[font=trebuchet ms]Bear in mund that my JapStrat was a '62 Re-issue, so the dimensions may not match your axe.

I machined a block of brass to fill the hole directly under the bridge, down as far as the spring cavity. This block fit snugly (press fit) so that I didn't have to try to glue it in. I drilled holes for the strings to pass through, and tapped holes in the upper face to allow the bridge to be bolted firmly to the block, in the same way as it used to mount on the piece the springs connected to.

The hole in the face of the guitar is not quite as big as the rest of the hole through the body, so there is a bit of a lip at the body surface. The new block should be made so that it can be pressed all the way in from the back, and end up making the face of the guitar flush and smooth, as if there never had been a hole there. The original bridge can be retained, and it should cover the new block.

You end up with a reversable mod, but I don't think you'll want to reverse it. It's just amazing how much tone gets sucked out of your guitar by those trems!

BTW: Look at the upper right of my post. I'm on Mountain Time.[/font]