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Thread: Bridge replacement ??s

  1. #1
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    Bridge replacement ??s

    I picked up an 80's MIJ Strat with 2 humbuckers in it. I'm wondering if anybody knows of a good bridge replacement for Fenders that have those goofy Kalher knock off whammy bar/bridges that Fender used in the 80's. Ideally I'd like to get a bridge that isn't a tremolo.

  2. #2
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    Unfortunately...

    There really isn't a good replacement for those bridges because the size of the trem route is non-standard, oversize and it can look really bad. It seems like folks did lots of experimenting in the '80s so many items were short lived, propietary and therefor tough to replace. If you really like the neck, I would suggest a new body, say from USACG etc. In fact, if you aren't going to use the trem, you might consider going hardtail as it will give you mor top, bottom and sustain.
    Food for thought....

  3. #3
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    I'll probably start shopping for bodies then. I also have a trashed MIK Strat with a neck that I like. The body on the MIK is a veneer...yuck

  4. #4
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    Something else to think about...

    The string spacing on vinatge/RI strats is a big deal to me. The bridge spacing one the vintage and vintage style bridges is 2 3/16" center to center. That puts the Es on the edge of the board. Consider a new bridge with 2 1/8" or 2 1/16" spacing. New American Series are 2 1/16". MIM standard bridge is 2 1/8". I actually had a customer buy two mex bridges and the Callahan trem blocks because he wanted a vintage style bridge and block, but the better spacing. The pivot screws are spaced differently, but hey, anything is possible! Some folks live with these quirks as the vintage stuff is what they grew up with and are used to, but if you have the chance to improve things to your preferences, then why not?

    I am a Tele guy and I prefer hardtails as I feel the bridge PU really sounds better with a firmer signal. They need all the help they can get. The bridge PU in a strat is its achilles heel IMO, yet tele guys love thiers. A hardtail on a strat will get you closer, yet it will still be stratty. About a year ago I assembled a Warmoth strat for a customer with a chambered hardtail body and an LR Baggs X Bridge and it turned out to be a sensitive, resonant and responsive instrument, a real joy to play. It was a sensitve tool so that put more options/control/potential in the player's hands.

    Best wishes to you with your project. Its a lot of fun to put something together and you get to choose all the trimmings.

  5. #5
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    I'd definitely get a newer bridge.
    Yeah, I checked out some prices on the Warmoth web site. I'll
    probably get a black swamp ash body to match the black headstock and tuners. The black neck won't get the straty treatment because the MIJ strat has 2 humbuckers so its more like a Double fat Strat. I'm just going to take all of the electronics on the MIJ and stick them in a new body.

    Once the project is done, I'd probably take the MIK maple neck and have that attached to a Warmoth "drop top" body.

    I've recently discovered the joys of Teles. I play my 94 MIA Tele and my Relic Nocaster constantly.

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