I like this.

Re: I like this.

I am thinking this would have more potential at changing your tone/sustain etc than hard mounting pickups. That's a major contact point for those vintage bridges.

Any thoughts lads? Only problem i can see with it is maybe the ss is way too hard and it would ruin the edge on the tremolo?
 
Re: I like this.

Is wudtone any good? i noticed they have a similar setup

''Each bridge comes with a stainless steel shim to spread the load on the body, further increase the contact area and provide a low friction metal to metal contact where the bridge slides over the shim at B. This increases sensitivity and improves feel, especially for the light chord shimmer type of use. We have also added some extra mass ( always good for tone) and shaping on the back edge of the plate. This makes the bridge feel much more comfortable under the palm of your hand when playing. ''

http://www.wudtone.com/2012/03/22/wudtone-fpp-bridge-plate/
 
Re: I like this.

In terms of improving sustain and tuning retention, this is not a weak point on either count. The contact between the bridge and body is already very strong, the strings pull the bridge tightly into the six mounting screws. Tuning problems come from the saddles and the nut and maybe the tuners, but there's nothing unstable about the fulcrum.

$10 is cheap though, I think it's more of a waste of time than money in this case, especially if you actually cut up your guitar to fit it flush. This seems like one of countless mods that might improve the sustain by .0001%, just enough to not make a liar out of anyone; numerous pitchmen looking to sell a fix for something that's hardly broken to begin with. Even with pickups, I believe one sounds very different than the next, but there's no denying pickups makers inflate and overstate their influence for the sake of making the sale. If this was a such a great improvement, I'd think it would be offered on the Deluxe Strat at least, maybe in tandem with the mini-Floyd, and the fact that it hasn't tells me Fender doesn't even think it would make for decent cheesy selling point.

IME, decking the bridge is the only mod that will win back a noticeable amount of sustain and body-influenced tone without hard tailing it altogether.

Also in regard to pickup mounting against the body or having it float on strings or a cushion, I did experiments with that with pickgaurdless Tele's and I couldn't hear any difference whatsoever, not a worthwhile mod IMO.
 
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Re: I like this.

Just doing a take on the Babicz Full Contact Hardware , trying to make money on work someone else did.
 
Re: I like this.

I already thought about trying that and didn't know such a thing already existed.

1. I didn't look at it too carefully. Are wood screws that pass through the shim still used?
2. Is the shim first hard fastened to the body?

My thought was to machine a steel plate that would be attached to the body through countersunk screw holes, and then the bridge mounting screw holes would be tapped to accept 1/4-20 (or whatever the appropriate screw size would be) machine shoulder bolts.

I never gave much thought to that system adding sustain. My thinking was that the steel could be drilled and tapped more perfectly than a wood screw can be driven and that the screw alignment would be enhanced making the vibrato action smoother. Also, by using machine bolts with stops (shoulders) there would not be an issue of overtightening screws or the bridge not working just right because of uneven tension.
 
Re: I like this.

I already thought about trying that and didn't know such a thing already existed.

1. I didn't look at it too carefully. Are wood screws that pass through the shim still used?
2. Is the shim first hard fastened to the body?

My thought was to machine a steel plate that would be attached to the body through countersunk screw holes, and then the bridge mounting screw holes would be tapped to accept 1/4-20 (or whatever the appropriate screw size would be) machine shoulder bolts.

I never gave much thought to that system adding sustain. My thinking was that the steel could be drilled and tapped more perfectly than a wood screw can be driven and that the screw alignment would be enhanced making the vibrato action smoother. Also, by using machine bolts with stops (shoulders) there would not be an issue of overtightening screws or the bridge not working just right because of uneven tension.

Not sure how it attaches i guess it jsut sits in there. And yeah of course the screws pass through there?

Thats a good point in regards to the vibrato action.
 
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