I am torn on what to do here. I have a 2006 American Strat and I need a new block and a bunch of people recommended the Callaham blocks. So I went on his website did some research and read some reviews on Callahams products and they are all amazing reviews. Callaham sells a whole bridge assembly for about $130.00 or just the block and arm for $75.00
I believe my 2006 MIA comes with stainless steel saddles so I'm not sure if I should replace the whole bridge assembly with Callaham or just get the Callaham block and arm for better tone.
Any suggestions and opinions??

Thanks

i have been told that the block alone makes a huge difference by several friends that already have one. if your saddles and bridge are in good shape you might as well save a few dollars and just get the block.

Yeah, if your saddles are good, just go for the block. If you use the tremolo allot, you "may" want to go for the whole thing. I went with the whole thing because I was putting it on a Mexican strat, which has sub-par saddles, and to get the block, and saddles would have been a little over $90, so I might as well spend the extra $40. The bridge plate on the callaham has beveled holes, allowing the tremolo travel to be smoother, and less likely to bind up. I dont really know how the American are, but having a 2-point tremolo, I believe they are made with a knife-like groove in it, so you may just be redundant putting on a Callaham bridge plate. I know pickups are expensive, but they could be a great investment. Like I said, the Area 58, 61, and 67's IMO are the best sounding noisless out there, and I compared them to a humbucker, and it was actually quieter. Most noisless/ stacked humbucker pickups, although somewhat close to singlecoils, usually dont have as much chime as a true single coil. I played the Dimarzio's next to an authentic vintage strat, and the difference was neglagable, (except for the Dimarzio's being neer silent, even in the 1, 3, and 5 positions). Pickups like this can make the need for installing shielding non-existant. I know people will say shielding can never hurt, but when i put them in, I removed the shielding tape, and it was still WAY quieter than the Rio Grande Tallboys I had in there with the shielding. Like I said before though, put the bridge block in first, once you experience the difference in your tone, it may make you reconsider what you want to do pickup wise. If you do put in noiseless, I highly recommend changing your pot values. If you go in the noiseless direction, with something like Vintage Noiseless or SCN's, if anything, the higher pot values will brighten and add more cut to your sound, somewhat minimizing the adverse mid-range frequency you get with noiseless, unless that's what you're going for, which some people do because increased mid-range takes distortion a bit better.

Callaham doesn't make a complete assembly for the American Standard trem. Just the block, saddles and trem arm (I think). Personally I would definitly get the Callaham block and Arm. I have them and they are worth it to me, mine is on a vintage trem. If you use the trem I would suggest Graphtech's Ferraglide Saddles. I have them on 1 of my strats and they are really nice. I got the Chromed Stainless Steel ones. The have a small Graphtech block where the string breaks over from the trem block. Giving you a smooth surface. You have the benefits of looking original, having a solid mass saddle rather than the Cast Saddles Fender uses, and finally the smoothness of the Graphtech. Here's the link for StewMac so you can see them.

http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Bridges,_ta ... ddles.html

You can also check Musicians Friend out here for more options, it's where I got mine>

http://accessories.musiciansfriend.com/ ... sku=305804

Hope this helps.

_________________
2 Customized Strats w\DiMarzio's
07 SG
Modded DSL50 w\Mercury OT,PT & Choke
Carvin 2x12 V30's
Pitch Black Tuner-EH LPB-1,TS-808
Mxr 108 EQ-Modded Phase90
Carbon Copy
George L cables-Voodoo Power 2 Plus
Pedaltrain Board

They do make a bridge plate for two point tremolo. BTW, it says the string spacing for American Stds and American Deluxes are the narrower string spacing. That seems weired to me. The strings on my American Deluxe seemed farther spaced than the ones on my Reissue that has the 2 7/32 spacing.

I just double checked Callaham's site and if you have a 2 point American trem the do not make a complete assembly and\or a bridge plate. The only new bridge plate they make is for the vintage 6 screw bridge which has 2 7\32' mounting and string spacing.

_________________
2 Customized Strats w\DiMarzio's
07 SG
Modded DSL50 w\Mercury OT,PT & Choke
Carvin 2x12 V30's
Pitch Black Tuner-EH LPB-1,TS-808
Mxr 108 EQ-Modded Phase90
Carbon Copy
George L cables-Voodoo Power 2 Plus
Pedaltrain Board