Strat tremelo.

Aren't strat tremelos interesting then?

spacey


removed-lack of interest/response.
 
 

I am interested just did not see the post until now 

I'm actually planning on replacing all the hardware on my Pacifica "Strat" so yes... relevant to my interests.

after reposting a procedure for others and
asking for feedback on how it worked for them not one person did so I removed
it.

 

Beepster


Interesting stuff. I don't generally have my bridge floating that high but I'm gonna bookmark this in my "Guit Maintenance" folder in case I get another axe to experiment with. Cheers.

I'd ask "how high" but's it's obvious you didn't even give it a shot or you'd know exactly where the bridge would be floating...so instead
of knowing- you just post some bull **** insinuating that if one sets a tremelo like this it'll be to high or higher than you set yours...well
tell us Beepster....just how high will the tremelo be floating above the body top at this setting? Cheers. 

I took offense for the exact reason I stated. You made an insinuation that the tremelo would be floating high.

It is a vague statement - "a high floating tremelo"- which leads one to think it's high floating when in fact it is not.
Whether or not you intended it I would rather deal with facts and especially when this is based around being
very accurate.

Fender recommends about 1/8th of an inch. "About" because of variables that players have when setting the action
and intonation.

Both the two point pivot and six screw tremelo's have about 1/8th inch. of space after setting as I've posted and
as have turned out on my Strats which I set at factory recommendations on all that I've been testing this technique on.
I have many others to set for this but wanted to check the two pivot and six string trem's first.
By factory specs I'm including string height and pickup height, neck relief and tremelo floating height.

One is doing two things by the technique I've described- The pull is fine-tuned and the tension is a balanced result
that in my opinion definately smooths out not only the tuning stability but the sound and action of the tremelo.

One may also choose to use the 5th and 4th strings fretted at the 5th fret rather than the 6th and 5th strings fretted
at the 5th fret to raise a whole step.

So please, be specific with any issues or comments. If measurements are needed or a factor please include them.

I understand but leaving others with the possible thought that they would have a high floating tremelo was not going to happen.
I've also changed a few Strats so they would perform as hard-tails. Unison bends or wanting
some notes to stay in pitch while bending others...

This however is an attempt to fine-tune a tremelo on a Strat set to Fender specs. with a result of it holding
it's tuning and "working". Fender has very basic instructions and I feel by posting this it may help others approach set-up
with a better technique.

I'm currently a firm believer that by adjusting the claw/springs in this manner balances it.

I wouldn't be surprised if most players just turn the claw screws and set the springs to whatever...
'cause Stevie did...I think this gets the player "thinking" about the importance of those screws and
springs and a very good starting point....that may never change-after all, it works. 

Floating trem is not everyone's cup of tea. For me, it's an essential part of the strat tone and I can't stand it when the plate is tight against the top of the guitar. The old trem systems get a bad rap because most people won't spend the time to adjust them correctly. 

I really like using 5 springs AND floating the top plate about 1/8" above the body. Some guys use 3 springs, but I find that 5 helps the tuning when doing a lot of string bends. THe nature of the Fender system makes it very important for the entire string path to be clean and free of any burrs. I burnish the tops of the saddles, take care to have the nut slots well formed and lubricate the string tree(s).

It's not a system designed for dive bombing, but if you take the time to get the set-up right it's a very nice effect and quite usable. Compared to a Floyd Rose it's a piece of cake to set-up.

Geeze Beepster...didn't mean to yell at ya or you feel I was...and you didn't say something
dumb...you just stated something that needed clarification due to the way you said it and the context.

On the other hand- I think many may like having something to try with setting up a tremelo...that's
the reason I posted.
I do wish you had tried it and then posted how things went...after all it doesn't take long to give it a shot.
( took us much longer to get this far LOL)

Oh I definitely will try it out at some point, spacey... and cool. I'd like to be buds. The thing is I'm neck deep in learning X1 right now which is a huge undertaking for me and even changing the strings on my guitars and setting them back up intonation wise causes me significant pain and takes quite a bit of time so you can understand why I didn't just grab the axe and go nuts. I need that guitar to just stay right where it's at so I can move forward with other stuff. As I said though I will try it out on my old Ibanez because it really needs it and I'm gonna have to rely on it while the other guit is get worked on (you never know how long these guys are gonna take even with simple repairs and mods). Cheers and thanks again, man. :-)

maybe if you had said 'vibrato'

spacey

... but now I realize there may be a strong market for rubber tremelo arms.

For people who like guitars and rubber chickens?