I got GAS for a new American series strat. Since I don't like trems, I was considering a hardtail. Now I've had a couple strats in the past (1 MIA and 3 MIM), and I always block the trem. Is there a tone difference between a trem, blocked trem and hardtail ??
I really like that hollow, round kind of tone strats make.
Thanks, TC
I would say there's a big difference in sound between a HT and a blocked (or just tightened down) trem strat. The extra routing seems to add resonance and volume to the guitar. My one HT (and only 'real' Fender) sounds thin and dull IMO, compared to my trem strat clones. I went through numerous passive pups and replaced just about every piece of hardware and I was never happy with it. I eventually settled an an EMG SA set, because you tend to hear the pups and not the guitar with active EMG's IMO, which I normally wouldn't like, but it works out fine in this case.
5E3 Deluxe, '74 hardtail, Strat XII, many copies.
Hardtail fans will say no...but I say there's a big difference, the springs resonate quite a bit and add certain peak resonante nodes to note they are sympathetically vibrating to.
Do you really need to block the trem if you have it tightened down? I usually just lock mine down with 5 springs, that brings it down to the body. Is there anything to be gained by adding wood blocks & do you need to block both sides?
I have a Y2K hardtail, & a JV with vintage trem & Warmoth ash body. They sound quite different, which is to be expected because they have different necks & pickups.
When I picked it out, I A/B'd the hardtail to similar trem strats. I didn't hear any difference.
I've come to really like the look of the vintage trem bridge. I think I'd go that way again for that reason.
Tat, I tighten my bridge flush with the body and use three springs. I also placed felt between the springs and I am a happy camper. As a funk player, I needed close to no note resonance. This worked for me, AND I was still able to lower the pitch. Helped with tuning stability as well.
This is the way I set mine up. I have had strats blocked in the past but over the years it has changed to 5 springs and that works well for me. I have compared trem and non-trem models and the non-trem models are just thinner sounding. They sound fine and they sure are light but they do sound very different from their trem counterparts. :60burstOriginally posted by Gizmo59
Do you really need to block the trem if you have it tightened down? I usually just lock mine down with 5 springs, that brings it down to the body. Is there anything to be gained by adding wood blocks & do you need to block both sides?
Last edited by 60burst; 08-14-2002 at 09:03 AM.
both my strats are locked down and I've got to agree with the extra resonance thing. Very strat-ey.
You can never have too
much music in your life.
The hardtail Strats are way lighter just the tremelo block if you have a steel one is 1/2 a pound and the rest of the trem parts also add weight. The hardtail also has strings thru body like a Tele that gives it a different tone.
I once tried a few 57' hardtails at guitar center hollywood. They didn't sound thin at all. They sounded really cool. Somewhere in between a regular strat and a tele. :nelson
I haven't played a new hardtail but sometime back a friend and myself were comparing several 50s Stratocasters and his 58 definitely sounded thinner than the rest. It was light, comfortable and it played and sounded good, but not like the trem models. This has been my experience with all of the hardtails I have heard, but they all have been old ones. :60burst
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