I´ve completed the smashing technique succefully.
Now how to build it togheter again improving the tone ?
Or shall this deserves a new topic on "How to improve your smashed stratocaster tone?"


J.Korb, Brazil
Fender Stratocaster Highway One
2009, Sunburst, Maple

If the screws are backed partially out of the trem plate holes, additional closed, resonant cavities are created.

It may add a bit of acoustic sound, kind of like a sound hole on an acoustic. But most of the times, they are removed so frequently they are left off and usually lost....

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"Epitaph on a blues musician’s tombstone: “I didn’t wake up this morning”" Davy Knowles


facebook.com/313DBC

Sigmund Freud would probably say that people who leave the plate off are into cavity searches.

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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!

It took me a while to save up the $$$, but I bought a '56 Strat just to get the genuine vintage trem cover screws which I then put into the holes on the back of my 2004 MIM Strat. I swear the Mexi sounds better than any other Strat ever.

Plus I got $15 bucks for the old '56 at my yard sale. Win-Win!!!

n.

makes string changing ez

if you like to carry your guitar strapped to your knees as Slash does, it could be a good idea removing the stratocaster back cover to keep your nutsack into a more comfortable position inside the back cavity, just be careful with the trem springs, a dive bomb in that case should make you present the most impressive guitar solo faces ever!


J.Korb, Brazil
Fender Stratocaster Highway One
2009, Sunburst, Maple

i just won some NOS trem cavity cover screws on ebay, from the first strat ever made, apparently called 'lonely boy' and owned by an amazing guy in Australia. He has the whole thing authenticated of course, but was happy to sell me just the screws anyway, he figures it's worth more as parts.

Obviously these are '54 screws, hand turned by leo fender himself on a hand-turning screw lathe that was only used until the fall of '55 when they started buying inferior screws from another manufacturer to keep up with production numbers. These first hand-made in house Fender strat screws have an amazing tone, opening up 2nd and 3rd harmonics, increasing sustain, and making those buddy holly songs that never sounded right... suddenly sound right! I've actually noticed I can play significantly faster now with the original screws installed, up to 18% more notes per minute.

As per Leo Fender's secret mod i have the backplate off, but the screws tightened to exactly the height they would be if the plate was still there. It's true, as another poster said, this leaves resonant cavities that increase the complexity of tone, and the volume and attack. But what he didn't mention was the importance of the air in those cavities. I've installed genuine 1954 Californian air, sealed in the cavities under pressure, and containing much higher levels of unfiltered automobile pollutants from more primitive engines, and dramatically higher levels of airborne nitro-cellulous particulant. Both these factors are crucial to a correct 50's sound, and without the real air your strat will never get the full tone.

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"...Compared to the flowers and the birds and the trees, I am an Apeman."

I didnt get past the first sentence of the above, before I was howling.
Funniest guitar related comment I think I've ever read, you should be in comedy Nik.

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No no and no

Why, thanks mr Ninja. If it gave you a howl then I have done my job...

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"...Compared to the flowers and the birds and the trees, I am an Apeman."

I take mine off for no reason apart from seeing Jimi and Stevie do it.
I was also told at a jam-night once that your a "püssy" if you keep it on

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• Fender American Series Stratocaster (Olympic white, maple)
• Gibson Flying V (dusty faded cherry)
• Fender 1969 Custom Shop Stratocaster (3-tone sunburst, maple)
• Fender Highway One Stratocaster (Honey blonde, rosewood)

Well since we have gotten "screwed up" here,I was looking for an 8 hole pickguard at GC and all they had was the 11 hole,the guy behind the counter said "I tell people if they cut the head off of a screw and GLUE it to the extra holes,that works."
Uncharted tonal territory there.

Removing the back trem cover absolutely improves the tone a great deal if you follow these easy steps:

1. Remove back trem cover.

2. Hand guitar to Jeff Beck.

Im still keeping the nutsack cavity theory posted earlier, Im sure dave murray aproves it. Thats just much more comfortable to play on a low strapped strat.

y'all might want to cast your votes in this poll for a covered cavity or not...

http://www.fender.com/community/forums/ ... ty&start=0

and while you're at it, some of us are looking for an answer to a mystery number inside our trem cavity, from the factory. Any clues?

http://www.fender.com/community/forums/ ... highlight=

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"...Compared to the flowers and the birds and the trees, I am an Apeman."