Educate me on Sustainblock

[3of5]

What is the difference tone-wise between a Sustainblock and a wraptail or tunomatic type of bridge. I never played a guitar with a sustainblock. There seems to be a lot of excitement here about them.

[Ting Ho Dung]

What is the difference tone-wise between a Sustainblock and a wraptail or tunomatic type of bridge. I never played a guitar with a sustainblock. There seems to be a lot of excitement here about them.

I asked the same question on a few threads recently. What I was told is it provides a little more twang sound. Some like it and some don't. Some like it on certain guitars and not on others. It is a solid piece of brass so that makes sense. I have one on a Vector I recently got but didn't play it enough to notice the difference before sending it off for a refinish (shhhh,,,, don't tell anyone).

[murkat]

In my opinion, the sustain block is the original soul tone of a vintage Hamer sunburst type guitar.

The sustainblock bridge is solid brass plate, brass saddles.

And with the strings anchored thru body, the combo brought a "tele" snap, tone to the equation.

fast attack, timbered highs, very focused lows... and even more pronounced with

the OEM dimarzio pups. lots of sizzle, bite, cut through the mix.

A wraptail will give you the fast attack, but not the tone print as decribed above.

A TOM / TP is a different animal as well...

A TOM / TP is very dependent on the combo of light/ heavy materials, woods, construction of guitar, etc.

yeilding a many different tone prints.

Where as a Sustainblock brings its own to just about anything guitar.

something like that....

[bubs_42]

Only thing I want to add is I wish Hamer would have never stopped putting them on the Sunburst/Studio/Special/Prototype/Phantom Guitars. Maybe there was pressure from the consumer for a TOM or it was hard to hit a price point with the extra cost but that was the HAMER Sound IMHO on those guitars.

It was the difference between them just making a straight up copy of Gibby with a Maple Top and something of their own.

[murkat]

Me thinks it was cost effect and strong arm tactics,

One's point of view to another's counterpoint...

Maybe it is in the book.....

[RobB]

I have one on a Vector I recently got but didn't play it enough to notice the difference before sending it off for a refinish (shhhh,,,, don't tell anyone).

Why would you strip that beautiful, Seafoam Green? That was such a hot Vector! Booooo! Hissssss! A pox on you!

[Ting Ho Dung]

I have one on a Vector I recently got but didn't play it enough to notice the difference before sending it off for a refinish (shhhh,,,, don't tell anyone).

Why would you strip that beautiful, Seafoam Green? That was such a hot Vector! Booooo! Hissssss! A pox on you!

It was prettier in the pics. It just didn't Rawk! I wanted to play Clapton with it. It just didn't make sense.

[3of5]

Thanks for the info. That what I was looking for.

[zorrow]

The sustainblock bridge is solid brass plate, brass saddles.

And with the strings anchored thru body, the combo brought a "tele" snap, tone to the equation.

fast attack, timbered highs, very focused lows... and even more pronounced with

the OEM dimarzio pups. lots of sizzle, bite, cut through the mix.

^EXACTLY this.

I always say the sustainblocks bring a "Fenderized sound" to my otherwise very Gibson-alike guitars. Put one on an all-mahogany guitar and you'll get a trully living animal, which much more focused and cutting tone.

[bcsride]

I have one on a Vector I recently got but didn't play it enough to notice the difference before sending it off for a refinish (shhhh,,,, don't tell anyone).

Why would you strip that beautiful, Seafoam Green? That was such a hot Vector! Booooo! Hissssss! A pox on you!

It was prettier in the pics. It just didn't Rawk! I wanted to play Clapton with it. It just didn't make sense.

Yea, that one caught me off guard a bit when I saw it in Murkat's thread. The seafoam green was already a refin correct?

[Ting Ho Dung]

I have one on a Vector I recently got but didn't play it enough to notice the difference before sending it off for a refinish (shhhh,,,, don't tell anyone).

Why would you strip that beautiful, Seafoam Green? That was such a hot Vector! Booooo! Hissssss! A pox on you!

It was prettier in the pics. It just didn't Rawk! I wanted to play Clapton with it. It just didn't make sense.

Yea, that one caught me off guard a bit when I saw it in Murkat's thread. The seafoam green was already a refin correct?

You are correct.

[hamerhead]

Maybe there was pressure from the consumer for a TOM or it was hard to hit a price point with the extra cost ......

Me thinks it was cost effect.........

I suggested that cost was the issue in a post many moon ago, and Jol himself replied. It may have been his last post ever on this board. His response, in essence, was that cost was NOT the issue, but rather that consumers wanted TOM guitars. And if you think about it, a Hamer with a Sustain Block was still priced lower than a Gibby with a TOM, so it's hard not to see his point.

I agree that the Sustain Block was Hamer - something that made it stand out in the a very large crowd. Their popularity didn't seem to grow much after the switch.

[bubs_42]

I wish I had another one of YOUR bridges for my next build. The Phantom should be arriving in Nashville today.

[hamerhead]

Those were awesome, weren't they? :lol:

[bubs_42]

Those were awesome, weren't they? :lol:

Yes you did a FINE JOB

[Hamer Dave]

What are the markings again on the different sustainblocks? Original, and I understand two personalized runs?

dave