Strat Bridge Route too small

S

Stratovarious

New member
Hey guys


So I'm making a partscaster basically and an issue which has come up is that, I've got a trem with a big steel block and when it's installed the tremolo cant move. I've isolated the cause is that the route is too small to give the block any room to move, so if I file away a half inch or so this should alleviate this.

But, can I be absolutely sure this won't affect scale length etc . My mind says yes, because the mounting holes obviously won't move, and the spring claw will hold it in place.

Just need an a-ok before I do it that's all
 
Re: Strat Bridge Route too small

Looking at this:
100_7719.jpg


You'll have to take out some wood from the bottom part, so when you depress the trem arm, the block has room to move. You don't need to do anything to the side of the trem.

You'll also notice that, looking from the back, there's a little 'lip' of wood comprising the top of the guitar. Don't get rid of that unless you want a gaping hole behind your trem.

As an example, on my Ibanez, the block route is 20.2mm, while the lip is 7mm long, and 5mm deep. Check out the Edge Manual here to get the idea: http://www.ibanezrules.com/catalogs/index.htm.
 
Re: Strat Bridge Route too small

I was planning to take about a half inch from that lip as that seems to be where the original point of contact is, which it shouldn't be? After that I was going to see how much room there is on the bottom route
 
Re: Strat Bridge Route too small

First, is the body cut to standard strat specs?

What trem are you trying to install?

Pics would go a long way.

None of this should affect the scale, but we may be able to save you some grief.
 
Re: Strat Bridge Route too small

The body is a Squier SE . The bridge spacing was exactly the same too. It is a GFS trem with the large steel block.

Not at home right now but I will upload pictures when I am

If I do take away wood from the lip, would I need to compensate on the bottom route and take out more wood also?

The only reason I'm considering that the lip is too big is that i've given the far eastern builders some degree of error. The stock trem block is also pencil thin so that gives them a safe degree of error too.
 
Re: Strat Bridge Route too small

If you can fit the trem unit into your guitar you won't have to remove any wood from the top of the rout (1 mm at most, but certainly not a 1/2"). If it fits into the guitar but the trem doesn't move because the rout is too tight/small, it's easy to remove some wood from the bottom of the rout, at the end of the steel block, tapering up to the top of the rout. Only remove as much as you need to to get the amount of trem action that you want. No need to remove 1/2" if you only need 1/4".

You can use a Dremel tool or even chisels (I just use chisels when I need to open up a rout). Be careful that you don't remove so much of the back of the guitar that your cover plate won't cover the rout. I always undercut leaving the back of the guitar intact.
 
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