Big Brass v. Steel Floyd Sustain Blocks

  • Thread starter Thread starter Junk Yard Dog
  • Start date Start date
J

Junk Yard Dog

Well-known member
I've been reading up on steel a bit. Curious if anyone has tried steel on a Floyd and compared it to the standard Big Brass blocks.

There's a company called Fat Cat that makes steel big blocks. Also found a company called Killer Guitar Components (KGC) and they make some interesting block products.

I would be looking to add a bit of clarity, punch, sustain.
 
I'd also be curious to hear about them if anyone's tried one. I've had various brass and titanium ones, but never steel
 
There was a time when a dude came on the forum selling snake oil granite blocks. He absolutely made every post about his granite blocks for months and disappeared as fast as he showed up. I mention it because reading this thread title made me laugh - the topics that came from that dude were funny.

OP you want brass.
 
glpg80 said:
There was a time when a dude came on the forum selling snake oil granite blocks. He absolutely made every post about his granite blocks for months and disappeared as fast as he showed up. I mention it because reading this thread title made me laugh - the topics that came from that dude were funny.

OP you want brass.
Click to expand...
I do remember this - seems like a lifetime ago but ya, dude was fkn obsessed over his rock-block thingies.

As a former OFR user, the BBB is the way to go for aftermarket improvements.
 
Iv used many brass blocks thru the years.
They work well on thinner sounding guitars. I put one in my esp Kamikaze. Made it sound worse. Like too much’. Swapped back to stock block. Sounds great
 
I would probably stick with the tried and true brass block. But, like Mailman said, sometime a brass block can be "too much".
 
Big brass for me.

I SERIOUSLY considered one of those stone blocks...but I was trying everything I could get my hands on back then.
Note,to use the stone block you had to solder your ground to a metal shim they provided that went between the Floyd base and the stone block.
That meant the ground wire connection would get beat up as you flogged the floyd(vrs grounding at the claw which doesn't move).
 
Last edited:
Ventura said:
I do remember this - seems like a lifetime ago but ya, dude was fkn obsessed over his rock-block thingies.

As a former OFR user, the BBB is the way to go for aftermarket improvements.
Click to expand...
Yeah that’s an epic thread….pretty hilarious actually. But, I do remember Steve H trying one and it did work pretty well. More resonance, sustain…but is it worth the 80 bucks?
This subject is all about experimenting folks…gotta try the blocks for yourself and decide. My recommendation is to start low and go from there….try the Brass as it is cheaper than the others. If that doesn’t work then you can step up to Titanium or even the stone (both are 80) and from there you can get into the Tungsten for 1-200.
I’ve only tried Brass and Titanium(eBay seller for 80) and they did improve my 08/09 Charvels tone a bit.
 
More good feedback and thank you. ...I'll try a regular ole 32mm brass block first. I did see in another thread a guy tried a 32mm brass and said it 'deadened' his tone a bit, so he got a stock Floyd 37mm nick-plated block from Floydrose.com and liked that better, so I thought that could be another option.

I'll start with a regular big brass block.

Anyone know if the ones from FU-tone are any different/better than the ones from Floydrose.com?
 
Junk Yard Dog said:
More good feedback and thank you. ...I'll try a regular ole 32mm brass block first. I did see in another thread a guy tried a 32mm brass and said it 'deadened' his tone a bit, so he got a stock Floyd 37mm nick-plated block from Floydrose.com and liked that better, so I thought that could be another option.

I'll start with a regular big brass block.

Anyone know if the ones from FU-tone are any different/better than the ones from Floydrose.com?
Click to expand...
Stick with the Floyd brand.
 
Never tried steel. I’ve tried Ti and brass though. I like to tinker… but guitars all sound different. That said, I like the big brass block in my white Charvel. Removed an ever so slightly high end. Keep in mind my original Floyd block was brass…just smaller in size.
 
I recently put a big brass block in my 84 Charvel; and after a month I’ve decided it’s coming out. It was damn near perfect with the stock 1986 OFR I put on initially.
 
Racerxrated said:
I recently put a big brass block in my 84 Charvel; and after a month I’ve decided it’s coming out. It was damn near perfect with the stock 1986 OFR I put on initially.
Click to expand...
Wonder what the stock material was back in 86.
 
I've tried larger brass blocks and those tungsten blocks (super heavy).

Not sure I've ever notice a difference in sustain from just changing the block. What I do hear is a loss of high end that's more pronounced as the weight increases. Whether that's good or bad depends on what you want to hear.
 
Junk Yard Dog said:
More good feedback and thank you. ...I'll try a regular ole 32mm brass block first. I did see in another thread a guy tried a 32mm brass and said it 'deadened' his tone a bit, so he got a stock Floyd 37mm nick-plated block from Floydrose.com and liked that better, so I thought that could be another option.

I'll start with a regular big brass block.

Anyone know if the ones from FU-tone are any different/better than the ones from Floydrose.com?
Click to expand...




If your stock Floyd block is a 37 then you need to replace it with same 37 for the springs to clear the trem cavity.
If the stock is a 32 replace w/a 32 ect.
The stamped number indicates the length of the block not the thickness.
 
Last edited:
psychodave said:
That said, I like the big brass block in my white Charvel. Removed an ever so slightly high end.
Click to expand...
Same here. 2010 Snowhite Charvel So-Cal MIJ...improved after adding the FU tone bass big block.
Keep in mind that I changed both pickups too, of which especially the bridge pup (=Dimarzio Norton) is already on the brighter/leaner side, to balance things out. A thick sounding guitar + big sounding pups + brass block = bad idea. Mush city.
 
Speeddemon said:
Same here. 2010 Snowhite Charvel So-Cal MIJ...improved after adding the FU tone bass big block.
Keep in mind that I changed both pickups too, of which especially the bridge pup (=Dimarzio Norton) is already on the brighter/leaner side, to balance things out. A thick sounding guitar + big sounding pups + brass block = bad idea. Mush city.
Click to expand...
Yeah, I wanna avoid that. I’m gonna rip out the Duncan Distortion and replace it with the Custom in the bridge.
 
Has anyone replaced their stock brass block with a different material of the same size? Eg. 37 mm brass for 37 mm Tungsten? There’s many materials to choose from; Tungsten, Stone, Copper, Titanium, and (I’m assuming) Stainless Steel. I did get Brass saddle inserts from FU tone, and exactly as demonstrated in their A/B/C video comparing Brass, Titanium and steel, the Brass delivers the most mids and increased dynamics. I was a bit shocked at the difference, considering I replaced the saddle insert only, and not the actual saddle the string is tensioned on. Technically the insert is touching the string to secure it in place so I’d assume a saddle replacement with a different material would make an even bigger difference.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top