Strat Trem--do you have yours decked or floating?

[blkpwdr]

My mim Strat is a floater with 3 springs cause I love doing Jeff Beck imatations.But what do I know I'm a bass player...I own two guitars the other one is CV 50's Telecaster with Twang King pups in it and boy does it Twang lol

 

[LutherBurger]

I've kept the bridge of my Tokai strat decked with five springs since I bought it over 30 years ago.

Last year I bought a dirt-cheap strat copy to mess around with, and about a month ago I set up its bridge to float, just to see what it's like. It has three springs and the back of the bridge floats about 1/16" above the body. I love it, and I'm definitely gonna float the Tokai's bridge when I get around to it.

 

[ricardo1912]

I recently got a couple of cheapie Squier Strats, '96 vintage, and have them set up with three springs and the bridge at the point where it is just decked/almost floating. But I don't really use a whammy bar anyway.

 

[cboutilier]

My #1 strat has it decked, with 3 springs.

My Yamaha RGX121S is set up to float about an 1/8 inch above the deck.

 

[3-Chord-Genius]

I went through a period where I put as many springs as I could fit in there, and cranked them down so that thing wouldn't move without a great deal of force, and even then only downward. I just didn't use it. I even did that thing where I blocked it off with a piece of wood. My concern was breaking a string during a live performance which would cause all kinds of problems. Some have suggested getting a hardtail strat, but how many of those do you see?

These days, I float it as close to what Fender prescribes as possible, and I use heavier strings to minimize the chance of breakage. It's nice to be able to use the trem for upward and downward movement when you need it. When I had guitars with Floyd Rose bridges, they were always floating..... what's the point in having an awesome vibrato system like that if you're not going to go crazy with it?

 

[Doug 54]

Decked, blocked

 

[Wrong-Note Rod]

decked with just a bit of play. I only use it sparingly, on chord work like for Chris Isaak Wicked Game or something like that.

Never was a dive bomber. Never pull up on the arm either. Always push down.

 

[bo]

I used to keep it decked until about three years ago, now that my whammy usage more reflects Hank Marvin and Jeff Beck than Jimi. I have it set for just a hair of upward pull.

 

[waparker4]

My Strats are always set up floating. It contributes to the Strat feel, IMO.

 

[chris m.]

I float, use the Frudua method as on YouTube for fantastic tuning stability.

 

[thunderbyrd]

actually, i would be happier with a bigsby on a strat than the usual. i would actually use a bigsby some.

 

[Cat MacKinnon]

I'm enjoying all of the responses so far. So, further question: For all of you who keep the tremolo floating (and even to any of you that keep it decked, if you feel like it still makes a big difference), how many of you feel like it's important to have a fat solid steel sustain block under the tremolo plate? I have a Squier Classic Vibe 50's Strat and it came with the zinc sustain block that seems to be cast in a way that saves on as much material as possible. I've heard that it makes a big improvement to get it fitted with the thick solid steel sustain block, and I've heard guys say they don't hear a difference at all. Thoughts?

I dunno, I'm not entirely convinced "big blocks" do much. I replaced my NFT Floyd's original factory block (skinny, chrome-plated brass) with a fat brass block; I noticed no tonal change, and it just made the trem have less range of motion (fatter blocks hit the cavity route sooner than thinner blocks, can't dive as far.) I even went so far as to record before-and-after audio clips just to satisfy my curiosity, and I couldn't tell them apart without looking at the file name (well, and slightly different playing, but the tone was the same.)

I don't buy into a lot of the long-held ideas about things like tone wood, but it always seemed reasonable to me that the bridge would make a difference since that's what the strings are always touching. And in fact different bridges do sound different, but I don't know that it's actually the block that has much influence in that. The stereotypical Fender bite and twang seems more prominent to me on vintage-style trems with stamped and bent saddles, rather than more modern ones with cast/machined saddles...even when both trems otherwise have the same block material. I have to wonder if it's more about the saddles themselves than anything else, especially considering they're the only constant contact point on a guitar regardless of what you're playing.

With all that said, I would still swap out a zinc block for a steel or brass one in most cases. There are tons of different zinc alloys, all with very different properties, and not all of those are cheap pot metal. The zinc block on some Gotoh trems is a good example of a good zinc/Zamak alloy (still a bit soft as far as metals go, but not really any worse than aluminum or even some brass. Many machining lathes have Zamak gears, if that tells you anything about the durability.) My reasoning isn't tonal though, it's simply the design of the trem itself: tapped zinc holes are very easy to strip out and screw-in trem arms will eventually strip it. Often this also cracks the block itself, especially the thin ones, which is something I've personally experienced on multiple Squiers. A steel or brass block can certainly still strip out, but not as easily as zinc and rarely do they crack. The reason I say that "it depends" is because there are some trems (like the Gotoh VS-100N and 510 series) where the trem arm is held in a completely separate steel sleeve and isn't even inside the block at all (much like a Floyd); in designs like this a zinc block isn't at risk of cracking and unless it's really awful and crumbly (I've seen it), shouldn't ever have any problems.

There's some other things to keep in mind though: there are just as many cheaper, softer steel and brass alloys as their are zinc. Trem blocks aren't hardened steel either. Cheap brass tends to have a higher lead content because that makes it much easier to machine, and a lot cheaper since there's less copper. A lot of the budget brass blocks I've seen (I'm talking GFS-level) are really soft, and are probably still fairly prone to stripping out, so don't let the lure of shiny brass fool you too much. Same goes for steel: there are lots of "mild steels" (ie steel that can't be heat-treated and hardened) that will also strip fairly easily, but it'll still take longer than brass or zinc. From a purely functional standpoint I'd go for steel, even over a nicer brass block like KGC, just to give myself a little extra life before those threads start getting a little mooshed. Then again I love Gotoh's trem designs with the separate arm holder, so I'd honestly be more inclined to swap out one of those bridges and not have to worry about it for years. Steel block would definitely be my next choice though!

 

[Royal Tele]

I dunno, I'm not entirely convinced "big blocks" do much. I replaced my NFT Floyd's original factory block (skinny, chrome-plated brass) with a fat brass block; I noticed no tonal change, and it just made the trem have less range of motion (fatter blocks hit the cavity route sooner than thinner blocks, can't dive as far.) I even went so far as to record before-and-after audio clips just to satisfy my curiosity, and I couldn't tell them apart without looking at the file name (well, and slightly different playing, but the tone was the same.)

I don't buy into a lot of the long-held ideas about things like tone wood, but it always seemed reasonable to me that the bridge would make a difference since that's what the strings are always touching. And in fact different bridges do sound different, but I don't know that it's actually the block that has much influence in that. The stereotypical Fender bite and twang seems more prominent to me on vintage-style trems with stamped and bent saddles, rather than more modern ones with cast/machined saddles...even when both trems otherwise have the same block material. I have to wonder if it's more about the saddles themselves than anything else, especially considering they're the only constant contact point on a guitar regardless of what you're playing.

With all that said, I would still swap out a zinc block for a steel or brass one in most cases. There are tons of different zinc alloys, all with very different properties, and not all of those are cheap pot metal. The zinc block on some Gotoh trems is a good example of a good zinc/Zamak alloy (still a bit soft as far as metals go, but not really any worse than aluminum or even some brass. Many machining lathes have Zamak gears, if that tells you anything about the durability.) My reasoning isn't tonal though, it's simply the design of the trem itself: tapped zinc holes are very easy to strip out and screw-in trem arms will eventually strip it. Often this also cracks the block itself, especially the thin ones, which is something I've personally experienced on multiple Squiers. A steel or brass block can certainly still strip out, but not as easily as zinc and rarely do they crack. The reason I say that "it depends" is because there are some trems (like the Gotoh VS-100N and 510 series) where the trem arm is held in a completely separate steel sleeve and isn't even inside the block at all (much like a Floyd); in designs like this a zinc block isn't at risk of cracking and unless it's really awful and crumbly (I've seen it), shouldn't ever have any problems.

There's some other things to keep in mind though: there are just as many cheaper, softer steel and brass alloys as their are zinc. Trem blocks aren't hardened steel either. Cheap brass tends to have a higher lead content because that makes it much easier to machine, and a lot cheaper since there's less copper. A lot of the budget brass blocks I've seen (I'm talking GFS-level) are really soft, and are probably still fairly prone to stripping out, so don't let the lure of shiny brass fool you too much. Same goes for steel: there are lots of "mild steels" (ie steel that can't be heat-treated and hardened) that will also strip fairly easily, but it'll still take longer than brass or zinc. From a purely functional standpoint I'd go for steel, even over a nicer brass block like KGC, just to give myself a little extra life before those threads start getting a little mooshed. Then again I love Gotoh's trem designs with the separate arm holder, so I'd honestly be more inclined to swap out one of those bridges and not have to worry about it for years. Steel block would definitely be my next choice though!

Very thorough and educational! Thank you! I love detailed information like this!

 

[telemall]

I adjust mine so that there's just a little wiggle room downward as others have said.I wanted to try some Jeff Beck styled licks so I bought the complete bridge assembly from Callaham for a partscaster.He achieves a flutter sound to notes by quickly releasing the tension from the bar,almost slipping off of it so it abruptly returns to position.The Callaham stuff is really nice but for me the biggest improvement is that there is no slack between the bar and the block.On my Fender trems there is a little slop where the bar itself will move before it moves the entire block making that note flutter trick less pronounced.I set it up just like in the video and it's a lot of fun to play with but just not practical for everything for me.Its easily reversed if you decide you don't like it also so there's nothing to lose [emoji4]

 

[Tommy Biggs]

2 point, floating. 3 springs in the peace sign config. Works for me!

 

[Obelisk]

I always leave mine barely floating a bit above the body. I use heavy strings, so I use 5 springs and I also take off 4 of the center screws so the tremolo is being held by the two outside screws. Seems to stay in tune better that way. I generally play my two hardtail Strats more often than my one Strat that has a tremolo. If original poster doesn't use their whammy bar often, or has issues with it in general, then they should check out a hardtail Strat. They seem to have a broader tone response and sustain a bit better. One problem I have with the vibrato springs will have one or sometimes two resonant notes. It personally drives me up the wall when I hit a lower B flat and the springs ring about as much as the string does. The solution is either to play a bit lighter or get a hardtail. I did the latter.

 

[Paul in Colorado]

As I said on the other thread, The MIM has five springs and is even with the top. The Parts-Strat has two springs and a HipShot Tremsetter that's pretty close to being decked and it stays in tune real well. The other is a hard tail so it doesn't count.

 

[Fred_Garvin]

I shoot for a whole step of up, and an octave of down. Locking tuners really help.

 

[Cat MacKinnon]

Very thorough and educational! Thank you! I love detailed information like this!

Well, take it with at least a little grain of salt. These are mostly just my observations and random mental ruminations as someone who's played for 29 years. I also have this thing with watching metal machining Youtube channels, even though I have no interest in actually doing it myself; I just like watching people make stuff, but I still end up learning a lot about things I never thought I'd actually learn about.

Also, I just realized I've been playing for as long as you've been alive. That makes me feel old. Thanks.

I adjust mine so that there's just a little wiggle room downward as others have said.I wanted to try some Jeff Beck styled licks so I bought the complete bridge assembly from Callaham for a partscaster.He achieves a flutter sound to notes by quickly releasing the tension from the bar,almost slipping off of it so it abruptly returns to position.The Callaham stuff is really nice but for me the biggest improvement is that there is no slack between the bar and the block.On my Fender trems there is a little slop where the bar itself will move before it moves the entire block making that note flutter trick less pronounced.I set it up just like in the video and it's a lot of fun to play with but just not practical for everything for me.Its easily reversed if you decide you don't like it also so there's nothing to lose [emoji4]

Oh god not that video again!!! That video makes the rounds once or twice a year and it's always a thread-killer. I don't think you realize the size of the worms in the can you just opened .

 

[Mikecito]

I float my 93 Beck Strat with about a 1/2 step pull. With locking tuners and the roller nut, she stays in tune great. My last traditional Strat, not so much.