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Post by Danny on Mar 21, 2007 17:30:12 GMT -7
I need some advice on setting up the trem arm on my Strat.
I’m no dive-bomber, never will be. But whenever I give the arm even a moderate amount of downward push it throws all my strings sharp by at least a quarter tone.
I have 4 out of 5 springs on and I like that amount of tension.
I have it set flush with the body, but I have a love-hate thing going with that setting: I wish I could set it just a hair off the body so I can do subtle vibrato on either side of a pitch, but when I do I can’t rest the edge of my picking hand against the bridge for palm muting without pushing the bridge down and inadvertently raising the pitch.
So my questions:
1. How can I set it and use it without the strings going sharp?
2. Is there a way to set it just a hair off the body without my muting hand raising the pitch?
Thanks
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Post by Curt on Mar 21, 2007 18:58:46 GMT -7
Check in the Carl V. section, he goes into great detail on his Strat set up method, I think this was covered there. I play 'em like a hard tail so I'm no help.
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Post by garyh on Mar 21, 2007 20:12:42 GMT -7
If it goes sharp, it's probably getting hung up in one or more of three places: the saddle, the nut or the string tree. A little lubricant goes a long way to fix this, usually graphite. You can get this at any decent music store. You can also replace the string tree if you have one with a graphite one or one with rollers; pretty cheap. Graphtec has a good one. This has fixed this problem with all the strats I have owned. You should be able to loosen up the springs after applying. My strat stays in tune great with a little on the nut and I can up bend as well (slightly floating). Sometimes the nut isn't cut wide enough and the string gets caught up there.
Sometimes, if it's a new guitar, it just takes some time with a little playing. My current strat was breaking strings at the saddle but after a while (a few weeks), the friction smmothed out the saddles and I haven't broken a string in ages.
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Post by mward on Mar 22, 2007 6:19:55 GMT -7
I've never had a problem even with the string trees as long as you do a few things. Lube under the string tree and in the saddle slots. You can use fancy guitar grease but chapstick works pretty good too. The big deal is having your nut slots cut properly. If you had, for example, a strat set up for 9s and you put 11s on, chances are the slots aren't going to be cut right for the bigger strings, causing them to hang up. A poorly cut nut, factory nut, etc, aren't going to get the job done. I use bone and haven't had any problems with it, but I cut my own and spend a lot of time on them getting them right.
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Post by Danny on Mar 22, 2007 8:08:02 GMT -7
Wonderful advice, gentlemen. Thanks so much!
Keep it coming. Any others of you with advice?
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Post by oldgoat on Mar 22, 2007 9:53:59 GMT -7
Same here, I never used the trem arm for dive bombs, just a little extra body on some notes or to control feedback. Heres what I had done to mine.
Took off the string trees. Never had a problem with the strings popping out of the nut. This may not work on your strat due to differences in headstock angle but give it a shot.
Used a graphite nut. Would darken your tone some but I tend to go toward that tone anyway. If not, chapstick, graphite etc work great.
Used three springs. If you need more tension just tighten the two screws on the plate that the springs attach to the body with.
Also took off the middle 4 screws that attach the trem to the body leaving just the outer two on.
All this is to allow the strings to move freely so they can return to pitch. But if you do none of the above the most important part, like mward is saying, is the nut. If you do all the other suggestions and don't have a well cut nut it won't work.
Good luck!
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