The Callahan Vintage Bridge and Block

This is a high quality upgrade to the standard vintage style tremolo and inertia block. All the parts are supplied for complete installation including claw, springs, screws, etc... The Callahan bridge is faithful to the original pre-cbs bridge and some subtle enhancements have been made for improving sustain, tuning and intonation, and preventing string breakage. Most importantly the inertia block is made from solid steel and is the proper size. This should add sustain and greatly improve the tone of your strat.

This bridge made a dramatic difference in the sound of my MIJ 62 RI strat. While I was looking for increased sustain (and got it) the biggest difference was that the strat became louder and clearer. Notes rang out more and note separation was improved. The difference was not subtle, it was like night and day.

This bridge is built very well and all the parts are of the highest quality of any bridge I have ever seen. There is a marked difference in craftsmanship between the Callahan and Fender USA/MIM/MIJ bridges. The Callahan is just a lot nicer. The holes in the saddles are a bit more elongated and centered a little different. Its actually more like a real vintage pre-cbs bridge than the current vintage bridge made by Fender. Beyond that there are a few subtle differences and again the fit and finish are very nice. This is a fine piece of hardware. Callahan is a machine shop. They make these parts themselves.

I have a vintage 7.25" neck radius and the saddle heights/intonation were perfect. It dropped right in and only the minor adjustments in saddle length were needed. Saddle height was dead on for following the radius of my neck. Only minor adjustments for action were required.

No flaws of any sort. The six mounting screws were much longer than the original MIJ screws. If you install one of these in a MIJ 62 RI be very careful not to screw too far or the tips will protrude through the back of the body cavity behind the springs. I followed the Callahan instructions for installation where the screw heads are not fastened all the way down to the body and the end screws are tightened down just enough to grab the backplate then back off a full turn. This is actually pretty standard.

Again the construction seems top notch. Its solid steel after all. Not zinc. MIJ guitars and most USA strats have ZINC or alloy blocks, they are shorter, and the saddles are even zinc. Callahan uses all steel. Even the arm.

Most tremolo durability issues revolve around the arm. It never fits into the hole tight enough and is loose. This has been the case in all my Fenders over the years, including a Custom Shop model. My Callahan arm is much better fitting. Its solid. Its designed not to break. I can feel the difference.

Responses are reasonably fast. Short and too the point. Good customer support as far as I can tell.

The vintage Fender tremolo works great overall. Its not perfect but highly functional when you know how to set it up right. The Callahan bridge is a high quality upgrade to this time honored design. The look has not been changed but the functionality has been improved and the sound quality has been restored to how Leo intended it. Leo Fender was an engineer and a lot of work went into the construction of the vintage tremolo. Its proper functioning is critical to the overall sound of the stratocaster and this has been neglected over the years. The design was altered, cost cutting hampered functionality (tuning problems, string breakage, tone). These were problems for certain players with certain styles. The best benefit is the improvement in tone. If you have a MIM or MIJ, you have an inferior block and should replace it. If you have a USA, check your block out and make sure that it is steel (will a magnet stick to it?) and that it is not the shortened, recessed, version. It probably is if you have a USA non pre-cbs vintage model strat.

If you need setup info, feel free to email me. Its not that difficult if only a few minor details are attended too.

If you would like to say anything about this review or discuss this pedal please goto Calaham Bridge Discussion .

Your comments and participation are encouraged!