one thing you MUST do

i57dwun4yb1pt8

if you have a strat with the crappy zinc tremelo block , and the powdered metal saddles is get a callaham block and vintage saddles .

choose the correct ones - and you will not believe how well it improves the tone of the strat .

intonates wayy better, sounds more piano like and full, more low end , way more sustain.


best 120 quid spent ever.

its better than a pickup upgrade.

Alanstrainor

Hmmmmm very tempted. Where did you buy? But i've got 3 strats....which one to choose hmmm...

i57dwun4yb1pt8

i got it in chandlers guitar experince uk

called em up , talked to justin .

had it in 3 days .

best
upgrade
ever

Seziertisch

DaDumTish wrote: »

if you have a strat with the crappy zinc tremelo block , and the powdered metal saddles is get a callaham block and vintage saddles .

choose the correct ones - and you will not believe how well it improves the tone of the strat .

intonates wayy better, sounds more piano like and full, more low end , way more sustain.


best 120 quid spent ever.

its better than a pickup upgrade.

That has been my experience with the Callaham ABR-1s as well. I agree with it being better than a pickup upgrade. Just way more fundamental. It's a bit like getting a better singer rather than getting a better mic.

ball ox

+1, I bought the Callaham mexican strat upgrade trem for a Frankestrat I was building, the difference is incredible.

Alanstrainor

Right, i'm going to buy at least the tremelo block, i have string saver saddles on my fender, i wonder if i'll see much of an improvement if i just change the block????

Seziertisch

I think the reason that more people don't do mods like this is that it is not as sexy as changing pickups or buying a new pedal or whatever. If I was to do it all again, this would be the first thing I would do with any guitar.

demanufactured

Buy a mans guitar.
Strats are for girls.

feylya

Tell that to SRV, Hendrix, et al.

population

feylya wrote: »

Tell that to SRV, Hendrix, et al.

Ok, gonna say something a bit controversial here but......

Do you ever think that had higher output rock guitars been more readliy available at the time, that Hendrix might not have opted for a Strat???

I know Lesters were about but they were quite classic sounding back then

PS........Just a thought, Dont kill me:o

CianRyan

population wrote: »

Ok, gonna say something a bit controversial here but......

Do you ever think that had higher output rock guitars been more readliy available at the time, that Hendrix might not have opted for a Strat???

I know Lesters were about but they were quite classic sounding back then

PS........Just a thought, Dont kill me:o

I play death metal and I opted for a Strat with ceramic rail pickups rather than the typical humbucker in an Ibanez, Jackson, ESP, ect...
Why?

Because the Strat feels nicer, plays nicer, sounds nicer looks nicer and all i have to do to play blues and the likes with the same guitar is pop up the volume knob.

Much better option IMO.

Johnny Storm

population wrote: »

Ok, gonna say something a bit controversial here but......

Do you ever think that had higher output rock guitars been more readliy available at the time, that Hendrix might not have opted for a Strat???

I know Lesters were about but they were quite classic sounding back then

PS........Just a thought, Dont kill me:o

FWIW Hendrix often played a Flying V, as well as a Lester and an SG

Fingers Mcginty

Jonathan you got in before me

i57dwun4yb1pt8

i think you need the bridges as well, the solid steel bridge saddles make most of the difference.


and far as i can see, only tight wearing puffed up pansys play anything other than a strat.

( apart from malmsteen - he is a girl )

spoonbadger

demanufactured wrote: »

Buy a mans guitar.
Strats are for girls.

Oh, you mean like the tacky, pointy ones with the OTT paint jobs that the 13 year olds in my local guitar store seem to love?. Nah, some of us dont need to overcompensate.

population wrote: »

Ok, gonna say something a bit controversial here but......

Do you ever think that had higher output rock guitars been more readliy available at the time, that Hendrix might not have opted for a Strat???

I know Lesters were about but they were quite classic sounding back then

PS........Just a thought, Dont kill me:o

Hendrix didn't start on a strat, AFAIK he was playing a les paul when he first started playing the clubs in NY. He used jazzmasters when he first hit the backing band scene, and was known to use flying Vs too. SGs, 'Pauls and 335s were readily available, and clapton had dispelled any myths about how "classic" they were by then . Dont forget what amp he used either, a JTM45/100. Definitely *not* a high gain amp by any means. I think mr. hendrix (like many of us poofter strat players) valued good tone over indescriminate gain .

Question about callaham upgrades, think it'd show any improvement on an MIA fender?. How do their stock bridges/blocks rate in comparison? .

rcaz

spoonbadger wrote: »

Oh, you mean like the tacky, pointy ones with the OTT paint jobs that the 13 year olds in my local guitar store seem to love?. Nah, some of us dont need to overcompensate.

= Man's guitar


Are there any options for turning a strat into a hardtail that would be an upgrade like this? I don't really like using the vibrato on my strat.

domrush

Jimi's first electric folks: http://www.kokomomusic.com/images/guitars/x_supro_ozark_c52.jpg

2nd : http://www.vintage-guitars.se/1960s_Silvertone_Amp-In-Case_2_case.jpg

i57dwun4yb1pt8

the new MIA strats have decent bridge saddles , but still need the heavy term block .

the older strats have the crappy powder metal saddels - bin these fecking things.

mines a MIA from 2001 - so the term and the saddles were sh1t

BUT NOT ANYMORE !

i love people saying the strats not a mans guitar , when it sooooo is

best guitar ever.

rcaz

DaDumTish wrote: »

i love people saying the strats not a mans guitar , when it sooooo is

I think you're taking it a bit too seriously. I don't think guitars can be gender-specific.

feylya

Anyone who posts a picture of the Wangcaster gets a banning!

:pac:

CianRyan

Man guitar.

i57dwun4yb1pt8

El Pr0n wrote: »

I think you're taking it a bit too seriously. I don't think guitars can be gender-specific.

right back at ya buddy !
:rolleyes: