So ... in what way does your guitar sound better?
More info please.

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Just think of how awesome a guitar player you could have been by now if you had only spent the last 10 years practicing instead of obsessing over pickups and roasted maple necks.

I can believe it. Next to changing pickups, changing the bridge is the next biggest tonal impact. I didn't believe it myself for a long time - that is until I swapped an MIM Tele bridge with a vintage style 3-saddle bridge.

I also recently changed the stock bridge on my Gibson LP Jr to a Pigtail intonatable wraparound. Again, holy crap, what a difference in overall tone.

The Strat bridge is much more massive and complex than a Tele or LP bridge, so I can just imagine the difference!

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I am very interested in doing this to MIM Tele. Could you describe in a bit more detail the tonal differences you got after changing out the bridge? It's a 2009, so I believe it would be a straight up replacement. Did you install the ashtray cover as well?

It was so long ago now that it's hard to remember what the old one sounded like. The vintage bridge is thinner and lighter - which gives the guitar a brighter, snappier tone. The MIM bridge is fairly heavy, which makes it a bit darker sounding.

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your dog is probably just trying to speed up the process of losing his hearing




but on a serious note, I use the callaham bridge blocks in my strat's just because of how much it improves the feel of the trem arm. but I honestly never noticed a tonal change in mine just from the block. I will have to try a whole bridge next time to see what happens.

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Wonder if players noticed a difference when CBS switched to die cast.

Probably. Remember that 70's Fenders were long regarded as "junk" until the vintage market went crazy. "Pre-CBS" used to be a big deal when considering an old Fender.

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that's probably why I didn't notice much change. my strats had cast steel

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I bought an EJ Strat three or four years ago and after owning it for a year or so, I swapped in a complete Callaham trem system.

You wouldn't think that the EJ, being such and expensive guitar, would benefit from installing an after market bridge system but it no sounds much better. Unplugged, the guitar has more resonance, better tone and more volume. Sustain also improved a bit as well.

Plugged in theres better note separation and the guitar sounds "woodier". (Thats the only way that I can describe it.) I got my hardware for $90 on Ebay, so I consider it a cheap but meaningful upgrade.

Last month I swapped the Trem Springs to Raw Vintage springs and that opened up a whole new can of tones. Now the guitar sounds a lot more like a true Vintage Strat. Very, Very chimmy and airy.

As I said before... You wouldnt think that removing a brand new Fender Vintage Trem and installing the Callaham parts would make a big difference but it certainly does!