American Strat bridge stay in tune?

[popmann]

Of course...why would you think otherwise...unless you mean WHILE bending--it will pull the other strings out of the tune by design--as any floating bridge will.

I used to have locking trems...seems like a I had a Kahler back in the days of the wang bar...so it would lock like a fixed trem until you physically grab the bar, and it would unlock...but, they were always WAY more trouble than worth. And a floating bridge SOUNDS different than fixed...so, ultimately, if you want a strat to sound liek a strat, the bridge must float.

[cvnc12]

The American Standard Strat trem stay in tune better than the Vintage trem. I have to block my American Special Strat because of the vintage trem goes out of tune all the time. Or you can upgrade the trem to Super-Vee BladeRunner. These are great as they stay in tune even with heavy trem action. Super-Vee | BladeRunner | Fender Stratocaster | Tremolo Bar

[Hot Vibrato]

The vintage style tremolo will go out of tune if you use it. Period. The American Standard trem does a better job of staying in tune. Even more so with locking tuners, and yet even better with the LSR Roller nut. If you use the tremolo much, locking tuners are indeed a worthwhile investment.

The Deluxe American Stratocaster is equipped with the American Standard trem, as well as the LSR roller nut. I hope you're sitting down when you see the price of that guitar.

If you don't use the tremolo, then the vintage tremolo will work fine. Just tighten the screws that tension the springs until the bridge lays flat against the body when it's tuned to pitch. Make sure there's adequate tension on the springs so that it doesn't pull up when you bend the strings (you may need to add a spring). This achieves the same results as "blocking" the trem. This technique also applies to the American Standard tremolo.

[kennybro]

Every Strat I've ever owned reacted a bit differently to whammy bends on return. On the whole, the new design beats vintage for stability, although the best I ever had was an 80's Squire, MIJ, vintage style trem.

[popmann]

You mean the bars? There are people who put those on? I relegate them to "case candy"!

That's a different question, indeed.

[Christopher G.]

Originally Posted by popmann

You mean the bars? There are people who put those on? I relegate them to "case candy"!

That's a different question, indeed.

I used one with a Strat for the first time in probably 5 years the other day. That lasted about 90 seconds...

[gammalord]

Both the 6- and 2-point strat bridges stay in tune just fine when the guitar has been properly setup for a floating tremolo. Some say the 6-point has more bridge-to-body contact and therefore provides a "truer" sound...I don't know about that.

Locking tuners have nothing to do with tuning stability. Simply a faster way to get a guitar strung up.

LSR nut lessens the chance of the string hanging up at the nut during any sort of bending/trem wanging. Does it improve "tuning"? No. Does it lessen the chance of your guitar going out of tune during wild antics? I suppose.

2 of my strats have the 6 point bridge, LSR nuts, and one has locking tuners, the other has klusons. Both are nice and stable.

I think the secret with strat trem tuning stability has as much to do with technique as it does with the setup. You've just got to learn how to "play with your ears" more to get the tones to pitch.

[efflux]

I hate the older style trems. The newer one which pivots on two bolts is much better as far as tuning is concerned. Even if an older Strat sounds great, the old trem would put me off using one entirely. It's a very flawed design or at least has been on any I've used.

I have a 1989 Strat. It's not my favourite guitar but there are not any serious tuning problems with the two pole pivot trem.

[kennybro]

Originally Posted by gammalord

I think the secret with strat trem tuning stability has as much to do with technique as it does with the setup. You've just got to learn how to "play with your ears" more to get the tones to pitch.

[Jesse381]

Originally Posted by popmann

You mean the bars? There are people who put those on? I relegate them to "case candy"!

That's a different question, indeed.

Are you joking?

[string6theory]

My latest strat is the American Select (I've also seen them called Specials, but I think they changed the name?). Really heavy mahogany body, locking tune with trem. I've been very pleased with the sheer level of trem handling I can apply and it stays in tune so well. Very well made and great value imho. My bro plays a Jeff Beck sig strat, same deal. Stays in tune very well. That's a really sweet strat.

[Jesse381]

Originally Posted by string6theory

My latest strat is the American Select (I've also seen them called Specials, but I think they changed the name?). Really heavy mahogany body, locking tune with trem. I've been very pleased with the sheer level of trem handling I can apply and it stays in tune so well. Very well made and great value imho. My bro plays a Jeff Beck sig strat, same deal. Stays in tune very well. That's a really sweet strat.

Is it the redish purple hss one?

Ironic you mention that strat because when I read the other guys post hinting no one uses whammy bars anymore, the first thought that came to mind was jairus mozee and his american select strat. He does some sweet stuff with that trem. Definitely a useful tool, imo

Secrets to their Playing Guitar - Jairus Mozee Part 4 - YouTube

[string6theory]

Originally Posted by Jesse381

Is it the redish purple hss one?

Ironic you mention that strat because when I read the other guys post hinting no one uses whammy bars anymore, the first thought that came to mind was jairus mozee and his american select strat. He does some sweet stuff with that trem. Definitely a useful tool, imo

Secrets to their Playing Guitar - Jairus Mozee Part 4 - YouTube

Yes, that's the one! As soon as I picked it up in GC (a few years back), I never felt such a heavy strat before. AFAIK, that's the only mahogany-body strat Fender makes (but someone correct me if I'm wrong please).

I was looking for a deeper toned strat to complement my natural (clear) wood grain with maple neck Amer strat. I personally love the look and feel, and the trem action is smooth and sweet. They positioned it at a great overall value price point, considering the build quality/features.

My 2000 natural Amer strat actually came with a floating bridge, but I had my local tech put heavier springs in to lock it down. However, I think I'm going to go back to the floating bridge setup (since getting the Select) and as the floating setup seemed to provide better intonation and subtler harmonics (but, this could just be my memory of it at the time). Plus I do miss playing with easy palm movements on the floating bridge that simulate the traditional style trem.


P.S. thanks for posting that clip!

[darkhorse]

The stocker is simply not made for drastic pitch changes. At best a slight detune or sharp pull or warble flip. These days you do not have to go all out for a clamping system at the nut. So many offer great Trems that have a wide pitch capability and routing to do it helps. You cannot pull or push very much without room in the guitar body to allow it.

I had to learn a lot about trems in my early Strat stock days. Nearly everyone sets them up wrong. The bridge needs to sit above on the front screws and be level with the body, floating. Springs balanced to the string tension resting at a balanced level plane. The best spring config on the back w normal string tension is 3 springs. Put two on the holes to the heavier strings (6&5)and one at the 1st string, got this from Malmsteen and it works very well in even tension and movement.

There are many better trem systems these days. I personally have used several different ones. The full on clamp at the nut can be a pain to deal with. I think better to have the normal bridge nut or the new roller systems like Jeff Beck uses. Wilkenson makes a nice unit for low price which I have liked a lot. Had a cool bridge lock device that was so cool, bar at rest was a locked bridge, move the bar towards you or away and it released to a full on floater. A bit hard to set up and align but man the best of both worlds. My custom builder stopped offering them and I never got over losing them. Most could never get the alignment right but once you learned how it worked it was so cool.

My early frustrations with trems lead me to love my hard tail Strats although I do miss the trem as I have not had a guitar in a while that had a good one. The early stockers frustrated me to no end and change your strings and the trem balance became another setup fun to get it right. I have seen some really dumb things done to trems and some have weird ideas on springs using 5 to pull the bridge hard to the body to try and get the intonation better while still trying to pull on it or those who drive the bridge floater screws all the way in like they were loose and still trying to use the trem. It can be puzzling.

Downside is always a tuning issue. The rest of the strings are like sponge when you do bends as the springs move, very different feel. Not bad just different. And of course on non clamping systems break a string, and all the rest go to crap from the lost tension pull.

[mcintalker]

I've been playing Strats for 49 years and went with a TremSetter on my 6pt one. That was as good as I could get it or expect to. However, I just put a Strat together with a SuperVee Blade Runner and love it and plan to replace the older vibrato with the Blade Runner ASAP. This new one has locking Sperzels and no string trees. The difference is fabulous and the sustain is way better! I do plan to put an Earvana nut on it (the older Strat has a custom made intonated nut, as do all my guitars, bass and mandolin) and I am hoping to get that work in this new setup, too.

[Hot Vibrato]

Originally Posted by gammalord

Locking tuners have nothing to do with tuning stability. Simply a faster way to get a guitar strung up.

Locking tuners DO give you better tuning stability. That's what they're for. The fact that it's faster to string up a guitar with locking tuners is simply an added convenience. That said, I think they're completely unnecessary if you don't use the tremolo.

The problem with conventional tuners is that the strings wrap around the posts several times. If you "dive bomb" the tremolo, those coils of guitar string wrapped around the string posts will relax, so when you release the bar, the notes come back sharp. Then if you bend a string, it will go back to pitch, or maybe even flat. This phenomenon is a non-issue with locking tuners because they eliminate the necessity of multiple string windings around the post.

Originally Posted by gammalord

LSR nut lessens the chance of the string hanging up at the nut during any sort of bending/trem wanging. Does it improve "tuning"? No. Does it lessen the chance of your guitar going out of tune during wild antics? I suppose

It DOES improve tuning for exactly the reasons you've stated. Friction at the nut it one of the worst causes of tuning instability. If you're into "wild antics" like string bending and trem-wanging, the LSR nut will eliminate this problem.

[fastlanestoner]

a well-made guitar will stay in tune fairly fine

[cvnc12]

Originally Posted by mcintalker

I've been playing Strats for 49 years and went with a TremSetter on my 6pt one. That was as good as I could get it or expect to. However, I just put a Strat together with a SuperVee Blade Runner and love it and plan to replace the older vibrato with the Blade Runner ASAP. This new one has locking Sperzels and no string trees. The difference is fabulous and the sustain is way better! I do plan to put an Earvana nut on it (the older Strat has a custom made intonated nut, as do all my guitars, bass and mandolin) and I am hoping to get that work in this new setup, too.

SuperVee Blade are great for replacement vintage strat. trem. It is a little expensive but worth every penny.

[mcintalker]

Yeah! I am totally impressed and will get another Blade Runner for my older strat. I can't wait to hear the difference! I've been gigging with that one since 1981 and am really used to it. I expect to be thrilled by the difference, and that makes it, very much worth the money.
This is the one I just had put together by Dan Kelchak in Traverse City, MI. He is meticulous! I've ordered an Earvana drop in nut to finish it off.