Has anyone else encountered problems with the USA Vintage Reissue trem? I’ve got a Custom Shop 56 NOS Strat with gold hardware. I’m assuming that these guitars use exactly the same trem as the vintage reissues.
I’ve noticed, from time to time, that the B and top E strings will give a buzzing, almost sitar like tone. Not as pronounced as a sitar, but that’s the best description I can think of. Moving the string from side to side a few times on the saddle seems to cure this for a while, but it invariably comes back.
Looking on the Callaham website, I noticed an interesting thing about their replacement saddles. They’ve got a photo with one of their saddles, an old Fender one, and a Fender reissue saddle side by side. The string slot on the reissue saddle is noticeably shorter than the old one, which itself is shorter than the Callaham one.
One of the claims for this saddle, which seems to make sense, is that the string won’t touch the edge of the slot, and won’t decrease the break angle of the string over the saddle as a result, thereby maximising the pressure of the string on the business end of the saddle and improving the tone.
Callaham don’t do gold plated hardware, but I found a set from WD with the longer slots, which I’ve ordered. I’ll report back when I’ve fitted them.
Failing that, I’ll fit a Wilkinson VSV trem- not quite the vintage look, but I’ve got one on my Highway 1 Strat, and it really is the cat’s pyjamas, well worth considering if you want the vintage sound and type of construction, but without any of the problems that the Fender one has.
Simon