Hey guys hopefully the great minds here will be able to help me out, as this problem is driving me insane!

So I built a Strat style a ehile back and it has been great until recently when I've started to have tuning issues. I hanged strings one day and all of a sudden, the thing won't hold it's tuning. I replaced the tuners with Grover Rotomatics and switched to a different brand of string and that is helping a lot, but there is still an issue that's really bugging me- When I hit a note, it only holds that note for a split second, before it falls flat. This particularly happens on the low E string and gradually gets better with each higher string.

The low E tends to have a lot of acoustic buzzing, but it doesn't come through the amp. I don't know if that makes a difference. The bridge is a trem, but is blocked down with four springs. Maybe I should look into new springs?

I know there is a natural decay of the note, but this is getting obtrusive to my playing.

Thanks in advance!!!!!!

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Try lowering the pickup(s) height. Magnet pull can cause a plethora of issues and it would typically be more of a problem on the lower strings.

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Wow I've never heard of that. My pickups are pretty hot, so I just lowered them a bit, but that didn't really help. I also tightened up the trem screws in back pretty significantly and lubed the nut and saddles. The notes are still going flat very quickly.

The problem started when I changed strings about 1 1/2 weeks ago. I've used D'adarrio strings for a while and loved them... until this issue. I switched to DR, thinking that may help- Didn't really. Is there a brand of string that may be more consistent in quality? At this point, I'm not sure what else to blame the problem on. Ha

Thanks!

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Is the neck moving?

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Fender Highway & Classic 60s Strats, Fender Toronado, Telecaster, Gretsch Projet, Charvel 3, PRS SE Soapbar II & Custom 24, Burns Batwing and many others!

Ok...so not caused by magnet pull from the pickups, and considering that this has been a problem with more than one set of strings on the guitar, you can probably rule out the strings.
You say you have the trem flat to the top of the guitar correct? By the time you go back to change strings again is it still flat to the top of the guitar or has it been pulled up (to where it's floating)? If that's the case you may need to adjust the screws that hold the trem claw. Tighten them down some more and then the trem should stay flat.
If the trem isn't moving at all and stays flat to the guitar then I'd have to assume you have a tuner problem or a structural problem, as suggested by Adey...does the neck move at all?

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is the bridge a 6 screw or a 2 screw? chek ur neck for any twist and make sure the neck bolts are tight... to me it sounds like a neck problem, or ur bridge isnt set up right...

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Er, might seem a bit of an obvious question, but have you stretched the strings properly after putting them on?

Just seems a bit of a coincidence that you change strings and now it won't stop going flat, especially as the problem seems to be worse on the lower (wound) strings - they always need more of a stretch than the plain ones.

Alternatively, have you made sure you've put sufficient turns of string on the posts of the tuning machines (assuming they're not locking types)?

HTH

Thanks for all of the responses guys!

I've checked the neck and it is very secure in the pocket. It is a 6 screw trem. It's definitely not floating either. Right now I'm using 4 springs. If I added a 5th spring, would that help with the tuning stability (and in turn, would I need to set up the intonation again?)

The tuners themselves seem to be holding pretty well... My high E, B, and D strings are actually doing a good job of holding the tuning. I've given the latest set of strings a good stretch and they've now been on the guitar for 4 days and I played for somewhere around 5 hours on Tuesday. (Bonus question: How much stretching is too much?) All of the tuning pegs have 3-4 clean winds on them.

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