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Post subject: Change from Tremolo to Hardtail
Posted: Sun Aug 24, 2014 7:12 pm
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I am looking into purchasing another Stratocaster since it has been a while since I have owned one. However, like some people I do not want/like the tremolo aspect of a strat. So if I do purchase one I am wondering how hard it would be to convert it into a hardtail? Looking for something other than stick a piece of wood in it.


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Post subject: Re: Change from Tremolo to Hardtail
Posted: Sun Aug 24, 2014 7:26 pm
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I think that it would be more trouble than it's worth, what with filling in all of the routed out places and refinishing. Probably much better to buy a hard-tail guitar or body.

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Post subject: Re: Change from Tremolo to Hardtail
Posted: Sun Aug 24, 2014 11:27 pm
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I quote myself from another topic a while ago:
Quote:
Deck the tremolo; put five trem springs in and screw the claw tight, so it rests flat against the body. Plus sides: no trem related tuning problems, very little work, completely reversible, cheap. Minus: if you are the Mother of Bending (more than one string at a time, more than two whole steps), the unbent strings may go out of tune (even five springs are still springs...)

Block the tremolo. Start like in decking (though usually no need to add springs). Make a small block of wood that fits snugly between the body and the tremolo block in the back of the guitar. Extra: put a small screw in the wood block, makes it's easier to take off later. Plus sides: Absolutely no trem related tuning problems. It's the Eric Clapton (Signature model) way. Relatively easy, cheap and completely reversible. Minus: it's still not a hardtail (= Some people hear a difference, most don't.).
Oh, before you do these, check/adjust the trem plate screws.

Real hardtailing of a Strat may have some problem points, there after all is the trem cavity, but haven't ever done it myself so just guessing. Might be wiser to get a HT to begin with.


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Post subject: Re: Change from Tremolo to Hardtail
Posted: Mon Aug 25, 2014 12:06 am
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Put five springs in it and screw the claw in a bit. It's not difficult.

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Post subject: Re: Change from Tremolo to Hardtail
Posted: Mon Aug 25, 2014 12:57 am
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GilgaFrank wrote:
Put five springs in it and screw the claw in a bit. It's not difficult.


He do not like the look and look will be same :lol:


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Post subject: Re: Change from Tremolo to Hardtail
Posted: Mon Aug 25, 2014 1:04 am
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Here's the tremolo on my project guitar.

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Post subject: Re: Change from Tremolo to Hardtail
Posted: Mon Aug 25, 2014 8:49 am
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I kind of had a feeling that blocking or adding more springs would be the easiest. It seems that doing both would really eliminate most of the issues that you can have with a tremolo. Thank you all for the advice


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Post subject: Re: Change from Tremolo to Hardtail
Posted: Tue Aug 26, 2014 12:23 am
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Why not just buy a Hardtail to start with?

There usually cheaper to buy anyway.

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Post subject: Re: Change from Tremolo to Hardtail
Posted: Tue Aug 26, 2014 5:33 am
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shaky wrote:
Here's the tremolo on my project guitar.
Image

Just a quick review for the OP. The old Blackie had 5 springs and the trem claw tight to the wood as previously suggested. The photograph depicts the current routing and setup of the bridge for the Signature Series guitar which was released in '87. It is common knowledge that Eric desired a hardtail bridge but felt that the springs added something to the overall tone. There's been a great deal of discussion about this guitar in the Forums over the past 7 years. Once that bridge is decked, and trem claw is down tight with the 5 springs, that system is solid. Why R&D decided to add the wood block has never been explained.

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Post subject: Re: Change from Tremolo to Hardtail
Posted: Tue Aug 26, 2014 6:01 am
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I don't know but I've been told (sung to - well, y'all know the tune):
The Sig EC differs from Blackie in more ways than one. And, EC himself apparently had about total control on approving the features.
Anyway, the wood block in the trem cavity is the cherry on top. One can always argue it adds sustain :lol:


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Post subject: Re: Change from Tremolo to Hardtail
Posted: Tue Aug 26, 2014 6:56 am
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jmattis wrote:
I don't know but I've been told (sung to - well, y'all know the tune):
The Sig EC differs from Blackie in more ways than one. And, EC himself apparently had about total control on approving the features.
Anyway, the wood block in the trem cavity is the cherry on top. One can always argue it adds sustain :lol:

The two things I am sure he was most involved with were the neck shape and the final specs for the MDX circuit. In terms of my preferences, the one thing I don NOT care for are the body contours. This guitar was initially conceived as a '57 Stratocaster with an uptick in electronics. The body contours are far too conservative for that model year.

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Post subject: Re: Change from Tremolo to Hardtail
Posted: Tue Aug 26, 2014 12:42 pm
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ZZDoc wrote:
shaky wrote:
Here's the tremolo on my project guitar.
Image


There's been a great deal of discussion about this guitar in the Forums over the past 7 years. Once that bridge is decked, and trem claw is down tight with the 5 springs, that system is solid. Why R&D decided to add the wood block has never been explained.


Having been severely put right about the wooden block and realising that I shouldn't have my own opinion :lol: I now wonder if the block ws used to centralise the tremolo but wasn't taken out before shipping so had to be included in the spec :roll:


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Post subject: Re: Change from Tremolo to Hardtail
Posted: Tue Aug 26, 2014 12:53 pm
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shaky wrote:
Having been severely put right about the wooden block and realising that I shouldn't have my own opinion :lol: I now wonder if the block ws used to centralise the tremolo but wasn't taken out before shipping so had to be included in the spec :roll:
You're suggesting that the guitar's 'blocked/stopped' vibrato bridge was 'retro-specked' as a result of an embarrassment rising out of a production line oversight, and has been carried forward as such for the past 27 years :?: :shock: Interesting conspiracy theory, that :!: However, if the bridge is decked, and the trem claw driven forward with five springs holding the mass block flush against the body wood, the system is essentially frozen. The wood block, which is maple, would serve to integrate all that into the body's vibration.

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Post subject: Re: Change from Tremolo to Hardtail
Posted: Wed Aug 27, 2014 12:06 pm
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shaky wrote:
Here's the tremolo on my project guitar.

Image


The battery and the color are leading me to believe that this may be the Roadhouse Strat with the built in preamp, is that correct? If it is, there a way to remove that because I love everything else about the Roadhouse Strat except for the selectable preamps.


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Post subject: Re: Change from Tremolo to Hardtail
Posted: Tue Sep 02, 2014 12:51 pm
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Quote:

The battery and the color are leading me to believe that this may be the Roadhouse Strat with the built in preamp, is that correct? If it is, there a way to remove that because I love everything else about the Roadhouse Strat except for the selectable preamps.


This is my home build

http://forums.fender.com/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=62152


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