Tremolo Block Upgrade

[Chudallica]

What's your thoughts on tremolo block upgrades for tone and sustain ?

 

Steel, Brass, Titanium, Tungsten, Do these metal types make much difference ?

 

I have a brass fat block at the moment and I'm thinking about reverting it back to the original nickel plated brass that I had on my Floyd Rose.

It's a lot smaller but I haven't heard much change whilst using the fat block.

 

Thoughts ? Discuss !!!

[randythoades]

I don't use the tremolo much, but I do believe it adds an airy element to the tone, so I tend to fix it down it in Eric Clapton style.

I have tried steel and brass blocks of various sizes but I haven't found it add or reduce tone in any big or meaningful way. The only difference I found was when swapping a really cheap cast trem from an import guitar for a 'proper' one. It added a little (and only a little) of body to the tone, but that could have been a combination of fit, quality, saddles, the trem itself as well as the trem block.

Edited September 9, 2024 by randythoades
clarity

[Graham50]

I had a Floyd Rose on  Washburn guitar back in the day. Didn’t use te term and had blocked with a piece of wood which I think was ebony. Certainly a hard wood.  No effect on tone that I could detect.

[Chudallica]

Just to clarify , I'm on about the solid block fixed on the underside of the Tremolo, blocking the tremolo or clamping it to essentially make it a fixed bridge is another thing.

 

Let's hear your thoughts on clamping it too.

 

Edited September 8, 2024 by Chudallica

[randythoades]

On 06/09/2024 at 21:20, Chudallica said:

Just to clarify , I'm on about the solid block fixed on the underside of the Tremolo, blocking the tremolo or clamping it to essentially make it a fixed bridge is another thing.

 

Let's hear your thoughts on clamping it too.

 

As I said, I have tried different sized tremolo blocks of steel and brass and couldn't tell the difference (sorry if that was unclear on my post). I can't tell the difference either between a floating or fixed/blocked tremolo either, I only do it for convenience as I don't use the trem.

[Chudallica]

Just replace the brass fat block with a steel fat cat from Feline Guitars, I have to say that this (In my opinion) sounds better in tone than the brass block.

 

I'm finally happy with my tone. (For now at least !)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited December 12, 2024 by Chudallica

[EdwardMarlowe]

On 30/08/2024 at 08:57, randythoades said:

I don't use the tremolo much, but I do believe it adds an airy element to the tone, so I tend to fix it down it in Eric Clapton style.

I have tried steel and brass blocks of various sizes but I haven't found it add or reduce tone in any big or meaningful way. The only difference I found was when swapping a really cheap cast trem from an import guitar for a 'proper' one. It added a little (and only a little) of body to the tone, but that could have been a combination of fit, quality, saddles, the trem itself as well as the trem block.

I had a Squier Standard Strat for a bit that I blocked the trem on. Decent guitar, one of the late 90s models. I just stuffed a synthetic wine cork between the block and the body; the difference it made in sustain and resonance surprised me a lot. My old 1994 US Std Strat does well on that front with the trem set up floating, though in recent years I've come to prefer my trems set flat to the body. I would love to try a fixed bridge Strat to compare to a blocked-trem. Apparently back in the eighties when Fender did the Clatpon signature model they did debate making it a fixed bridge, but Clapton wasn't convinced it would sound the same as a blocked trem. 

I'd love to see some hardcore research into trem blocks (anything on youtube on this? I've not quite found a good vid yet...). I've seen a lot of folks switch out the slim block in various Harley Bentons as a perceived upgrade, while others are very firm that it doesn't make the difference traditionally assumed.