Blocked Trem

[desertrat07]

I absolutely love the tone of my Legacy, but I don't find myself reaching for the whammy bar too often. I also like to play in 3 or 4 different tunings, but the dual-fulcrum means it's somewhat of an ordeal anytime I want to go to another tuning. This evening I decided to shape a small piece of wood flooring to fit snug between the trem block and the body, essentially turning the guitar into a hardtail. I am not sure if it's my imagination, but it really does sound like there's a bit more sustain and responsiveness to the sound. I am in love with this guitar even more now, and no need to reach for another guitar when I need a different tuning. Tuning and intonation stay dead-on with no hassle even after Drop D, Open G, Standard etc.... Anybody else block their trems lately? Notice any tonal diffrence?

-Adam

[Trout]

All of my Strat style guitars are blocked off... except my recently acquired G&L. I don't know about tonal difference, but they are easier to set up and tune up for sure.

[standards guy]

My G&L's have not been blocked, but every other trem equipped guitar I've had gets the treatment sooner or later because I play some faux-steel guitar G-bends and don't appreciate sinking notes on other strings.

My G&Ls are very stable for tuning as-is so I'm just paying them.

I have usually noticed when I block most guitars that I like the result. Bit more sustain, etc. And I greatly prefer blocked trems to hardtail stock S-type guitars that otherwise come with trems.

And at this late stage, I may have transitioned finally from T-type Leo Fender designs for non-trem styles.

[BillEvans1956]

Hi. A sort of related post here...

I have an ASAT Special Deluxe 'custom' and a Legacy, both USA-built and both with "Dual Fulcrum Vibrato" (DFV) bridge units. The DFV on the ASAT has felt pads on the DFV posts and between the body of the bridge plate and the body of the guitar. The Legacy doesn't have these felt pads.

Result? The ASAT gives a much smoother, but very sensitive, vibrato effect; whereas you have to work at it with the Legacy. But, both guitars tune up just fine, and stay in tune just great. I've just changed the strings* on the ASAT and, for sure, it takes a while to get that balance between the tension in the strings and the tension in the springs. But, once you hit that spot, the tuning is rock solid. I've never contemplated 'blocking' the DFV unit on either guitar.

Question: When did G&L decide to experiment with the use of these felt pads then? Is this just a feature of this 'custom' built guitar, or do G&L now fit them as standard on all DFV-equipped guitars? Thanks.

Bill

Shrewsbury, United Kingdom

* D'Addario EXL 110s

[darwinohm]

Bill, I only have BBE G&Ls and all my DFs have the felt pads on the posts. I do not know when G&L started using them. If the DF is adjusted correctly I would not expect the pads to have an impact on the movement of the DF. I have always found that the DFs and Fender 2 point vibratos always work perfectly when adjusted properly. My guess would be that it was added to keep the plate from falling out of the fulcrum points when you remove all the strings. I have purchased many used guitars where they were not adjusted correctly. Most often they have been adjusted too close to the body like they are trying to make it a hard tail. One of the guys in our band has an American Strat that he would not use as it was always out of tune. The bridge plate was adjusted too close to the body and just laying his hand on the strings by the bridge would change the tuning. I fixed it a couple of months ago and it has been fine since.--Darwin

[BillEvans1956]

My guess would be that it was added to keep the plate from falling out of the fulcrum points when you remove all the strings.
--Darwin

Thanks Darwin,

Very helpful. But, I'm more puzzled than ever now. Whenever I change strings, I always remove them all, but I've never had the plate fall out of my Legacy when I did so. (The Legacy doesn't have the felt pads on the DFV.)

Cheers.

Bill

[Craig]

Hi. A sort of related post here...

I have an ASAT Special Deluxe 'custom' and a Legacy, both USA-built and both with "Dual Fulcrum Vibrato" (DFV) bridge units. The DFV on the ASAT has felt pads on the DFV posts and between the body of the bridge plate and the body of the guitar. The Legacy doesn't have these felt pads.

Result? The ASAT gives a much smoother, but very sensitive, vibrato effect; whereas you have to work at it with the Legacy. But, both guitars tune up just fine, and stay in tune just great. I've just changed the strings* on the ASAT and, for sure, it takes a while to get that balance between the tension in the strings and the tension in the springs. But, once you hit that spot, the tuning is rock solid. I've never contemplated 'blocking' the DFV unit on either guitar.

Question: When did G&L decide to experiment with the use of these felt pads then? Is this just a feature of this 'custom' built guitar, or do G&L now fit them as standard on all DFV-equipped guitars? Thanks.

Bill

Shrewsbury, United Kingdom

* D'Addario EXL 110s

Your Legacy should have had them when it left the factory. If not and you bought it new, you should bring it to the G&L dealer/distributor to have them installed.
If you bought it used, my guess is the previous owner removed them.

The felt washers are part of the whole assembly.

Hope this helps.

[BillEvans1956]

Your Legacy should have had them when it left the factory. If not and you bought it new, you should bring it to the G&L dealer/distributor to have them installed.
If you bought it used, my guess is the previous owner removed them.

The felt washers are part of the whole assembly.

Hope this helps.

Thanks Craig. Great help as usual. My error. On much closer inspection, I can see now that I was wrong. The Legacy does indeed have the felts, but the pickguard makes it not so easy to see them. Plus, the DFV is screwed down so tight that the washers are really squeezed very flat against the body. However, the ASAT Special Deluxe (no pickguard) has two felt washers in each stack, so they are really obvious.

Thanks for the help and sorry to confuse.

Bill

[Elwood]

Plus, the DFV is screwed down so tight that the washers are really squeezed very flat against the body.

The DFV should be floating a little above the body, do the saddles seem high?
Perhaps the posts holding the bridge plate could be raised and the saddles lowered giving you essentially the same action but with the proper space required to allow the DFV to move more freely .

hope that makes sense : )

[BillEvans1956]

Thanks Elwood.

I'll check that out the next time I change out the strings. The saddles look ok though. Not too high. I guess the setup on the Legacy should be the same as that on the ASAT. I'll play around with that.

Thanks all the same.

Bill

[darwinohm]

Bill, if the DF is adjusted correctly and all the strings are removed, the springs have reduced tension and if the plate is not blocked off the body by a spacer, the plate can become dislodged. It happened to me the first time I removed all the strings from my first legacy and after reinstalling new strings I discovered the trem was not in to fulcrum point. I have found the DF to be extremely stable and that is also true for the Fender 2 point. I always put a cardboard shim or a couple of popsickle sticks under the plate before I cut the strings. I believe that some guys on this board use a toothbrush handle. The specs in the G&L setup manual are a great starting point and after restringing I set the DF level with the springs , in tune. If you have a problem with the saddle height, then you may have to shim the neck or if you have 3 bolt, the micro tilt takes care of that.-- Darwin

[BillEvans1956]

Thanks for all the replies guys. Very helpful stuff. Bill