my second build ST-1M

[brokin009]

Thanks again Waz, i did what you mentioned and a couple of things on the vid. and wow it made a big difference, lovin the strat even more. never thought i could, haha

[wazkelly]

Good to hear Brokin.

Strat's have so many sounds available that it will keep you amused for quite some as you keep discovering more things it can do.

[brokin009]

hey guys. jusy looking up some saddles for the strat. ive noticed that there are a few different types of saddles with different materials. e.g. brass, steel even found roller saddles. any idea what is good?
thanks again
Look at this on eBay http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/172106933126
would these be any good? they are the right size.

also i read the the fender forum there is a tusq nut and bone nut. any comments on what you guys recommend?

[wokkaboy]

Hey Brokin, think it's worth buying a whole new bridge, helps to have a heavier block. Those saddles on ebay I can't even see a slot in them. I would recommend one of the top 5 bridges at Realparts around $50-60 I have used are pretty good
https://www.realparts.com.au/bridges...-st-style.html

with a nut you can't go past a well cut bone nut. You can buy pre-slotted ones but you really need a set of nut files to cut the slots a bit deeper.

[brokin009]

sweet thanks again wokkaboy. I'll definately look into the link you sent. thanks again
i found a genuine fender bridge its a big block. so i think its what you mentioned and its about $90. so yeah happy with that

[Simon Barden]

Unless it says it's a steel block, there's no guarantee that the Fender bridge will have one as they normally use cast zinc. But the first thing you need to do is measure the string spacing of your current bridge. US (and often Mexican) Strats use a string spacing that's about 2mm wider than most Asian-built Strats and replicas.

Personally I'd go for a Wilkinson bridge; steel block, traditional bent steel saddles, good trem. Remember that you need to get a 6-hole trem (often called 5+1 on that Realparts site) and not a 2-post one. Fitting a 2-post trem is best done from the outset as it involves a lot of extra re-work if your body is pre-drilled for a 6-hole bridge. Again, check the string spacing. You don't want your strings pulled out to the edges of your fretboard on the top frets.

I'm not a fan of the 'block' type saddles on the cheaper bridges as they are invariably alloy and not as good as steel blocks (which put the price up significantly), or Graphtec replacements.

[brokin009]

thanks Simon, the downfall is the have nil stock of the Wilkinson 5+1 that would fit my guitar. i did find this on ebay.
Look at this on eBay http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/171975154382
what do you guys think?

the reason i thought before about just replacing the saddles is i have locked up the bridge now as per what Waz mentioned and im happy with it. i have order a bone nut so the bridge or saddles is the only thing left, i think. i wasmt planing on uaomg the tremolo as i do really know what you would use it for with a strat with a clean sound. could be wrong though

[WeirdBits]

The 'import' spacing is typically 52.5mm, so only 52.5 or 54 mm (MIM) options will be viable for these kits.

[brokin009]

yeah thanks Scott. yeah i found out how to check the bridge size as holy crap there are alot of options.

[Simon Barden]

That's got a zinc or alloy block. That's something I'd be upgrading from, not to. Its string spacing is 2 1/16" or 52.4mm, so measure your bridge and see what its spacing is for comparison. You want the same, or slightly narrower spacing, I certainly wouldn't fit a bridge with a wider spacing.

After a bit more digging it seems there isn't a standard for US or Mexican trem spacings, but they do tend to vary between the smaller 2 1/16" and wider 2 7/32" (56mm) string spacing.

After checking, the Wilkinson WV6CR (along with similar Wilkinson trems) actually has a 54mm string spacing, so may be a bit wider than your current trem - so it may not be that suitable. Again, check against your current bridge. However the wider 5+1 screw hole design does mean that it fits a wide range of pre-drilled trem screw hole sizes. It's definitely worth measuring the overall locating screw spacing on your guitar as well. Whilst it's not impossible to fill and re-drill the screw holes, it's always best to avoid doing this if you can.