Titanium, Baby!

[Joe Ganzler]

Yep, I'm LOATHE to admit it, but the titanium saddles and tremelo block made a TREMENDOUS sonic difference in my old faithful Partsocaster. The guitar started life as a '94 Foam Green Jeff Beck model (Swimming pool route) - it is now refinned to Peacock Blue ('56 Ford auto color-my favorite alltime color!), with Lindy Fralin Vintage Hot 5% underwounds/bass plate/megaswitch/master tone, mint green 'guard, old Phil Kubicki slabboard neck w/9.5" radius and medium-jumbos - this guitar has had ~4 different necks/pickguard assemblies, etc. on it since I bought it new in '94. It's been my "test mule". I've suffered through the original American Standard 2 point tremelo assembly all these years, with the blocky saddles. I finally decided that I was gonna try the DeTemple titanium saddles, since he makes 'em for the American Standard Tremelo system; while I was at it, I figured I'd cut the weight down a bit more with the titanium trem. block, which he also makes for the Amer. Std. setup. This guitar has always sounded good, and has quietly suffered through it's many iterations with dignity! Anyway, I made the swap earlier this week. In addition to a 3 ounce total weight reduction (2 ounces on the trem. block change, since the Amer. Std. block is not as heavy as the vintage-style block; one ounce on the saddle change) and a MUCH more visually-pleasing "vintage" look of the titanium saddles, this guitar now sounds MUCH MUCH more like a vintage Strat! Previously, it sounded like MOST new Strats I've played - like a Strat, but too much "in your face" - too boomy, too sharp, too "exaggerated", if you will. I A-B'd it for several hours to my Jan. '64 Strat, and I gotta say, it's within 5% of sounding every BIT as good as THAT guitar, which is one of THE better sounding vintage Strats I've EVER owned/played! I would take this guitar ANYWHERE to gig with and NOT feel like I was "missing something" by leaving my vintage Strat at home. I know it's a BIG $ commitment to go titanium, but I just wanted to "weigh in" with my personal findings, no pun intended! Individual note clarity, "roundness" of sound, harmonics, note "bloom" - all the stuff I personally look for (and RARELY find!) in a guitar are now in this Partsocaster - and it's NOT "vintage"! Now if I could ONLY get my Historic L.P. to sound like my '59 Burst. . . :ahem

[photoweborama]

I don't know. I can't tell the difference in mine...

I have an all parts bridge with a steel block and titanium saddles.. but I can't tell the difference. but I'm not very good at that kind of stuff.

[moonpie]

I thought you were braggin' about your new credit card upgrade. :hee

[sabby]

I've wondered about this. I have to say, it makes sense: a more sonically conductive metal sounding better. But this mod is on the top side of three bills, right? Too rich for my blood. There are amps and guitars to put together. :lol

Just wondering: How much of what you're hearing as different has to do with the style of the saddle? Those new ones just don't look right. :toobad

[NeoFauve]

So you're saying after the Fralins and the mega switch the, titanium block and saddles finally put your Strat over the edge for you. That's cool.
My problem is that when I've modded, I made like three changes at once. I liked the improvement, but couldn't really know if one thing did more than another.
Trying to get a mental picture of that color.

[Joe Ganzler]

So you're saying after the Fralins and the mega switch the, titanium block and saddles finally put your Strat over the edge for you. That's cool.
My problem is that when I've modded, I made like three changes at once. I liked the improvement, but couldn't really know if one thing did more than another.
Trying to get a mental picture of that color.

Actually, the most recent change(s) was the titanium block/saddles - I'm saying THAT's what put it over the edge. . .Here's a jpg - the actual color is a BIT more "green":

[NeoFauve]

Nice.

[sabby]

Whata color!!! I'm diggin it! Where did you track it down?

[Joe Ganzler]

Whata color!!! I'm diggin it! Where did you track it down?

Auto Paint Supply Store. Most of 'em have it in what's called a "Factory Pack". Only available in acrylic lacquer though, unless you get it custom-mixed in nitro, which I don't think you'll do when you find out the price. I just bought a quart of acrylic for $99 - the same color custom-mixed in nitro would have been $300.00!!!

[Cogs]

My new favorite color. Actually, that's pretty close to my VW bus (or MOST of it, anyways):

I know what color I'M gonna be spraying this summer

[Plankspanker]

Yeah, I have one of DeTemple's Titanium blocks in a '54 MB and it's a big improvement. I'm going to order another one for a Strat I'm building with some Rolph '54s; may end up ordering the saddles to go with it too.

[Marcondo]

Love your Blue Strat Joe I also love the Fralins. The 5% underwounds are the greatest glassy sound and can grit up a little when you dig in love that!

Dig that color mucho :nelson

[Joe Ganzler]

Thanks for the kudos, guys! I did a Harley that color back in '89 - took first in the Harley-sponsored show in Daytona. I'm currently putting together ANOTHER Peacock blue Stratocaster, using a 3 pound, 11 ounce Fender Custom Shop two-piece alder body that I won off eBay - Scott Lentz is painting if for me, so you KNOW it's gonna be like a piece of glass! And wait 'til you see the Brazilian rosewood, clay dot, curved 'board FLAMEY neck she's gonna get! Should be all together in ~30 days - stay tuned!

[Tonefiend]

Can't wait to see that one Joe!

Scott says the Ti saddles give the guitar a bit of zing comparable to braz. rosewood.

[Stratoblaster 63]

Funny thing about the trem blocks. Recall how when fender spent $100K ? On the first design tremolo unit for the strat back in the 50's
they had to scrap it because the mass of the metal was too light and Leo himself commented that more metal mass resulted in more sustain. Have always found that the heavier blocks sounded best, but never tried a titanium block, could be different?