Converting 2 point Strat trem to vintage 6 screw trem, can it be done?

[2manyguitars]

Hi guy's, so I've got a beautiful MIK Fender Koa Stratocaster with a two point trem & one of the bushings has pushed forward & act. broke into the pickup cavity a little bit! So I tried the whole wood glue & sawdust thing but to no avail. I was wondering if anyone could tell me if ripping out the bushings, reaming them out & then knocking in some glued dowels would give me the ability to replace it with a vintage style 6 screw one? Also if anyone know of any GOOD hard tail conversion kits please let me know as well because this would really be ideal, I flipping hate tremolos anyway!!! I need to get this fixed, so please, please, please, tell me any reasonable ways to get it up & running again.


Rob............

 

[greekdude]

Re: Converting 2 point Strat trem to vintage 6 screw trem, can it be done?

http://g-jax.com/510/bridge-tailpieces/guitar-bridges/gtc101.html

and you'll forget about it.

 

[kramersteen]

Re: Converting 2 point Strat trem to vintage 6 screw trem, can it be done?

You could repair the damage properly and use the original bridge.

Pictures NOW or i walk :drill:

 

[Funkfingers]

Re: Converting 2 point Strat trem to vintage 6 screw trem, can it be done?

The original two-point vibrato is intended to float. Converting to a traditional six holes bridge is the equivalent of the Jeff Beck set up approach. Before embarking on this course of action, check whether the floor of the neck pocket is cut with a compensating pitch angle. If it is, setting any vibrato hard against the top of the body could prove tricky.

 

[2manyguitars]

Re: Converting 2 point Strat trem to vintage 6 screw trem, can it be done?

I've tried once to fix it myself, did what I thought was an awesome glue & repair job, & let it dry for over 48hrs before putting any tension back on the neck, as soon as the strings went back on that bushing started to pull up & push forward again? I'm bringing to a guy in town this weekend to see if he can fix the original trem, this would be ideal of course because I could just put a block in after & stop it from floating that way? He's about my only hope, aside from another tremolo or new body because I live just west of east Bum F%@k & there is no real guitar guys/Luthiers for about 200 miles in any direction, act. the best & closest one is in Can. so I'd have to cross the border twice & go to another country to get it done? Although if I ever decide to get rid of it, witch I probably won't because when its working it's about the best playing guitar I own & I got some very nice & very expensive guitars, that person could use it if they wanted too? I got a good deal on the guitar, $400, they trend for about $600 in the same condition if you can find them. They were only made for one year in 06 & came stock with Duncan APS-1's. Kind of an oddball Stratocaster, part fender part Squire? So finding a replacement body is proving to be hard to say the least & the neck, while beautifully made out of Rock Maple has a slight lip on it so I don't know if grabbing a MIM body with a trem on it already will work???? I think this Fender was made in the same plant as the higher end Squires? So perhaps if I have to replace the body I should be looking @ Vintage Modified Squires not Fenders??? The closest thing could find on the market as far as the design goes is the Modern Player Strats, I think they also have this small lip on the neck??? Really I just want a functional guitar again & I'd like to keep it as simple as possible!

 

[greekdude]

Re: Converting 2 point Strat trem to vintage 6 screw trem, can it be done?

If glue and sawdust didn't work, maybe you can try with epoxy glue. That should have it covered. Otherwise you'll have to plug with larger dowel, re-drill and re-install/hammer in the bushings.

 

[Funkfingers]

Re: Converting 2 point Strat trem to vintage 6 screw trem, can it be done?

Dowel and redrill is the best solution.

The stock bridge is not of especially good quality. Modifying to accept an Original Floyd Rose, Schaller or Wilkinson/Gotoh VS would be a good idea. Even the budget Wilkinsons would be an improvement.

 

[uOpt]

Re: Converting 2 point Strat trem to vintage 6 screw trem, can it be done?

I like 6-point trems better anyway but you have to check that the basic route trench is in the right place.

Another problem is that your guitar might be thinner and a high quality sustain block might be too deep.

I would seriously question whether the wood quality on the original body warranty extensive saving expenses.

 

[greekdude]

Re: Converting 2 point Strat trem to vintage 6 screw trem, can it be done?

Dowel and redrill is the best solution.

The stock bridge is not of especially good quality. Modifying to accept an Original Floyd Rose, Schaller or Wilkinson/Gotoh VS would be a good idea. Even the budget Wilkinsons would be an improvement.

the OP says he hates trems.

 

[greekdude]

Re: Converting 2 point Strat trem to vintage 6 screw trem, can it be done?

I would seriously question whether the wood quality on the original body warranty extensive saving expenses.

That's a good point. The OP didn't explain how did this happen.

 

[2manyguitars]

Re: Converting 2 point Strat trem to vintage 6 screw trem, can it be done?

Umm, I don't really know? I think it was a combo of an sleazebag salesmen @ a small music shop & stupidity to be completely honest? When I bought the guitar it had 3 springs on it & the trem was floating, I added 2 more to stiffen it up some after removeing the strings & letting it rest. Before everyone goes nuts I know there are much better ways of locking a trem but it was a quick fix kind of thing & I was going to deal with it later??? Trust me I feel dumb as it is! After the damage was done & I noticed that it was moving around I took it apart only to find that someone else had been in there before. So what I think happened is this gut got the guitar with the bushing already busted & did his best to fix it then put it out on the wall? When I bought it he told me he'd just put it out that A.M. & how lucky I was to get it because he knew anything that looked that nice would move fast @ that price! I bought it, hook line, & sinker. It lasted almost a month before the problems stated but as I said I added extra tension to it by putting in 5 springs so I don't know who's fault it was? Should he have told me it was recently repaired? Yes!!! I also should have took the time to do things correctly so it's my problem! Maybe I should be looking @ bodies???????

 

[treyhaislip]

Re: Converting 2 point Strat trem to vintage 6 screw trem, can it be done?

Pictures NOW or i walk :drill:

Ha! Thanks for the laugh Kramersteen! :lmao:

 

[kramersteen]

Re: Converting 2 point Strat trem to vintage 6 screw trem, can it be done?

If you dont like tremolos there is an easy fix - Don't push down on the tremolo bar.

 

[treyhaislip]

Re: Converting 2 point Strat trem to vintage 6 screw trem, can it be done?

If you dont like tremolos there is an easy fix - Don't push down on the tremolo bar.

b...bbuu...but that would be too easy :dunno:

 

[kramersteen]

Re: Converting 2 point Strat trem to vintage 6 screw trem, can it be done?

Should he have told me it was recently repaired?

yes i would have nailed him to the wall already. Go makes them repair it.

 

[ItsaBass]

Re: Converting 2 point Strat trem to vintage 6 screw trem, can it be done?

The super easy fix would be to just drill for the four middle holes of a classic Strat bridge, and not even bother repairing the busted wood. Then you can just block the vibrato with a piece of wood. If this looks bad to you, just cut the heads off of the two outer screws and epoxy them to the bridge so everything looks normal.

 

[Funkfingers]

Re: Converting 2 point Strat trem to vintage 6 screw trem, can it be done?

the OP says he hates trems.

My mistake. I was writing about vibrato bridges.

 

[2manyguitars]

Re: Converting 2 point Strat trem to vintage 6 screw trem, can it be done?

I drilled some holes, put on a $20 MIM bridge, set it up & intonated it? I act. plays & sounds better than it did before!!! The whole thing took a little over an hour & on top of the guitar I also put together a B.Y.O.P. Liberator guard with a JB-jr in the bridge, a SSL-5 in the mid., & a Duckbucker in the neck, for something I tossed together to try out a guitar I didn't even know was going to work it's f#@%!#g awesome!!! It even stays in tune much better than before! Thanks for all the super helpful answers though!!! I got my KOA back!!!!!!!!!!!! F.Y.I. I did this 5 days ago, I wanted to wait to post just to be sure nothing exploded or snapped! There is absolutely nothing wrong now & I couldn't be happier!!! So to answer my question, YES, you can do that!!!!! If I ever end up with another 2 pointer, witch I won't, it's a stupid design, I'll do it again!!! Maybe a better replacement 6 screw tremolo? Then again this 1 was only a try & see trem & there's no way in hell it's going anyplace!!!