DeTemple Titanium Tremolo Parts

Trem Block

The tone of my strat sounds way better with the Titanium block than with the stock Fender trem block. It made my strat come alive.
It feels like there is less tension on the strings. I may try a heavier gage of strings.
The notes ring. Defiantly more sustain. I play rock & blues. I use Fender & Marshall tube amps.

It looks like a hand-machined piece of Titanium.
Looks great. Fit very nicely in my strat.

I understand Titanium will last forever.

Very helpful & fast shipping.

I'm a vintage guy. I play Fender & Gibson guitars. Now all my strats have Titanium trem blocks. I have been playing for over 30 years & touring since the early 80's.
Titanium is the only way to go.
Well worth the money.

Trem block only.

After hearing a friends Strat with a DeTemple block I deceided to make the plunge.I was surprised with the change in clarity and sustain I acheived with the new block. Chords have a more defined sound. Hard to put into words, but there is more separation in the individual notes. Not as mushy. I tend to play bigger voicings and I now can hear the intervals better.

Tooling was excellent. Dropped right in without a problem. Light weight is a big positive for me because I'm dealing with a back problem so anything that can lighten the load at this time is a definite plus for me.

Part looks to be built for a lifetime. Can't see any problems with this as they are superior materials to the original part.

Haven't had a need to call on the manufacture so I don't know.

I've been playing 20 years and own several Strats,a Gibson 330, a Baker B1 and a few older ( early 80's ) Tokai's.I'm looking into the saddles and blocks for my other Strat type guitars.I would highly recommend this product to anyone looking to add quality to an average or above average guitar.

Doesn?t really apply here. I mean, we?re talking machined pieces of hardware with no moving parts (except the screws).

While checking out DeTemple?s web site, I was intrigued by the use of titanium for guitar parts, but was a little skeptical of some of the claims made for them. (I mean, just about every new development in aftermarket parts claims better tone, more sustain, better gas mileage, more sex appeal, etc.) Sooo, after discussion with Mike, I started by trying just the bridge saddles on one guitar. Results? Pretty darn good ? tone was ?ringier? and there was more sustain. Discussed and ordered blocks for Gotoh 1088?s. Currently have one on a swamp ash/maple Strat by another noted builder, one on a hollow koa/spruce Strat by a local custom builder. Results on both guitars for changing saddles and blocks were the same:

Overall, the closest analogy I can think of is difference in tone, bloom, and sustain when playing a good tube amp at 2-3 versus diming it.

Sustain is DRAMATICALLY longer, from about 25% more to almost twice as much, depending on whether you?re playing a single note, chord, what register, etc. A little more specific: using synth-speak, on the ADSR envelope, the Decay doesn?t fall quite as far and fast (slight improvement), and the Sustain is hellaciously longer (major improvement).

Dead spots on both guitars are minimized. Not entirely eliminated, but not nearly as noticeable as before. These parts have evened out the response of all the notes a great deal.

Tonally, this doesn?t do a major tweak on the tone of your guitar, but I do hear some changes: the fundamentals are lots stronger and distinct, there?s a little more upper mid/lower treb, and there?s lots more ?shimmer? on all the notes. I play a lot of chord stuff with the treb rolled down, and you can hear more detail of the harmonics off of each string.

To a couple of claims on the web site:
As far as the remarks about piano-ism, that?s setting a pretty high mark due to the differences in the instruments (e.g. guitar range of 3.5 octaves vs. piano?s 7 octaves; scale length of 25.5 inches versus 9 or 10 FEET, 1 string vibrating per note, versus three . . . you get the picture), but overall, it IS a kind of accurate description; there?s the sustain thing, there?s more clarity on the fundamental, and there?s a lot more string definition.

As far as the claim that these parts would enable you to go a string guage higher with the same tension, I was curious, but HIGHLY skeptical. I know that fatter strings sound better for the jazz and blues I like (.09?s have their place, but not in my world), but my fingers couldn?t deal with the bump from 11-52?s to 12-54?s on instruments I wanted to bend on. Waited on the string change thing until I had time for restring, reintonate, claw and spring adjust, possible truss adjust, etc. and then a quick play/eval. Finished that up, and . . . day-umn, its true! Just doesn?t make sense to me. I always thought that string tension was a function of string mass (guage), pitch and break angles over the end points. But, holy cats, it works. One caveat, speaking with Mike, he mentioned that ability to bump up a guage with the same tension feel does seem to vary from instrument to instrument, and is not always the case.

Trem block, bridge saddles, and mounting screws. We?ve all seen aftermarket parts that were slightly off or worse, on fit, thread tapping, or ease of ?drop-in? replacement. Per discussion, Mike took great pains with the production of these to ensure that these parts would be a perfect fit, with good results. The machining is very well done (better than the Gotoh this went on): the block fits perfectly and easily on the old plate with the supplied screws, making for a quick swap-out; the string ball-ends seat nicely in the block; the bridge saddles? titanium is nicely finished to a reflective shine; and the saddles? string slots are large enough to accommodate a large range of intonation without string hangups on the edge.

Uhhh . . . it?s titanium, dude. Has one of the highest strength-to-weight ratios of any metal, and is more corrosion-resistant than steel. Unfair advantage in this category. If I ever need to play a Strat while being keel-hauled, it?ll have titanium bridge parts. More realistically, the saddles are probably ideal for heavy-sweatin?, palm-mutin? pickers.

Like many passionate, knowledgeable folks who build/work on musical instruments, Mike was extremely generous with his time. I was curious about the titanium parts from his web site, so I asked him if and when he?d make them for Gotoh 1088 bridges. We figured out which saddles would work, I tried them, liked them, and e-mailed Mike about blocks. We talked about production, tone, and turnaround time (with Mike sharing a wealth of insights into other guitar-building topics). Within a month (and in advance of the expected delivery), I had blocks in my mailbox. Had a couple followup conversations where Mike asked how I liked the blocks and clued me to using vintage vs. old Gotoh trem arm with these. Customer service is among the best I?ve experienced with boutique builders.

I?ve taken about 6 weeks to write this, to make sure it wasn?t all honeymoon stuff, but the fact remains, the formerly very good guitars that these are on are now complete RINGIN? muthas.
Been playing long enough to be embarrassed that I?m spending time writing a review instead of writing or recording some music right now (30+ years). In the past 15 years, this is one of the biggest tonal changes I?ve seen in my gear. I mean, after a decent amp, pickups and speakers, I think this the single most dramatic change you can make to a Strat?s tone, definition, and sustain. I?ve bought boatloads of great vintage and boutique stuff and haven?t been moved to write a review until now (and I?m not getting any discount or consideration from Mike ? I wish).
One last recommendation, I had a friend over, who?s suffered through me talking or eating while changing pickups, string types, pots and caps, speakers, stompboxes, tubes, etc. First time I?ve ever heard a comment from her on any of this stuff was a month ago with ?What did you do to THAT one?? after I first hit an unplugged chord one room away.

Titanium tremolo block. (only the block)
Vintage style (supposed) direct replacement.

Tonally, it's worthwhile, although I think the claims DeTemple makes are a bit exaggerated. It's NOT a night and day difference, it's a lot more subltle, more like night and dusk as opposed to night and day. It definitely imparts a more trasparent, airy, sound. I don't hear an increase in sustain, though.
The best thing I like is the light weight, a quarter pound reduction may not seem like a lot, (especially to pay $225.00 for) but it's a difference you can feel.
Installed on a Fender Custom Shop '65 NOS Stratocaster.

Here is where I was REALLY disappointed. The three holes on top of the block to attach the top plate (I used the original Fender one) were not countersunk enough, and the plate couldn't be screwed down tight to the block, not even close...it couldn't be used at all this way. Made NO difference if I used the supplied DeTemple screws or the original Fender ones.
...So...here I am, a brand new part I'm itching to install and try out, my guitar diassembled on the bench, and a BIG PROBLEM preventing me from doing either. What a drag.
Maybe if I notified DeTemple right away, he would've told me to return it and he'd put it right...MAYBE. Since I have guitar repair skills and a drill press, I opted to fix it myself by countersinking the 3 holes a little more. This I did, solving the problem, but what a hassle! I feel strongly that for $225.00 I should NOT have to go through that...this isn't something I got in a flea market, I paid big bucks for it, and it was advertised to be a DIRECT REPLACEMENT for US vintage style Strats. It was NOT.
Afterwards, I emailed DeTemple and told him about this. So far, (5 days later as of today) no reply. You'd think he'd take an interest in correcting this to avoid future problems, but I guess not.
Oh yeah, shipping was on the slow side too, 5 days elapsed from the time payment was made until the item was even shipped.

I'm sure it's quite durable and will last a long time.

Pretty lousy. When I emailed to ask if it had been shipped, since I had paid for it about a week prior to this, I DID get a reply the next day. Telling me it had been shipped the day before...
As stated above, NO reply to date regarding the problem with the part.

I've been playing for 31 years. I own the previously mentioned Strat, 2 Gibsom R9 Les Pauls, an original '62 slab bord Strat, and some pre-cbs Fender basses. Amp is a Marshall Silver Jubilee 2554 combo.

This is a vintage style tremolo - 6 screws in the plate strat type, but made with excellent modern materials and workmanship which was delivered to me in March 2005. The trem block and saddles are titanium, with a cold rolled steel base and trem arm. One of the "features" of this unit is a (verbal in my case) tutorial from Michael DeTemple on how and why to set this thing up to float correctly. I learned a lot of things about vintage style trems, and related things that I never thought of before. The real "feature" of this unit is the magnificent tone and resonance it creates.

I installed the trem on a 1985 MIJ strat which was always a nice playing guitar, but had a clanky, metallic tone. I changed the pickups and all the electronics to good parts - it helped but still didn't eliminate the clankiness. After installing the DeTemple Trem, the clankiness finally disappeared and sustain and tone improved dramatically. I am amazed that a bridge could alter a guitars tone to that degree. The overall sound is fuller and more distinct, and makes me want to play this guitar again.

The parts are all very well made and fit and function perfectly. The titanium has a good look to it - not as flashy as chrome but first class. The weight of the new unit is much lighter than the original 1985 Japanese hardware, so it's surprising that it makes the whole guitar resonate so much more especially considering the difference in mass.

Obviously I can't answer this based on any experience yet, but you can tell by looking at it and feeling it that all the parts will last a long time. It's mostly titanium just like they use in aerospace applications - this thing should outlast me.

Again I can't say much from experience BUT---- I made two calls and talked to Michael Detemple both times - he was very helpful in explaining the differences in his trem from others and why it performs and sounds like it does. He also replied to a follow up email in less than a day. My order was placed right away and delivered a few days later. After I received it, as I mentioned earlier, he also gave me a very detailed but easy to understand procedure for installing it. I was impressed enough with the trem and the customer service I received in connection with that purchase that I ordered a set of his pickups. I'll comment on those when I've had a chance to try them out. If that turns out like this transaction did I'll have to give him a 10 - for now I'll rate it 9 only because of the limited experience I've had.

I've been playing 40+ years although I haven't played professionally full time since the late 1970's. I play the strat discussed in this review, and a Zero. My model is a P90 equipped double cutaway Les Paul style body which is an Aluminum top /Titanium sides guitar with a center woodblock inside. I primarily use a DR Z Maz Jr. and various effects. This is definitely an eye opener for me, because I I learned that every part of a guitar - even the bridge can greatly alter the tone for better or for worse. In this case it's definitely for the better. I was hesitant to spend over $300 for a trem unit, but Michael said that if it didn't do what I needed, I could send it back for a small restocking charge. Ater playing it there's no way
I would send it back, or part with it at all. I don't hesitate to give this a 10. Any of you guys with clanky sounding strats would love this thing. It will make a good sounding guitar out of an average or below average one, and make a good one sound great.

Vintage strat tremolo sustain block and bridge saddles, made of pure titanium. Looks just like vintage Fender trem bridge. Features include lighter weight and improved tone, and a personal tutorial on how to set up a vintage trem to *stay in tune*, exactly what I was looking for - otherwise, there are no intended features, so I give it a 9 for features. (DeTemple shipped me a complete assembly, the saddles and trem block on a Callaham vintage trem base and a Callaham trem arm)

I installed it on a Warmoth hollow Mahogany body with Koa top / Fender Am Std one piece maple neck; Lindy Fralin Vintage Hot pickups. It replaces a Gotoh six screw modern style trem.
The Titanium trem is appreciably lighter - the guitar is now a featherweight. As for sound, just like the claims and testimonials, I was and still am blown away. There is a huge difference in 1) Note separation - chords sound huge and clear 2) Expressiveness - the touch sensitivity, ability to change the tone using my hands is more apparent 3) Sustain - The titanium, due to it's ideal qualities for the purpose, improves the sustain on an already alive sounding guitar, but not in a metallic sort of way; it causes the body and neck to vibrate even more, imparting more of the tone of the guitar itself.
Even though I used to be very skeptical of mods of this ilk, once I heard the difference in tone and sustain the right neck made (by accident - I started this project with a Warmoth neck that was not very alive - my current Ebay special Am Standard neck is very resonant) , I became focused on improvements in the ability of the guitar to sing acoustically as a means of improving its responsiveness.

the parts kit is aesthetically very pleasing - looks like a dulled vintage trem (titanium is more buff grey than chrome) - The guitar has a more vintage look than with the Gotoh modern trem. As a bonus, when I installed it on the guitar, Michael's preset saddle positions intonated perfectly (Remember, I ordered the entire trem assembly from him)

Michael taught me how to set up the strat properly. I followed the simple instructions, and I now have a floating trem that *stays in tune* - very simple to execute BTW.

Michael has a passion for what he's doing. His main project is the handmade vintage "strats". I received excellent support, and a product that just plain made my year!

Been playing for 33 years.. I've had a 64 and a 68 strat, 67 SG and 68 les Paul that had some magic in them. Sold them way too long ago for way too cheap for various reasons. Since then, it's been various non inspiring electrics. This guitar, with the DeTemple parts is as good as anything I've ever played. The guitar does exactly what I want it to, sounds better than I ever expected (the Strat that ate Milwaulkee :-), and my playing is improving as a result!
Even with the $385 price tag, I'm gonna give it a 10, cause I could have spent a lot more on lots of marginally effective mods with nothing like the gain achieved from this..