Strats: Do you float your bridge or deck it?

[Psyclone]

I've kept my strat copy trem blocked with a few bits of old shim material and the 5 springs at maximum tension for several years now. When I play a C note on the guitar it causes the tremolo springs to vibrate a sympathetic tone. The shame is the sympathetic tone does not come through the amp very well, and certainly not enough to be heard in a band situation.

[kbraker]

Originally Posted by RP

My feeling is that there are a lot of Strat players who never use their whammy bars. To me it begs the question why Fender doesn't offer more Strat models with a hardtail bridge. The Robert Cray is the only one that comes to mind, and its $924.99 price is not exactly bottom line.....

I believe up until 8 years ago or so they did have MIM and MIA hardtail models. Perhaps low sales volume?

[kbraker]

Originally Posted by redir

I was thinking the exact same thing. Been building and working on guitars for 25 years now. Decked? WHat's that?



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My personal 'Strat' has a bridge that is bolted right to the top with no trem at all, so that is another option



I use a Digitech Whammy if I want to get crazy

I think that MF used to sell something like that a long time ago. It used the original pivot holes plus a couple in the rear of the bridge.

[kbraker]

https://reverb.com/item/2583060-hips...lo-system-tab1
Or this?

[Dru Edwards]

Originally Posted by kbraker

I believe up until 8 years ago or so they did have MIM and MIA hardtail models. Perhaps low sales volume?

I'm guessing you're correct.

[DupleMeter]

Both! I have one Strat that I blocked. Another that I setup to float. I like each for different reasons.

[maxtheaxe]

Mine are floated, but just barely; I leave just enough room under the bridge so that it doesn't THWOCK the top of the ax when I let go of it. It's mostly dive-only other than that. I also have just enough spring tension so that it doesn't fight against me when I bend with my fingers, but no more than that.

[Parlorman]

Originally Posted by Dru Edwards

Hi Bill - I've never heard of Probett before. Is it a custom builder?

Yes, they're a small boutique builder in England. The Rockett III is sort of a mashup of a Strat, a Tele and a Les Paul. Damian will make them in almost any configuration, (including two pickup versions) but mine has a humbucker on the bridge and to P90's. They are amazing guitars.

The head stock has a Tele shape over a Strat head.

https://www.probettguitars.com/

[Shuksan]

I got my Clapton model Strat in 1994. That model came from the factory with the trem blocked, but the previous owner had removed the block and the bridge was floating. I played it that way for a year or so then I took it in for a proper set up. The tech at Elderly Instruments suggested setting up the bridge "decked" so I gave it a try. It made a noticeable difference to the overall sound of guitar in a good way and I never went back.

[LouieAtienza]

There was a time when I did float the bridge. The easiest way I found to set it up was to string the guitar in tune and tighten the screws to the spring claw till the plate was decked. Then depress the bar slightly so that the deck is about 1/16" from the body. Insert a wood shim between block and body (toward neck) that will keep that 1/16" float. Retune. Then, slowly back the screws off the claw, going back and forth, till the shim just falls off. The strings are now perfectly balanced with the springs. Works with floating Floyds as well. You can also mark the shim so that when you do a string change, you just dump the bar, insert the shim to the mark, and you should be ready to go.

Decked with 5 springs...

[Beachrunner]

All 4 of my Strats are floating.

[jp2558]

Both - MIJ Strat has a floating Kahler, my Clapton strat is (factory) blocked.

[Dru Edwards]

Originally Posted by jp2558

Both - MIJ Strat has a floating Kahler, my Clapton strat is (factory) blocked.

Was the Kahler stock on the MIJ?