Rave review: Callaham Strat trem upgrade

[Joelski]

I got the Callaham Guitars upgrade kit for my American Deluxe Strat and it's now even Strattier!! :banana:

The kit consists of a way HUGE cold rolled steel block (much larger and denser than the stock powder cast blocks on AD strats), stainless steel saddles, a Callaham stainless steel tremolo bar in one of three sizes and all the mounting hardware is stainless as well, including the intonation springs!

It took about two hours to install the parts re-string and re-intonate the bridge and after that, WOW! Notes ring like a bell, you hear every note in a chord and the sustain in unimaginable! Another plus is the classic looks of the vintage style saddles fits the strat better than the blocky AD ones.



Total cost for the kit was $123 from Specialty Guitars, or you can order direct from Callaham by phone or FAX.

Get some!

 

[FretFire]

Re: Rave review: Callaham Strat trem upgrade

I've got the MIM retrofit block on my parts strat and absolutely love it, major improvement over the stock MIM pot metal block.

 

[Joelski]

Re: Rave review: Callaham Strat trem upgrade

I'd definitely recommend it prior to a pickup swap even; as good if not better return on the investment.

 

[jimijames]

Re: Rave review: Callaham Strat trem upgrade

I got one on an ebay guitar body, Trevor from lockwire guitars has the body now, but I kept the callaham bridge - everything sans the saddles are on my strat (which has brass saddles now), and it was a huge improvement, even over my highway 1 tremolo block, which weighs the same, oddly enough. The saddles went on my project guitar, and now the 3 low strings sound like they're on a piano (I replaced the top two saddles with a telecaster barrel saddle). I've been contemplating using one of the brass saddles from my strat for the g-string saddle, and replacing the bottom 3 strings on my strat with the steel bits.

I think I prefer steel for the wound strings and brass for the plain strings, Chords are full, sweet, and well defined all at the same time. Highly recommended.

 

[ganzosrevenge]

Re: Rave review: Callaham Strat trem upgrade

I put mine into a mahogany american special, and I noticed that my notes ring out with more clarity as well. However, as you play, 2 side benefits come up; The larger (and usually heavier) block lends itself to more sustain due to the fact the steel is in fact a lot higher, lending a more piano-like tendency. Secondly, you'll notice your tuning stability will go up a bit because more string is stuck in the guitar. Just whatever you do, do not use bullets, they'll look absurd with those little lumps sticking out of the bridge block. I clamped my trem down because I prefer a hardtail-esque feel, and my stock trem block couldn't handle 5 springs and being decked. Piano-like tonalities ensue.

For the $120 or so that it costs, it will really help take a good stratocaster, and bump it up a notch or two on the "strat awesomeness chart". Sustain, tone, tunability, and playability improvements, all with that awesome vintage 50s look. What more could a player want!

Jason

 

[Blue313]

Re: Rave review: Callaham Strat trem upgrade

I love Bill Callaham's bridges. I have one of his Vintage Tele bridges with the enhanced compensated saddles on my Warmoth. It's fantastic, I get vintage looks and good intonation as well as great sustain and clarity. Its got a nice mass to it as well, good heft.

 

[JacksonMIA]

Re: Rave review: Callaham Strat trem upgrade

I've been wanting to get the whole bridge to put on my Jimmie Vaughan and swap it over to one of my other strats, but I haven't saved up the money yet. I may just have to get the kit, and leave the JV stock for now. It's a great trem, but from what I've heard pretty much nothing beats a Callaham.

 

[tone?]

Re: Rave review: Callaham Strat trem upgrade

just one thing,

are you sure you intonated correctly?? that is the weirdest intonation pattern i have ever seen on a guitar.

 

[WhoFan]

Re: Rave review: Callaham Strat trem upgrade

just one thing,

are you sure you intonated correctly?? that is the weirdest intonation pattern i have ever seen on a guitar.

i was thinking the same...

 

[WhoFan]

Re: Rave review: Callaham Strat trem upgrade

That looks about like mine.

are you left handed?

 

[wahwah]

Re: Rave review: Callaham Strat trem upgrade

I put a set of Callaham saddles on my '68 Strat and they are magnificent. I also bought one of the 3/4 size vibrato arms, but it just didn't work for me, I missed the extra play of the full size arm. I'm not about to change the block in that guitar because I think it would be counter-productive, but those saddles are sheer quality and added some silky substance over the standard Fender or Gotoh saddles. Well worth the $$$.

Cheers................................... wahwah

 

[dave67]

Re: Rave review: Callaham Strat trem upgrade

I swapped out the stock MIM for the Callaham unit. Huge different over the stock trem. Money well spent.

 

[Diego]

Re: Rave review: Callaham Strat trem upgrade

Any chance to see a side by side picture of the stock american bridge/block against the Callaham?

I upgraded the stock trem on my Squier with a guitarfetish.com trem. They build the stuff themselves I think?

Anyway, talk about a massive improvement. The tone, the sustain. Better than a pickup swap!

 

[ImmortalSix]

Re: Rave review: Callaham Strat trem upgrade

Interesting.

You are tempting me, man!

 

[Frantic_Rock]

Re: Rave review: Callaham Strat trem upgrade

OKAY you got me.

I just ordered a vintage S-series assembly for my Highway 1. We shall see.

Then I will have my own little rant about the improvement in tone...

Dang you!!!

 

[CaughtLikeFire]

Re: Rave review: Callaham Strat trem upgrade

Can you put on a scale of 1 - 10 how you strat sounded before hand and what it sounds like now.

Try to keep it real and not Harmony central it to death

OMGZORS ITS A TEN~!!!!!!!! if my bridge was lost or stolen... with the guitar still in the case after the theft.. I would buy another one in a heart beat.

I make myself lol.

took mine from an 8 to a 9. If you already have a good guitar, it's worth the investment. if the wood is dead or the coupling at the neck pocket is crummy, it won't make your guitar better.

 

[Joelski]

Re: Rave review: Callaham Strat trem upgrade

To answer a few:

Yes, it is intonated correctly.

In my opinion, this guitar went from an 8.5 to a 9.5 easily. I already love the SCN pickups and the bridge humbucker even sounds nice (though I consider a bridge pickup on a Strat irrelevant ). Realistically most would say a well set-up new condition Strat should garner a 7.0 to 9.0 rating based on expectations met; great sound, playability, workmanship, etc... was thrilled with this guitar when I bought it (otherwise... I'm not about to shell 1200 bones on a fixxer-upper). IMO: the AD Strat HSS is the best guitar Fender has ever offered and though the custom shop can do fancy finishes and oddball specs, they cannot offer a better playing axe.

took mine from an 8 to a 9. If you already have a good guitar, it's worth the investment. if the wood is dead or the coupling at the neck pocket is crummy, it won't make your guitar better.

Tip: whenever you buy a newer Fender, take all that micro-tilt crap out and put in a real guitar player's shim. Your guitar's resonance will thank you for it!

 

[ganzosrevenge]

Re: Rave review: Callaham Strat trem upgrade

One thing I'd like to add is this...

5 springs + claw all the way in + callaham bridge = the recipe to wicked strat trem sustain. I've got a kit (saddles and bridge), and I will say that what initially seems like a "placebo effect" isn't. Yea the bridge block can weigh significantly more than the powdered steel fender MIA block, but it also has MUCH more consistency, a much better / nuanced feel, and isn't as prone to breaking (My original strat block actually ripped in 2 after putting 5 springs in it). Bill actually tests each and every saddle, block, and arm to ensure proper fit, saddle hardness, lack of paint on block (paint sucks out tone), and non-existence of burrs on the saddle (which can result in string breakage at the bridge). His claim of Cold Rolled, high quality UNS 1018 steel is legit, and it really does result in a more "musical metal". As far as its place in an American Deluxe, time has taught me that this system would be a great upgrade to differentiate the difference between American Standard and American Deluxe... a bridge that is fuller, a higher quality metal, has more mass, and aids in centering the body weight of a strat is something that turns into an asset the more I play...

However, As with everything in a strat, I don't think that it, or any single modification, is by itself an end-all fix for tremolo and/or tuning problems. Just the same as one could put in machine inserts for a tighter neck / body fit, or locking tuners to better clamp the strings in, or a graphite (or LSR) nut so that strings don't bind in the neck, the callaham tremolo upgrade is a COMPONENT for a better-tempered stratocaster. (By better tempered, i mean one where the weakspots inherent in most production line strats due to cost-cuts are either reduced or eliminated in a subjectively pleasing manner.) I'm not discounting the validity of the callaham modification by any stretch, it definitely aids in the attack, tone, and sustain of the instrument, but I am not entirely sold on it being an end-all solution to all strat tunability / sustain problems. I'd agree though that if you have a good guitar out of the box, it will kick it up towards great guitar, and if you have a great guitar, it will put it closer towards spectacular, but on the flip of the token, a dog is a dog no matter how much makeup you put on it to make it work.

I wonder this though, how would it compare to say... the block in an EJ, which is already a large vintage block due to EJ's demands...

 

[master of tacos]

Re: Rave review: Callaham Strat trem upgrade

I see that it is a two-point. How does it stay in tune with the saddles when you do some Jeff Beck-style whammy abuse?

 

[Joelski]

Re: Rave review: Callaham Strat trem upgrade

It does do better, and gonzo: on an american deluxe strat that has locking tuners, and an LSR, it is indeed the last true mod that can affect tuning. That's why it makes such an excellent mod for that particular guitar; it's a one-stop fix for tuning and tone!