Mark Foley 50's "Rough Cut" Strat Tremolo - A Closer Look
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- Опубліковано 1 жов 2024
- In this video, I look over my new Mark Foley 50's "Rough Cut" Vintage Style Strat tremolo bridge for my first Partscaster that I will build in the next 2-3 weeks. It's called "rough cut" because of the rough unpolished edges. I also go over the MJT light one piece Alder Sunburst body, my Musikraft neck with the 10/56 V profile (both of which have not arrived), the VIPots, the Q-Pickups from Croatia, and a few other details. I also show you how to measure tremolo spring tensions and I go over the tensions of several different brands of springs on the market. See time stamps for specific topics.
O.D. (outside diameter) Wire O.D. # of loops. length
Callaham = 16# (# = how many lbs. of force to stretch 1”)
Gotoh = 15#
Fender Amer. Vint. = 14.2#
21/64" 1.34mm 39 2-5/8"
C.A.R. Strat-1966 = 13.5# - vintage
16.0#
13.7# -vintage
16.0#
14.2# - vintage
Mark Foley (5) = 11.3# 11/32" 1.38mm 40 2-23/32"
11.6#
11.9#
12#
12.3#
1964 Vintage = 11.6# BENCHMARK. 21/64" 1.34mm 41 2-21/32"
Crazy Parts (3) = 10.9#
11.2#
11.2#
Raw Vintage = 10.4# 11/32" 1.38mm 39 2-5/8"
00:12-00:30 - photo of new, distressed one piece, light Alder MJT Sunburst body
00:30-02:16 - general look at MF tremolo
02:16-04:37 - spring tension chart of different brand springs
04:37-06:05 - closeup of bridge and cost/benefit analysis
06:05-06:19 - spring claw and lack of screws
06:19-06:38 - misc parts and screws
06:38-08:07 - VIP pots
08:07-08:55 - Musikraft neck specs
08:55-09:46 - Q-Pickups (1964 Formvar) from Croatia
09:46-10:38 - Authentic Fender Aged White parts for vintage '60's look
10:38-11:00 - RS Guitarworks 280K Super Pot
11:00-11:08 - Raw Vintage Springs
11:08-11:55 - Spring tension inconsistencies
11:55-13:15 - Vintage Fender saddles, groove cutting, and sitar affect
13:15-13:45 - Highwood Chrome Vintage Contour Saddles
13:45-14:08 - Saddle springs and lengths
14:08-14:23 - Conclusion
14:23-15:42 - How to perform the spring tension test
15:42-17:20 - more on number of springs used and spring tensions
For lighter gauge string like the Hendrix 10-38's, you need light tension springs so you have enough room on your spring claw screws to be able to float the bridge and still have the spring coils stretched out to get the maximum Strat spring reverb effect.
Q-Pickups - qpickups.com/q...
VIPots - www.vintageins...
Farees - farees.com
Mark Foley Guitars - www.mfguitarpr...
MJT Aged Guitars - www.mjtagedfin...
Musikraft - musikraft.com/
Hi, and how does the new bridge sound? Great video!
Your way of measuring spring "tension" is still actually measuring spring stiffness, just in a somewhat imprecise way. You're looking at tension CHANGE (from zero? tension, to tension at 1 inch stretch) over stretch distance (1 inch). So your result is actually in units of lbf per inch (lbf/inch). That's stiffness - the spring constant. And that's what you want to know, because spring constants are additive - that's how you know how a given number of springs will "feel" when you move the arm.
But the fact that you appear to be starting from zero (unloaded) tension means that you are including a region of the spring's operation that rarely comes into play. And the spring will be less linear over that initial range. You would be better off measuring the tension change between say 0.5 and 1.0 or 1.5 inches extension - stiffness will be constant over that range. Your results would also probably be less variable if you omitted zero load.
Welcome back !
I noticed you went with the Callaham claw springs, and when you dropped it on the table, it had a high ping to it.
I built a 50,s parts caster from parts, starting with a 50’s reissue master built loaded body, and an all parts bat neck, then proceeded to change out almost every new piece of hardware to a vintage 50’s or 60’s part. And you know every time I added a vintage part it got better! I can even remember when I got a real 50’s spring and claw and it was definitely an improvement. I think you should do a video on spring claws next!
You mean the Callaham claw screws, correct? I can always rob from that 1966 CAR Strat just to see if I notice a difference and then look for better screws. They probably want $500 for two vintage screws and claw nowadays.
@@Scott.9 This website, www.stratcat.biz/hardware-custom-tremolo-arms.shtml, made me a believer in the springs again even though they don't recommend them but they do sell them. Their instructions on this page are very detailed and all you need to know about the whammy bar. They even steered me to a great company to buy the correct 10-32 UNC internal tap and tap oil to repair any booger'd threads in the block. The springs are designed to fit perfectly so that you are still able to turn the whammy bar in 8 times (after the top whammy bar reaches the top of the bridge plate). At that point, you should contact the spring. Then the bar threads are well below the plate and protected. Just barely compressing the spring after you make contact is all you should do. Any over compression of that spring spells trouble. I highly recommend that everyone should have that internal tap because almost all block threads have some damaged threads from misuse of the whammy bar. That website state to NEVER force a bar in if it becomes hard to screw in. I used to do that many years ago just to get the bar in far enough, all the time damaging the threads even more. With the tap oil, if the bar were ever to break, it should be fairly easy to get the piece out with just a small flathead screw driver.
hey man still got the highwoods on my strat after your recommendation are they still your preference ? i try and use the super lube on them as per your reccomendation again and hope that will them not wear too bad
Yes, I still love the Highwoods but I have been super impressed with these Foley standard saddles. They are the closest to the real thing and I can't believe that I haven't broken any strings in a long time. The standard saddles have a slightly different sound to them but barely noticeable. I did develop and small groove on the high E Highwood saddle and get a slight buzz but I also get that on the standard saddle. You just have to barely buff it with very fine emery paper and it is gone. The Super Lube is a must for any Strat with a tremolo.
@@millstap yer I had a trem block from crazy parts and Foley told me it is the same part also spoke to a guy who use to make trem blocks and other things for Foley and he says Foley has never made trem blocks he made me a trem block with a delrin sleeve so the arm sits snug and doesn’t Rock really like the look of the crazy parts pre cbs saddles and trem system would deffo consider them if upgrading or doing a parts caster only other thing I may upgrade going forward on my strat is maybe new tone and volume cap be great if you could give me some recommendations on those all the best man keep those videos coming love your attention to detail
Very nice. Looking forward to this build. Where did you get the slightly aged plastics, excluding pickguard. Building an EJ style "Virginia" partscaster with Sassafras body and looking for quality, slightly aged plastics. The stuff I'm finding is too heavily relic'd and doesn't look quite right. Thanks.
It’s all Fender Aged White parts except the pickup covers. Got them at Sweetwater. Warmoth has some too including parchment.
Thank you for all this in depth info. It is very nice to have all this info presented in dry scientific measurements. Too many folks out there injecting their opinions and inserting buzzword adjectives into their descriptions of parts and gear.
It’s been a very impressive tremolo. I haven’t even broken any strings which is unusual for me. My only complaints are the five spring tensions, the lack of spring claw screws and the price. Stays in perfect tune and sounds great.
ew relic?
Yes, I want to be sure it has a very thin Nitrocellulose finish. You can see it is very lightly relic'd. And the crazing indicates that it is the proper, hard, candy-shell like finish and not the gooey type Poly finish Fender uses now. I like it when they chip like glass.
Does the crazy parts tremolo grip the whammy bar threads well like the Callaham block?
It's a vintage Fender type connection with a little wiggle if you don't use the whammy bar spring in the hole. I tried to put one in on this tremolo and it wouldn't let the bar threads go far enough into the hole which is unusual. The spring worked great on all my other vintage Fender style blocks. I think maybe the spring got caught and it didn't go down to the bottom of the hole. I need to try again today because the wiggle is a little annoying. I think the Callaham block has a teflon ring insert to stabilize the bar, at least he offers that option. I just was not pleased with the bright Callaham sound so I don't use them anymore.
I just put the bar spring in again and it was correct. I just didn't want to compress the spring too much at the risk of never getting it back out. I recommend getting a good 10-32 UNF internal tap if you plan on messing with blocks a lot. Just as long as you can get around eight full turns on you whammy bar past the top of the plate after the top bar thread is adjacent to the top plate, you're good to go. That will give the bar its max strength and reduce the risk of breaking it. My bar is now solid as a rock. I had to pretty much compress the spring completely to get eight full turns on the bar.
nice build!
Are you not using the high wood saddles anymore?
I still have them on all of my other Strats but since I was getting a new tremolo, I thought I would give them a try for a while to see if I need to switch to Highwoods. I have two sets of Highwoods ready to go. But, these saddles are the the most vintage correct saddles I have ever found and they are really great. I will maybe eventually switch but they are staying for now. I do know that the Highwoods will always help keep my guitar in tune on heavy whammy use so I am holding back a little on this Strat with the whammy but it does stay in decent tune so there is no need to switch. I do have to try to get some grease on the saddle tops. That is what is so nice about the Highwood groove, that it holds Teflon grease.
@@millstapTeflon grease on saddles helps tuning using whammy?
@@Rainydaydreamaway7 Definitely. It works better on the Highwoods because the groove give a little spot for the grease to sit and not get wiped off by your hand. I found this clear, food grade Teflon grease and a tube will last forever. It is great. I bought it five years ago and still have enough for at least another five years. a.co/d/aVuihnX
Nice video. Check moringa powder for arthritis, it helped me a lot.
I may have to give it a try. It doesn't say much about helping arthritis. How did it benefit you? I went to the hand doctor about 6 months ago. He said it was Uncle Arthur (Arthritis). My little finger joint is the worse with my thumb base joint a close second. That little finger joint is stiff and swollen all the time now.
@@millstap In the past year, I went to several doctors, no one helped me. Then I changed my diet, I eat plant-based food now. And I happened to come across yt channel "Big Family Homestead", and that's where I heard about moringa. I immediately ordered moringa powder, and within a week I was much better, now I have almost no complaints.
@@millstap www.youtube.com/@Bigfamilyhomestead
I think the Moringa may actually be helping. Been taking it for two weeks now.
@@millstap I'm glad to hear that. I use it every day, and I really feel much better. I would recommend it to anyone with arthritis.
Hope you like the Musikraft 10/56 neck. I got one thinking it was going to be the same as the one I had on my custom shop nocaster and it was nothing like it at all. Either they made a mistake with my order or they should not be calling it the 10/56. Straight up V neck. The custom shop 10/56 is a very soft V which gradually morphs into a C starting around the 5 fret.
I hope it is a soft V because that is what the profile on their website shows. I’ll complain to Scott if it isn’t. But I don’t think the profile shows going to a C. Were your measurements 88 99?
I guess it is supposed to go more to a C at the body. I got the .88 .99 because of the beefiness at the nut which is like my vintage Strat. How long ago did you get your neck? I did notice that it looked like they had changed some of their profile names to MK names and such. Hopefully they didn't mix up the profile descriptions on their website. I used the "?" button next to the profile drop-down to get the profile shapes. But, when you go to their "learn more/profile" page they don't have all of the profiles there. The 57 Soft V .85 .99 looks nice too.
Correct the CS 10/56 I had was a very soft v @ the 1st and a C at the body. I paid extra to get .93 / .1 because I was trying to replicate the CS Nocaster I regrettably sold. I made profile images by bending solder across the back of both the CS neck and the MK and they were totally different. The MK I got was definite V; the 10/56 was more like a C that tapers to a VERY soft V at the 1st fret. I can email the images to you if you want. I just looked at MK's profile image and the one I got looked nothing like that, so I'm thinking maybe they just made a mistake and I should have complained. But it was a very nice neck and I've ordered many more after that, just not that profile. Now I regret posting my earlier comment and potentially making you worry about what you're going to get. Hopefully yours is going to be just like their diagram and if it is, I may be inclined to order one again myself. I will look forward to seeing how things turn out.
@@davidb0064 Yeah, Scott at Musikraft has been a great help. I did just double check with him on the profiles because they do change them occasionally, at least the names. When did you receive the Musikraft neck with the incorrect V? I'm wondering if it was recently or years past. Their website can be confusing because they have several different profile sheets and they also have one on .pdf that they can email you. I need to go find that .pdf just to see if that hard V 10/56 is on there. I've bee really happy with my AYS 84 97 (SRV) profiles which they now call the SRV 84 97. I bought four of those and wanted to try something different.
@@davidb0064 I did find the .pdf profile sheet. It appears this sheet was from 2016. The 10/56 was in the "Other" category and was a 10/56 LG V .88 .98. Scott just sent me the current profile sheet and it is completely different. He said, "we have been going by the actual Fender Custom Shop 10/56 dimensions and shape, and it should be a soft V." The 10/56 I got is under their Fender Custom Shop Profiles By Musikraft. I asked him what the "LG" stood for but haven't heard back yet.