Hardtailing a Strat

[Detailed Infinity]

I realise this is social suicide on here but I want to hardtail one of my Strats. It's either that or buy a Tele.

Blocks of wood in the caviity or a Ford Transit wheel spring holding the trem block?

Perhaps fill with unobtanium block

Any ideas?

B

[Mike Honey]

whenever I've 'hardtailed' a strat I've used a block of hardwood (hard as it carries the sound better than pine or other softwood) Done this after screwing the trem springs down. I find that without a block of wood the sound is too weak (perhaps just personal preference!)

mike

[51 Relic]

Hi you could buy a "Tremsetter " that allows double stop bends ie like a Tele but also allows you to use the trem as normal this fits within the trem cavity quite quickly with a couple of small screws . I had one fitted to a Strat Plus (Donahue type double bends no problem)

[51 Relic]

56.jpg (19.68 KiB) Viewed 5776 times

Hi please find enclosed pic of the above Hipshot Tremsetter

Cheers Nigel

[Didier]

I realise this is social suicide on here but I want to hardtail one of my Strats. It's either that or buy a Tele.

Blocks of wood in the caviity or or a Ford Transit wheel spring in the trem cavivity?

The Eric Clapton Strat signature model has its tremolo locked by a piece of wood in the trem cavity :



Anoter solution would be to use a trem stabiliser such as the Goldö Backbox : http://joe.emenaker.com/TremStabilizers/BackBox.html

Didier

[RayL]

When Jim Burns designed the Hayman 1010, 2020 and 3030 guitars (1970-71) they had no tremolo, but he routed a cavity under the bridge to include a 'Vibrosonic Chamber' (a box with two springs in it through which the strings pass). This came from his work of designing the Burns Marvin, in which he consciously tried to emulate the "vibratin' sound" of the springs in the Statocaster.

So when you are converting to hardtail, try and let those tremolo springs 'sing out' if you want to retain the true Stratocaster sound!

Ray

[Detailed Infinity]

Much obliged for your comments and suggestions which I'll try out. Axreus do some half decent Tele builds but it's the credit cruch I'm afraid.

Brian

[cockroach]

Whether you use a wooden block, or just tighten up the springs and the adjustment screws etc (I've used both methods), a Strat isn't really going to sound exactly like a Telecaster. The Tele pickups are quite different from each other, let alone compared to the Strat pickups.

Let's face it, with a Strat, a lot of sound producing items are practically floating in mid air! The strings/bridge/vibrato unit all move about, and the pickups are spring mounted only to the scratchplate which covers a large hollowed out area of the body- whereas by comparison, most stuff on a Tele is pretty well nailed down solid to the body..

[Detailed Infinity]

The reason for hardtailing is for Blues work ala Clapton etc. I'm not too fussed about 'sounding like Clapton' (I wish) but for that style of music. I want stability in intonation/tuning which would be provided by another maker's hardtail guitar but I just can't afford to have a spare Strat guitar strung for 10's sat there doing nothing.

Anyhow, again thanks for looking.

Bri

[Bluesnote]

I realise this is social suicide on here but I want to hardtail one of my Strats. It's either that or buy a Tele.

Blocks of wood in the caviity or or a Ford Transit wheel spring in the trem cavivity?

The Eric Clapton Strat signature model has its tremolo locked by a piece of wood in the trem cavity :



Anoter solution would be to use a trem stabiliser such as the Goldö Backbox : http://joe.emenaker.com/TremStabilizers/BackBox.html

Didier

Thats the way I did my two Squiers, Its easily changed back if I want to. I may purchase a better quality trem unit and set up one of them again in the future.
I just used a bit of pine and it sounds ok to my ear.
Hugh.