Trem blocks - how do different materials affect sound?

rauchman

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Greetings,

Regarding Strat Trems / Floyd Roses, how do the different metals affect the sound?

Brass, steel, etc.
 
rauchman said:
Greetings,

Regarding Strat Trems / Floyd Roses, how do the different metals affect the sound?

Brass, steel, etc.

I did an A/B test with friends and we did not hear any sound difference between the standard floyd rose and the brass floyd rose. However, the feel of a heavier block makes it feel more heavy somehow. But from my experience - very minimally.
 
Never did a test with blocks but have experimented with saddles; steel, brass, aluminium, titanium, string savers and string savers with an insert.  Steel brightens the tone, brass makes it sweeter, string savers make it woody, titanium is like steel plus, string savers with the insert is like steel with just little bit of treble knocked off, aluminum has a nice zing to it.  I've settled on either brass or string savers with the insert.

I don't think the block will have that much effect, but never experimented with it like Alex.  Currently have zinc (I think) in my lone gotoh trem equiped guitar.  Can't say I have an urge to change it though it has the string savers with the insert, which made it sound much nicer.

Like all things it will have an effect, but how much I dunno.  :dontknow:
 
Had a cheap import strat that I put a gfs brass block into. The guitar acoustically became more resonate, but the actual tone never changed. I put the original thin block back in because the guitar was already on the heavy side and I ended up blocking the trem any way.
 
AcrylicSuperman said:
Had a cheap import strat that I put a gfs brass block into. The guitar acoustically became more resonate, but the actual tone never changed. I put the original thin block back in because the guitar was already on the heavy side and I ended up blocking the trem any way.


I did the exact same thing: swapped zinc block on a Mexi Strat for a big heavy GFS one. After having it this way for a few years I'm convinced it's not as bright as it used to be, and I don't like it as much. I would swap the cheap zinc one back in if I could, but I've lost track of it.


All in all, not worth the trouble. Would not do again.
 
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