Q: I read the two tech tips about setting a Strat bridge to only go down in pitch and blocking a tremolo bridge. I want to block my Strat tailpiece because I never use it. How do I do it? Does it matter what I use to block the bridge?
A: If you don’t want to just tighten down the springs in the back of the guitar, you can slide an appropriately sized piece of wood or other solid material between the tremolo block and the rear of the tremolo cavity in the back of the guitar. You may need to remove a cover plate from the back of the guitar to get access to the springs and tremolo cavity.
Just about anything solid that is the right size to wedge the bridge against the body (without wedging too tightly, which could damage the bridge or body) will work. Most players use a block of wood for this; some players maintain that you should use the same type of wood as the body uses or use a “tonewood” to get the best resonance and vibration transfer from the guitar. In our experience, the material used for the block doesn’t make much of a difference in the tone.