@@JWEmbry-wc7qi Thats awesome dude. I've been looking at getting a set for awhile. I really belive the trem on a strat can dictate the feel of a strat and its pretty important to me. I'll have to get a set! Thanks for the reply!
To characterise the spring constant (stiffness) of springs you need to measure tension and stretched length for at least 2 lengths, but ideally 3 lengths or more. Then plot tension against length - the slope is the stiffness. Doing it at just one point isn't enough. Then because spring constants are additive, you will know what the total stiffness of various numbers of springs will be when installed - just add the measured stiffnesses.
Interesting. What if I hook all five springs together and stretch them the distance they would normally stretch with the full movement of the tremolo block plus whatever tension is applied by the strings. It doesn't make a lot of difference though. The point is mainly that most current aftermarket springs are a lot tighter than vintage springs and that is why it is so difficult to dive bomb with five tight springs. And breaking the bar is much easier with tight springs. Just put on the Raw Vintage springs and be done with it. Nico decided to go with the RV springs and forgo getting two more CP springs.
well I guess I gotta give vintage frets another chance. I had written them off. Always a pleasure Stan, thanks for taking the time to share your knowledge, I always learn something new
The vintage frets are to die for. I'm serious. They are so precise and fast, with a clean attack. Maybe the vintage Fender nickel frets weren't that great because they wore out so quickly and then they were very difficult to play. The SS frets fix that whole problem.
Also, with the very small string to fret contact area, the bends are much faster than trying to fight the flatter crown of a jumbo fret, especially in nickel when they start to flatten out.
Thanks for the video !! I agree that the raw vintage are great in term of stiffness and overall ease of playing… Well in the end I ended up choosing the fender vintage cause I made a large Blackmore-like trem arm, but if you’re looking for the sound of a great classic strat the raw vintage are pretty much spot on
I don't have a Fender Strat, but I have 3 LTD/ESP Strats. I've never looked at these parts as an individual before since I started watching your channel. Now I need to get 3 sets of Highwood saddles and some other parts. I do love the brass trem blocks I have in mine. Happy new year!
Yeah, I know I've probably cost a lot of people money, but every time I think I have a Strat sounding as good as it can, I somehow find a way to improve it, even the vintage ones. I was shocked how much difference the new Musikraft neck made. Be sure to order the correct size on the Highwoods. People tend to order the 11.2mm when the 10.8mm are the best fit. czcams.com/video/J5qItTWP2TY/video.html
Also, it looks like the LTD guitars are pretty modern so be sure the Highwoods are for your guitar. They are mainly made for Strats. But, try a new steel block if you can find one that fits your guitar. My vintage 1964 Strat came with a brass block and it didn't sound that good. It was very dark sounding. It really is all in the sound you are aiming for that matters though.
@@millstap Thank you sir! I like the brass blocks myself. It warms up the tone in what I play. Which is usually heavier than most Strat players. A friend of mine has a Stone Tone granite stone block he is about to put in one of his Strat copies. Curious how that will sound when he gets it in? For me, I like the sustain and warmer feeling the brass gives to my playing.
I know many people would scoff at a $20 set of Raw Vintage springs however I found both the sound and feel of the trem clearly better and absolutely worth $20. Kind of unbelievable really. Also, I have 2 Musickraft necks and they are amazing. 42 years of pretty serious playing here if that matters, I've had lots of guitars over that time to compare.
$26 seems like nothing for the improvement you get from RV springs. The two Musikraft necks I just bought made all the difference in the world to my Strats. I even put one on my 1964 Strat and it is much better than the vintage neck.
Happy new year! I recommend the Raw Vintage and Fender Pure Vintage springs if you’re on a budget. Those Raw Vintage springs aren’t cheap. I haven’t been too impressed with the Crazyparts Gibson parts. They seem to focus more on “Vintage” marketing than rebranding correct parts. I don’t care what they say, They do not make their own stuff. I have been very impressed with the Klein Strat and Tele/Broadcaster pickups. I can’t stand a reverse wound middle pickup. They’re about the only place you can buy a set off the shelf without one now. They sound better to me than the Josefina wound pickups in my Custom Shop Strats. Niko should look at the Klein website, they have ‘69 specific pickups. I would die for a set of Abby early 60’s Strat pickups!
I forgot about Klein. I had looked at them years ago. For starters, Nico is going with a set of Rumpelstiltskin Gypsys, left-handed reverse vintage stagger, non-RWRP. That is one thing about getting custom pickups, you get what you want and what is vintage correct. I'm sure he will eventually try others. He initially was thinking of the Custom Shop '69's but they all have the same impedance which can't be vintage correct. The Gypsys are 5.6K (N), 5.6K (M) 6.1K (B). The '69's are all 5.6K. My 1964 is 5.28K N, 5.98K M, and 6.34K B. On Crazy Parts, I sent them an email asking which year springs they copied. I haven't received a reply yet. The inconsistent tension between springs was a little disappointing. I know the Raw Vintage springs are all the same always.
Haha, I am looking at building a partscastor 63' strat later this year and was just wondering about crazy parts vs raw vintage springs! Great timing! Great video! One thing on that, I'm a little anxious going to the 7.25" radius board. I hear SRV's guitars ended up being 10" with the frets and his #1 was 12". But then Jimi played 7.25. Any thoughts on that? I kinda feel like it might actually be easy bending on 7.25 because the fretboard pushing up with your finger. I haven't had the chance to spend alot of time with one of them so I'm not sure. Also how is your new Musikraft neck compared to the original? Im thinking of using them. Probably not the lefty neck headstock because I have a big SRV influence but will use mapple and rosewood slab or maybe veener and SRV profile. Thanks dude!
I went with the compound radius, 7-1/4" to 9-1/2" and love it. I don't have any issues of fret outs or choking of the notes on big bends. I almost went with straight 7-1/4" on the second neck but decided to stick with the compound. I love it. I couldn't be happier with Musikraft's quality. I also recommend the roasted maple but it will crack easier if you are not careful with the mounting screw hole's size. You can barely feel any difference, if any, up and down the neck. It is the best neck I have played. And I copied my 1964 neck and they got it pretty much exact and it was the AYS 84 97 (SRV) profile. Get the specs in the descriptions of my two Musikraft neck videos.
@@millstap Do you recken there is any difference is the ease of bending with the 9" radius compared to a 7.25 straight? Assuming both guitars are properly setup and don't fret out or anything. Thanks!
I have not because I haven't seen a good reason to do it yet. I'm reluctant to change something that is working but I know it is just a simple experiment that is easily reversible. Plus, I haven't seen anyone else doing that. I think I would do it if I saw a pro using that method. I would certainly try it. What is the effect?
@@millstap I saw it in some video of a pro guitarist, dont remember the name :/ If you angle the spring claw, all the spring ring out at a different pitch, so for the low E for example the spring rings higher than for the high E To kind of get High end in the low register and low end in the High register I guess
@@ABCDEF-ks5op Interesting. Yes, I've seen that pro. I think it was more of a way to stay in tune, especially on up bends with the trem. He would pull up to get a perfect 1/2 or whole step. Same guy? This goes along with my theory that the spring pitch has an affect on the sound of the strings. The springs really are somewhat like big wound strings without a core. The higher the tension the higher the pitch, the larger the diameter, the lower the pitch in relation to the tension. What I mean is, if you have two springs with the same tension but one has a larger OD spring, the larger OD will have a lower pitch even at the same tension. Everything has an affect on the final sound of every guitar.
Yes, I think of them as a built-in reverb. They definitely give the Strat its characteristic sound. They should be vintage correct and of the correct pitch. Without a big selection of vintage springs to experiment with, I have to wonder what the different pitches are and how they affect the overall sound.
@@millstap I also wonder since there are springs already there wouldn't it be cool to have some kind of small signal and tiny speaker to make lush reverbs in quiet settings, I've written my best riffs late at night when everyone is sleeping it would be cool to have a quiet lush reverb
today i went back and forth with CP and RV springs. i try really hard to like RV springs but nope. The CP springs sounds way better. The RV does feels better and smoother. But they also sounds brighter and plinkier. CP springs sounds warmer and woodier on my guitar. I use 3 springs for the CP. And tend to use 4 springs for the RV springs.
That's good to know. I just ordered a full Mark Foley tremolo bridge complete with springs. We'll have to see how they measure up. I still think they both get the parts from the same place but I'm not positive. I'm getting the rough cut '50's style plate. The things that turned me off some for Crazy Parts was that they only give you three springs when the bridge is around $250. Since I always run five springs, I have to spend more just to get two more springs. The other thing was their spring tensions weren't consistent and that struck me as odd when all of the other springs I've used, including vintage, were consistent across all five springs. Plus, their customer service is lacking quite a bit and their website is tough to navigate. I was looking to get some of their 250K "VTV" pots to try. I'm not sure yet. I will be building a complete Partscaster very soon as soon as I receive all of the parts, body, neck, etc. I'll have to compare the MF spring with the RV springs as far as tone goes. But, if they are too tight, I will put on another set of RV for the soft tension that I need to keep from breaking whammy bars since I dive bomb a lot.
@@millstap i once ask MF if they got their parts from the same supplier and he replied “Yes”. Crazyparts = MF bridge. I’ve bought spring sets twice from Crazyparts and they are indeed inconsistence with their strength. As far as tone goes, i’ve compared 5vs5 with MF and CP. The CP do felt stiffer but, the tone was massive. Woodier. And the RV felt tinier and brighter. But they both perform good and got long sustain. I’ve always use one less spring with the CP springs. But they always sounds bigger than 5 RV springs. Good luck.
You may have to buy a batch of the springs....then sort out proper sets among the batch. I'm making a sheet metal brake and hence I'm working with some angle irons......and when I am done....I'll probably have some scrap pieces and a modern block I can set up for a fixture for all the springs......and a spare claw. Perhaps a lever system too as you might want to flex the springs in a few times for break in. Personally I use a floating bridge for the 50/50 so when I set the springs....its playing the spring set off the tension of the string tuning tension.....and I have been tuning down to "D".....where as a client tunes down to C sharp/B flat because of the Horn tuning when playing orchestral......as opposed to piano....but he strikes the tuning note via piano hahaha. Keep in mind as being the modern blocks.....its slightly tighter than the vintage width. So when I locate the 3 mounting holes for the screws. BUT if you feel the purist aspect....you might need to use a vintage type repro block......thinking that if you run the 5 springs and do the flex in and do the measurements ......with a lever involved.....you can pluck the springs for their tonal response on the Jig and at different stretches and the release and stretch aspects for the variance in tone response as they stretch and relax. With me running a Float....the relaxed aspect of the spring tone will be different than if you set up to be on the body for the Whammy. Would be interesting to tune their tone with the claw screws in the body in relationship to setting the action tension as it comes up off the body into spring tension.......as ONE would dial in the action. You should get a ballpark measurement on the 1964 strat for how much the springs do stretch in the body on maximum travel with the whammy...based on how you set the system for your thing.....if you float or how much you float.....or if you rest on the wood. I can't remember your action set up.....but it might be interesting to tune the springs if you have a chromatic tuner with the mic VS the string tuning you play in...as you set the action. Then figure the actual stretch in the body for full on whammy travel and the variance in the spring tone and how it would relate to a KEY and if its within the string tuning KEY getting whammy'd out while playing........since you touch on that with the feedback characteristics....complexed harmonics that are hiding by happenstance in the materials of the hardware as for consistency of materials.....Factoring out the WOOD for the moment and the coloration that Wood brings in the equation. AND ya, we measured out vintage pickups under 6K and more towards the 5K end sound better. I'm actually in a build myself and waiting for springs and saddles hahaha. I'll email you the vintage specs as this was a 1961/1962....1963ish parts caster but the PU set is all as a unit. It was an old refinish so no dates were left......and a 70's one piece block/bridge. The build is centered on trying to replicate this parts caster within reason but more based on vintage correct parts and not the full on parts caster as it is. I recently got a new meter for EMF readings and determination....and it has a Gauss function...so I'll be measuring magnets. Happy accident it had that feature.....checking fields....Tone Farmer. So in the near future I'll fabricate something for you here and send it.......
Never realized trem springs did that much of a difference. I guess I'll have to give em a try. On an unrelated note I'm gonna pick your brain again Stan, hope you don't mind. What's the most Jimi-like sounding wah you've ever tried? I'm guessing whichever one currently on your pedal board? Lol
I did see this question earlier. That is a tough one. The best sounding wah I've heard is the real deal vintage Vox one that Nik Sevigny uses. But, there seems to be two camps of wah sounds, the one like Nik's and then the one I use which is an older Area 51 drop-in kit and I recently replaced the worn out pot with the old Allen Bradley long life pot that came in my old '80's Cry Baby. That is a great combination but you can't find those pots anymore. The original pots are key. I've heard good things about the Chase Tone pots and may try one soon. But, you just have to search and search until you find the magic one. It's not an easy search so I try to make what I have work as best as it can. Vintage wahs are probably going to have worn out pots. So get an old one and maybe try the Chase Tone pot if it needs a new pot. I've heard Rick Weaver rave about the Venus Witch Effects wahs too.
@millstap Thanks! Interesting information. I'm heading to the music store soon, will go through all the wahs they have. If I don't find one I like guess I'll go down the ol' rabbit hole lol I don't think I'd be able to shell out for a real vintage Vox though. I'm subbed to Nik's channel as well. He has some great content too The tee looks great on you btw!
@@N0thingIsTrue Yeah, Nik seems to be a wah specialist. I would contact him to see if he has any recommendations. He usually has a few wahs laying around or knows where to get good ones.
What is the reason for 5 springs as opposed to 3 springs? My G&L Legacy Special has 3 springs and works perfectly for the DFV. I replaced a lower end stratocaster with a new 6 point trem and i installed 3 springs on it. I have not been able to keep it in tune with that trem. You think 5 springs would help it? Seems to me it would make it super stiff almost unusable? My G&L DFV is as smooth as silk and never goes out of tune under heavy use. Any ideas??👋
It really is all about what sound you are looking for. The G&L's always sounded too refined to me which they are when compared to the raw sound of the original Strat. Strat purists are always going to use a vintage style Strat to get the raw sound that Jimi and Stevie did. Leo was a genius but I honestly think he took the G&L design a little too far. Great guitars but not my cup of tea. Which brand 6 point trem did you buy for your lower end Strat? If you are going to try 5 springs, then the Raw Vintage springs are your best option tension wise. They will not be stiff at all. They have the least tension out of all of the brands. But, keeping it in tune is a whole other issue. It is most likely the strings getting hung up on the saddles. You would probably get more bang for your buck by first installing the Highwood Contoured Vintage saddles and using Super Lube or other non-staining Teflon grease in the string grooves. I would still also install the 5 RV springs as the next step. Here are some videos that should help. The trem setup is critical and has to be precise. And a floating trem will stay in tune better than a decked trem. I use the Fender setup specifications but I only float mine about 4/64" above the body. I think they recommend 1/8" which is way too much IMO. czcams.com/video/qLRG1FUu8Dk/video.html, czcams.com/video/3tbCjbdNfmM/video.html, czcams.com/video/Wh7Qj7qpkiA/video.html, czcams.com/video/qL5u7PcHzyM/video.html, czcams.com/video/WbpidZoXQZk/video.html. I switched to this lube which is great stuff and cheap, a.co/d/hqlLY4F.
It depends on what type of block is on yours. Can you send a couple of photos of the block and the top of the saddles to millstaps_jimiisms on Instagram?
I don’t think spring tension is going to affect feedback much, if noticeable at all. I do own the krazy parts trem though, and I do have to say that the tension is lower than the stock springs, which makes it hard to bend notes without open strings going out of tune a few cents, which really bothers me. Can’t screw them in far enough!
I would certainly try a set of the Raw Vintage springs. That is what Nico decided to do. I use them on three out of four of my Strats and love them. I don't have a tuning issue when bending strings. I even put them on my CAR Strat since they were a mixed matched set when I got it. It a 1966 with a 1962 neck. I'm not sure what year the three vintage springs were but I think they may be 1966 too. It is interesting that springs are a lot like strings as far as pitch goes. The higher tension has a higher pitch and the coil OD is somewhat like the winding on a wound string. I think the larger spring OD has a lower pitch like the CP springs. Everything to me makes a difference in the way a Strat sounds. I should try a set of RV springs on my 1964 Strat since the RV springs do have a lower pitch (lower tension) to see if I notice a difference in feedback. That would be a good experiment. I get lots of feedback with my Tweed Bassman and Rainbow Fuzz from Sabbadius.
What do you think of the overall tone of the CP tremolo with the supposed vintage correct specs? They are about the only decent one we could find in a left handed version.
@@millstap I love the tremolo. The saddles are really nicely tooled, seem to be the correct nickel plated steel, and they have less of the issue of “action drop” than import or Mexico saddles due to tighter tolerances, although a few of mine still had the issue. I bought another set of saddles and height screws just to make sure I’d have a nice set that stayed put. I think they’re kind of overpriced, but honestly, you get what you pay for. Oh as for tone, I can’t really comment because I’ve never played a vintage strat before. But, I will say it’s the best 300 dollars I’ve spent on this strat. I think it sounds like the real deal. And intonation improved dramatically
They’re super expensive, but they’re well worth it in my opinion. The only issue is the springs do resonate at a lower frequency, and you CAN hear it unplugged… so I suppose I retract my statement earlier about affecting feedback. Everything makes a difference. I do like the lower tension, but it affects string on string bends and tuning. I guess you can’t have it all on strat
Sorry I just saw your first reply now lol. What I meant by tuning issue was like when you bend a note and hit an open string the open string goes out of tune
The official Fender parts? The ones labeled "vintage" are okay but like the vintage ones. I'm not sure why they cannot duplicate them. I has to do with the steel recipes of today. A lot of environmental restrictions. I would stick with either Crazy Parts or Mark Foley for vintage correct parts even though I really wasn't that impressed with the CP springs. I have not tried them on a guitar yet and since I only have three of them, I probably never will. You can't go wrong with the RV springs. And I love the Highwood Vintage Contoured saddles but they are little bit of a design change with a groove but they are fantastic. The groove keeps you from cutting grooves all over the tops of the vintage style saddles. I think the CP saddles should be good. I have never tried them but we will have them on left handed partscaster that won't be ready until the end of April. They are labeled Pat. Pend. Fender too so they look authentic and I think the steel is more vintage correct. The CP and MF blocks are expensive but they are very vintage accurate.
@@dudicoco Some people speculate that they are the same since the CP blocks are also made in England. They may be made at the same foundry but I am not sure they are made with the same recipe. Either way, you can't go wrong with either one. I would love to take off the CP block and weigh it so I can compare it to the MF blocks that I did videos on. I will have to ask Nico if he will allow me to remove it for that purpose.
Do u have a floating or decked tremolo? If you have a decked tremolo - move the bass side screw looser than the treble side in your spring claw. Bend a B string note around the middle of the neck or 12th fret or so before and after the screw change. Adjust the screw at least 3 turns off btw. Do this and you will see what the fuss is about. Not just reasonance which is subjective but the actual feel difference. It makes no sense tho. With them decked, in theory the tension should not only be equal across all the strings but should be the same no matter how much you adjust the springs. But if you do this you will see that there is a difference and fall down the rabbit hole that all of us have. Have fun.
Lol. I'm sure you've seen the debate on how many springs Stratist use on their trems. All kinds of configurations, positions 1,3, & 5 straight to the claw, 1,3, & 5 to the center of the claw, 2 springs, 4 springs and on and on. My argument is that 5 springs always sounds better due to the extra mass connecting the trem block to the claw and then the body. That is part of the beauty of the Strat sound and it has to be floating to sound more Stratish. If 5 springs were best for Jimi and Stevie, then I trust their judgment. But, when you use 5 modern extra stiff springs, you can hardly dive bomb your trem without risking breaking the whammy bar. Just put on 5 Raw Vintage springs and be done with it. We were curious about the Crazy Parts springs but because of their inconsistency in tension, I recommend sticking with the RV springs. It would be better if you could get 5 CP springs all with the same tension. They may sound great but I'm not sure their shorter length makes them vintage correct. I will email them to see which vintage springs they tried to copy.
@@crazyguy4974 yeah, all my strats are decked, PS, i fell down the rabbit hole years ago, when i finally made it back to the surface i realized my starting tone was better then what i ended with, Then i spent another year buying the original equipment back. what a trip that was.
@@millstap I go by the same thought ,If it worked for Jimi & Stevie its good enough for me. luckily i have a box full of 1960s springs in my parts bin aside from what's on the guitar now. like i said in my other comment i have the bridge decked with 5 springs. i find once i start messing with a bunch of stuff i don't play my guitar its like an amp with to many knobs, Your always spinning em rather then playing.
@@gatormcklusky5850 It would be really interesting to get the tensions on that box of springs. I was actually going to ask my collector friend if he could spare a few for me to measure so we could get a range. Believe me, we, or at least myself, never fool with this stuff because I've got it dialed in but for someone like my friend in Argentina, he is trying to come up with the best partscaster possible and is on the hunt for vintage correct parts. There is a lot of junk out there available now. I was shocked when my new Musikraft neck improved my 1964 Strat substantially. It was getting back to the vintage size Fender frets that was key. So, I feel if you get the right parts, you can put together a Strat that will far outperform anything even the Fender Custom Shop is putting out. That's why I rarely put out any videos because I'm having too much fun playing and don't want to bother with recording.
Good video as usual brother; I've been using the raw vintage springs for years and I LOVE them!!
Do you think they are actually easer to play?
@@crazyguy4974 For me, they make the trem much easier to operate and feels exactly the way I want it to work.
@@JWEmbry-wc7qi Thats awesome dude. I've been looking at getting a set for awhile. I really belive the trem on a strat can dictate the feel of a strat and its pretty important to me. I'll have to get a set!
Thanks for the reply!
To characterise the spring constant (stiffness) of springs you need to measure tension and stretched length for at least 2 lengths, but ideally 3 lengths or more. Then plot tension against length - the slope is the stiffness. Doing it at just one point isn't enough. Then because spring constants are additive, you will know what the total stiffness of various numbers of springs will be when installed - just add the measured stiffnesses.
Interesting. What if I hook all five springs together and stretch them the distance they would normally stretch with the full movement of the tremolo block plus whatever tension is applied by the strings. It doesn't make a lot of difference though. The point is mainly that most current aftermarket springs are a lot tighter than vintage springs and that is why it is so difficult to dive bomb with five tight springs. And breaking the bar is much easier with tight springs. Just put on the Raw Vintage springs and be done with it. Nico decided to go with the RV springs and forgo getting two more CP springs.
well I guess I gotta give vintage frets another chance. I had written them off. Always a pleasure Stan, thanks for taking the time to share your knowledge, I always learn something new
The vintage frets are to die for. I'm serious. They are so precise and fast, with a clean attack. Maybe the vintage Fender nickel frets weren't that great because they wore out so quickly and then they were very difficult to play. The SS frets fix that whole problem.
Also, with the very small string to fret contact area, the bends are much faster than trying to fight the flatter crown of a jumbo fret, especially in nickel when they start to flatten out.
I trust all what you said!!! Let´s go with the RAW Vintage springs my friend!
I will. They are very consistent.
Thanks for the video !! I agree that the raw vintage are great in term of stiffness and overall ease of playing… Well in the end I ended up choosing the fender vintage cause I made a large Blackmore-like trem arm, but if you’re looking for the sound of a great classic strat the raw vintage are pretty much spot on
I don't have a Fender Strat, but I have 3 LTD/ESP Strats. I've never looked at these parts as an individual before since I started watching your channel.
Now I need to get 3 sets of Highwood saddles and some other parts. I do love the brass trem blocks I have in mine.
Happy new year!
Yeah, I know I've probably cost a lot of people money, but every time I think I have a Strat sounding as good as it can, I somehow find a way to improve it, even the vintage ones. I was shocked how much difference the new Musikraft neck made. Be sure to order the correct size on the Highwoods. People tend to order the 11.2mm when the 10.8mm are the best fit. czcams.com/video/J5qItTWP2TY/video.html
Also, it looks like the LTD guitars are pretty modern so be sure the Highwoods are for your guitar. They are mainly made for Strats. But, try a new steel block if you can find one that fits your guitar. My vintage 1964 Strat came with a brass block and it didn't sound that good. It was very dark sounding. It really is all in the sound you are aiming for that matters though.
@@millstap Thank you sir! I like the brass blocks myself. It warms up the tone in what I play. Which is usually heavier than most Strat players. A friend of mine has a Stone Tone granite stone block he is about to put in one of his Strat copies. Curious how that will sound when he gets it in? For me, I like the sustain and warmer feeling the brass gives to my playing.
FIRE Hendrix shirt! lol
Thanks for more awesome content! 🙏
I know many people would scoff at a $20 set of Raw Vintage springs however I found both the sound and feel of the trem clearly better and absolutely worth $20. Kind of unbelievable really.
Also, I have 2 Musickraft necks and they are amazing. 42 years of pretty serious playing here if that matters, I've had lots of guitars over that time to compare.
$26 seems like nothing for the improvement you get from RV springs. The two Musikraft necks I just bought made all the difference in the world to my Strats. I even put one on my 1964 Strat and it is much better than the vintage neck.
Happy new year!
I recommend the Raw Vintage and Fender Pure Vintage springs if you’re on a budget. Those Raw Vintage springs aren’t cheap.
I haven’t been too impressed with the Crazyparts Gibson parts. They seem to focus more on “Vintage” marketing than rebranding correct parts. I don’t care what they say, They do not make their own stuff.
I have been very impressed with the Klein Strat and Tele/Broadcaster pickups. I can’t stand a reverse wound middle pickup. They’re about the only place you can buy a set off the shelf without one now. They sound better to me than the Josefina wound pickups in my Custom Shop Strats. Niko should look at the Klein website, they have ‘69 specific pickups.
I would die for a set of Abby early 60’s Strat pickups!
I forgot about Klein. I had looked at them years ago. For starters, Nico is going with a set of Rumpelstiltskin Gypsys, left-handed reverse vintage stagger, non-RWRP. That is one thing about getting custom pickups, you get what you want and what is vintage correct. I'm sure he will eventually try others. He initially was thinking of the Custom Shop '69's but they all have the same impedance which can't be vintage correct. The Gypsys are 5.6K (N), 5.6K (M) 6.1K (B). The '69's are all 5.6K. My 1964 is 5.28K N, 5.98K M, and 6.34K B. On Crazy Parts, I sent them an email asking which year springs they copied. I haven't received a reply yet. The inconsistent tension between springs was a little disappointing. I know the Raw Vintage springs are all the same always.
Haha, I am looking at building a partscastor 63' strat later this year and was just wondering about crazy parts vs raw vintage springs! Great timing! Great video!
One thing on that, I'm a little anxious going to the 7.25" radius board. I hear SRV's guitars ended up being 10" with the frets and his #1 was 12". But then Jimi played 7.25. Any thoughts on that?
I kinda feel like it might actually be easy bending on 7.25 because the fretboard pushing up with your finger. I haven't had the chance to spend alot of time with one of them so I'm not sure.
Also how is your new Musikraft neck compared to the original? Im thinking of using them. Probably not the lefty neck headstock because I have a big SRV influence but will use mapple and rosewood slab or maybe veener and SRV profile.
Thanks dude!
I went with the compound radius, 7-1/4" to 9-1/2" and love it. I don't have any issues of fret outs or choking of the notes on big bends. I almost went with straight 7-1/4" on the second neck but decided to stick with the compound. I love it. I couldn't be happier with Musikraft's quality. I also recommend the roasted maple but it will crack easier if you are not careful with the mounting screw hole's size. You can barely feel any difference, if any, up and down the neck. It is the best neck I have played. And I copied my 1964 neck and they got it pretty much exact and it was the AYS 84 97 (SRV) profile. Get the specs in the descriptions of my two Musikraft neck videos.
@@millstap Do you recken there is any difference is the ease of bending with the 9" radius compared to a 7.25 straight? Assuming both guitars are properly setup and don't fret out or anything.
Thanks!
@@crazyguy4974 I think the 9-1/2" radius is easier to bend on and is probably why Fender settled on that radius for most of the newer Strats.
@@millstap Awsome thanks for the reply!
Great Video, I use 5 Raw Vintage they sound ace.
Have you ever tried screwing in the spring claw at an angle (further in at the bass string side) ?
I have not because I haven't seen a good reason to do it yet. I'm reluctant to change something that is working but I know it is just a simple experiment that is easily reversible. Plus, I haven't seen anyone else doing that. I think I would do it if I saw a pro using that method. I would certainly try it. What is the effect?
@@millstap I saw it in some video of a pro guitarist, dont remember the name :/
If you angle the spring claw, all the spring ring out at a different pitch, so for the low E for example the spring rings higher than for the high E
To kind of get High end in the low register and low end in the High register I guess
@@ABCDEF-ks5op Interesting. Yes, I've seen that pro. I think it was more of a way to stay in tune, especially on up bends with the trem. He would pull up to get a perfect 1/2 or whole step. Same guy? This goes along with my theory that the spring pitch has an affect on the sound of the strings. The springs really are somewhat like big wound strings without a core. The higher the tension the higher the pitch, the larger the diameter, the lower the pitch in relation to the tension. What I mean is, if you have two springs with the same tension but one has a larger OD spring, the larger OD will have a lower pitch even at the same tension. Everything has an affect on the final sound of every guitar.
@@ABCDEF-ks5op Is this the pro? czcams.com/video/Iy-F7iSIopA/video.html
raw vintage sounds great in my modern strat play without an amp they really ring out almost like a bit of spring reverb
Yes, I think of them as a built-in reverb. They definitely give the Strat its characteristic sound. They should be vintage correct and of the correct pitch. Without a big selection of vintage springs to experiment with, I have to wonder what the different pitches are and how they affect the overall sound.
@@millstap I also wonder since there are springs already there wouldn't it be cool to have some kind of small signal and tiny speaker to make lush reverbs in quiet settings, I've written my best riffs late at night when everyone is sleeping it would be cool to have a quiet lush reverb
I put Raw Vintage springs in my Strat and would never go back! Truly great.
today i went back and forth with CP and RV springs. i try really hard to like RV springs but nope. The CP springs sounds way better. The RV does feels better and smoother. But they also sounds brighter and plinkier. CP springs sounds warmer and woodier on my guitar. I use 3 springs for the CP. And tend to use 4 springs for the RV springs.
That's good to know. I just ordered a full Mark Foley tremolo bridge complete with springs. We'll have to see how they measure up. I still think they both get the parts from the same place but I'm not positive. I'm getting the rough cut '50's style plate. The things that turned me off some for Crazy Parts was that they only give you three springs when the bridge is around $250. Since I always run five springs, I have to spend more just to get two more springs. The other thing was their spring tensions weren't consistent and that struck me as odd when all of the other springs I've used, including vintage, were consistent across all five springs. Plus, their customer service is lacking quite a bit and their website is tough to navigate. I was looking to get some of their 250K "VTV" pots to try. I'm not sure yet. I will be building a complete Partscaster very soon as soon as I receive all of the parts, body, neck, etc. I'll have to compare the MF spring with the RV springs as far as tone goes. But, if they are too tight, I will put on another set of RV for the soft tension that I need to keep from breaking whammy bars since I dive bomb a lot.
@@millstap i once ask MF if they got their parts from the same supplier and he replied “Yes”. Crazyparts = MF bridge. I’ve bought spring sets twice from Crazyparts and they are indeed inconsistence with their strength.
As far as tone goes, i’ve compared 5vs5 with MF and CP. The CP do felt stiffer but, the tone was massive. Woodier. And the RV felt tinier and brighter. But they both perform good and got long sustain.
I’ve always use one less spring with the CP springs. But they always sounds bigger than 5 RV springs. Good luck.
You may have to buy a batch of the springs....then sort out proper sets among the batch. I'm making a sheet metal brake and hence I'm working with some angle irons......and when I am done....I'll probably have some scrap pieces and a modern block I can set up for a fixture for all the springs......and a spare claw. Perhaps a lever system too as you might want to flex the springs in a few times for break in. Personally I use a floating bridge for the 50/50 so when I set the springs....its playing the spring set off the tension of the string tuning tension.....and I have been tuning down to "D".....where as a client tunes down to C sharp/B flat because of the Horn tuning when playing orchestral......as opposed to piano....but he strikes the tuning note via piano hahaha. Keep in mind as being the modern blocks.....its slightly tighter than the vintage width. So when I locate the 3 mounting holes for the screws. BUT if you feel the purist aspect....you might need to use a vintage type repro block......thinking that if you run the 5 springs and do the flex in and do the measurements ......with a lever involved.....you can pluck the springs for their tonal response on the Jig and at different stretches and the release and stretch aspects for the variance in tone response as they stretch and relax. With me running a Float....the relaxed aspect of the spring tone will be different than if you set up to be on the body for the Whammy. Would be interesting to tune their tone with the claw screws in the body in relationship to setting the action tension as it comes up off the body into spring tension.......as ONE would dial in the action. You should get a ballpark measurement on the 1964 strat for how much the springs do stretch in the body on maximum travel with the whammy...based on how you set the system for your thing.....if you float or how much you float.....or if you rest on the wood. I can't remember your action set up.....but it might be interesting to tune the springs if you have a chromatic tuner with the mic VS the string tuning you play in...as you set the action. Then figure the actual stretch in the body for full on whammy travel and the variance in the spring tone and how it would relate to a KEY and if its within the string tuning KEY getting whammy'd out while playing........since you touch on that with the feedback characteristics....complexed harmonics that are hiding by happenstance in the materials of the hardware as for consistency of materials.....Factoring out the WOOD for the moment and the coloration that Wood brings in the equation. AND ya, we measured out vintage pickups under 6K and more towards the 5K end sound better. I'm actually in a build myself and waiting for springs and saddles hahaha. I'll email you the vintage specs as this was a 1961/1962....1963ish parts caster but the PU set is all as a unit. It was an old refinish so no dates were left......and a 70's one piece block/bridge. The build is centered on trying to replicate this parts caster within reason but more based on vintage correct parts and not the full on parts caster as it is. I recently got a new meter for EMF readings and determination....and it has a Gauss function...so I'll be measuring magnets. Happy accident it had that feature.....checking fields....Tone Farmer. So in the near future I'll fabricate something for you here and send it.......
Never realized trem springs did that much of a difference. I guess I'll have to give em a try.
On an unrelated note I'm gonna pick your brain again Stan, hope you don't mind. What's the most Jimi-like sounding wah you've ever tried? I'm guessing whichever one currently on your pedal board? Lol
I did see this question earlier. That is a tough one. The best sounding wah I've heard is the real deal vintage Vox one that Nik Sevigny uses. But, there seems to be two camps of wah sounds, the one like Nik's and then the one I use which is an older Area 51 drop-in kit and I recently replaced the worn out pot with the old Allen Bradley long life pot that came in my old '80's Cry Baby. That is a great combination but you can't find those pots anymore. The original pots are key. I've heard good things about the Chase Tone pots and may try one soon. But, you just have to search and search until you find the magic one. It's not an easy search so I try to make what I have work as best as it can. Vintage wahs are probably going to have worn out pots. So get an old one and maybe try the Chase Tone pot if it needs a new pot. I've heard Rick Weaver rave about the Venus Witch Effects wahs too.
@millstap Thanks! Interesting information. I'm heading to the music store soon, will go through all the wahs they have. If I don't find one I like guess I'll go down the ol' rabbit hole lol I don't think I'd be able to shell out for a real vintage Vox though.
I'm subbed to Nik's channel as well. He has some great content too
The tee looks great on you btw!
@@N0thingIsTrue Yeah, Nik seems to be a wah specialist. I would contact him to see if he has any recommendations. He usually has a few wahs laying around or knows where to get good ones.
@@millstap Really appreciate the advice! Will do
What is the reason for 5 springs as opposed to 3 springs?
My G&L Legacy Special has 3 springs and works perfectly for the DFV.
I replaced a lower end stratocaster with a new 6 point trem and i installed 3 springs on it. I have not been able to keep it in tune with that trem.
You think 5 springs would help it?
Seems to me it would make it super stiff almost unusable?
My G&L DFV is as smooth as silk and never goes out of tune under heavy use.
Any ideas??👋
It really is all about what sound you are looking for. The G&L's always sounded too refined to me which they are when compared to the raw sound of the original Strat. Strat purists are always going to use a vintage style Strat to get the raw sound that Jimi and Stevie did. Leo was a genius but I honestly think he took the G&L design a little too far. Great guitars but not my cup of tea. Which brand 6 point trem did you buy for your lower end Strat? If you are going to try 5 springs, then the Raw Vintage springs are your best option tension wise. They will not be stiff at all. They have the least tension out of all of the brands. But, keeping it in tune is a whole other issue. It is most likely the strings getting hung up on the saddles. You would probably get more bang for your buck by first installing the Highwood Contoured Vintage saddles and using Super Lube or other non-staining Teflon grease in the string grooves. I would still also install the 5 RV springs as the next step. Here are some videos that should help. The trem setup is critical and has to be precise. And a floating trem will stay in tune better than a decked trem. I use the Fender setup specifications but I only float mine about 4/64" above the body. I think they recommend 1/8" which is way too much IMO. czcams.com/video/qLRG1FUu8Dk/video.html, czcams.com/video/3tbCjbdNfmM/video.html, czcams.com/video/Wh7Qj7qpkiA/video.html, czcams.com/video/qL5u7PcHzyM/video.html, czcams.com/video/WbpidZoXQZk/video.html. I switched to this lube which is great stuff and cheap, a.co/d/hqlLY4F.
@@millstap
Thank you for the information...👍
It might be that your spring claws are out of line.
Do you think replacing an entire bridge piece on a Mexican strat with an American would make much of a difference to your tone?
It depends on what type of block is on yours. Can you send a couple of photos of the block and the top of the saddles to millstaps_jimiisms on Instagram?
I don’t think spring tension is going to affect feedback much, if noticeable at all. I do own the krazy parts trem though, and I do have to say that the tension is lower than the stock springs, which makes it hard to bend notes without open strings going out of tune a few cents, which really bothers me. Can’t screw them in far enough!
I would certainly try a set of the Raw Vintage springs. That is what Nico decided to do. I use them on three out of four of my Strats and love them. I don't have a tuning issue when bending strings. I even put them on my CAR Strat since they were a mixed matched set when I got it. It a 1966 with a 1962 neck. I'm not sure what year the three vintage springs were but I think they may be 1966 too. It is interesting that springs are a lot like strings as far as pitch goes. The higher tension has a higher pitch and the coil OD is somewhat like the winding on a wound string. I think the larger spring OD has a lower pitch like the CP springs. Everything to me makes a difference in the way a Strat sounds. I should try a set of RV springs on my 1964 Strat since the RV springs do have a lower pitch (lower tension) to see if I notice a difference in feedback. That would be a good experiment. I get lots of feedback with my Tweed Bassman and Rainbow Fuzz from Sabbadius.
What do you think of the overall tone of the CP tremolo with the supposed vintage correct specs? They are about the only decent one we could find in a left handed version.
@@millstap I love the tremolo. The saddles are really nicely tooled, seem to be the correct nickel plated steel, and they have less of the issue of “action drop” than import or Mexico saddles due to tighter tolerances, although a few of mine still had the issue. I bought another set of saddles and height screws just to make sure I’d have a nice set that stayed put. I think they’re kind of overpriced, but honestly, you get what you pay for.
Oh as for tone, I can’t really comment because I’ve never played a vintage strat before. But, I will say it’s the best 300 dollars I’ve spent on this strat. I think it sounds like the real deal. And intonation improved dramatically
They’re super expensive, but they’re well worth it in my opinion. The only issue is the springs do resonate at a lower frequency, and you CAN hear it unplugged… so I suppose I retract my statement earlier about affecting feedback. Everything makes a difference. I do like the lower tension, but it affects string on string bends and tuning. I guess you can’t have it all on strat
Sorry I just saw your first reply now lol. What I meant by tuning issue was like when you bend a note and hit an open string the open string goes out of tune
This has nothing to do with this video but I know this is the place to ask, is there anyway I can convert a 2 point trem to a 6 point trem?
Yeah, if you fill the old hole with wood dowels and drill the 6 holes you need.
Any thoughts on the rest of the tremolo system? Is the block identical to the Mark Foley block? Are the saddles the same as vintage saddles?
The official Fender parts? The ones labeled "vintage" are okay but like the vintage ones. I'm not sure why they cannot duplicate them. I has to do with the steel recipes of today. A lot of environmental restrictions. I would stick with either Crazy Parts or Mark Foley for vintage correct parts even though I really wasn't that impressed with the CP springs. I have not tried them on a guitar yet and since I only have three of them, I probably never will. You can't go wrong with the RV springs. And I love the Highwood Vintage Contoured saddles but they are little bit of a design change with a groove but they are fantastic. The groove keeps you from cutting grooves all over the tops of the vintage style saddles. I think the CP saddles should be good. I have never tried them but we will have them on left handed partscaster that won't be ready until the end of April. They are labeled Pat. Pend. Fender too so they look authentic and I think the steel is more vintage correct. The CP and MF blocks are expensive but they are very vintage accurate.
@@millstap I was referring to the crazyparts tremolo system that's on the video, not official fender parts. So are the CP and MF block
Pressed send too early :)
So are the CP and MF block the same?
Thanks for the info
@@dudicoco Some people speculate that they are the same since the CP blocks are also made in England. They may be made at the same foundry but I am not sure they are made with the same recipe. Either way, you can't go wrong with either one. I would love to take off the CP block and weigh it so I can compare it to the MF blocks that I did videos on. I will have to ask Nico if he will allow me to remove it for that purpose.
all in good fun, I think the whole lot of you lost your minds😵🥴🤪
Do u have a floating or decked tremolo?
If you have a decked tremolo - move the bass side screw looser than the treble side in your spring claw. Bend a B string note around the middle of the neck or 12th fret or so before and after the screw change. Adjust the screw at least 3 turns off btw.
Do this and you will see what the fuss is about. Not just reasonance which is subjective but the actual feel difference.
It makes no sense tho. With them decked, in theory the tension should not only be equal across all the strings but should be the same no matter how much you adjust the springs. But if you do this you will see that there is a difference and fall down the rabbit hole that all of us have.
Have fun.
Lol. I'm sure you've seen the debate on how many springs Stratist use on their trems. All kinds of configurations, positions 1,3, & 5 straight to the claw, 1,3, & 5 to the center of the claw, 2 springs, 4 springs and on and on. My argument is that 5 springs always sounds better due to the extra mass connecting the trem block to the claw and then the body. That is part of the beauty of the Strat sound and it has to be floating to sound more Stratish. If 5 springs were best for Jimi and Stevie, then I trust their judgment. But, when you use 5 modern extra stiff springs, you can hardly dive bomb your trem without risking breaking the whammy bar. Just put on 5 Raw Vintage springs and be done with it. We were curious about the Crazy Parts springs but because of their inconsistency in tension, I recommend sticking with the RV springs. It would be better if you could get 5 CP springs all with the same tension. They may sound great but I'm not sure their shorter length makes them vintage correct. I will email them to see which vintage springs they tried to copy.
@@crazyguy4974 yeah, all my strats are decked, PS, i fell down the rabbit hole years ago, when i finally made it back to the surface i realized my starting tone was better then what i ended with, Then i spent another year buying the original equipment back. what a trip that was.
@@millstap I go by the same thought ,If it worked for Jimi & Stevie its good enough for me. luckily i have a box full of 1960s springs in my parts bin aside from what's on the guitar now. like i said in my other comment i have the bridge decked with 5 springs. i find once i start messing with a bunch of stuff i don't play my guitar its like an amp with to many knobs, Your always spinning em rather then playing.
@@gatormcklusky5850 It would be really interesting to get the tensions on that box of springs. I was actually going to ask my collector friend if he could spare a few for me to measure so we could get a range. Believe me, we, or at least myself, never fool with this stuff because I've got it dialed in but for someone like my friend in Argentina, he is trying to come up with the best partscaster possible and is on the hunt for vintage correct parts. There is a lot of junk out there available now. I was shocked when my new Musikraft neck improved my 1964 Strat substantially. It was getting back to the vintage size Fender frets that was key. So, I feel if you get the right parts, you can put together a Strat that will far outperform anything even the Fender Custom Shop is putting out. That's why I rarely put out any videos because I'm having too much fun playing and don't want to bother with recording.
Por favor sube un vídeo hablando español algún día
My Spanish is horrible. I gave up several years ago. My wife is still working on it but it was too difficult for me.
Sadge haha