After so many years, I finally returned to the Strat and its tremolo.
After the usual bridging of the tone contacts on the pickup switch, the tuning, adjustment to the neck, bridge, etc,... it was finally time to tame the beast.

The stock trem bar is disappointing, it keeps your hand from being close to the strings, and its way too close to the 1st string, sliding every time you try to get some sound out of it.

Get a inch wide peice of pvc pipe @ 1 foot, a vise, and then start pulling little-by-little both upward and toward the 6th string.
If you do it the right way, you will, with the trem springs set correctly, have a bar that with your right hand float above the strings without problems.

Or just get a Davild Gilmour dinky bar with your Callaham trem block!

_________________
60th Anniversary AD Strat, Deluxe Nashville Tele, Player's P Bass. Mesa/Boogie Mk IV combo, Marshall JCM800, 1960A cab, Genz Benz El Diablo 60, Genz 2x12" cab, too many neat little practice amps and kit projects!

Yeah, I noticed that he prefers a shorter bar, it turns out that there is a sweet spot for harmonics that is otherwise unreachable.

Like so many things guitar related, I think this is really just a personal choice thing. Personally I have no problems at all with the stock Strat trem/bar. Granted, I don't do a lot of heavy trem work (and when I do feel the need to do dive bombs I use my Kramer anyways) but personally I just let the bar "swing" and just grab the sucker when I need it...not really that big a deal for me.

Different strokes for different folks I guess...

Jim

Having the bar parallel to the pickguard equates to doing any number of runs without having to shift your hand on and off the trem. This also means the only time you need to do anything else would be to slide it away to play chords or dive.

Like I said dude...different strokes for different folks. Not everyone has the same preferences, nor should they. If that's the way you like your setup, that's the way you should play it. Personally I find that having the bar that close to the strings all the time get's in the way of my right hand.

Jim

+1!! I've modified EVERYTHING on my strat except the neck and body, i.e; pickups, wiring, tuners, pots, switches, etc. If I could have only done 1 thing though, it would be the Callaham tremolo. The short Gilmore type arm is perfect, it sits closer to the strings than any other one, and you can play all the time with it in the palm of your hand, and never have to stretch down to be able to make contact with the strings.

I got the medium length trem bar with my Callaham block. For me it is the perfect length at about 3/4 of an inch shorter than the standard bar.

_________________
"My mind is a raging torrent, flooded with rivulets of thought cascading into a waterfall of creative alternatives." Blazing Saddles...

Being a fan of the Floyd Rose trem, I really liked the stock pop-in bar. After installing the Callaham block I realized I was kinda stuck with the modified pop-in arm (I got a '64 arm with the upgrade kit). I called Bill and he made me a nice stainless arm with the OFR bend and viola: no threads on the tip and it feels pretty darn good! I use this bar when I'm in the mood to use more trem, the Gilmour when I'm playing thing tight (5 springs, plate to the body, etc..). This of course, creates an opportunity to justify another AD strat for the different setup...

_________________
60th Anniversary AD Strat, Deluxe Nashville Tele, Player's P Bass. Mesa/Boogie Mk IV combo, Marshall JCM800, 1960A cab, Genz Benz El Diablo 60, Genz 2x12" cab, too many neat little practice amps and kit projects!