This is a complete tremolo unit that includes all hardware shown in the pictures. It will fit most guitars that have a vintage 6-screw bridge, but it uses the narrower 2-1/16" string spacing of the American Series guitars, which moves the two E strings away from the edges of the fretboard. If you have a guitar where the E strings are too close to the edge of the fretboard and get pulled off the edges too easily, then this bridge will fix that problem.
Using Standard Humbuckers.
If you're building or retrofitting a guitar with vintage mounting and want to use standard humbuckers, the V/N bridge provides the correct string spacing to use with those pickups, and no alteration to the body needs to be made.
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.
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. 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:
YOU CAN DOWNLOAD OUR CALLAHAM BRIDGE COMPATABILITY DATA SHEET TO CHECK YOU HAVE THE CORRECT ITEM.
HERE IS A COPY FROM CALLAHAMS SITE OF THE STRATOCASTER BRIDGE COMPATABILITY SHEET
Please choose the tremolo arm from the list below.
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
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