Actually, looking at those pix I'm now embarrassed that I didn't tidy my nails up first...

Cheers - C

Before you replace a bridge block in your new MIA strat, try a hard tail conversion. Your guitar tech can do this in about 5 min. The easiest way is to add a couple more springs in the back cavity and ajust the 2 screws. Clapton and Johnson both have their strats set up this way. This will solve your issue and is 100% reversable if you decide that you want to go another route.

I did a listening test recently when I got my American Vintage 62. I played the guitar for a few days with the stock Fender bridge and block. The block was steel too. The tone of the treble strings was a little thin and brittle.

I replaced the bridge and block with a Callaham which is solid cold rolled steel. Wow. What a difference. No more brittleness or thin-sounding treble strings. Much fuller sounding.

Believe me putting in a Callaham makes a world of difference.

I found if you replace those horrible weak black springs that come with standards and deluxes for the tougher silver springs that come with MIM's the problem lessens a lot. Also if your prepared to put 5 spings on your trem but still have it float it all but disappears. You do have a real wrestle when you want to use the trem though.

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No no and no

+1 on that! I put the Callaham saddles and block in my 2002 American Series strat, and could hear the difference even while I was tuning the strings back up to tension! Loud and Clear, more sustain, more harmonics, bigger sounding notes, better string separation... more resonance. A stunning difference, I was very surprised - happily.

I have the same problem....I wanted to keep the tremolo floating, but acutally I use tremolo very rare, and 90% for "lowering" the notes, so I'll add one or two more springs......I noticed this problem when I put 11s