Genuine Fender® American Special / Highway One (2006+) Strat® Steel Tremolo Block

 

 

IMPORTANT INSTALLATION NOTE

YOU MUST READ AND FOLLOW THESE INSTRUCTIONS: A common procedure to installing a top plate to a tremolo block is as follows: Install the top plate onto your tremolo block, but BEFORE you tighten down the top plates three mounting screws to a final tightness (they should be loose), install your tremolo arm down through its pass-through hole in the top plate and screw the tremolo arm in as far as it will go into the tremolo block, don't over-tighten it, just screw it in until it stops, the top plate should still be loose and able to move around freely on the tremolo block and only once the tremolo arm is screwed all the way in do you tighten down the three top plate mounting screws.  If you do not perform this procedure you may find that the tremolo arm pass-through hole in the top plate may slightly impede the path of the tremolo arm from screwing into the tremolo block freely. What happens is the side of the tremolo arm will make contact on the side of the tremolo arm pass-through hole in the top plate and cause rotational friction of the tremolo arm preventing it from screwing in freely. You end up with a tremolo arm that is firm, difficult to screw in or has tight and loose spots in its rotation, if this occurs, STOP, DO NOT continue to force the tremolo arm to screw in, YOU WILL will damage your parts and it will be your fault. The tremolo arm should screw in freely without any resistance and should screw-in at least 6-8 turns further than the point where the last threaded portion of the tremolo arm goes down below the surface of the top plate. Once the tremolo arm is screwed in all the way you should NEVER be able to see any portion of the tremolo arms screw-in threads above or near the surface of the top plate. The above procedure is the best way to make sure of a good alignment between the top plate and tremolo block. However, this not a cure-all, it does not always work perfectly, sometimes after performing the above procedure you may find the tremolo arm is still rubbing on the edge of the top plates tremolo arm pass-through hole, if this occurs, loosen the top plates three mounting screws and more than likely you may need to perform the above procedure again and / or slightly enlarge the tremolo arm pass-through hole in the top plate. Try rotating the tremolo arm 180 degrees and repeating the above procedure. This is one of the side effects of Fender's manufacturing equipment stamping top plates with specs that are not a perfect match for tremolo block specs. They work a lot times, but they don't always work every single time without some sort of massaging to the parts necessary for a good mating. Until Fender begins using CNC machinery to create tremolo blocks and top plates with identical hole / mounting spacing's for perfect mating's between these components, these difficulties will continue to exist and some sort of compensation may need to be made...