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Post subject: Clapton Trem Block Movement
Posted: Tue Feb 26, 2013 7:14 pm
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Hello everyone, this is my first post and I have to say this is an excellent site. I'm the happy owner of two Custom Shop Clapton Strats. My newest Clapton is an Olympic White which is a perfect match to my Mercedes blue.

Today I notice that the wood block in the Mercedes blue was moving around in the cavity. The wood block is no longer flush with the Trem block and guitar body causing the wood block to move around. Has anyone else had this issue? If not ,does anyone know if this can be set back into place or how it's done.

I really enjoy this site and so glad I joined.

Thanks


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Post subject: Re: Clapton Trem Block Movement
Posted: Tue Feb 26, 2013 8:34 pm
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Shane1956 wrote:
My newest Clapton is an Olympic White which is a perfect match to my Mercedes Blue.


Welcome!

From my understanding you've the same axes Eric used in 1996 fitted with his current pickup configuration.


Image

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Regarding the wood block issue I suggest you to contact your local Fender dealer since your guitar is under warranty or call a professional luthier to fix the problem.


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Post subject: Re: Clapton Trem Block Movement
Posted: Wed Feb 27, 2013 2:31 am
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You could undo the two screws on the spring claw a tad. It won't need much... and that slight loosening of the springs will increase the pressure on the wood block. Retune!


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Post subject: Re: Clapton Trem Block Movement
Posted: Wed Feb 27, 2013 9:43 am
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Butterscotch reply is THE accurate one, the other one is bla.. bla :wink:

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Post subject: Re: Clapton Trem Block Movement
Posted: Wed Feb 27, 2013 11:20 am
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Thanks for the help! I'll try backing off the claw screws. I'm sure I won't harm the guitar. As for the first post, that was my point when I acquired these guitars. This is the period I recall Clapton as being at his best .When I was younger I very much wanted the Mercedes Blue and Olympic White. I know the "best " comment is wide open for debate and off topic in this section so I won't go into further detail.

Thanks for the help on the block issue and I'll let you know if it works. Once again, this board is excellent.


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Post subject: Re: Clapton Trem Block Movement
Posted: Wed Feb 27, 2013 2:01 pm
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Welcome Shane...Your not the first of us from that corner of Canada. Look for posts from 'guitslinger'.

Here's another thought in that I had the same problem with my '89. In that Clapton is set up with the claw flush to the wall of the body rout with the five springs installed, thus holding the bridge's mass block flush to the body as well. In a better than 20 yo guitar I attributed the slippage of the wood block to dry out and shrinkage. If you don't want to change the setup have fashioned a new wood block to size which snuggly fit the space between the trem rout and the mass block. Consumer relations advised me that these blocks are cut from maple should you desire to be consistent with spec. I wonder that you had this occur in guitars so new, but that's no never mind.

As an added note, when I acquired my '57VHR, [my nod to Brownie] whose trem block is the same size as the Clapton's, I had the trem claw and block 'stopped' in the same fashion. Of course, presently one can either invest $15K in the Brownie Tribute 'lottery' or significantly less in the new '56 American Vintage. My Strats whose trems float are my Gilmour and my AmDlxVG.

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Post subject: Re: Clapton Trem Block Movement
Posted: Wed Feb 27, 2013 3:34 pm
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Hi
Lucky you, I've always wanted a Mercedes one, it's my favorite EC color, and I have to agree, 96/97 he was on fire. About the block did you change strings? Maybe the tension changed and the trem block moved a little releasing pressure on the wood block. What I do on mine is have the local carpenter make me another piece of wood similar to the original but thicker, since I like my claw and screws all the way to the back of the trem cavity and would rather have another piece of wood than loosening the screws. Call me obsessive, but hey, I'm a guitar player :p
Peace


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Post subject: Re: Clapton Trem Block Movement
Posted: Fri Mar 01, 2013 9:13 am
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Welcome Shane,

You may want to read up on this topic here, addresses more or less the same issue:

viewtopic.php?f=14&t=80354

My theory is that the block comes loose due to block shrinkage in older guitars. I have an old Clapton Strat that has exactly the same problem as you are experiencing.

I go against the advice given by other respondends here to try to loosen the trem claw. Two reasons: A) Your tremolo will become slightly floating, which may give rise to tuning instability. B) This does not solve your problem, by allowing the trem to float ever so slightly, you will gain contact surface on the loose trem block, but you will lose just the same amount of contact surface on the other side since the inertia bar is not entirely flush anymore to the inside of the guitar body at the spring end.

My personal experience is that the trem block does little to nothing to the sound of the guitar. If you have 5 springs installed and tighten the trem claw all the way, that tremolo is going nowhere, you can bend the first string of the neck and it still will not move. Clapton never had a block installed in either Blackie or Brownie, IMHO it's a bit of a needless overkill feature to tighten a trem which is already sufficiently tightened.

If you insist on having a blocked trem I would follow the advice of the Doc and have a new slightly wider block made.


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Post subject: Re: Clapton Trem Block Movement
Posted: Fri Mar 01, 2013 9:25 am
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Bobby1 wrote:
Clapton never had a block installed in either Blackie or Brownie,


I was under the impression that Clapton had Blackie blocked, that's where the idea came from to add it to his model when Fender launched it in the 80's? Personally I do notice more sustain with the block on, and since I dont use the trem, it's a good idea.

cheers


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Post subject: Re: Clapton Trem Block Movement
Posted: Fri Mar 01, 2013 9:41 am
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gerryblue wrote:
Bobby1 wrote:
Clapton never had a block installed in either Blackie or Brownie,


I was under the impression that Clapton had Blackie blocked, that's where the idea came from to add it to his model when Fender launched it in the 80's? Personally I do notice more sustain with the block on, and since I dont use the trem, it's a good idea.

cheers


No, Blackie most certainly did not have a blocked tremolo. Just 5 springs and the claw tightened all the way.

Check out this site:

http://doodlesite.com/crowdie/ec/blackie.htm

Old atricle printed in Guitarist, reasonably good pictures of the real deal.


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Post subject: Re: Clapton Trem Block Movement
Posted: Fri Mar 01, 2013 10:31 am
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So why EC insisted on having a tremolo bridge with a block of wood and not a hardtail ?
Because the tremolo block plus the wood block gave him a sustain unavailable with a hardtail.

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Post subject: Re: Clapton Trem Block Movement
Posted: Fri Mar 01, 2013 10:32 am
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Bobby1 wrote:
gerryblue wrote:
Bobby1 wrote:
Clapton never had a block installed in either Blackie or Brownie,


I was under the impression that Clapton had Blackie blocked, that's where the idea came from to add it to his model when Fender launched it in the 80's? Personally I do notice more sustain with the block on, and since I dont use the trem, it's a good idea.

cheers


No, Blackie most certainly did not have a blocked tremolo. Just 5 springs and the claw tightened all the way.

Check out this site:

http://doodlesite.com/crowdie/ec/blackie.htm

Old atricle printed in Guitarist, reasonably good pictures of the real deal.


Blackie had no blocked tremolo as per the Tribute...

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Post subject: Re: Clapton Trem Block Movement
Posted: Fri Mar 01, 2013 11:21 am
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alainlafrance wrote:
[Blackie had no blocked tremolo as per the Tribute...

In all our discussions across the years, we've never learned why a wood block was made part of the new Signature Series in '88, considering that the Blackie did not have one. I have also seen a Blackie Tribute model whose trem claw was not set against the rout wall. How is yours set up??

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Post subject: Re: Clapton Trem Block Movement
Posted: Fri Mar 01, 2013 12:35 pm
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Interesting, I wonder when EC or Fender came up with the idea to block the tremolo and have it in all artist models since 88? It must've been somewhere between 85 and 88 when he was in conversations to have his model released. According to the latest Custom Shop book, this conversations went back and forth for a long time, since EC kept changing his mind about features for his Strat model...


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Post subject: Re: Clapton Trem Block Movement
Posted: Fri Mar 01, 2013 1:29 pm
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ZZDoc wrote:
alainlafrance wrote:
[Blackie had no blocked tremolo as per the Tribute...

In all our discussions across the years, we've never learned why a wood block was made part of the new Signature Series in '88, considering that the Blackie did not have one. I have also seen a Blackie Tribute model whose trem claw was not set against the rout wall. How is yours set up??

See my friend:

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