• From: North Carolina
  • Registered: 2008-10-26
  • Posts: 2,926

Topic: Guitar Fetish let me down for the first time

Well Its true and it saddens me to say so too.  I have thought about one of their bridges for about a year now for my strats.  Basically they are selling full sized bridge blocks in brass, and steel.  My american strat I've complained for years has pot metal block and is angled so you don't have any mass.  So this was the one I wanted to upgrade.  They don't make blocks for this strat I have.  But they do have american strat kits.  I found mine on sale for $31 plus shipping which is a good price for one.  the first thing that I saw was the gold plating had spots all over it.  Next I removed my old bridge and installed the new one.  But you are not supposed to use the old bridge posts, they got new ones.  So starting out its not where Its supposed to be and will require the anchors to be pulled, pluged and re drilled.  Last but not least the block itself.  It not full sized.  It doesn't have a spot for a wammy bar so the whole bridge weights less then my old bridge.  The saddles are stainless steel so they are nice. 

Tone?  Tones good but I lost volume I think.

AD3THREE's Website

  • From: N.Wales, UK
  • Registered: 2009-03-06
  • Posts: 2,183

Re: Guitar Fetish let me down for the first time

Live and learn?

  • From: North Carolina
  • Registered: 2008-10-26
  • Posts: 2,926

Re: Guitar Fetish let me down for the first time

Eh, I had all of $30 tied up into it.  Calaham steel blocks and saddles would have been $124.  I think the big thing is I can't tell a noticable difference in tone like I was expecting and volume didn't really get any better so I doubt I get anymore sustain.  I'll try it for a while now that the block is on there.  Its not like it turned the guitar to crap, it just didn't really do anything.

AD3THREE's Website

  • From: Detroit
  • Registered: 2006-06-02
  • Posts: 5,807

Re: Guitar Fetish let me down for the first time

... gold plated isn't what i go for, but sometimes you're stuck with it if everything else on the guitar has gold trimmings. sad

- Nic from Detroit... posting on JB's Forum since 6-2-2006
Ask me about my handwound Great Lakes Guitar Pickups
Since 2010, Bonamassa fans have taken advantage of my JB friend discount = my cost + shipping. cool
  • From: East Midlands, UK
  • Registered: 2008-06-30
  • Posts: 164

Re: Guitar Fetish let me down for the first time

hmmm i'm gonna put my plans of ordering a new unit on hold now till the conclusion of this story. . i wanted my classic player to have a 6 screw bridge, so it looks more like a 60's strat. i'm not a fan of two point trems.

Fender 60's Strat>Fulltone OCD V4>>TC Electronics Polytune>Orange Dual Terror>Torres 2x10 Cab(with a vintage 30 and a greenback)
  • From: North Carolina
  • Registered: 2008-10-26
  • Posts: 2,926

Re: Guitar Fetish let me down for the first time

I didn't care one way or the other I was in the clearenced section.  It has tarnish spots all over it, but it can clean up.  I got my buddy on the job now.  We are going to set out to build the ultimate blocked tremolo.  Basically we've taken a block of steel and transposed the holes on it and are going to have it wide enough to rest on the wood of the body where I have to wedge it in.  My friend say what I should have done to begin with.  What can I say I don't play with my wang bar.  This might be one of the worse cases of over kill for a hard tail strat.

AD3THREE's Website

  • From: East Midlands, UK
  • Registered: 2008-06-30
  • Posts: 164

Re: Guitar Fetish let me down for the first time

neither do i, never had any inclination or skill for whammy bar usage. maybe if it was a bigsby les paul, i'd be tempted. but blocked strats are the way to go in my honest opinion.

Fender 60's Strat>Fulltone OCD V4>>TC Electronics Polytune>Orange Dual Terror>Torres 2x10 Cab(with a vintage 30 and a greenback)
  • From: North Carolina
  • Registered: 2008-10-26
  • Posts: 2,926

Re: Guitar Fetish let me down for the first time

DON'T DO IT!!!  Bigsby Les Pauls are a waist of a great les paul.  Thats why I got rid of my Les Paul Classic was because I put that stupid thing on there and if you don't use whammy bars on strats it don't get any easier on Les Pauls.  To me its worse because the bigsby is only micro pitch sensitive before you start messing up your tuning at the nut.  Ruined a fantastic Les Paul because of it.  Yeah I could have gone back but the holes were there the damage was done.

AD3THREE's Website

  • From: North Carolina
  • Registered: 2008-10-26
  • Posts: 2,926

Re: Guitar Fetish let me down for the first time

Finished!  Not going to return the old tremolo because I will have about $20 shipping in on a $30 part and I can still use the stainless steel saddles.  But my buddy came through for me and built me a bridge block that makes this guitar feel about a pound heavier then stock.  No strings yet on it but I'll try to take a picture tonight and post it.  Its about 3/4ths of an inch thick and about 3 inches wide made of 1080 steel.

AD3THREE's Website

  • Registered: 2008-08-24
  • Posts: 181

Re: Guitar Fetish let me down for the first time

http://www.guitarfetish.com/Solid-Steel … c_221.html


I've put these on all my Stratocasters and they've given me no troubles at all.  If you get the right one, they fit great and are well worth the switch.  The one you've made looks killer, too! smile

  • From: North Carolina
  • Registered: 2008-10-26
  • Posts: 2,926

Re: Guitar Fetish let me down for the first time

But the problem is they don't make one for USA standard or american series stratocaster where all the saddles have a screw that is offset.  Vintage blocks totally don't line up at all.  Nor do Mexico blocks to american series bridges.  Its like a marketing thing or something!

AD3THREE's Website

  • Registered: 2010-05-21
  • Posts: 121

Re: Guitar Fetish let me down for the first time

I have a Callaham bridge and saddles on my Am Deluxe and it improved the sound more than expected. They also have for Am. standard and more.

http://www.callahamguitars.com/index.html

  • From: North Carolina
  • Registered: 2008-10-26
  • Posts: 2,926

Re: Guitar Fetish let me down for the first time

I did hear very good things about them but had a heart attack when I saw the prices they charged for a chunck of steel.  Almost think I am in the wrong bussiness.  Aftermarket stratocaster parts would be a lot more fun.  I didn't even have to pay for the steel we used.  My work had a scrap metal pile that had a huge block of metal that we made this out of.  It took all of 3 lunch breaks to make.

AD3THREE's Website

  • Rocket
  • Rocket
  • BONAMEGAMETAL
  • Offline
  • From: San Francisco
  • Registered: 2006-04-26
  • Posts: 10,276

Re: Guitar Fetish let me down for the first time

AD3THREE wrote:

I did hear very good things about them but had a heart attack when I saw the prices they charged for a chunck of steel.  Almost think I am in the wrong bussiness.  Aftermarket stratocaster parts would be a lot more fun.  I didn't even have to pay for the steel we used.  My work had a scrap metal pile that had a huge block of metal that we made this out of.  It took all of 3 lunch breaks to make.

Good ol' American ingenuity! 
Maybe you are in the wrong business...

Rock ON & Keep the Faith,
Rocket

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