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Post subject: Tremolo Hole Spacing - Two 6 Hole Mounting Patterns?
Posted: Mon Jan 15, 2018 1:39 pm
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I have downloaded the blueprints from another thread here that shows the mounting hole locations on the 1960's Stratocasters. The guitar I am building uses the same hole spacing that is on that blueprint for the tremolo. But the tremolo I have, which came off of a Fender Stratocaster, has a hole spacing that is narrower than those on the blueprint. I assume these were changed along with a neck change with wider string spacing?

So if I buy a new tremolo to use on my guitar build is there a specific model I should be looking for? I just noticed there is a vintage tremolo. I assume that is what I need. I kind of want an original Fender tremolo. But if there is an upgraded tremolo I could buy that uses the smaller hole pattern I would appreciate any info on that.

Thanks!


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Post subject: Re: Tremolo Hole Spacing - Two 6 Hole Mounting Patterns?
Posted: Mon Jan 15, 2018 2:04 pm
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IndyRocker wrote:
. But the tremolo I have, which came off of a Fender Stratocaster, !



Wich Stratocaster tremolo do you have , American made , Mexican Made , Japan made , Korea made .....?

Looking for another tremolo ?

Look here and click on Specs tab

http://www.stewmac.com/Hardware_and_Par ... Strat.html

Or here ;

http://www.guitarpartsresource.com/gbridge_plates.htm


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Post subject: Re: Tremolo Hole Spacing - Two 6 Hole Mounting Patterns?
Posted: Mon Jan 15, 2018 3:59 pm
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To be honest I am not sure what I have here. I just got into electric guitars in the last couple years or so and just recently this Strat was given to me in extremely bad shape. The neck has the Fender Stratocaster decal on it, but not much else can be made out. The serial on the back of the neck appears to read 2006 or 8 or 9. I can't make that out too easily either. The body is a plywood body. No markings can be read anywhere on it. The guitar is so banged up even the parts that are on it are kind of worthless. Everything is rusted, scratched, dirty, just terrible. It looks like it was in the trunk of a car for ten years and someone used that car to haul car parts around and just tossed it in the trunk on top of the guitar. So It is merely a doner guitar. But I don't know what I can actually use off of it.

The mounting holes in the tremolo off of this doner guitar measures a bit wider than the 2.220" spread called out on the '62 blueprint I have. I am not sure what it measures because I left it at work. I have been reading through some sites with history on the Stratocaster but have yet to find the right info. I am sure it is right here or there or somewhere right in front of my nose. But I haven't found when this tremolo was changed.


The guitar body that I 3D printed has a 2.220" spread across the holes for the tremolo. 6 holes all spaced .440" apart. So that matches that first link you posted. I don't know why I didn't see that specs tab and think to click it when I was looking yesterday. So thanks for the eye opener.

So I must have a modern tremolo on the banged up Strat and I need the vintage tremolo since I modeled my guitar body off of the 1962 Strat. Thanks for the help!


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Post subject: Re: Tremolo Hole Spacing - Two 6 Hole Mounting Patterns?
Posted: Tue Jan 16, 2018 9:25 am
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Hello, to help here are the vintage tremolo of Fender

Image

Didier

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Sorry for my english, not good, i am of the country of Molière, Hugo, Zola ...


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Post subject: Re: Tremolo Hole Spacing - Two 6 Hole Mounting Patterns?
Posted: Sun Feb 18, 2018 1:37 pm
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2-1/16"
https://shop.fender.com/en-US/parts/bri ... 14049.html

2-3/16"
https://shop.fender.com/en-US/parts/bri ... 19000.html

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Post subject: Re: Tremolo Hole Spacing - Two 6 Hole Mounting Patterns?
Posted: Tue Feb 20, 2018 3:03 am
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That donor guitar with a plywood body -- the body isn't a Fender.

In the world of cheap Strat copies there are all sorts of wacky bridge screw spacings.

I found an '80s Memphis Stratolike in a dumpster that has 1 15/16 spacing. And I've got an '80s plexiglas Stratothing with 2" spacing. (More or less -- haven't taken calipers to them, just eyeballed them with a ruler. Probably actually metric.)


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Post subject: Re: Tremolo Hole Spacing - Two 6 Hole Mounting Patterns?
Posted: Wed Feb 21, 2018 7:22 pm
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strayedstrater wrote:
That donor guitar with a plywood body -- the body isn't a Fender.

It is possible... certainly not a Corona or MIM body, but I had a MIK Squier that I picked up in the mid 90s ('93 or '94?) that had a plywood body. The filling job was solid and the plies were not apparent from inside the trem or body (bathtub) cavities. I discovered it when I decided I wanted to 'burst it and began removing the paint... the plies became apparent when I got to the elbow relief. Gaaak!

I would agree that if the date on the neck from ~10 years ago reflects the date of the body, then it is not likely a Squier/Fender at all, I think the budget bodies were all basswood by then.

But with a plywood body and Fender decal on the neck, it is certainly at the very best a partscaster.


As far as the build, if that body is being used, it's not going to feel or sound like a '62, I would not worry about having the "correct" hardware.
If you already have new hardware, I would just drill, dowel, and re-drill the bridge for the spacing on the bridge that you have. I seriously wouldn't throw a ton of money at what will never be more than a $150 partscaster.

Something that would be more worth the time and expense would be to pick up a commercial body and build up from that. You won't be starting with a banged up donor, and you have the potential to end up with a very nice instrument.

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