Fits: Fender original 1954-1969; US Reissues; Highway 1 (through 2005); Custom Shop Time Machine Series; Jimmie Vaughan Strat; Eric Johnson Strat; Road Worn Strat; Japanese Reissues; Classic Series '50s/60s/70s
This is a complete tremolo unit that includes all hardware shown in the pictures.
Bridge Plate:
Callaham use stainless steel screws for the intonation, saddle height, and top plate mounting screws. The 6 heat treated pivot screws are essential. The top plate is cold rolled carbon steel that is nickel plated.
The top plate on the Callaham bridge has an important detail that both original and current production Fender bridges have missed. The bevel on the bottom side of the plate which allows the bridge to pivot must not extend past the diameter of the pivot screw. Great care is taken in machining this angle as it allows the bridge to pivot along a single axis. The Fender bridge is not only crudely angled but extends well past the diameter of the pivot screws. This causes the bridge to try and pivot along 2 axis. The bridge slides down the screws instead of pivoting and then must slide back up on return. This creates unnecessary friction and inconsistent return to pitch.
Installation:
On vintage styled bridges the pivot screws need to be down almost to the top plate. I screw the screw down until it touches the plate and lifts the back off the body. Then back the screw off until the plate rests back down on the body. You should feel small movements, side to side and forward and back of the bridge. It pivots fully up and down. Too far down and the bridge will bind. Too far away and the bridge will slide up the screws. Both mistakes cause tuning problems.
Block:
All Callaham blocks are made of 1018 cold-rolled steel like the vintage originals, which contributes to the sustain and harmonic content that has made these guitars legendary. Replacing a block made of inferior materials (zinc, leaded steel, sintered steel) with one of Callaham's blocks will make a real improvement to your tone.
Enhanced Vintage Design:
The block is Callaham's Enhanced Vintage design, which utilizes a Delrin bushing in the arm hole, for the arm to bear against. With traditional threaded block designs, when you use the arm you create forces that are concentrated right on the threaded portion of the arm - its weakest point. This is where arms typically break. Callaham's solution is to leave this bearing-portion of the arm unthreaded, and to insert a Delrin bushing into the block for it to bear against. (Delrin is similar to nylon). This virtually eliminates broken arms.
Virtual Pop-In Arm:
While Callaham's arm is unthreaded where it bears against the Delrin bushing, it does have a few threads at the end. This allows you to push it in, then spin it once or twice to engage a couple of the threads. The threads are there simply to keep the user from inadvertently pulling the arm out during use.
Specification:
(exc. 20% VAT)
; Custom Shop Time Machine Series; Jimmie Vaughan Strat; Eric Johnson Strat;){kind=link}