tight as I could and viola! hard tail strat and no problems. Plus, if you ever decide to go back to the whammy bar, just loosen the screws back up and you are home!

[ZMAN]

I do that with all my strats. Here is one of my Deluxe Squiers. No need to block the trem.

[deeaa*]

I find making the strat hardtail either by just screwing things down tight or actually putting a block of wood there makes surprisingly little difference to how it sounds. Sure there is difference, but of late it seems to be more difference could be achieved by changing the block material. I've been tightening and loosing the bridge on one of my strats of late and can't decide which do I like better. On the strat that sounds best to me it's just ever so slightly off the body, not clamped down hard but not loose either.

I did convert one floyd-equipped guitar to hardtail, block of wood and all, and it turned out great, but it's nothing like a strat, shorter scale and all.

[Duffy]

On some of my strats I have lowered the bridge plate to the top of the guitar body and screwed in the trem claw screws and even put on additional springs. This holds the bridge down real well, but if I want some slight trem effect I can still push down on the trem to get a subtle buy nice effect.

I had a strat hardtail straight from the factory once and didn't like it nearly as well as my regular strats.

If I want a hardtail guitar I grab one of my Les Pauls or other factory hard tailed guitars.

I mean, this is the way I do things, but you should do what you want. I'm going to put in a set of EMG noiseless single coils in one of my strats, or else SD noiseless. I'm going to do what I want to do.

Go for it if you want to but I think cranking the bridge down and possibly wedging in a block of wood up against the trem block will work great and not change your action to "real high" like it was on my hard tail strat.

Hope this helps you evaluate your goals for your guitar.

[otaypanky***]

Call me crazy, but I like the springs. I have 5 in some strats. I think they are part of that slinky spanky sound that's signature to a strat

[deeaa*]

Call me crazy as well, I got 3 strings even on my hardtail Davette...they aren't even attached to the bridge, just stretched accross the gap at the back, screwed to body wood on both ends...