GFS Solid Steel Sustain Block?

[Royal Tele]

I've got a Squier Classic Vibe Strat. I've decided to replace the tremolo sustain block, as I think the guitar could use some improvement in that area. I'm interested in the GFS Solid Steel Sustain Block (http://www.guitarfetish.com/Solid-Steel-Upgrade-tremolo-Blocks_c_221.html). I know I want Solid Steel as opposed to brass. I like the GFS price point--I don't want to spend the extra money on something like a Callaham Block for a Squier Strat.

So, here are my questions:
1. Has anyone else here used the GFS Sustain Blocks? Your opinions?
2. Has anyone put a GFS Sustain Block SPECIFICALLY on a Squier Classic Vibe Strat? If so, did you go with the "10.5mm spacing for import guitars" model? How is the fit?
3. Any other "affordable" Solid Steel Sustain blocks on the market that I should consider? (Something around the GFS price point--$25, rather than the $60+ price point of something like a Callaham, please.)

 

[-Hawk-]

I spent about $10 more and upgraded the entire thing from gfs. It's a drop in and labeled for Made in Mexico. Much more substantial.

 

[-Hawk-]

(link removed)

 

[awasson]

Last month I put a GFS MIM Trem Upgrade kit in my guitar. It's a mid 90's MIM Strat and the kit basically dropped right in. I went with the D74 brass block kit but my guess is that the steel block kit would be about the same.

The overal quality of the kit is good. The block is great; well machined and the right size and the guitar sounds great. I've got my set to fully float and it never goes out of tune. I'm pretty easy on it, not a lot of dive bomb tricks in my playing at the moment.

One area that I found problematic is that the height adjusters on the bent saddles in the kit don't appear to be drilled/tapped. It looks like the holes are drilled undersized and the screws kind of tap threads when they're initially screwed in. In my mind this is the only weak point to the kit. Two of my saddles wouldn't adjust and the adjuster fell out. The guys at GFS were great about it when I showed them what was going on and they sent me another set of saddles immediately. In the end I wasn't happy with them so I bought a set of Fender bent saddles that are sized for the 2-1/16 bridge.

So, now that I've been through this, if I did it again, I'd do as you originally set out to do and get the block only. Make sure that it will fit the OEM bridge plate because the block in my kit has a different placement of the tremolo arm hole. Also make sure the tremolo block is tapped the same size as your OEM arm. Mine is. I'd also get an upgrade set of saddles unless your happy with the ones on your guitar. Then you're done.