Tremolo Blocks: Zinc VS Brass

[@DaveViner]

0:28 Direct Audio 1:17 High Gain 2:16 Clean 2:55 Unplugged 3:18 Unplugged From Behind (for reasons)

[@Musiclily]

Thanks a lot for making this video. We really appreciate your big support. - Nina

[@DaveViner]

You're welcome, its a great product!

[@rorysstuff5129]

Wow! Brass block sounds so woody. Love it

[@DaveViner]

Me too

[@BadMotivator66]

excellent comparison. kudos for including the DI and for using the same strings! (something i have tried to do when i've done similar videos). I absolutely prefer the increased attack and clarity on the brass over the wooly nothing-ey zinc that sounds more like a sponge pudding

[@DaveViner]

Thanks for watching and commenting, mate.

[@BadMotivator66]

Thanks for the vids! I saw your band in Brum in the Dorje tour back in the day- great show, dude. @@DaveViner

[@DaveViner]

@BadMotivator66 Oh wow, no way! There will be more new music soon if you are still interested.

[@BadMotivator66]

@@DaveVineri am :)

[@DaveViner]

@@BadMotivator66 Stormbornmetal (dot) com 🤘

[@charbaker]

Thanks for running this experiment. I still think a different pick/plectrum has more effect on tone than we want to admit.

[@DaveViner]

I played with one of those stupidly thick picks recently and amount of harmonic overtones was ridiculous!

[@christopherguzzi1316]

Everyone admits that.🤗😘😉

[@qua7771]

I'd say it has a different effect. It's not the same thing.

[@JD-vj4go]

I thought brass sounded better but I'm surprised at how little difference it made. Both sounded fine. I tried this on one of my guitars years ago and the biggest difference I got was a slight increase of sustain.

[@DaveViner]

I think there are so many factors that will have an affect on the sound. It made a difference here for sure, is the guitar a better instrument now because of it? I don't know lol.

[@ran-diy-audio]

Hi!, first of all, classic vintage strat tone is steel all day and is awsome, bright, good harmonics and snapier. The Zinc is somewhat in the steel ballpark but different, I think is a bit less snapier and thin sounding.. For me the brass is close to a vintage Tele with brass saddles, more body, good harmonics, the attack is snapier too but with more control, sounds a bit compress compare to the others metals, but in a band or mix context that control is necessary because too much attack is annoying and difficult to control. In the end I like brass, because is close to steel but a bit darker in the low mids like a tele, has its character, IMHO makes a common strat sound closer to a 50s/60s strat depending on whether it is maple or rosewood, giving it more body in the sound.

[@YsAbTones]

Zinc sounds great

[@DaveViner]

👍👍

[@DTGuitarTech]

Great video and very well done. I listened closely with headphones. I heard a difference. But such a tiny difference. I have come to the conclusion over many years that small changes like these in their own do not make enough of a difference. But a collection of these small changes together can make a big difference to tone. Example, changing the block from zinc to brass, the nut from plastic to bone (yes it does affect even fretted notes even though people say it doesn’t), removing a thick polyester finish and applying a thin coat of nitrocellulose, different string type etc etc. combining these will change the tone of an instrument. But those tiny changes will never make as much difference as changing the pickups, tone and volume potentiometers, capacitor values, guitar cables etc. Sorry, that’s a really long comment! My thoughts only.

[@DaveViner]

Thanks for the kind words, and thank you for sharing. It's always nice to hear people's points of view, experiences, and knowledge (as well as an appreciation for the thing we all love, the electric guitar!).

[@greg3030]

All that, and speakers w/ open or closed back cabs. Man, that changes things a lot for me.

[@jdsick1]

I dig your unbiased opinion. I also feel it is subjective . Great test!.. .On my Import copy I rock the super light thin stock zinc block but swap out stock saddles for Graphtech saddles, and Graphtech nut as well. Huge upgrade for tone and sustain. Thanks for the info, I subscribed.

[@DaveViner]

What is your opinion on the graphtec saddles? I've looked at them for years but never got any. Thanks for the sub!

[@jdsick1]

@@DaveViner I started with Graphtech saddles on a 62' reissue Jazzmaster with a mustang bridge.Then ended up putting them on on 2 Teles and 2 Strats as well. They are more comfortable for palm muting, warmer tone, longer sustain,keep tuning stable with trems and never break strings. I definitely recommend you try them ,especially if you need a saddle upgrade.

[@DaveViner]

@@jdsick1 Nice, yeah i will have to grab a set (or 3). I'll definitely throw a set onto this Squire and see what happens!

[@StaticInfinity-ts3jk]

The stock saddles are made of steel and will sound better than graphtech, which are made from extremely expensive compressed dog poop. Only useful if you break strings a lot imo

[@DaveViner]

Is that a fact? If so I am sold!

[@jessehiatt9225]

Great comparison. I too replaced the zinc block in my import strat with a musiclily brass block. I also added brass saddles, vintage style neck, and brass nut. Definitely noticed a big difference in sustain, loudness and a clearer brightness. To me after these mods it feels more like a real strat.

[@DaveViner]

Sound like its a whole new guitar tbh.

[@jessehiatt9225]

@@DaveViner with those mods it pretty much is, but the neck was fairly cheap. It is a chinese import, but is on par with high end squier/low end fender and was only like $45

[@DaveViner]

Thats fair play, it sounds badass. Thats the thing i love about strats and teles is that you can take them apart smd replace/upgrade parts with ease.

[@winthorpe6594]

thank you... i find myself agreeing with your assessment :)

[@Jonathan_Doe_]

Brass tends to mid scoops things a bit, a steel block should give you that extra bottom end the brass block gave you without loosing the clarity the zinc block had.

[@someoneelse101]

If anything I found the mids to be scooped with the zinc block. The brass block highlighted them which is a good thing for me. I prefer the mids to be highlighted. I just bought a Gotoh Floyd replacement for one of my own guitars, which has a brass block and I'm hopeful tone will be improved as a result

[@UnremarkableMarx]

Most helpful video

[@DaveViner]

Thanks man

[@atpaulo2009]

The brass block sounds like a bridge blocked to me. I like it.

[@someoneelse101]

The brass block definitely highlights the mids

[@ytrezazerty1]

If you want a different tone, try a steelblock. Zinc and brass both sound warmer (mid vintage tone) , the steel is drier and bright (modern tone) ..

[@JedrekVRoscoe]

It sounded as if you put a new set of strings on the guitar-that’s about how I’d describe it. That’s generally an improvement in my book.

[@DaveViner]

Yeah, it definitively had an affect on the tone. The feel of the instrument has changed too, difficult to describe but it just feels better to play, i think because its a bit fuller sounding acoustically.

[@miguelhernandezherrera6792]

The sound of the zinc si very clear and treble

[@Tonetwisters]

Bill Callaham builds 'em with cold-rolled steel. Some of Fender's guitar have that now. Check him out for both Fender and GIbson bridges and stop bars, as well as Bigsby roller bars out of cold-rolled steel ...

[@lightfoot413]

my experience on a Squier Strat Affinity..I put a brass block in and the sound was fuller and sustain was definately better. Then I upgraded the pick ups and hardware inside and installed better tuners..New Fender 10 strings and overall sound quality is far better than the factory Affinity..The block was the first change I made....

[@DaveViner]

Affinity Strats are excellent modding platforms in my opinion (heck, strats in general).

[@poseidon3032]

I'm customizing the guitar I have. I'm mainly looking for greater sustain. It sounded like you got it more from the brass than the others without affecting the tone much. The harmonics like you say for me are an added bonus. I like distortion and affects, but I'm only going to use them to shape the tone, in the spirit of what Clapton, Gilmour, and EVH did without overriding the guitar's tone itself. As far as positioning, I'll set it even with the body, which is decked I think. I want to be able to both the tremolo as well as keeping it in tune. As much as I would like to have the Floyd Rose, I really don't want to go that route, preferring a simpler setup with a good sound and playability.

[@DaveViner]

Go for the brass my man

[@johnwetzel6200]

Everyone always has these decked. I wanna know how different they sound floating, where the extra inertia might actually make a big difference

[@DaveViner]

If i get the chance, I can give it a go. My guess is that there will be similar shifts (read: minute), but if I get the chance, I'll see what I can do.

[@jeremiahmeraz9298]

You should do that one John.

[@BopKitBill]

Cool thanks, good job.

[@DaveViner]

Thanks mate

[@GCKelloch]

I am surprised at how MUCH difference it made. The Brass gave it a more guttural tone with better chime. It's probably just that the harder alloy absorbs less high-end. Zinc alloy is mostly tin.

[@DaveViner]

Yes, it should always be referred to as 'zinc' lol

[@jasminfuell]

Brass sounded fuller and more harmonic to me. Like there is more happening. Hard to discribe. I'm surprised it actually made a difference.

[@Pedro.h.felipe]

I think the most important point that's the brass block don't break the whammy bar's hole, my zink block broke two times when i was screwing the whammy bar.

[@DaveViner]

Yes, another very good reason to upgrade!

[@Darkvibration]

In this particular comparison I liked the tone of the zinc block better, especially with the high gain setting.

[@DaveViner]

Thank you, it would be cool to have 3 or 4 different blocks (zinc, steel, brass, titanium) each the same size to compare the difference between sounds.

[@Darkvibration]

From other comparisons that I've heard, Titanium was my favourite, but it's so expensive!

[@DaveViner]

Yes very expensive, like tungsten blocks too!

[@roadtonever]

Bridge pickup is thin on all strats to begin with. I wonder if this test would be more fair with the neck pickup with selected, or the bridge pickup was a PAF style.

[@DaveViner]

New video coming soon with zinc, brass and steel so keep an eye out. . With this i didn't want to have too many variables, just wanted it to really see if changing the block makes a difference to the sound or whether it was just voodoo.

[@moomarsguitars]

Noticable improvement with the brass! Much brighter and more harmonic but loses a little bit of the low end. Definitely has some more j'mapelle croisant too

[@DaveViner]

More like marmalade and less like jam?

[@Genaro_Flores]

Thank you for this video, a nice comparison was just what I was looking for! Finally do you recommend it for a Squier Indonesia like mine?

[@DaveViner]

I would recommend it yes, it is easy to install and i really like the fullness and feel it adds to the instrument now

[@carlosalves4444]

Even tone is subjective from player to player, Is it better? Probably but by how much? Price/performance ratio by 10 to 50% better in sustain? maybe. To me its all about your amp. The better amp can make an average stock guitar sound good.

[@DaveViner]

Yeah, it terms of the "feel" of the instrument it has changed both literally and sound wise. The instrument is heavier and it sounds fuller to my ears, again, is it better? I would say yes, but i liked it before the change too!

[@SH-pq5zq]

great video and comparison. I would say that there is a difference, but agree that it is subjective. some might like the brighter tone of the zinc block. others might like the "warmer" tone of the brass block.... initially, I preferred the brighter tone of the zinc. also, the overall intrinsic sound of the guitar itself would have a certain tone... and the type of block might just augment that inherent tone in either direction. no different that one strat sounding different from another strat... or les paul... or tele, etc.....

[@DaveViner]

Exactly this.

[@SH-pq5zq]

@@DaveViner after seeing this review, decided to stay with my zinc-block guitar build…lol!

[@jimcamp2423]

I wouldn't swap out blocks just for the sake of swapping, the OEM Zinc would have to be cracking & crumbling really. If a harder metal has a chime preference to it, by all means run with it. Another aspect is the wood species for the neck & body. Mix & match metals & woods for the tone you're after.

[@DaveViner]

Yes it was an interesting experiment, the 'tone' debate is an interesting one, what matters in terms of changing or 'improving' tone. There is a difference in sound here, does that difference mean there's more tone/better tone/etc? Thats purely down to the listener

[@jimcamp2423]

@@DaveViner 2 months later, I replaced the Zinc block in my 2016 Squier Affinity with a Musiclilly Solid Steel one. I found the solid steel block was more noticeable when playing the solid body guitar acoustically & unplugged. But that's usually not how an electric guitar is played. Plugged into the amp, the block made more of a difference on a clean channel, amplifying the difference thru the particular circuit of the amp (solid state or tube). Distortion dirty channel & there was too much going on. That leads me to another question, would one match up better with an entire rig than another ? As relatively affordable as the Musiclilly are presently, I'm tempted to try the brass version. My goal was with the steel block was to get a Squier as close to a Fender as possible. I don't think Fender has a brass block strat as OEM ? Perhaps that's a Custom Shop option or Artist's Signature Model, even if it's an option at all ?

[@DaveViner]

My understanding is Fender Trems usually have steel (my mexi fender had a full size steel block). It wouldn't surprise me if certain signature models used different blocks and obviously custom shop you can have whatever you like!

[@pipotherium]

Nice test

[@DaveViner]

Thank you

[@patricknelson1471]

damn sweet man i want a brass trem

[@DaveViner]

Well i musiclily trem block works well and for a very fair price! Brass saddles etc I'm not sure if they do them but they are available from other manufacturers

[@patricknelson1471]

@@DaveViner your right better go with the block and maybe saddles

[@GerryBlue]

Unplugged from behind, that's what she said

[@novijep]

is that brass block can be use for mexican standard stratocaster?

[@DaveViner]

This particular one is for 'import' squiers that have a thinner body. Mexican standard stratocasters now have full depth bodies so the normal 42mm brass blocks should fit just fine. Check out musiclily(dot)com.

[@bluwng]

Did you use the same springs? Physics and acoustics say it shouldn’t make a difference but if you had old vs new strings, it might. There is no tone in any of the elements KZbin guitarist imagine, your pickup is a magnet. What can change is how the string is influenced eg its vibration which is not tone.

[@DaveViner]

Only thing that changed was the block. Same springs, same strings, etc

[@thom2my71]

Was looking for this comparison. Perhaps different playing style may be more helpful like appregio, jazz, country, blues etc instead of power chords & metal-style.

[@DaveViner]

If i were to play jazz, blues, country then i might have done that lol. The difference can be heard in the demo so my playing served the the purpose of the demo satisfactorily.

[@peterallen1041]

I subjectively do like brass blocks and make that change where I can. I don't believe in voodoo.

[@DaveViner]

I agree. There's a difference, but is it some earth-shattering tone shift? Absolutely not, lol.

[@starlifeforce]

It sounds to bright with brass for me.

[@charlesmoore1307]

I feel as if the brass one seemed to have a little longer ,clearer sustain. Brighter timber, listening on the phone and could tell. .

[@danepaulstewart8464]

Okay… if the video is being honest then I’m convinced. The Brass Ir brighter and rendered more definition in both the low frequencies and in string separation. Very interesting.

[@DaveViner]

This is very honest. I wanted to see for myself if it really makes a difference and tried to record the result to the best of my ability and the way i thought would be best (hence D.I, clean, acoustic etc). The difference it has made in this squier is significant! There's a lot of 'Voodoo' out there regarding things that 'increase tone' but one difference that i can conclusively say changes tone (for better or for worse is subjective) is the mass of the bridge block.

[@lfscrazy]

I must be mad. I prefer zinc to steel and brass!

[@DaveViner]

There's no right or wrong here, dude.

[@lfscrazy]

@@DaveViner The internet says I'm wrong! I swear by brass saddles and zink block.

[@DaveViner]

Lol, the Internet says a lot of things! If you think that sounds the best then it does!

[@patricknelson1471]

sounds more like a hardtail with brass

[@gearoftones8585]

Not a lot in it imo. What's "better" is really down to preference

[@DaveViner]

Exactly.

[@batmandeltaforce]

Brass is MUCH warmer.

[@rorysstuff5129]

Zinc sounds as if you had old strings. Brass is the opposite

[@DaveViner]

Brass definitely is brighter sounding.

[@rkaidag74]

It's like he is saying you don't have to tune your instrument and that the laws of music theory don't exist...uh oh...

[@DaveViner]

What?

[@rkaidag74]

I was just making a point... please excuse my sarcasm

[@DaveViner]

I didn't really get your point.

[@lightfoot413]

a little difference but not much listening through headphones....

[@0000song0000]

are the same strings on?

[@DaveViner]

Yes! Restrung specifically for this.

[@JohnAdams-xc5yk]

If you block the tremolo it makes no difference

[@DaveViner]

Changing blocks barely makes a difference anyway. I like the added weight the brass gives to the instrument.

[@BryanClark-gk6ie]

Very little to none. The springs are what makes the biggest difference.

[@DaveViner]

I've know there's different spring types for different tensions and to reduce the noise, but as for affecting the tone?? I don't know dude

[@BryanClark-gk6ie]

@@DaveViner Think of like this. Different spring types' Materials/ spring tension/ size/ number of springs attaches to the claw which attaches to the body and from there resonates back through the springs attached to the block. Tension/material/size and number of springs ' compare that to guitar strings ' say ' 10 gauge vs 48 gauge ' which one will resonate/ sustain longer? It's kinda like a bone nut vs a plastic one. Kinda like a short scale vs a long scale neck. Transfer of energy through the springs to the block. I'm not very good at explaining things. Hope you understand what I'm trying to get across. Let me know what you think?

[@BryanClark-gk6ie]

@@DaveViner Frequency. Energy transferred.

[@DaveViner]

I thinknoys worth experimenting. I understand why it could make a difference.

[@hustlinc3540]

brass sounds kinda dull

[@DaveViner]

Or less shrill....or dull lol

[@michaelfajardo2034]

Zinc for Me

[@iaoshua]

brass sounds worse