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Post subject: Trem to Hardtail??
Posted: Thu Jul 07, 2011 3:39 am
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Hi guys, new to the forum and my first question.
Ive just bought a USA 57 RI Strat and was wondering is it an easy job to change from a trem bridge to a hardtail? Is it just a case of swapping parts or is there more to it than that?
Thanks, Wayne :D


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Post subject: Re: Trem to Hardtail??
Posted: Thu Jul 07, 2011 5:07 am
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u could fit a hard tail brigde like the ones off a tele but to fit a hard tail like a gibson requires a lot more work...

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Post subject: Re: Trem to Hardtail??
Posted: Thu Jul 07, 2011 5:18 am
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I would be easier (from a mechanical standpoint) to block the tremolo. The Eric Clapton Stratocaster comes blocked with a piece of wood; I used a stack of quarters to block the trem on mine.

If you want the look of a hard tail, it would require a bit of woodworking or wood filler to fill in the tremolo cavity from behind and in the front, as well as some paint matching.

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Post subject: Re: Trem to Hardtail??
Posted: Thu Jul 07, 2011 5:26 am
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Screamin" Armadillo is pointing you down the right path.To do a trem-hardtail conversion would be time consuming and pretty difficult.Blocking your vibrato in the Clapton style will give you the same results without the expense or bother and heartache.

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Post subject: Re: Trem to Hardtail??
Posted: Thu Jul 07, 2011 7:36 am
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I would agree with Screamin' Armadillo and guitslinger - it would be far easier to block the trem. To truly convert to a hardtail you would have to fill in the entire trem cavity, then drill 6 holes in the wood for the strings. You can get close enough to hardtail tone by decking the trem, tightening the 6 screws down so it won't move, and putting some wood blocks in the trem cavity.


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Post subject: Re: Trem to Hardtail??
Posted: Thu Jul 07, 2011 7:45 am
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Buy yourself a Robert Cray body off of Ebay and find a vintage-spec hardtail bridge. All the parts from your AVRI will drop right on then you're off to the races.

Arjay

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Post subject: Re: Trem to Hardtail??
Posted: Thu Jul 07, 2011 3:51 pm
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John C wrote:
I would agree with Screamin' Armadillo and guitslinger - it would be far easier to block the trem. To truly convert to a hardtail you would have to fill in the entire trem cavity, then drill 6 holes in the wood for the strings. You can get close enough to hardtail tone by decking the trem, tightening the 6 screws down so it won't move, and putting some wood blocks in the trem cavity.



+1 Blocking a trem is so easy, and if you ever decide you want the trem working, just pull the block out and wank away...

Retroverbial has a point too though especially if you just got to have a hardtail.

T2

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Post subject: Re: Trem to Hardtail??
Posted: Sun Jul 10, 2011 11:40 am
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Thanks for the advice guys :wink: Has anyone fitted a Tremol-no and if so are they better than a diy block?


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Post subject: Re: Trem to Hardtail??
Posted: Sun Jul 10, 2011 3:51 pm
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Yo Wayne...what's in your world?? First...welcome to the Forums. Here's my take on things....

Fender used to offer a hardtail [aka fixed bridge]Stratocaster both RH and LH, and could be ordered in custom colors. Vibrato tailpieces [correct term, btw] and the popularity thereof, likely doomed the guitar due to lack of interest.

Today they produce two Artist Series guitars which are fixed bridge equipped...the Corgan and the Cray. If you want a hardtail from the ground up, this is your option, prior to going to the Custom Shop and ordering any Strat the company offers, and specifying a hardtail version.

The tone of a true hardtail must differ from a blocked vibrato ala Clapton. In addition, the Clapton guitar is set up with the trem claw flush to the body wall, five springs in the system, and the block wedged between the mass block and the rear of the trem rout. This is going to give you a different tone quality:wood>metal>metal>metal>wood>wood, then a single wood blank guitar body which might be of one,two or three pieces depending on whether done Custom Shop, or production might generate.

This backfitting project you are toying with is something I would personally never consider. Leave it be, enjoy it as is, and start out fresh. Get an MIM Cray and, if you like the neck, muck around with the electronics 'til you find your Shangri-La. :idea:

Let us know how you end up.

Doc :wink:

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Post subject: Re: Trem to Hardtail??
Posted: Sun Jul 10, 2011 5:04 pm
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I would just Block the trem with pieces of wood on each side of the trem Block.. The sustain is amazing afterwards and you don't get those awful ghost notes from the springs. ( I took out the springs also) And tuning is rock solid also. I have never come across a tremolo that held a tuning as well as a fixed bridge. Add a little graphite grease for good measures on the nut and bridge saddles... talk about rock solid tuning.. and sustain that goes forever...


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Post subject: Re: Trem to Hardtail??
Posted: Sun Jul 10, 2011 5:51 pm
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Kersen13 wrote:
I would just Block the trem with pieces of wood on each side of the trem Block.. The sustain is amazing afterwards and you don't get those awful ghost notes from the springs. ( I took out the springs also) And tuning is rock solid also. I have never come across a tremolo that held a tuning as well as a fixed bridge. Add a little graphite grease for good measures on the nut and bridge saddles... talk about rock solid tuning.. and sustain that goes forever...

A.R.Duchossior writes in his book on the Stratocaster that Clapton did not want a hardtail for his new signature guitar. He felt that all the hardware of the bridge/trem assembly lent something to the tone that a Tele- type body did not. I have blocked the trem in some of my Strats and I may do the same with my '57VHR. I will leave the Gilmour and VG out of that mix.

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Post subject: Re: Trem to Hardtail??
Posted: Sun Jul 10, 2011 5:57 pm
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If you are into woodworking you could cut a plug to fill in the trem cavity (front and back) and drill the holes for the Hard tail bridge. You could buy a Hard tail body and switch everything onto it. You could just block the existing bridge. It really ydepends on what you want to do. Unfortunately you will not be able to take one bridge off and replace it with a Hard Tail one without major work.

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Post subject: Re: Trem to Hardtail??
Posted: Sun Jul 10, 2011 6:55 pm
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rkreisher wrote:
If you are into woodworking you could cut a plug to fill in the trem cavity (front and back) and drill the holes for the Hard tail bridge. You could buy a Hard tail body and switch everything onto it. You could just block the existing bridge. It really ydepends on what you want to do. Unfortunately you will not be able to take one bridge off and replace it with a Hard Tail one without major work.

....I hope that's not a new guitar he's talking about. :? It's like the Gilmour project. Pulling out the mods, patching everything up, and going back to vintage.

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Post subject: Re: Trem to Hardtail??
Posted: Sun Jul 10, 2011 7:11 pm
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ZZDoc wrote:
rkreisher wrote:
If you are into woodworking you could cut a plug to fill in the trem cavity (front and back) and drill the holes for the Hard tail bridge. You could buy a Hard tail body and switch everything onto it. You could just block the existing bridge. It really ydepends on what you want to do. Unfortunately you will not be able to take one bridge off and replace it with a Hard Tail one without major work.

....I hope that's not a new guitar he's talking about. :? It's like the Gilmour project. Pulling out the mods, patching everything up, and going back to vintage.


I know a few people here on the Forum that could pull it off. It would be a lot of work. It can be done. However, it would be easier to either buy a new Hard Tail body, or guitar rather than attempt a true conversion from tremolo to a hard tail bridge.

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Post subject: Re: Trem to Hardtail??
Posted: Mon Jul 11, 2011 4:36 am
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Quote:
[quote="rkreisher]I know a few people here on the Forum that could pull it off. It would be a lot of work. It can be done. However, it would be easier to either buy a new Hard Tail body, or guitar rather than attempt a true conversion from tremolo to a hard tail bridge.[/quote][/quote]


Roger that....Ceri's project...the prime example of retro-recovery.

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