[kurt eye]

I love Strats for their playability and their modular nature, but the tremolo systems drive me crazy. There are too many variables to obsess about (spring tension, decking, blocking methods, etc.). My next strat will have a hardtail body.

Anyway, I replaced the steel trem block in my American Standard Strat with brass trem block from Guitar Fetish. Not sure how I feel about it. Although it has more sustain and a beautiful resonance, I feel like it makes my tone more midrangey. To my ears it sounds like the peaks of the lows and highs (but especially the lows) are diminished. I'll post some A/B clips when I get a chance. Anyone have experience going down this road?

[Blacklodgebob]

just block the tremolo off, they all suck, to some degree or another. unless you want to go full prince with locking nuts, floyd rose; you'll be lubricating nuts / saddles obsessively, just to use it sometimes, for a second.