I posted this on the Squier thread, but thought I'd share with you die hard Fender strat players!

I've always wanted to try blocking off a trem Clapton style, but have always wondered why clapton only saw fit to block only one side of the inertia bar (especially the wrong side in my opinion - on a clapton Strat, the back of the trem is blocked and the springs are tightened - pulling the inertia block away from the wood block, thus loosening the fit? - not content with the integrity of this concept I chose to block both sides with very tight fitting blocks of wood - getting them back out would be a real challenge!)

I'm not sure what the wood type is because I found it in my shed. It looks nice though and is nice and light and strong.

I'll let you all know how it sounds when I can afford some strings! (Christmas maybe?)

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72 Custom Tele
50's Strat
Sqiuer Classic Vibe 50's P bass
Blues Junior
DG acoustic
Sparkly Thong

Nice clean job! I noticed you even took the time to bevel the block edges. No doubt you're a stickler for detail which I can relate to. How has this affected the overall tone and sustain? I've been contemplating whether I should try this on one of my Strats.

Real nice job.Your joking though right.I felt bad as I read what you wrote about needing strings and waiting to Christmas I was going to ask you for your address as I would send you a few packs but then I saw your gear listed you have some nice stuff.So your pulling our leg right.

Fear not - I pulled the strings off my MIM 50's strat and whacked them on the blocked off squier...

When I start my new job I'll re-string the MIM.

The guitar is so new to me (it was given to me by my wifes friend at the weekend. It's been under her bed since 1999!) I played it with 10 year old rusty strings and took them straight off, and proceeded to clean the thing up, and I put the trem block in the next day. So it's hard to really comment on the differences. Also I'm not used to the ceramic PUPs which are really loud and hard/brittle sounding.

Sustain wise, I would say that there are no real benefits (I'm not sure if the wood is soaking up any vibrations?)
I really feel that an unblocked strat has incredible sustain anyway - plugged into my BJ (up loud) with a Dano overdrive my MIM strat will begin a vibration cycle and play itself until I deaden the strings with my hand - I've never had this with a Tele.

I think a good test of a guitars resonance is to strum the strings and hold the headstock and feel the vibrations - my Tele is really shakes, but the Squier doesn't keep it up for quite so long - but there are all sorst of factors here - the quality of body wood, the neck fit, the density of the wood block used...

However, I do feel that the sound is a bit more 'solid' than the unblocked strat (those mids that get lost in the band mix - why I use a telecaster seem to be present and the tuning seems to be Ok (it was terrible before, but like I said - rusty strings, plus the nut needed some attention and the tuners were loose!)

I really feel that a strat is a strat and the trem is the basis of the it's sound. I have the trem on my 50's MIM floating and it never goes out of tune and sounds great. However, the Squier had a useless trem. Even with the bridge flush the arm was too close to the pick guard to press down as there was only enough room for my fingers! And the short springs made it stiff as hell (with that THUNK!!! when it returned back to position followed by the CRASH!!! of springs sounding through the amp!)

So in this case the block was a very worthwhile mod, and as it's reversable, I say give it a go if you're not a wobble fan.

In a nut shell, I would say that it's still Strat-like but with a bit more 'body'
It by no means sounds like a Tele, but there is some beef present.

I'll stop waffling now.

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72 Custom Tele
50's Strat
Sqiuer Classic Vibe 50's P bass
Blues Junior
DG acoustic
Sparkly Thong