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Post subject: American Deluxe tremolo lifetime?
Posted: Mon Mar 25, 2013 5:05 pm
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Hello everybody!

Use American Deluxe Strat for 2 years.
Haven't adjusted intonation of my guitar for a long time, and when I checked it, I understood that all saddles moved forward quite a bit.
I see that the only reason for that is wastage of tremolo blades, which contact pivot posts.

So the question is, what is normal lifetime of American Deluxe tremolo?
How long does it take until tremolo blades become completely worn out (with normal use of tremolo)?
And what to do when it occurs?

Waiting for your answers!


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Post subject: Re: American Deluxe tremolo lifetime?
Posted: Tue Mar 26, 2013 2:01 am
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Hey, come on!))

Have anybody faced the problem of tremolo wastage on Deluxe Strat (or other Strat with similar tremolo)??


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Post subject: Re: American Deluxe tremolo lifetime?
Posted: Tue Mar 26, 2013 4:35 am
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Take your trem off and look at the blades. If you see that the blades have been worn flat or there isn't a concentric ring of an inner and outer knife edge, then it's probably time to replace the baseplate.

How long does it take for this to happen? Indeterminable. More quickly if you use the trem a lot and probably if you use heavier gauge strings. It's usually cheaper baseplates that wear quickly... any of the higher quality parts that come with a USA Fender should last a decade of decent use. Of course, if the guitar takes an impact in a case really hard, it could mess with the knife edges.


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Post subject: Re: American Deluxe tremolo lifetime?
Posted: Tue Mar 26, 2013 4:45 am
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Your question is hard to answer. The knife edge of the trem should last a bit longer than 2 years of "normal" use. I have a 91 Strat that is still good in the edge department. It is a bit rounded off but my saddles are not really adjusted out of the normal range.

Has something else changed on your guitar. Bad strings can cause an intonation problem. New strings that are not stretched enough can do it also.

Intonation should only be set with new strings that have been stretched properly. Put new strings on stretch them. wait one day play and stretch the strings again. Then set your intonation and see what happens.


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Post subject: Re: American Deluxe tremolo lifetime?
Posted: Thu Mar 28, 2013 2:09 pm
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Pretty much depends on how hard you use it.
I just put a Super Vee Blade Runner on my 72 Strat. It was a huge improvement in tone and tuning stability and required no mods to my guitar. It doesn't pivot on screws or blades it uses spring steel and the unit bolts directly to the guitar body.

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Post subject: Re: American Deluxe tremolo lifetime?
Posted: Thu Mar 28, 2013 8:01 pm
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How you liking that Blade Runner? I put one on my 2009 Highway 1, I think its the bomb digity :)

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Post subject: Re: American Deluxe tremolo lifetime?
Posted: Fri Mar 29, 2013 5:12 am
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donnycraven wrote:
How you liking that Blade Runner? I put one on my 2009 Highway 1, I think its the bomb digity :)


Donny, The Trem on my 72 Strat was original. I was always kind of rough with it and I always floated it. I'm the original owner. I've been playing guitar since 1966. :lol:
The saddles were the original cheap cast 70 issue. They corroded to the point that their were sharp bits cutting my hand.

The Blade Runner is a totally different beast. A huge improvement over the stock unit. Fender should make these standard on their Strats. The additional increase in sustain and way fuller tone is great. It now has a nice chunky bottom end without a lot of tone control tweaking on my amps. I need to bend the arm more to my liking but I did that with the stock unit too.

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Post subject: Re: American Deluxe tremolo lifetime?
Posted: Fri Mar 29, 2013 5:20 pm
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63supro wrote:
donnycraven wrote:
How you liking that Blade Runner? I put one on my 2009 Highway 1, I think its the bomb digity :)


Donny, The Trem on my 72 Strat was original. I was always kind of rough with it and I always floated it. I'm the original owner. I've been playing guitar since 1966. :lol:
The saddles were the original cheap cast 70 issue. They corroded to the point that their were sharp bits cutting my hand.

The Blade Runner is a totally different beast. A huge improvement over the stock unit. Fender should make these standard on their Strats. The additional increase in sustain and way fuller tone is great. It now has a nice chunky bottom end without a lot of tone control tweaking on my amps. I need to bend the arm more to my liking but I did that with the stock unit too.


My first strat was a 76 in 1980 I have owned several and own 3 now I got an American Standard 89 holding as I type, a 2008 American deluxe totally customized with a floyd rose original and a 2009 highway 1 with a new blade runner.
Do you run your blade runner flush or floating?
I run mine flush and it stays in tune about as well as my 2 point on the 89 not perfect but doable.
The original 6 screw was a joke, went out if you looked at it.

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Post subject: Re: American Deluxe tremolo lifetime?
Posted: Sat Mar 30, 2013 9:10 am
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I float them 1/8" of the body. No problem at all. I had the original floating too. The original got more and more temperamental over the years as the trem wore out. I started using Big Bend Nut Sauce on all the friction points. Great stuff.

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Post subject: Re: American Deluxe tremolo lifetime?
Posted: Sat Mar 30, 2013 10:18 am
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Im actually concidering the float option just to see if it keeps tone the same and tune better.

I had a deluxe locking in my American deluxe stayed in perfect but no lift
I use lithium grease.

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Post subject: Re: American Deluxe tremolo lifetime?
Posted: Mon Apr 01, 2013 6:25 am
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Donny, I notice no difference at all. Floating gives any trem a bit more versatility. I think most of the tone comes from bolting the trem right to the body. The block seems to be really high quality so I'm guessing some of the tone improvement comes from the block too. This thing really stays in tune.

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Post subject: Re: American Deluxe tremolo lifetime?
Posted: Mon Apr 01, 2013 6:30 am
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Perviy11 wrote:
Hey, come on!))

Have anybody faced the problem of tremolo wastage on Deluxe Strat (or other Strat with similar tremolo)??


Yes!!

Just take your screwdriver and turn those posts in and out under full string tension! :lol:
You'd be surprised! :lol: :lol:

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Post subject: Re: American Deluxe tremolo lifetime?
Posted: Mon Apr 01, 2013 11:47 am
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What is the blade runner??? (Beside an old Harrison Ford movie)

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Post subject: Re: American Deluxe tremolo lifetime?
Posted: Mon Apr 01, 2013 12:04 pm
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It's a great trem unit for Strats. $150 and worth every penny!
http://www.super-vee.com/

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Post subject: Re: American Deluxe tremolo lifetime?
Posted: Wed Apr 03, 2013 4:05 pm
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63supro wrote:
It's a great trem unit for Strats. $150 and worth every penny!
http://www.super-vee.com/



Hey I floated the Blade Runner just an 1/8th and it does stay in tune way better.
Some reason it wants to go sharp if I run it flush.
My 2 point runs flush and comes back in tune great and switching tuning is easier.
The Blade Runner floats better than resting on body I guess.

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