About tremolo block, I will have a look around.
This is an original Fender vintage bridge (no vintage, just used...) and I already swapped the block with a better one.
I still have to do a lot of work on this guitar, before I can hear her voice....then I'll see what could be improved.
What kind of better one? Machined steel, or Aluminum?
In the early days when Leo Fender was inventing the Stratocaster, he machined the bridge parts from steel since there there was no reference for it anywhere else. The first few Stratocasters were made with these steel blocks and had a very bright, biting sound, with enhanced lows, not much in the midrange area.
When the Strat went into production, Leo had these blocks made from cast metal billets instead of steel ones. They were what we call "Pot" metal, or junk metal if you will. Leo always looked for a bargain wherever he could get one, and buying them like this averaged only a penny a piece. He saved money on quality steel bars, and labor costs because they only had to machine the threads for the Tremolo bar, and the mounting screws. So even the most collectible American Strats all the way back to the mid-50's had crap blocks in them.
Brass was only a stock item on one model Stratocaster, and that was the "STRAT" introduced in 1980. That block is equal to the Mega Mass block they offer at KGC, but without the taper. It does interfere with the travel of the tremolo, and I'm torn between replacing that block with a Mega Mass block, or, routing out some of the wood at the end of the tremolo cavity where the block hits it. I believe this can be done carefully enough to not show on the back surface of the guitar, and I could keep the original Fender Brassworks block in there.
I hate altering an original Fender vintage guitar, especially a limited one like this, but I've already done that to this guitar with the installation of the LSR roller nut, and gold locking tuners, so I might as well go for it.
Harley