Brass Brass and more Brass discussions. Brass Block on Strat trem anyone?

[tone?]

So i was thinking lately, i like the round/bassy sound of a flush floyd and would like more of that on my strat trem.
So wouldnt trying to replicate the materials put me more in that direction?

I have been asking around for a brass block to fit on my Callaham cause it sounds great but i would like a bit more softer low end and rounder tone.

I have tried putting on different saddles but i feel saddles effect the tone in a bad way ( for me at least) if you dont use steel as most bridges do. Steel saddles keep good definition and attack.
I actually mailed Tom Anderson about this and he said in short for me to try a Zinc block. I actually did this today and although it did soften up the low end as he said it lost sustain like crazy plus Harmonics etc...
It partialy worked.
I think that a Brass block would get me closer though to what i am looking for.

If i am not mistaken Floyds have all steel construction and a brass block.
Would putting on a brass block emulate a Floyd a bit more acurately you think?

Callaham told me that the Mids would darken a bit and i would lose sustain.

Anyone done this before??

 

[Voxman]

Re: Brass Brass and more Brass discussions. Brass Block on Strat trem anyone?

Maby Zerb can help u PM

 

[Lake Placid Blues]

Re: Brass Brass and more Brass discussions. Brass Block on Strat trem anyone?

Brass hardware was a big deal in the mid to late 70's and early 80's, along with heavy weight woods. The theory being; that the combonation produced max sustain but with a softer attack, than the same woods with steel hardware. Thus we had a lot of guitars that weighed a ton, and many of those sounded kinda dead. On some guitars, with some wood combonations, it works good. The theory at the time, was that brass actually enhanced sustain.

It wouldn't hurt to try it, and see how it works on your guitar. I don't think that the loss in sustain would be that great. FWIW, the old Charvel vintage style bridges used brass saddles and a brass block, except those built for Alan Holdsworth. He hated brass blocks. He ofton described them as "absorbing the resonation (sustain?) and the tone."

 

[Vasshu the humanoid typhoon]

Re: Brass Brass and more Brass discussions. Brass Block on Strat trem anyone?

Brass...damn sounds like a throwback to the seventies
I like aluminium and steel for guitars
Brass is deadsounding like other heavy stuff.

 

[Ocifer]

Re: Brass Brass and more Brass discussions. Brass Block on Strat trem anyone?

I was going to suggest a zinc block or brass saddles, but i guess that's out.

If you found that brass saddles deadened your sound too much for your liking, I doubt replacing an even bigger component of your guitar w/ brass parts will do any better. The choice is yours, but I would be wary of buying a brass block if brass saddles weren't for me.

I dunno your pickup situation, but if you want your Strat to sound more like a Floyd guitar, I'd reccomend getting some higher output pickups - if you haven't already.

 

[tone?]

Re: Brass Brass and more Brass discussions. Brass Block on Strat trem anyone?

I tried a Zinc block after Tom Anderson recommended it to me. He was right it did softern the bass but ruined the rest of the sound for me compared to the steel Callaham. The steel Callaham just makes the guitar super alive

I dunno your pickup situation, but if you want your Strat to sound more like a Floyd guitar, I'd reccomend getting some higher output pickups - if you haven't already.

I have a JB already on the guitar. Sounds quite awesome as is actually. See i am a bit obssesive when it comes to tone and i LOVE to experiment. :banana:
My wife thinks im nuts sometimes cause i take apart and put back together my guitars all the time.
I guess i best get started on building guitars or something

I dont know why people knock on brass so much when Charvel uses brass on tons of their models. The Anniversary one actually has what i am talking about almost, it is a full brass trem with steel saddles.
Plus the floyd has a brass block which is used by tons of guitars.

So why the bad rap on brass??

Actually i got a Brass Big block for my FLoyd and it kinda works. I say kinda cause it does fatten the sound up a bit and add to harmonics but takes away a bit from the woody sound. Guess cause the block is a bit too big.

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: Brass Brass and more Brass discussions. Brass Block on Strat trem anyone?

Brass hardware was a big deal in the mid to late 70's and early 80's, along with heavy weight woods. The theory being; that the combonation produced max sustain but with a softer attack, than the same woods with steel hardware. Thus we had a lot of guitars that weighed a ton, and many of those sounded kinda dead. On some guitars, with some wood combonations, it works good. The theory at the time, was that brass actually enhanced sustain.

It wouldn't hurt to try it, and see how it works on your guitar. I don't think that the loss in sustain would be that great. FWIW, the old Charvel vintage style bridges used brass saddles and a brass block, except those built for Alan Holdsworth. He hated brass blocks. He ofton described them as "absorbing the resonation (sustain?) and the tone."

The brass everything Strats sounded like crap. But I do prefer Brass saddles on my Teles and use a brass saddle for the high E string on some of my Strats to sweeten and thicken up the high E...so does Eric Johnson. But brass bridges and tailpieces and tremolo blocks and nuts fell out of fashion because, IMO, they deaden the tone and take away the steely lively bounce that we love about Strats. IMO. Lew

 

[tone?]

Re: Brass Brass and more Brass discussions. Brass Block on Strat trem anyone?

i agree with ya Lew, but how come FLoyds are made with Brass blocks now??

Does the Floyd design make them sound better or something?

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: Brass Brass and more Brass discussions. Brass Block on Strat trem anyone?

i agree with ya Lew, but how come FLoyds are made with Brass blocks now??

Does the Floyd design make them sound better or something?

I dunno for sure. One thing I've noticed about some cheaper Floyd's is that the design does not give as deep, beefy and tight a low end. The low E sounds flabby and weak compared to a Fender '62 Vibrato. Maybe the brass fattens and thickens up the low end a little and helps compensate for the smaller size block in a Floyd?

Lew

 

[tone?]

Re: Brass Brass and more Brass discussions. Brass Block on Strat trem anyone?

Maybe man.

Actually i think a floyd has quite a thick sound tho overall. What do you think compared to a stock fender Vintage trem? By the way arent the Vintage Fender trems like the callahams are now?

 

[tone?]

Re: Brass Brass and more Brass discussions. Brass Block on Strat trem anyone?

Wheres Zerb when ya need him?

By the way Happy New year!!

Year Changed here about 2 and half hours ago!

 

[vinterland]

Re: Brass Brass and more Brass discussions. Brass Block on Strat trem anyone?

Tone? the Charvel sustains to hell and sounds quiet lively and clear through the register actually.

I can't say for absolute certainty but yeah I think the block is brass with the stainless steel saddles.

 

[tone?]

Re: Brass Brass and more Brass discussions. Brass Block on Strat trem anyone?

take a pic of the trem when you got time

i think it is the combination of the steel saddles and brass block.

i wonder how big the block is tho? is it the size of a vintage one?

I think that brass saddles kill the tone a bit and the steel ones compensate for that. clean it up a bit.

 

[vinterland]

Re: Brass Brass and more Brass discussions. Brass Block on Strat trem anyone?

take a pic of the trem when you got time

i think it is the combination of the steel saddles and brass block.

i wonder how big the block is tho? is it the size of a vintage one?

I think that brass saddles kill the tone a bit and the steel ones compensate for that. clean it up a bit.

Yeah I can get a pic... I actually had the back off for a long time last night but never really looked closely at it.

 

[tone?]

Re: Brass Brass and more Brass discussions. Brass Block on Strat trem anyone?

See my theory is that Charvel wanted to 'clear up' the brass sound a bit and made that specific bridge with steel saddles.

I think the saddles have a heavier impact on overall imediate tone but the block carries on those characteristics. Like the steel saddles keep that sharp attack but then the brass acts to smooth out the tone a bit.

Weird tho that some of the older brass hardware was crappy. wonder if there are different grades of brass or something.
I mean Charvel has been using brass forever on their bridges and their guitars sound pretty fantastic.

 

[vinterland]

Re: Brass Brass and more Brass discussions. Brass Block on Strat trem anyone?

That was one of the first things some people noticed on the SD anniversary models was the steel saddles.

 

[Benjy_26]

Re: Brass Brass and more Brass discussions. Brass Block on Strat trem anyone?

You're hearing the string mountng system also. A Floyd is in essence a top loader while the Fender 6 point is through the block.

 

[tone?]

Re: Brass Brass and more Brass discussions. Brass Block on Strat trem anyone?

True Benjy,

i forgot all about that one.
The through the block must sound a bit stiffer than the floyd i am assuming.

 

[Lake Placid Blues]

Re: Brass Brass and more Brass discussions. Brass Block on Strat trem anyone?

...........
I mean Charvel has been using brass forever on their bridges and their guitars sound pretty fantastic.

It depends on how the guitar will be used. My Charvel sounds "pretty fantastic" through a high gain amp, and for the type of playing were a high gain amp is used, but through a "Fender clean" amp, turned up to 4, it's not so fantastic. It seems like Charvels were designed mainly for high gain type use.

It could be similar thing going on with Floyd blocks, seeing how a floyd guitar is typically used.

 

[tone?]

Re: Brass Brass and more Brass discussions. Brass Block on Strat trem anyone?

Well yeah, true

I was however refering to a high gain sound.

Fender clean would probably work best with a brighter sound. Which is what Brass prob takes a bit away of.