Callaham Strat tremolo bridge sets - opinions?

Gadget

I have an early Rocketfire Rory Gallagher Strat which I thing could do with a replacement trem set, as it's become quite notchy in use...



Anybody have any experience of the Callaham sets (such as THIS ONE). They seem expensive, so are they worth the cash?

Any better alternatives?

guitars4you

marginal gain so subtle but effective - don't hear of many who buy who can't hear the difference - IMO a sensible upgrade - I suppose you can keep the old one so if you ever sell you can exchange as required

lovestrat74

I was going to asak a similar question.  I have a CS relic strat and wanted to know what difference a callaham assembly would make.  Or if it is worth changing the saddles over and if so what difference it would make?

guitarfishbay

It'll likely make the guitar a bit louder, and potentially increase the lows and highs at the same time.  Depending on what you had before will determine how much of a difference it is.  I put one on a mid 00's US standard strat which had the block saddles and smaller sustain block.  I actually found the callaham assembly made the guitar a bit harsh.  I went back to the old bridge assembly in the end.

As with anything it'll depend on personal preferences and also the instrument you put it into.

HAL9000

On my MIM Strat I swapped the sustain block (just the block, not the whole assembly) for a Callaham item. Definitely an improvement. Sustain has increased but it's quite subtle. Also I'd describe the tone as slightly more 'zingy' if that makes sense. To be fair the stock block on an MIM is a cheap-looking alloy affair so a steel block will make more difference to that than to a US guitar. 

The Callaham block appears to be very well made, but is still expensive for what it is. I gather that there are sellers on the 'bay who sell similar items for about half the cost.

impmann

Not going to comment on whether or not it sounds "better". It does sound different.

The biggest improvement is that the block features a nylon sleeve for the arm. This takes up the slack making the trem 10000 times more expressive IMHO, and negates Fender's own "solution" involving an easily lost spring that isn't quite so effective anyway.

Kev Hurley, who was making replacement trem blocks with a similar system has recently stopped for personal reasons - great shame as I'd say his were superb quality at a great price.

Philly_Q

lovestrat74 said:

I was going to asak a similar question.  I have a CS relic strat and wanted to know what difference a callaham assembly would make.  Or if it is worth changing the saddles over and if so what difference it would make?

I'm not sure changing the saddles will make much difference, I think they use the same kind of steel as the vintage-style Fender saddles.  The difference would be in the intonation and height adjustment screws, which are stainless.

I've thought about changing the block on mine, but mainly because I like the wobble-free feel due to the Delrin sleeve they use to support the tremolo arm (as mentioned above).

guitars4you

impmann said:

Not going to comment on whether or not it sounds "better". It does sound different.

The biggest improvement is that the block features a nylon sleeve for the arm. This takes up the slack making the trem 10000 times more expressive IMHO, and negates Fender's own "solution" involving an easily lost spring that isn't quite so effective anyway.

Kev Hurley, who was making replacement trem blocks with a similar system has recently stopped for personal reasons - great shame as I'd say his were superb quality at a great price.

thanks for that - I knew of the guy on e-bay but could not recall his name - I've used a few on more budget based Strats and found them more than okay

And yes valid point on the nylon sleeve to remove the 'slack'

lovestrat74

Philly_Q said:

lovestrat74 said:

I was going to asak a similar question.  I have a CS relic strat and wanted to know what difference a callaham assembly would make.  Or if it is worth changing the saddles over and if so what difference it would make?

I'm not sure changing the saddles will make much difference, I think they use the same kind of steel as the vintage-style Fender saddles.  The difference would be in the intonation and height adjustment screws, which are stainless.

I've thought about changing the block on mine, but mainly because I like the wobble-free feel due to the Delrin sleeve they use to support the tremolo arm (as mentioned above).

I've got a MIM Duo Sonic on it's way, so the saddles might make more of an impact on this "lower" end guitar...

Philly_Q

lovestrat74 said:

Philly_Q said:

lovestrat74 said:

I was going to asak a similar question.  I have a CS relic strat and wanted to know what difference a callaham assembly would make.  Or if it is worth changing the saddles over and if so what difference it would make?

I'm not sure changing the saddles will make much difference, I think they use the same kind of steel as the vintage-style Fender saddles.  The difference would be in the intonation and height adjustment screws, which are stainless.

I've thought about changing the block on mine, but mainly because I like the wobble-free feel due to the Delrin sleeve they use to support the tremolo arm (as mentioned above).

I've got a MIM Duo Sonic on it's way, so the saddles might make more of an impact on this "lower" end guitar...

Yes, more than likely.  I guess you'd need the narrower saddles for that one?

p90fool

I'm a big fan of the Wudtone vintage trem, it sounds right, it's beautifully engineered and the shim under the bridge plate makes it really smooth in use. 
I went for the US screw spacing but with Mex saddle spacing too, so the strings line up with the pole pieces and more importantly, don't fall off the fretboard.

Gadget

p90fool said:

I'm a big fan of the Wudtone vintage trem...

Looks like an interesting alternative.

digitalkettle

I upgraded a CS strat to Callaham...love it!

I also have a guitar with an ABM bridge...I'd say that's an equivalent option for like-for-like replacement.

NPP

comment removed as I was talking bollocks (even more so than usual )

Funkfingers

The "improvement" delivered by any replacement part will be as compared to whatever it replaced. IMO, the Callaham replacement sustain block and offset intonation screw saddles for American Standard Stratocaster make a noticeable improvement over the stock parts.

Fender seem to agree. They dumped the compressed steel powder saddles and reinstated bent, stamped steel ones. 

guitarfishbay said:

I put one on a mid 00's US standard strat which had the block saddles and smaller sustain block. I actually found the callaham assembly made the guitar a bit harsh.

The stock, plastic bobbin American Standard pickups MIGHT have had something to do with that.

guitarfishbay

Funkfingers said:

guitarfishbay said:

I put one on a mid 00's US standard strat which had the block saddles and smaller sustain block. I actually found the callaham assembly made the guitar a bit harsh.

The stock, plastic bobbin American Standard pickups MIGHT have had something to do with that.

Nope. I use EMGs on my strats.

Honestly on this specific guitar the stock parts do sound better.

John_A

Used both the Wudtone and the Callaham, really don't like the shim that sits under the Wudtone trem, it's only thin, but it does mean you need to drop the saddles or shim the neck.  The Callaham one is really nice, and as said, the big difference is the slop on the arm is removed,  the trem then feels like a PRS, which is great.

If the OP wants, I have a new/unused Callaham complete vintage/narrow assembly that I bought for a guitar I have since sold so it's available for a bit less than I paid.

Gadget

John_A said:

...If the OP wants, I have a new/unused Callaham complete vintage/narrow assembly that I bought for a guitar I have since sold so it's available for a bit less than I paid.

Thanks for the offer, but I need the standard width (56.4mm / 56.4mm), not the narrow.

DrBob

p90fool said:

I'm a big fan of the Wudtone vintage trem, it sounds right, it's beautifully engineered and the shim under the bridge plate makes it really smooth in use. 
I went for the US screw spacing but with Mex saddle spacing too, so the strings line up with the pole pieces and more importantly, don't fall off the fretboard.

I too am a big fan of the Wudtone trem. I think mine would now be badged as a Holy Grail but at the time it was just the standard model. I love it, all the sound of a six screw vintage trem unit with a fair bit of the fluidity of movement of a more modern two post unit.

Philly_Q

John_A said:

Used both the Wudtone and the Callaham, really don't like the shim that sits under the Wudtone trem, it's only thin, but it does mean you need to drop the saddles or shim the neck.  The Callaham one is really nice, and as said, the big difference is the slop on the arm is removed,  the trem then feels like a PRS, which is great.

I've always been curious about that stainless steel shim, I don't really understand what it's there for.  To reduce friction?  Increase sustain?  And does it feel like it's moving around a bit when you use the bar?

John_A

Its there to give a hard, smooth surface for the trem to rock on, you don't feel it, but it sits slightly proud of the body