Big Block

[mattmcmetal]

Hi I juat wanted to say hello, I'm new to the forum and I love my charvel san dimas guitars. My question is what floyd upgrades big blocks are you guys using on your USA San Dimas style 1 guitars?

[6string40]

37mm is the direct replacement

...and welcome!

[thedarkone101]

I use the 42mm in all of mine with no probs..

[mattmcmetal]

Should I go for the standard block or the L block?

[vklobucar]

I had the L block on one of my Jackson PC1's and it pretty much made it a hardtail so be careful.

[6string40]

standard block works just fine...I can't see that little bit on the L making that much of a tonal difference or adding that much more noticeable sustain

[MakeAJazzNoiseHere]

The regular FloydUpgrades 42mm gave me almost NO pull-back on my SD1.

I did do a 32mm on a Soloist and it worked perfect, no issues with any interference or reduced travel.

[thedarkone101]

if you go 42mm you may as well go for the L .. It fits fine..

[DHardmanJr]

I did one So Cal with a L shaped big block and the other one with a standard big block and there wasn't much difference, if any, between the two - both improved the same amount to my ears.

Also, the L one does block the back of the trem arm holder. So if you ever had to adjust that screw for some reason ... you can't really access it with the Floyd still in the guitar if you have a L shaped big block.

[veniculum]

I have 37mm L Blocks on all three of my USA Pro-Mods...they were easy to install...and as long as you setup the Floyd properly, you should be floating just fine (pull up and push down on the trem)
As far as whether or not they're worth it...I say sure. There is a little more depth to my tone...it's slight, but it's there. I guess the way I look at it is...if you're using the stock Korean made Floyd trem on your pro-mod, then it's probably not worth buying titanium parts from FU.com, as they are pretty expensive (to say the least). But 30 or 40 bucks for the brass block, springs, spring claw, etc...might as well do it. What's the worst thing that could happen..you may not hear much of a difference. But if you're ear is pretty well trained, you might hear a substantial difference. I heard a small but noticeable improvement...so I dropped them in all my Charvels.
For my PC-1, I'm saving up. I've heard the titanium bits are amazing. I'll certainly post it when I get them in there.
Good luck man

[Zaneus]

I've always thought the titanium parts and blocks were nothing more than a marketing ploy. Of course the people who buy them are going to say they make their tone legendary, if i spent $300 on a block of metal i'd want to hear a difference desperately. Sure they might hear a difference but im betting it's all placebo.

[Guitar Lawyer]

Isn’t titanium a lightweight metal? Isn’t the idea to have more mass (like with a larger brass block) to improve the sustain/tone? How would titanium be superior to brass? Am I missing something? Are there “tone” metals, like there are “tone” woods?

[veniculum]

I would've absolutely agreed with you guys had I not heard the difference in person. My buddy went balls out and got the titanium block and saddles (along with the string blocks)...He's got an old late-80s era Kramer with an original Floyd, and I was hangin with him when he did the upgrade. So not only did I hear the difference...I heard it back to back (stock vs. titanium). I don't remember what model Kramer, but it was a higher-end instrument (made in Neptune, NJ)...same as my old Nightswan (which was probably around $1000 new in 1989). So it wasn't like he was sinking big dollars into a 150 dollar guitar...it was definitely a quality instrument with a quality trem...and it sounded good stock, with the Duncan pickups...and it was in really good shape for a guitar that was almost 20 years old. I still thought he was nuts at the time...and I let him know it

Anyway, he changed the parts...I will say, he had a hard time getting everything swapped out...I don't think his trem had ever been apart..and things like the string blocks were definitely kinda tricky getting them in there...they were very tight. After the parts were swapped, he re-setup the guitar and everything just got brighter/clearer. I don't know a better way to explain it...but it was a substantial difference...unlike the brass blocks, which are much more subtle in their tonal benefits. The amp and effects were left untouched.
I'll tell you...I'm not a pro...I don't have the best trained ear...but I could absolutely tell the difference when the titanium parts were installed. That said...if you buy everything he bought, you could quite literally buy a whole new guitar.

[Zaneus]

how much did he pay all up? would say the tonal difference was worth all that money? if you have a complete rig with absolutely everything you want and still have money to blow then i guess i'd say its a good purchase. But hell, i could buy a nice second hand parlour acoustic (i love parlours!) or even another USA pro mod charvel for that price, second hand. To me i just don't think its worth the money it costs but then again i haven't heard it for myself.

[veniculum]

how much did he pay all up? would say the tonal difference was worth all that money? if you have a complete rig with absolutely everything you want and still have money to blow then i guess i'd say its a good purchase. But hell, i could buy a nice second hand parlour acoustic (i love parlours!) or even another USA pro mod charvel for that price, second hand. To me i just don't think its worth the money it costs but then again i haven't heard it for myself.

I never said I agreed with the purchase If I remember correctly, I said I told him he was nuts.
The reality is, some folks are more well off than others. I don't do too bad...and I allow myself to purchase a guitar when I see something I like. But it does eventually get to a point where I just can't swing it again until the funds are back up.
My buddy doesn't have that problem. Comes from a family that owns a very VERY successful business...lets just say multiple multiple millions in sales every year. And he now runs the show since his dad retired (man I wish my old man would've been a successful businessman instead of a school teacher).
Anyway...for him to blow 4 or 5 hundred bucks on an older guitar (one of his favorites nonetheless), is literally pocket change for this guy.

So my answer is simple. If you make more money than you know what do do with...fuckin A!!! buy the titanium stuff...buy it for all your floyd equipped guitars...buy it for your Ibanez guitars (as FU.com makes the titanium stuff for the Ibanez edge pro/edge zero bridges). That's what I would do...it definitely improves the sound of the guitar. On the other hand...if you're a working stiff like myself...I'd say save the 500....save another 500-1000 and buy yourself another real nice guitar. Personally, I'm real interested in those EVH Wolfgang guitars...I think my next purchase will be one of those...not titanium for a Korean made Floyd Rose On the other hand...to drop 35 bucks for a brass block...there's not even a question there...I can swing that any day...especially for my beloved Pro-Mods