I've heard that only brass and steel blocks are available for Stat tremolos (Titanium for FR-style bridges), but while all of them can improve sustain, which should I get for a fuller, warmer sound?

This is something I cam speak of with a certain amount of experience. I repair, and mod guitars as well amps and effects. Ivee replaced stock fender tremolos and sometimes just blocks, either which can improve your tone.

Callaham trems and blocks have beenmy goto replacement upgrade (andlike my last post, there are times when a change isan upgrade, not just a change). The callams are built just like the original Fender trems, but with a few minore tweeks, mostly just wider holes for the screw posts that allow the tremolo to be smoother and not get caught in a position that isn't the 'zero' return position. The callahm is going to give you the classic vintage strat tone. Latley though, I've fallen inlove with KCG components brass trmmolos and parts. I work PT at a repair shop a luthier friend owns, though lately my attention is focused on custom pedal boards I've started to build with switching systems and biilt in booss I install nelow them and set for 3db boost. Just to give it a little bump in output to regain signal loss, but I'm digressing), and we get sent new products all the time, which besudes my love of repairing,restoring and modifying guitars, which for me is a labor of love, getting all these eamples of new products is a huger perk. Sometime back KCG sent us a couple of their highend completely brass trmolos, trem blocjs, and even high mass brass tremolo claw.

All 3 of us opened the box. And grabbed what we wanted, we looked like starving african kits attacking a bag of food. I took one of their high-mass brass blocks and claws, as well as some raw vintage springs. After installing the new block and doinf a setup, I plugged in. To me; it was sonic heaven. I was amazed at how it took the very steely sound of the callaham solid machined steel block, and made it a harmonic monster. It was able to take away some of the harshness of the bridge pickup, especially on the B & highE, and it did this without ever losing the attack and character of those strings. Running it through a Zendrive into a wam/fat, yet still clean amp produced harmonic overtones than not ony weren't on that guitar before, but I haven't heard come off any strat w/normal passive pickups. It warmed the tone, but the strat never lost its punch and cut.

So for a wamer sound, get brass. Know that while I believe make the best of the brass clocks, are pricy. I recommend the high mass, it gomes out to anywhere between 1/2-1 1/2 oz's more than the standard block. Guitar fetish sell brass blocks as well, though I don't know how their made orwhat if any options they cone with. Their blocks are about $35, the KCG is twice that.

An entire tremolo bridge made of brass? Wow...

So based on what you're saying, I should get a brass claw ALONG WITH the block?

Nothing but genuine Fender steel for me -- as per St Leo's original spec.

Arjay

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"Here's why reliability is job one: A great sounding amp that breaks down goes from being a favorite piece of gear to a useless piece of crap in less time than it takes to read this sentence." -- BRUCE ZINKY