Vintage Improved Titanium Stratocaster Tremolo
What’s the absolute BEST tremolo you can install on a factory Strat with just a screwdriver? Something that doesn’t alter the original guitar in any way? That’s the question we started with for our Vintage Improved Stratocaster Trem design process. We wanted to fix as many of the old flaws as possible but still retain that classic sound. These are complete kits machined by RockRabbit in-house from titanium- saddles, tops, trem block, whammy bar, and our special Candycane claw. The stainless screws and springs are USA sourced.
Offset String Break Angles
Leo’s original idea was brilliantly simple, but some pieces were maybe hindered by what he could make back in the 1950’s. One thing we wanted to address was the break angle of the G string. Sometimes it can sound a bit more ‘dead’ because the straight in-line through hole placement can make for a sharp break angle. So, we’ve offset that string plus the low E string. What would have been extra work on a manual Bridgeport is easy peasy with a CNC mill.
Titanium Knife Edge Pivot
Given the fact that we’re stuck with 6 screw mounting holes (and we’re not drilling for posts), those middle screws really aren’t needed. Most guitar techs leave those super loose so they don’t bind up the trem action. So, we’ve omitted those two and machined a nice knife edge. And if you look closely at the titanium top plate, you’ll see that we smoothly relieve the area around the screw head so the Vintage Improved Strat Trem rocks against the screw shank and not against the screw head.
Elliptical Titanium Saddles
Music is natural. What aren’t found in nature are straight lines or perfect circles. That’s why we designed our Titanium Strat saddles to curve the strings along an elliptical path. (Sound originating at one focus reflects off the edge of the ellipse and passes directly through the other focus, a principle used in whispering galleries.) We start with a block of Grade 38 ballistic Titanium and carve them on our CNC mill. The internal threads run the whole height, so there is a much more solid support for the set screws than a bent design. Sure, it’s much more labor and machine intensive, but we’re striving for the best here.
Titanium Tremolo Block
Our Grade 5 Titanium blocks weight in at 5.30oz and are made with integral Delrin whammy bar bushings. These are a couple of ounces lighter than a solid steel block, but with the hardness closer to a tool steel alloy. The tone is crisp with excellent harmonics. We’ve built Basic Bitch® guitars with our Vintage Improved Titanium trems that are fat and bluesy, not twangy AT ALL!
Bullet Features
- Titanium for clarity, harmonics and sustain!
- Trem total weight w/ Titanium block- 7.4oz
- Made in USA by RockRabbit from American aerospace-grade materials
Made in Indiana, not Indonesia
Why buy RockRabbit?
RockRabbit Guitars proudly crafts Basic Bitch guitars along with the best guitar hardware for musicians, boutique guitar builders and OEMs. Using American aircraft-grade materials, we machine premium guitar parts like titanium bridges and saddles, neck, and control plates that are ergonomically designed for maximum tone and playability.
It started in Valparaiso, Indiana in 2014 with the idea that America used to build things. Things that people actually wanted because they were smartly designed and built by craftsmen who cared. The past isn’t coming back, but RockRabbit believes that it can use all the technology available to make ‘Made in America’ viable in a global market. We are honored to have shipped American guitars and custom hardware to guitarists and builders in over 30 countries.
