Stripped Bendmaster sustain block

I've searched the forum and found out alot about stripped Bendmaster Deluxe nuts and bridges but couldn't find any info on a stripped sustain block. The 3 screws that go from the top of the bridge stripped out the block so i tried to replace them with longer screws and it seemed fine until the tension of the strings did it again. I'm pretty sure i need to replace the block and i was hoping someone may have come across such a problem. Are they standard? Highly doubt that . This is for my 87 Spectrum III Bendmaster Deluxe by the way. You can see the angle of the sustain block below. Thanks guys.

The original blocks are pretty crappy but I've never had a problem to date. You maybe able to drill and tap a block from a Floyd copy or similar, but I have no experience of this. Otherwise, its repair what you have or wait for one to come up on ebay.

If the guitar is a keeper, you could improve the sustain greatly by having a replacement block made in a denser material such as brass. If you have a friendly engineering job shop, I cant see this being much of chore for them. I've seen brass replacement blocks for Floyd's being hawked around ebay and the internet at silly prices.

Nope; not standard - I wouldn't think! - but there's not that much to a sustain block so have a crack at making yourself out of brass, mate; could be a bit of fun!! Yeah, as Steve said, waiting for a BD on the auction sites is another option, or re-drilling and retapping your one with Steves' patented stringlock technique could be runner as well...

corsair wrote:...or re-drilling and retapping your one with Steves' patented stringlock technique could be runner as well...

That was my first thought. Assuming you don't want to make a new one, a threaded insert might be the simplest solution.

Barry wrote:

corsair wrote:...or re-drilling and retapping your one with Steves' patented stringlock technique could be runner as well...

That was my first thought. Assuming you don't want to make a new one, a threaded insert might be the simplest solution.

Great idea! Dont' know why i didn't think of that. Thanks, i'll give it a shot. I've done something similar to this in carpentry but not on a guitar, hope it works.

Just be a bit careful with the block as I suspect that it's not made of the most, well, substantial, of metals....

Yeah, with all these old guitar parts...slow and easy does it eh? Don't go all 'Rambo' with a high speed drill press!

I cant see that the metal used for the string locks is any different than the trem block. Well, it worked for me !! Using a self cutting threaded insert only requires you to drill out the current hole to slightly smaller size than the insert. Then just wind it.

All details are on the Tappex site or go Korb-Konus. As I said, K-K have distributors all over the world.

I still beieve that a denser material such as brass would benefit sustain greatly.

Just made a call to Metal Supermarkets here in Coventry. they do have a website and seem to be owned by an American company. Lots of sizes available. For the trem block, I can buy flat brass bar in in the size required and they will sell you the amount you need ... Well, they will here in the UK! I might have a go myself, Cant be that difficult.

The trem block ( de Luxe ) in my Genesis II measures 1 3/4 inch, by 2 1/2 inch, by 3/8. I think that the trem block could be increased to 1/2 inch without diificulty apart from creating 6 channels to allow access for the strings

Interestingly, they also sell brass round bar and can put me in touch with small engineering companies to turn it into ..... knobs. Not rocket science !

How about helicoil?

Jeez, he just wants to play it, not fly the bugger!

Barry wrote:Yeah, with all these old guitar parts...slow and easy does it eh? Don't go all 'Rambo' with a high speed drill press!

I know buddy, these are my babies. Actually i thought about busting out the sawzall!