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Post subject: '91 American Strat Plus DLX bridge questions
Posted: Thu Oct 02, 2014 8:09 pm
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I think I've come to the right place for this question.
I bought my 91 American Strat Plus DLX new back and it's been a great guitar ever since, and I will never part with it until I must. :)
It's all original and it's been a constant player guitar for 23yrs now.

I'm thinking of replacing the bridge or just upgrade/update the saddles and block, and add a couple more strings. Notes go flat on harder picking, and I get some trills if I finger pick too heavily. Trem only has 2 black springs right now and I think it needs at least 3.

As you bridge/trem is a 2 post/pivot bridge.
When shopping for a replacement bridge are the mounting points unique to this series of
2 pivot trem/bridge, or will any of the 2 post bridges work and have the same spacing?
IOW, will a modern 2 post bridge fit my '91?

Before choosing a bridge I'd like to read some experiences from Strat owners who have replaced theirs with non Fender units.
If you have replaced your bridge what brand, type, did you use and how do you like it?
Have you had experience with other bridge and brands?

I've also found some roller bearing replacement saddles that would fit my bridge.
They look like they would do their job nicely.
I've also been reading that the block is important in regards to sustain and tone.
Claims are that the stock Fender block is not as dense as it could be and that solid brass or hardened steel is better. Which one? I don't know. Brass or steel?

These are the trem's I've read about so far:
KCG
Hipshot
Blade Runner
Wilkinson/Gotoh


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Post subject: Re: '91 American Strat Plus DLX bridge questions
Posted: Thu Oct 02, 2014 8:53 pm
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A Strat Plus Deluxe from 1991 does normally have a mini Floyd Rose bridge, pearloid pickguard, a Lace Plus pickup set and a Wilkinson roller nut. The change to the LSR occurred in 1993.

Please bear in mind that not all Deluxe Pluses sported the mini Floyd. Some early examples were shipped with an American Series bridge or the American Deluxe pop-in types; they also came with a Hipshot tremsetter.

We need a couple of photos to further examine your guitar.


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Post subject: Re: '91 American Strat Plus DLX bridge questions
Posted: Thu Oct 02, 2014 9:05 pm
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chromeface wrote:
A Strat Plus Deluxe from 1991 does normally have a mini Floyd Rose bridge, pearloid pickguard, a Lace Plus pickup set and a Wilkinson roller nut. The change to the LSR occurred in 1993.

Please bear in mind that not all Deluxe Pluses sported the mini Floyd. Some early examples were shipped with an American Series bridge or the American Deluxe pop-in types; they also came with a Hipshot tremsetter.

We need a couple of photos to further examine your guitar.


Thanks. :)

I have had my Strat for 23yrs and am very familiar with it.
It has a standard Fender 2 pivot trem bridge, just like most Strat Plux Dlx's have/had.
Really no need for photo's here. It's a '91 Strat Plus Dlx with a standard 2 pivot Fender trem.

Not looking for nor need an explanation of my Strat.
I'm looking for experiences from Strat players with non Fender trem's.


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Post subject: Re: '91 American Strat Plus DLX bridge questions
Posted: Fri Oct 03, 2014 12:47 am
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... including locking trems?


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Post subject: Re: '91 American Strat Plus DLX bridge questions
Posted: Fri Oct 03, 2014 2:03 am
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chromeface wrote:
A Strat Plus Deluxe from 1991 does normally have a mini Floyd Rose bridge,
We need a couple of photos to further examine your guitar.


Sure of that ?


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Post subject: Re: '91 American Strat Plus DLX bridge questions
Posted: Fri Oct 03, 2014 6:46 am
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stratele52 wrote:
chromeface wrote:
A Strat Plus Deluxe from 1991 does normally have a mini Floyd Rose bridge,
We need a couple of photos to further examine your guitar.


Sure of that ?


The mini-Floyds also came on the scene in 1993 if I'm remembering correctly - but it was after the switch to the LSR nuts.

To Rverb - sorry, no experience with the trems you mention in your original post as replacements for the Fender trem. I have had both the 2-post Gotoh and one of the 2-post Wilkinson trems on guitars, but in both cases these were small builder guitars and the specs deviated pretty far from typical Fender Strat specs (much further than a Strat Plus Deluxe deviates from standard specs).


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Post subject: Re: '91 American Strat Plus DLX bridge questions
Posted: Fri Oct 03, 2014 12:59 pm
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Standing on the shoulders of giants here (= a quote from Xhefri):
Quote:
The Standard Strat Plus came with two basic bridges, both 2-point floating American types; one used a pop-in tremolo arm and the other a screw-in tremolo arm. On the top they basically looked the same, with 6 bushed offset saddles. It is easy to tell which you have by simply taking off the back Trem cover and taking a peek at the tremolo block. The pop-in type has a BLACK block and the screw-in type has a GREY block
(...)
Also note that the Strat Plus Deluxe models came with both these types of bridges and some had the Floyd Rose II bridge as seen on the The Strat Plus Deluxe page.


So, if you plan a bridge upgrade, just pick up your ruler/caliper, check your string spacing & get a bridge that matches.

On those sound changes via roller saddles, new block etc.
Very much IMHO: you will notice a change, but that's mainly because you are aware of the changes.
The staying-in-tune problems you have would be easier and cheaper to fix with a proper setup. (Damn, might have opened the worm can there...)

But if you choose to take that upgrade path, go cozmic: Strat High End Parts EKT


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Post subject: Re: '91 American Strat Plus DLX bridge questions
Posted: Sat Oct 04, 2014 12:35 am
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jmattis wrote:
Standing on the shoulders of giants here (= a quote from Xhefri):
Quote:
The Standard Strat Plus came with two basic bridges, both 2-point floating American types; one used a pop-in tremolo arm and the other a screw-in tremolo arm. On the top they basically looked the same, with 6 bushed offset saddles. It is easy to tell which you have by simply taking off the back Trem cover and taking a peek at the tremolo block. The pop-in type has a BLACK block and the screw-in type has a GREY block
(...)
Also note that the Strat Plus Deluxe models came with both these types of bridges and some had the Floyd Rose II bridge as seen on the The Strat Plus Deluxe page.


So, if you plan a bridge upgrade, just pick up your ruler/caliper, check your string spacing & get a bridge that matches.

On those sound changes via roller saddles, new block etc.
Very much IMHO: you will notice a change, but that's mainly because you are aware of the changes.
The staying-in-tune problems you have would be easier and cheaper to fix with a proper setup. (Damn, might have opened the worm can there...)

But if you choose to take that upgrade path, go cozmic: Strat High End Parts EKT


Thanks for the link, and the tips. :)

This is daily play guitar so I'm not looking for parts like that.
found a lower cost solid brass block.
I think I'll keep the OEM trem bridge and upgrade to a brass block and roller saddles, and add another spring.

I don't recall stating that I have a tuning problem though.
My Strat stays in tune very well.
The wavering notes on hard picking is coming from the trem moving, likely due to only having 2 springs in there.

Did a great detailed tuning today and she's playing sweetly.
Detailed cleaned too and the OEM hardware is looking pretty darn good.
My main concern is the "trill" I get when I pluck one of the 3 high strings.
It's coming from the trem moving lightly but the warbley notes are driving me nuts.
This is why I locked the trem for so many years.
Really hoping that adding a spring or two will help.
I tried wrapping the existing 2 springs with foam and it helped a wee bit but the trill is still there.


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Post subject: Re: '91 American Strat Plus DLX bridge questions
Posted: Sat Oct 04, 2014 3:16 am
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That spells tuning/staying in tune problems to me. Anyway, don't get picky on choice of terms - just trying to help.


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Post subject: Re: '91 American Strat Plus DLX bridge questions
Posted: Mon Nov 24, 2014 12:19 pm
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Joined: Wed May 29, 2013 1:04 pm
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SuperVee Bladerunner Replacement Bridge for Strat

I bought a 2013 American Deluxe Strat and really like. I play Christian rock and jazz fusion. However, the guitar would go out of tune pretty much whenever I used the tremolo arm. Sometimes the high e, b or g strings would go sharp and then go back if I worked the tremolo arm a couple of times. My guitar tech couldn't solve it. An engineer on another forum isolated the problem to the strings getting caught up on an inflection point on the standard Fender block. His solution was to install a Gotoh bridge. I contacted Gotoh, but it looked like it didn't quite fit and would need some drilling which I didn't want. They weren't very helpful.

Instead, I bought the Super-Vee Bladerunner and the Mag-Lock. It dropped right in and I went to Youtube and learned how to set up the string height and intonation myself. The Mag-Lock installs in the back easily in one of the spare spring slots (I use the 3 springs that came with the Bladerunner). The Mag-Lock prevents the low strings from going flat when you bend the high strings. It's not perfect, but it is a great improvement. The guitar has now gone from good to great. There's a lot more sustain, and the tuning is much more stable. The tremolo sounds different than the stock tremolo, but it's good--just different.

I highly recommend SuperVee Bladerunner for an easy, drop-in replacement tremolo bridge. I have no relationship with this company--I work for the federal government in Canada. And the good news is you can reinstall your Fender trem bridge if you ever sell the guitar and someone wants the original hardware.

Best!

Gord.


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Post subject: Re: '91 American Strat Plus DLX bridge questions
Posted: Wed Nov 26, 2014 10:43 pm
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Aspiring Musician
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Joined: Fri Jun 20, 2014 2:07 pm
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coulsong wrote:
SuperVee Bladerunner Replacement Bridge for Strat

I bought a 2013 American Deluxe Strat and really like. I play Christian rock and jazz fusion. However, the guitar would go out of tune pretty much whenever I used the tremolo arm. Sometimes the high e, b or g strings would go sharp and then go back if I worked the tremolo arm a couple of times. My guitar tech couldn't solve it. An engineer on another forum isolated the problem to the strings getting caught up on an inflection point on the standard Fender block. His solution was to install a Gotoh bridge. I contacted Gotoh, but it looked like it didn't quite fit and would need some drilling which I didn't want. They weren't very helpful.

Instead, I bought the Super-Vee Bladerunner and the Mag-Lock. It dropped right in and I went to Youtube and learned how to set up the string height and intonation myself. The Mag-Lock installs in the back easily in one of the spare spring slots (I use the 3 springs that came with the Bladerunner). The Mag-Lock prevents the low strings from going flat when you bend the high strings. It's not perfect, but it is a great improvement. The guitar has now gone from good to great. There's a lot more sustain, and the tuning is much more stable. The tremolo sounds different than the stock tremolo, but it's good--just different.

I highly recommend SuperVee Bladerunner for an easy, drop-in replacement tremolo bridge. I have no relationship with this company--I work for the federal government in Canada. And the good news is you can reinstall your Fender trem bridge if you ever sell the guitar and someone wants the original hardware.

Best!

Gord.


Thanks for the info on that trem.
I have seen it and it looks good.


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Post subject: Re: '91 American Strat Plus DLX bridge questions
Posted: Thu Nov 27, 2014 7:50 pm
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Should have Xhefri on this one!!!

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