Help on a Odor for a Strat Tremolo

[MetalManiac]

I am looking at three different options for a Strat Assembly.

All three promise to stay in tune versus Leo's original design.

Someone here on this forum recently made me aware of a Strat Tremolo called" Wudtone". This is probably the one I am going to try... its a new technology- doesn't stray so far from vintage design.I like the concept, particularly since I can order just the bridge alone, and use my own block and saddles.

Then there is the 'SuperVee' Trem. It has a rad design. Downside is that if you want a carbon steel block, then that is extra, and it's already a very expensive unit. Also, the saddles , although I would guess are interchangeable with any Strat saddles, are also not of the best quality. The reviews aren't perfect as far as tuning stability, but they are altogether very positive.

Finally is just the Callaham , which has high quality cold forged steel, and has a pretty much vintage design, but with a different bridgeplate that is said to provide greater stability.

Any ideas?

 

[jeremy]

Re: Help on a Odor for a Strat Tremolo

are you sure its coming from the strat at all let alone the bridge? might be from something under a pile.

 

[Funkfingers]

Re: Help on a Odor for a Strat Tremolo

Open a window, already.



Callaham makes a good Stratocaster vibrato.

 

[MetalManiac]

Re: Help on a Odor for a Strat Tremolo

You guys kill me! I was just playing. I meant 'order'.

 

[beaubrummels]

Re: Help on a Odor for a Strat Tremolo

You working a build with one of these?

 

[ItsaBass]

Re: Help on a Odor for a Strat Tremolo

I don't know about Wudtone. I'd be interested to try one. It's actually almost identical to one of the ideas I have had for a Strat vibrato for at least 15 years. I'm glad someone finally took a stab at producing them. They look promising. The engineering seems sound, yet still fairly simple (a good thing).

Callahams are great. Of the three, they are the only ones I can recommend. They KISS. Take the conceptually decent yet weakly executed original design, and engineer and manufacture it to near perfection. The only hardware maker I've tried that is comparably good is Marc Rutters...but he doesn't do Strat parts, only Tele parts.

IME, Super Vees are pretty much a waste of money. Mediocre build quality (at best), mediocre function, bizarre tinny tone (my stock MIM vibrato sounded way better), don't intonate properly (my stock MIM vibrato intonated fine), feel weird with the pivot point being moved back, and way too expensive. Half of the allen screws in the saddles were so poorly manufactured that they were effectively stripped. The plating looks and feels cheap and scratches easily. The claw, springs, and even the screws are cheesy, and the claw screw holes didn't even line up with the holes in my stock claw; I had to use my original claw. I would not be at all surprised to find out that the parts for these things were cheaply built by overseas companies. If they were built with the quality that Callaham or Rutters provides, then maybe they'd be a good vibrato.

Be sure to check out the Hipshot too. It's a very good vibrato, and more affordable than any of the ones you're looking at.

 

[treyhaislip]

Re: Help on a Odor for a Strat Tremolo

I would say out of the 3 mentioned, Callaham is the way I would go. Gotoh makes, IMO, a great bridge as well.

 

[astrozombie]

Re: Help on a Odor for a Strat Tremolo

No offense or anything but is this really an "upgrade" worth your money? Seems like the kind of thing I wouldn't notice if you didn't tell me.

 

[Johnny the Kid]

Re: Help on a Odor for a Strat Tremolo

No offense or anything but is this really an "upgrade" worth your money? Seems like the kind of thing I wouldn't notice if you didn't tell me.

Leo Fender's original Strat trem is notorious for poor tuning stability. It's the reason Floyd Roses were invented. Having a tremolo with good tuning stability is ideal if you use it frequently.

 

[Vasshu the humanoid typhoon]

Re: Help on a Odor for a Strat Tremolo

Poor until setup good.....then it stays in tune pretty good!

 

[treyhaislip]

Re: Help on a Odor for a Strat Tremolo

Leo Fender's original Strat trem is notorious for poor tuning stability. It's the reason Floyd Roses were invented. Having a tremolo with good tuning stability is ideal if you use it frequently.

With all due respect, a properly setup Leo Fender Original Strat Trem stays in tune amazingly well even with use of the tremolo (should be vibrato lol) bar. Granted, drastic dive bombs yanking the bar around is not what Leo designed it for (neither a Bigsby for that matter.)

Poor until setup good.....then it stays in tune pretty good!

Absolutely this!

 

[ItsaBass]

Re: Help on a Odor for a Strat Tremolo

Yes, about setup on the Fender units. They are actually pretty slickly designed in general, but they get a bad wrap do to the execution of the details, and the fact that hardly anyone sets them up right. Callaham takes the original design, which is basically pretty sound, and improves the details and build quality.