rebuilt my Strat (Duncan/Callaham content)

[PUCKBOY99]

Re: rebuilt my Strat (Duncan/Callaham content)

COOL.....I just bought the Callaham upgrade kit for my MIM

So far, I've got Sperzel locking tuners, RS Wiring kit, & Duncan Antiquity Surfers w/Fralin bridge plate & it sounds killer.

I've always heard good things about the Callaham stuff, so finally got a good deal on one.

Looking forward to hearing your findings....I'll be sure to share mine too.

HOPEFULLY, what Tone says isn't true for us :wink:

I figure it HAD TO BE better than the stock MIM setup

 

[the guy who invented fire]

Re: rebuilt my Strat (Duncan/Callaham content)

Is the mass of the block otherwise the same as those nice heavy EJ blocks ?
how are the saddles as well ? Good quality traditional stamped Fender type saddles or different ?
Sounds awesome with the arm design having no slop though, how that drives me crazy! I like to use the arm for subtle vibrato and with the slop it makes it near impossible.
Luckily I've got a Bigsby on my Gretsch for doing that stuff but in a sense that makes my strat trem annoy me even more lol
I'll definatly have to check out these Callaham trem's when I finally get around to building my new strat

The EJ trem and the 57/62 trem and the Callaham trem all hjave the same size block but the Callaham is cold rolled steel, the other 2 are hot rolled...

Same trad saddles but they are cut in such a way as to prevent tuning hang ups...very cool...

The new arm design klills me!!! You can get as subtle as you want with no play in the arm at all...it's very nice! Im amazed that no one did this sooner!!!

In tellin ya, Im not sold on Callaham tele hardware just yet but their Strat trem is the top of the heep for me...it's for sure the best I've seen/used yet!

I'll get some pics soon asn show some of the improvments in the design...

 

[the guy who invented fire]

Re: rebuilt my Strat (Duncan/Callaham content)

I am getting a Gotoh after Frankfurt.....also with all dem nice improvements, no slop and solid saddles, have some other Gotoh saddles with the groove, have had those since 97, almost no marks.....pretty good steel!

Dang...I wish I had known about that...Hmm...

 

[the guy who invented fire]

Re: rebuilt my Strat (Duncan/Callaham content)

tone?:

I'll be hoenst I haven't noticed an increase in top end yet...I actually liked the more solid attack I was getting from it and it stays in tune amazingly well...

You now have me curious...I'll see what turns up over the next few days...

 

[the guy who invented fire]

Re: rebuilt my Strat (Duncan/Callaham content)

COOL.....I just bought the Callaham upgrade kit for my MIM
So far, I've got Sperzel locking tuners, RS Wiring kit, & Duncan Antiquity Surfers w/Fralin bridge plate & it sounds killer.I've always heard good things about the Callaham stuff, so finally got a good deal on one.
Looking forward to hearing your findings....I'll be sure to share mine too.
HOPEFULLY, what Tone says isn't true for us :wink:
I figure it HAD TO BE better than the stock MIM setup

I know for sure you'll notice a HIGE difference over the stock MIM block...

You getting saddles too???

Good luck!

 

[PUCKBOY99]

Re: rebuilt my Strat (Duncan/Callaham content)

It's this one:

1. Callaham 2006 Enhanced Mexican Standard Tremolo Block - with 3 stainless steel top plate screws. The block is threaded for 10-32 American arms.
2. Vintage style saddles for 2 1/16” spaced bridge
3. Allen wrench to adjust saddle height
4. Callaham Stainless Steel "64" Virtual Pop-in stainless steel trem arm with parchment white tip. This is Bill Callaham’s favorite length arm and is ¾” shorter than the standard length tremolo arm. He says that puts it in the proper location to hold and still pick extremely comfortably.
5. 6 hardened pivot mounting screws. (Not for use with MIM Classic Player)

 

[the guy who invented fire]

Re: rebuilt my Strat (Duncan/Callaham content)

It's this one:

1. Callaham 2006 Enhanced Mexican Standard Tremolo Block - with 3 stainless steel top plate screws. The block is threaded for 10-32 American arms.
2. Vintage style saddles for 2 1/16” spaced bridge
3. Allen wrench to adjust saddle height
4. Callaham Stainless Steel "64" Virtual Pop-in stainless steel trem arm with parchment white tip. This is Bill Callaham’s favorite length arm and is ¾” shorter than the standard length tremolo arm. He says that puts it in the proper location to hold and still pick extremely comfortably.
5. 6 hardened pivot mounting screws. (Not for use with MIM Classic Player)

You'll love it!!!

You'll also really dig the bar...I love mine!

 

[WhoFan]

Re: rebuilt my Strat (Duncan/Callaham content)

i've been looking at the MIM upgrade kit as well....

 

[PUCKBOY99]

Re: rebuilt my Strat (Duncan/Callaham content)

You'll love it!!!

You'll also really dig the bar...I love mine!

Very cool. It should get here this week ......can't wait ! :bigok:

 

[tone?]

Re: rebuilt my Strat (Duncan/Callaham content)

I hope so too guys!

maybe its just these darn parts guitars!

who knows.......

 

[the guy who invented fire]

Re: rebuilt my Strat (Duncan/Callaham content)

I hope so too guys!
maybe its just these darn parts guitars!
who knows.......

Im gonna listen to mine pretty closely thius week and I might go back to the stock trem this weekend and see what I can tell...

 

[jerryjg]

Re: rebuilt my Strat (Duncan/Callaham content)

what kind of steel was in vintage Strat blocks?
I bought a vintage brass block for my JV Start project, which has an SSL-2 bridge, Fender '68 Vodoo middle and SSL-1 neck.
I think there is definitly going to be an improvement in sound with any excellent aftermarket block, either brass or Callaham.
What is the words Callaham uses to explain the improvemmnet in sound for their cold rolled steel block?
I really like the Callaham saddles and am going to get a set .
One thing though, if youre going for the strictly vintage tone, then stay with a Vintage replica tremolo, right?
As far as the pop in trem arm, they are nice to have in one guitar I suppose, but I actually like the screws ins better . A little slop and you can run the arm threads oover the screw threads at gain, and get that clanky steel sound.

 

[the guy who invented fire]

Re: rebuilt my Strat (Duncan/Callaham content)

what kind of steel were in vintage Start blocks?
I bought a vintage brass block for my JV Start project, which has an SSL-1 bridge, Fender '68 Voodoo middle and SSL-2 neck.
I think there is definitly going to be an improvement in sound with any excellent aftermarket block, either brass or Callaham.
What are the words callaham use to explain the improvements in sound for their cold rolled steel block?
I really like the Callaham saddles and am going to get a set.
One thing though, if you're going for the strictly vintage tone, then stay with a Vintage replica tremolo, right?
As far as the pop in trem arm, they are nice to have in one guitar I suppose, but I actually like the screw ins better. A little slop and you can run the arm threads over the screw threads at gain and get that clanky steel sound.

Ok, after I fixed your post and can read it I'll try to answer you the best I can! HAHA!

Vintage Fender blocks used cold rolled steel...it's harder on the machines to do that way and takes more time to CBS went to hot rolled blocks and FMIC never went back.

It depends on what you call an improvement...bress for example is not something I like in a trem block...it rounds off the attack and lacks sistian compared to a steel block. In my opinion this is not am improvement, for you it appears to be so you see it all depends on what you want/need.

If you want to read up on what Bill says about their block check oiut his site. He's said all that he feels needs to be said on the subject and to be honest Im too lazy to go there and cut/paste it...sorry

I have found in the past that if I am looking for a vintage tone that it's best to stay with vintage or vintage style equipment...all of it, guitars, amps pickups, etc...

The Callaham pop in arm is not a true pop in...thats why they call it a virtural pop in...it does screw in...if you go to their site and look at it you'll see it all and it shows a lot of detailed pics...it's a killer amp and prevents arm breakage, which Im just sick of! It is a great design and am really in love with it at this point!

 

[jerryjg]

Re: rebuilt my Strat (Duncan/Callaham content)

Ok, after I fixed your post and can read it I'll try to answer you the best I can! HAHA!

Vintage Fender blocks used cold rolled steel...it's harder on the machines to do that way and takes more time to CBS went to hot rolled blocks and FMIC never went back.

It depends on what you call an improvement...bress for example is not something I like in a trem block...it rounds off the attack and lacks sistian compared to a steel block. In my opinion this is not am improvement, for you it appears to be so you see it all depends on what you want/need.

If you want to read up on what Bill says about their block check oiut his site. He's said all that he feels needs to be said on the subject and to be honest Im too lazy to go there and cut/paste it...sorry

I have found in the past that if I am looking for a vintage tone that it's best to stay with vintage or vintage style equipment...all of it, guitars, amps pickups, etc...

The Callaham pop in arm is not a true pop in...thats why they call it a virtural pop in...it does screw in...if you go to their site and look at it you'll see it all and it shows a lot of detailed pics...it's a killer amp and prevents arm breakage, which Im just sick of! It is a great design and am really in love with it at this point!

Thanks. I think I need to find out how to use spell checker.
I dont like that bushing in the callaham trem block. Im sure it doesnt effect tone much, but i want steel on steel.
EDIT- one other thing about that bushing. If tis the same like in the Wilkinson VSVT that i have, they will break or wear out with hard usage. My VSVT has a bad bushing, and since it cannot be replaced , Ive just got to try and use liquid plastic to keep the pop in trem bar snug.

 

[the guy who invented fire]

Re: rebuilt my Strat (Duncan/Callaham content)

Thanks. I think I need to find out how to use spell checker.
I dont like that bushing in the callaham trem block. Im sure it doesnt effect tone much, but i want steel on steel.
EDIT- one other thing about that bushing. If tis the same like in the Wilkinson VSVT that i have, they will break or wear out with hard usage. My VSVT has a bad bushing, and since it cannot be replaced , Ive just got to try and use liquid plastic to keep the pop in trem bar snug.

Completely different bushing...in a different place and FWIW, it's great!!! It really keeps the slop in check. Also, just one thought...the steel on steel with the gap like in a Fender trem is what leads to me breaking off arm after arm...

I won't say I won't break this one until I give it a good wanking or 3 but so far it feels and looks like it's nearly unbreakable!

 

[WhoFan]

Re: rebuilt my Strat (Duncan/Callaham content)

oddly in all the years of me roughing up guitars i've never broken a trem arm.... and i've been pretty rough... i've bent the hell out of some of them and have come close to snapping them off in the block.... i've tossed strats to the ground really hard and had the bodies split but never a trem arm...

 

[Vasshu the humanoid typhoon]

Re: rebuilt my Strat (Duncan/Callaham content)

I have not broken one either in a long time now....but then again, I was an expert in getting them out again in the end

 

[J Moose]

Re: rebuilt my Strat (Duncan/Callaham content)

The EJ trem and the 57/62 trem and the Callaham trem all hjave the same size block but the Callaham is cold rolled steel, the other 2 are hot rolled...

I dunno about hot rolled or cold rolled but the block on the EJ & the block on the usa reissues are NOT the same. The EJ is waaaay fatter. Bigger. Heavier. It's a big phat block & every '62 ri I've seen has a tapered block. Gets thinner where the strings go in.

Where's the pictures?!?

 

[the guy who invented fire]

Re: rebuilt my Strat (Duncan/Callaham content)

oddly in all the years of me roughing up guitars i've never broken a trem arm.... and i've been pretty rough... i've bent the hell out of some of them and have come close to snapping them off in the block.... i've tossed strats to the ground really hard and had the bodies split but never a trem arm...

I used to play Strats more so than I do these days but I've broken several in the past...this was the first one in a long time.

 

[the guy who invented fire]

Re: rebuilt my Strat (Duncan/Callaham content)

I have not broken one either in a long time now....but then again, I was an expert in getting them out again in the end

The one I broke most recently had a bend in the threads so it was a hopeless situation trying to get it out...I wish I cudl have but no worries...