Blocking a trem

notCardio

I walk the line
I've never done this, so any guidance would be helpful.

This is also partly hypothetical.

Not a big trem fan, except that I do kind of like Bigsbys every once in a while. Don't have one though.

I wanted to buy a tele body from GF, but the one I want only comes routed for a strat trem.

What all is involved, and how much is it?

---------- Update ----------

And I know, I could just look that stuff up, but where's the fun in that?
 
I've got three guitars that came with trems...I blocked all of them, as I prefer the hardtail.

It's pretty simple...stick a block of wood at the tail end of the trem rig where the springs are attached.
The whole trick is to get the right size of wood block so that the springs are no longer in play, but still attached...which basically means you get a block that has to be somewhat jammed in a bit

Here's a picture that pretty much shows what you need to do...with maybe slight adjustment, depending on your guitar.
You can just tack the block in there or use some light wood glue...you don't need to do any heavy drilling or screwing in...or just leave it jammed in, it won't go anywhere once the cover is on if you use a big enough block.

ZEBtoMz.jpg
 
All I usually do is adjust the spring tension or add springs so the bridge can't float. If the bridge plate is bottomed out on the guitar body it will work much like a hard tail. It won't throw the guitar out of tune if you break a string. You still have the option of using a whammy bar to bend down if you like, or not. You just can't bend up.
 
Stick a heavy wire through the middle string, twist it back on itself and crank it til the bridge doesn’t move.
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So you block it so that there is no tension on the springs?


I notice you don't have the middle spring. Is that part of blocking?

Right...the block pushes the mechanism forward and releases the spring tension.

Oh...that's not a picture of my guitar, just something I pulled off the net...but no, the middle spring just happens to not be there on that guitar...it's got nothing to do with the blocking. You could get rid of all the springs is you so desire, but people often just leave them in there...in case.

I normally wouldn't buy a guitar with a trem and then go block it...IF...I could get the same/similar guitar with a factory hardtail...but I ended up buying three guitars that were not all that common (nothing special, either)...and they came with the trems, because that was the model...it was trying to emulate a Strat thing, and I guess they felt there should be trems. When I got them, I was quickly disappointed at the trem mechanisms, kinda low-budget crap...and since I really wasn't a trem user, it was easier to block them, then bother refitting them with better trem systems.

Out of the rather large pile of guitars that I have...only one has a working trem, and I bought it because I wanted a guitar with that option for some things...and that one has a high-quality trem system, so it's actually usable and works as it should...unlike those other three guitars, but with their trems blocked, they play and sound pretty decent.
 
Blocking the trem with the woodblock is probably the best way to disable it. Its very easily and quickly reversed. If you deck the trem and change the spring tension drastically, you have to do a setup to get the trem back to an operating state. When I bought my Strat, the previous owner had decked the trem, and it takes a while to get things back as it should be.
 
Course my way needs no special tools or woodworking skills or anything. A piece of wire and a pair of pliers and like a minute and a half. Reversal is as easy or easier.
 
Yup, it would probably do the same.

One question for you strat players. Does anyone use the foam rubber inside the springs to stop them from "pinging"?
 
Course my way needs no special tools or woodworking skills or anything. A piece of wire and a pair of pliers and like a minute and a half. Reversal is as easy or easier.

Mmm...the way you have that wire if you pressed the bar, you would still stretch the spring where it's hooked...and the tailpiece can still move...with the wood block, it's immovable. It would also need to be a pretty stiff wire so as not to stretch itself.

Plus...that wire is way more ghetto! :D
 
If you're going to block the trem, pull the bar. I thought of that at first, but my Strat's bar is safely tucked in the case.
 
TalismanRich said:
If you deck the trem and change the spring tension drastically, you have to do a setup to get the trem back to an operating state. When I bought my Strat, the previous owner had decked the trem, and it takes a while to get things back as it should be.

I set up all my strat type bridges that way. It might affect intonation slightly but it's easy to correct. Floating whammy bars are a moving target which is why I deck 'em in the first place. Something like a Floyd Rose floating trem takes a while to tune. Changing the tension on one string makes it pivot, so the pitch of all the strings changes as you adjust each string individually.

TalismanRich said:
Does anyone use the foam rubber inside the springs to stop them from "pinging"?

Foam? Yes. Rubber? No. Chunks of foam between the springs can help if the ringing is overly annoying. I notice it a lot more when the guitars aren't plugged in to an amp.
 
If you're going to block the trem, pull the bar. I thought of that at first, but my Strat's bar is safely tucked in the case.

Yes...that's true, why leave the bar if you block it...but even without the bar, that wire approach still doesn't make the tail piece solid/immobile like a block does.
I just figure that if you want to make it hardtail...then you can't beat the block approach for solid.

Meh...it's a minor point...I'm sure there are some other approaches that can also work good enough.

The thing I hate the most is that you're still left with a big hole and a bunch of parts that are of no real use. :D
 
What kinda sucks about the deal is that since it's just a body, I'll have to actually BUY the trem to put in there, just to have to block it.

Are there any trem to hardtail replacement kits?
 
Stew-Mac has a top loading hardtail bridge for the Strat. You don't need to fill the trem hole to run string thru ferrules with it.

You do have to add two extra screw holes for it on the top. If you have the body, is it already routed for the trem system? Is set up for a 6 screw or a 2 screw trem?

Well, as I said, it's a TELE body, and I can't tell if that bridge is for either/or. I don't know what the rout is for, either.
 
And I really wanted the regular tele pickup style, but they're out of that.

But I eventually want an HH tele too, so that's OK. I just don't want a trem, but that's what they've got.
 
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