Gotoh NS510TS-FE1 ST-Style Tremolo C

I bought this Gotoh bridge as a replacement for the original tremolo on my 2010 American Standard Strat, having got thoroughly fed up with snapping off tremolo arms.

The problem with the traditional Fender design is that the arm is only supported by the threaded section that screws into the block. If you use the tremolo quite heavily, as I tend to do, there’s a lot of leverage acting on that relatively small section, which eventually causes metal fatigue. I’ve had two arms snap off inside the block, even after trying reinforced replacement arms.

So I decided it was time for an aftermarket upgrade and went for this Gotoh unit.

It works extremely well. The arm is much more substantial and, crucially, is supported almost all the way up to the bend, so the chances of it ever snapping off are virtually zero. There’s also a small grub screw that allows you to adjust the resistance of the arm, depending on whether you prefer it to swing freely or stay in one position.

Another big advantage is that the bridge fits perfectly onto the existing Fender mounting posts. Although Gotoh supplies replacement posts, I simply used the original Fender ones, which work just as well.

Installation was therefore extremely straightforward. It required very little setting up beyond adjusting the action, and even the intonation was pretty much spot-on straight out of the box.

All in all, an excellent upgrade. It works like a charm, and I wish I’d fitted one years ago!