Steel Trem Block Vs. Brass Trem Block

[Megagwar]

Which ones do you prefer? What are their characteristics?

I'm gonna be putting a new trem block in my strat copy. They body is made out of paulownia, which is a brighter type of wood. I've read it almost similar to ash. Also the neck is maple with rosewood fretboard. I'm also going to put the graph tech saddles on it also.

 

[Jay 77]

Re: Steel Trem Block Vs. Brass Trem Block

I prefer brass, as it sounds more punchy than steel to me. Steel has a sharpness to it that I don't like as much.

 

[Ayrton]

Re: Steel Trem Block Vs. Brass Trem Block

Steel is brighter than brass...

I like steel in my strats, and brass on my Floyds.

 

[guitarrob]

Re: Steel Trem Block Vs. Brass Trem Block

Hmm, I have only heard of this recently.
Is this a known fact or one of those endless debates in the guitar world?

 

[zenmindbeginner]

Re: Steel Trem Block Vs. Brass Trem Block

Zinc has a nice dry sound with articulate treble and is stock on my Schaller licensed Floyd's... kind of a happy medium between brass and steel.

 

[Dr. Vegetable]

Re: Steel Trem Block Vs. Brass Trem Block

Hmm, I have only heard of this recently.
Is this a known fact or one of those endless debates in the guitar world?

Steel is a much harder material than brass, so it does indeed transfer high frequency vibrations better.

 

[Megagwar]

Re: Steel Trem Block Vs. Brass Trem Block

Steel is a much harder material than brass, so it does indeed transfer high frequency vibrations better.

Correct me if I'm wrong,

With steel, my higher notes wont be "muddy" but more "pronounced" with the steel than the brass? Will this make the higher frequency vibrations "sharper"?

 

[Dr. Vegetable]

Re: Steel Trem Block Vs. Brass Trem Block

Correct me if I'm wrong,

With steel, my higher notes wont be "muddy" but more "pronounced" with the steel than the brass? Will this make the higher frequency vibrations "sharper"?

Steel is both harder and lighter than brass. So in theory the steel would have a brighter response, preserving more of the high-frequency content of the string vibration than a softer material such as brass. All other things equal, the brass would sound darker.

It is hard to say whether that would mean brass would sound "muddy" though - that is a much more subjective term. It might, simply because the more a medium alters the signals passing through it the more it will tend to introduce phase changes, reflections, and harmonics, all of which can contribute to less clarity. There are many factors in guitar construction that can cause this to happen.

But this is all just theoretical navel-gazing. A true scientist would conduct controlled experiments to validate the hypothesis. In other words, the only way to really know which has the tone you want is to try them both.

EDIT: You also asked about "sharper" which usually refers to attack. This would also likely be more prominent in a harder material like steel. YMMV.

 

[Megagwar]

Re: Steel Trem Block Vs. Brass Trem Block

But this is all just theoretical navel-gazing. A true scientist would conduct controlled experiments to validate the hypothesis. In other words, the only way to really know which has the tone you want is to try them both.

This is true. And that's what I gonna do. Just waiting for the new tremolo w/brass block to come in.

 

[Coma]

Re: Steel Trem Block Vs. Brass Trem Block

I swapped my steel block for a FU Big Brass Block. Rounded out the highs, but that was really about it. Didn't notice much difference in sustain or anything. I could see it as useful if you wanna mellow out a very bright guitar, but otherwise I think you can go either way. It's not bad in any way, it's just not that different. But might affect different guitars differently.