Gotoh 510 steel vs zinc block. Or brass? HeLP!!

[Lord Toneking]

I'm getting kinda pissed trying to find a good solid answer on this. I've decided that I'm not caring so much for the steel block on my gotoh 510 that's on my strat. It's alder, maple neck, Suhr SSH+ in the bridge. Kinda bright and snappy, maybe brittle sounding. Not big and warm sounding

I'd like to try a brass block but they seem impossible to find. I did find one at guitar king but they're $100 and 4-6 month wait time!

I've spent a lot of money on this guitar trying to make it better ( gotoh510, tusq xl nut, sperzel tuners, Suhr SSH+, area67 middle, injector neck, Suhr wiring harness so the single coils see 250k and the bridge sees 500k). But after all this it's still lacking and I think it's the steel block is just too bright?

I don't know, maybe I can try other options?

I'm playing modern country through an EVH Stealth. Yes...an EVH Stealth for country

 

[Rdodson]

Bright and snappy it is. That's really a great bridge and block. You don't want zinc, it will decrease the harmonic content and sustain. I think the SSH+ is the issue (great pickup but that is a lot of output for that setup). The Suhr Thornbucker + is the way to go. WAY warmer. You have plenty of gain from that amp, that pickup is just overdoing it.

IMHO, of course.

 

[Lord Toneking]

Bright and snappy it is. That's really a great bridge and block. You don't want zinc, it will decrease the harmonic content and sustain. I think the SSH+ is the issue (great pickup but that is a lot of output for that setup). The Suhr Thornbucker + is the way to go. WAY warmer. You have plenty of gain from that amp, that pickup is just overdoing it.

IMHO, of course.

Funny you should say that because the Thornbucker was on my list. I guess going with a lower output pup would work better with an amp with so much gain on hand...even though I have it cranked down quite a bit

Thanks

 

[Rdodson]

When you let the amp do the work I think the whole setup "breathes" more. Even though the EVH has a ton of gain, it can be very warm. What cab are you using?

 

[grooveHT]

Tom, sometimes the Suhr wiring has a tendency to make guitars sound a little more harsh than they would normally sound without the extra caps/resistors in the mix. Maybe try a normal 5 way with no Suhr wiring or treble bleed and see how that works? I think you might hear a difference.

 

[daveyisgreat]

I agree on the wiring. I find that simpler wiring sounds warmer to my ears. I also love the sound of a humbucker with 250k pots. That also contributes to a warmer sound to my ears.

 

[JamesPeters]

From my experience swapping blocks on a few guitars, all else being equal:

-a zinc block tends to make the sound a bit softer/mushier.
-a steel block tends to make the sound tougher/more resonant/punchier with more spikey highs and lows
-a brass block tends to sound somewhere between zinc and steel for toughness (etc.)--closer to steel in that regard--but with more emphasis on mids than in the highs and lows (although it can increase the highs and lows too).

GFS has some steel and brass blocks for ~$25 each. I've used them (I still have a brass one in a Godin), and they're good. If they'll fit your bridge, that's an option. Note that they only fit the whammy arms with 10-32 thread (which they also sell for ~$4 if you don't have the right one).

Brass and steel blocks

They also have titanium ones for ~$60. I can't remember what titanium does for the sound; I think it's like steel but maybe a bit less emphasis on bass and a bit more resonant, but the comparison I did was too long ago and not a direct enough comparison.

Titanium block, "MIM" spacing

Titanium block, "USA" spacing

Oh another warning: if your existing block is slim or has a cutaway to allow for a smaller whammy/block rout (so that the block doesn't bump into the "bottom" of the rout before the whammy is fully depressed, despite the rout being small)--these blocks may not allow full travel of the whammy bar.

 

[guitarnerdswe]

Bright and snappy it is. That's really a great bridge and block. You don't want zinc, it will decrease the harmonic content and sustain. I think the SSH+ is the issue (great pickup but that is a lot of output for that setup). The Suhr Thornbucker + is the way to go. WAY warmer. You have plenty of gain from that amp, that pickup is just overdoing it.

IMHO, of course.

Well, it's good enough for Tyler, since that's what they use.

Also, the zinc block has a different design and will stay in tune better.

 

[Lord Toneking]

When you let the amp do the work I think the whole setup "breathes" more. Even though the EVH has a ton of gain, it can be very warm. What cab are you using?

In using an EVH 4x12 with the stock speakers

 

[Lord Toneking]

Tom, sometimes the Suhr wiring has a tendency to make guitars sound a little more harsh than they would normally sound without the extra caps/resistors in the mix. Maybe try a normal 5 way with no Suhr wiring or treble bleed and see how that works? I think you might hear a difference.

I took the trends bleed out of the circuit. I wanted the Suhr wiring because I hated the way the singles (area67/Injector$ sounded with a 500k pot. All the pickups sound better now. It's just something about the feel of the guitar. I'm thinking the SSH+ had slot to do with it

 

[Rdodson]

I think the "deep drilled = less string tension" is snake oil. String gauge, vibrating length, density of string material, and tension are the 4 determining factors to pitch. The only way to get less tension for a given pitch is to alter those factors. I know that there are many ideas out there about making a guitar feel looser (Telecaster players go on and on about rear-loaded versus body-through). Would it change the way the vibration is transmitted to the various parts of the guitar? Sure, at the margin. But does it change tension for a given pitch? I don't see how it could.

Bright and snappy it is. That's really a great bridge and block. You don't want zinc, it will decrease the harmonic content and sustain. I think the SSH+ is the issue (great pickup but that is a lot of output for that setup). The Suhr Thornbucker + is the way to go. WAY warmer. You have plenty of gain from that amp, that pickup is just overdoing it.

IMHO, of course.

Well, it's good enough for Tyler, since that's what they use.

Also, the zinc block has a different design and will stay in tune better.

 

[guitarnerdswe]

I think the "deep drilled = less string tension" is snake oil. String gauge, vibrating length, density of string material, and tension are the 4 determining factors to pitch. The only way to get less tension for a given pitch is to alter those factors. I know that there are many ideas out there about making a guitar feel looser (Telecaster players go on and on about rear-loaded versus body-through). Would it change the way the vibration is transmitted to the various parts of the guitar? Sure, at the margin. But does it change tension for a given pitch? I don't see how it could.

Bright and snappy it is. That's really a great bridge and block. You don't want zinc, it will decrease the harmonic content and sustain. I think the SSH+ is the issue (great pickup but that is a lot of output for that setup). The Suhr Thornbucker + is the way to go. WAY warmer. You have plenty of gain from that amp, that pickup is just overdoing it.

IMHO, of course.

Well, it's good enough for Tyler, since that's what they use.

Also, the zinc block has a different design and will stay in tune better.

I didn't say anything about string tension. I talked about staying in tune, and the zinc block is better due to one less friction point.