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They weigh nothing and actually play really well, and the pickups arent awful, but the tuners aren't great.
All I want to do is improve it's tuning stability while she learns and then make it a guitar to grow into for her.
It doesn't have to cost a lot so for example,...
Will a MIM Std tremolo fit the screw hole spacing on the front, if it has a shallower block fitted?
Are there Squier Tuners that are Diamond Back style but reliable, maybe CV range?
Once I get these I'll pop it into her local tech and have the nut sorted last but these will improve it for her and make it feel less like the toy it's been so far.
She's really keen but no one has shown her anything about it until now and when I saw the spark in her eye and the natural ability to pick up what I taught her there and then it was a no-brainer when she asked if I'd teach her how to play.
If we can make her Strat play nicely she's got the potential to be a really good or at the very least, highly enthusiastic player.
From what I can find out, the Bullet strat has the same spacings as a MIM strat, for both the strings and the six fixing screws. The best thing to do is check - it seems that Squiers can have odd spacings depending on where they were made.
Good accuracy can be had using a digital calliper... For both the fixing screws and the saddle intonation screws, measure around the outside of the two outermost screw heads, and then measure the diameter of one screw head. Subtract the diameter of the one head from the overall measurement, and you have the centre-to-centre distance of the row of six screws.
Failing that, use a ruler carefully - try to get to within 1mm or less, and measure several times to eliminate errors.
For a MIM part to fit, both should be 2+1/16" or 52.39mm (or near as dammit given tolerances and small measuring errors).
If the Bullet strat has these pitches, and if you can't find a drop-in part that has a short block, you're welcome to the original block and arm from my MIM strat. If I can find out the height difference, I'll mill off the excess and rework the holes so that it'll fit the body.
If you want to fit this block to the existing bridge plate, the pitch of the three countersunk screws that hold the two parts together needs to match. End to end, this is 1+5/8" or 41.28mm. To measure, remove the block and refit the screws into the top of the block (nip them up finger tight so they don't rock in the threads) and proceed as above, or take your chances with a ruler (measuring a few times again).
Nomad
Nobody loves me but my mother... and she could be jivin' too...
Just one thing, though. The trem itself is probably low on the causes of any tuning instability. It is much more likely to be the setup of the trem, the nut, the string trees or the machine heads.
I'm assuming its a six screw trem fixing?
Thanks.
I'll do some measuring and get back to you.
Many more than me will be really pleased about this.
It's being done because what's there looks and feels cheap and if it's an easy swap it's worth doing for her.
The tuners are definitely needed as is the nut.
I'll have a look at axesrus too.
Thanks man.
My MIM block measures 1+9/16" or 39.69mm. It seems that Bullet bodies can be 1.75" or 1.5" thick. The block height needs to be such that there is room for the ends of the springs to clear the cover.
The Axesrus one here...
https://www.axesrus.co.uk/52-38mm-Tremolo-Shallow-Zinc-Block-p/bs050zinc.htm
...has a block height of 36mm or 1.42". If the screw pitches do match, then I reckon that would be a drop-in replacement for the thinner Bullet body.
Nomad
Nobody loves me but my mother... and she could be jivin' too...
We think the block is the shallower type (I'm not in that part of the UK right now to check properly) and given that the unit in the link @Nomad posted above is such good value for a guitar like this and a beginner, we're going to buy her that one but we're keeping it back and string her Squire up with the existing unit for now.
It will hold tune ok enough for her to learn her first chords and when she nails her first song, whatever it might be, We'll give her that as a reward.
I've got a fully loaded scratchplate from my American Pro Strat which I've put away for her when she gets good enough to care about the actual sound.
She's got that undeniable spark that musicians have and I'm dead proud to be teaching this young lady.
She's going to be a star.
Thanks from all of us for all your help so far and any further help that comes Ruby's way from this.