Recommend a replacement tremolo for my Strat

I once tested about ten different brand brass tele saddles on a vintage 54 Tele against the original ones and OMG what a difference and not just my taste . Some were just SOOO much fuller and objectively better than others and cost was not really reflected in the results.
 
On the 510 my favourite modern tone is solid milled steel and the best vintage strat tone was the Raw Vintage set, they retain the highs but the mids and bass are a lot bigger sounding. Contrary to the advertising these are quite soft and that is why they sound so different to the Gotoh bent steel ones.
 
RevDrucifer said:
Baaahahahah.....this is bringing back memories of the HRI monstrosity of a thread on this.
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Ha Ha, I remember having to post the patent of the Steinberger Trans Trem to fully explain why the relative pitch thing was not possible to fine tune on a Strat trem other than by coincidence of the set up and strings .
 
Would there be a difference between the result of brighter, darker or prominent mids saddles and the result of compensating these differences with the presence control or EQ?
 
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I was going to chose the 510T-SF2, but all the dimensions seem OK except the distance between the 6 screw holes. It indicates 56 mm but I measure 52.3 mm. I smell trouble. What is your opinion?

GOTOH 510T-SF2.png

MIM Strat.JPG

I hate the screwed tremolo bar
 
That's probably a Mexican standard bridge.
it's narrower than an American vintage

And the screw-in bar is ok as long as you drop in one of those little springs to take away the play in the bar
 
Yes, it is the MIM standard bridge. So it is narrower :(

I dropped a little spring, but it pops out from the bottom. The hole has the same diameter from top to bottom. It cannot retain the spring.

I have used teflon tape around the tremolo bar thread and so far it is firmly staying in position.
 
You could change the block with one that hasn't a through hole.
Or thread the hole and turn in a screw to block the hole to retain the spring.
 
Andy Eagle said:
That's the same one finally chosen by the OP.
Two ways of fixing it;
1. Smooth out and round over the exit from the hole through the baseplate at the point of contact with the string.
2. And the SRV fix of some little pieces of teflon tubing one the string at the point of contact.
This is a difference between this version and the Gotoh .
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Andy,

Just want to say that is a great tip!
I had my Strat apart for a new pickguard and took the trem off.
I used a Dremel tool with a conical shaped stone. That worked perfect!
Once you know what you are looking for, you can really see the difference.
Thanks!!
 
iaresee said:
When people say, "I want it made in the USA!" this is the part they fail to reconcile: Mann's pricing reflects what it costs to make his tremolos in the USA. Niche market. Low volume. Small shop. USA labour rates. That adds up.

Gotoh 510s are made in Japan. Wilkinson manufactures in China and Korea. Super-Vee doesn't say where their products are made.

Hipshot is USA-made so kudos to them for finding a price point with a margin that sustains a business. They have a bigger product catalog so they might be able to sacrafice margins and make it up in volume.

Sophia is made in Taiwan. Vega is "made in Europe" is all they say.
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Vegatrem are made in Spain (europe). I just hit the button for a second hand (brand new) at 190 euros, happy to kick out the standard trem 6 screw of my beloved Squier that was close to perfect but couldn't stand this wobbly arm no more. The new trem and the lollar PU on this axe I both got for almost half the price outvalue the guitar, a VM surf strat I bought for 300 Euro new..but for some reason this single Squier just kicks ass...
 
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