Callaham American standard premium upgrade kit (1987 - 2008)

wood&nickel

New member
2kpm8QT.jpg


Kqzu0yf.jpg


r5MK0Vb.jpg


NfSwV1j.jpg


https://www.callahamguitars.com/strat_trem_amstandardupkit_catalog.htm
Callaham Guitars is only company machining all of our blocks from a cold rolled non-leaded U.S.A. steel.

Condition: Cosmetically 9/10 on the saddles but 10/10 on the rest. Used for a few months in my American Strat but not abused.

For all Fender American Standard guitars made in:
1987 - 2008 (offset intonation screw)

Includes:
Callaham American Standard Block Enhanced
virtual pop-in trem arm & tip - 1964" Length; 5 1/4" from tip to bend
Parchment White colour tip
6 Stamped "CG" Saddles with offset intonation screw
with stainless steel screws and springs
3 Stainless steel top plate screws
4 Tremolo Springs
Allen Wrench
This is one of the single largest improvements you can make to any Fender American Standard guitar.

The original design of the sychronized tremolo although revolutional at the time has several flaws. These flaws have never been addressed by Fender and they even carry these flaws into the American Standard Tremolos and their Mexican models. The problem is the .205 DIA x 3/16 long counterbore in the top of the block.


This counterbore is also in American Standard blocks. The counterbore creates a tremendous stress riser on the first thread of the trem arm, the weakest section of the arm, because the arm is completely unsupported at the top of the block. The forces developed when using the trem are applied directly to the threaded section of the arm. It doesn't matter if the arm is made from high strength materials, it will eventually fail right at the first thread. The counterbore also reduces the leverage over trem springs. Fender arms also have significant play in the threads making the bridge very slow to respond and making subtle vibrato effects difficult. The Fender solution is a heavy spring in the bottom of the block. This spring causes the threads to gall and suddenly the arm is locked in the block and the only way to remove it is to break it off.

This significant improvement makes the arm nearly unbreakable. We say nearly, because the only true way to break an arm off in our blocks would be intentional misuse or abuse. For those of you that play 13's with 5 springs screwed all the way down; play with confidence that our block won't let you down.

The other advantage to this change is the arm will have zero play and will have more leverage over the springs. This will make the tremolo extremely touch sensitive, controllable, and smoother.

The arm we use in our bridge assembly and the one we suggest you use with our enhanced blocks is the Callaham "64" Virtual Pop-in stainless steel arm. We call it a virtual pop-in because the threads on the end only serve to keep the arm in the block when in use. A true 3/16" pop-in arm could be used, but could be pulled out if played too aggressively.

Any traditional 10-32 threaded 3/16" arm can still be used, and you gain the advantage of supporting the arm on its major diameter and taking the stress off of the threads.

We have been producing the best sounding bridge available for years. This change makes our bridge even farther ahead of any vintage bridge and rivals the sensitivity of modern two pivot bridges.

We can still produce an exact vintage repro block for those who need them but only on a custom order basis.

All Vintage Repro blocks, American Standard blocks, Mexican Standard blocks, American Deluxe blocks, and American Professional blocks are equiped with the zero-clearance bushing.



Block Material

Steel is the only material that should be used for the block - but not just any steel - the steel used can not contain any lead. Lead dampens the frequency response and reduces both sustain and clarity.

If you have an import guitar, your block is more than likely zinc (pot metal). Zinc kills both sustain and clarity and your sound. If you have a U.S. made guitar, you may have a steel block but it is either a hot rolled leaded steel, or in the case of the American Standard bridges, a soft cast steel block.

We guarantee you will hear an improvement in both sustain and clarity after installing our block.

Callaham Guitars is only company machining all of our blocks from a cold rolled non-leaded U.S.A. steel.

Text me at Nine 7 eight I eight 8 zero O
Asking $150
 
Last edited by a moderator:

Latest posts

Back
Top