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Post subject: Strat Deluxe Roadhouse going out of tune.
Posted: Mon Nov 06, 2017 2:11 am
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Hi there. Changed my strings this week but keeps going out of tune! As it has locking machine heads i didn't wrap the strings around much, could it be this? The tremolo block is at quite an angle when fully tuned! Thank you in advance. Graham.


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Post subject: Re: Strat Deluxe Roadhouse going out of tune.
Posted: Mon Nov 06, 2017 9:25 am
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Did you put same strings gauge ?
Did you change one strings at time ? Or you remove all strings ?

Best is on string at time

You just learn how to do a complete set up, it may take time to adjust floating tremolo, Good luck.

You may learn how many turn around tuning machines to know if you are alright or not.

Adjust floating strat tremolo; lots of video on that.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7luUzgDwwcs


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Post subject: Re: Strat Deluxe Roadhouse going out of tune.
Posted: Mon Nov 06, 2017 10:09 am
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Clearly your bridge floats but you’ve commented it looks high to you.
Could be your new strings are a heavier gauge than the ones you took off.
That’s for the bridge plate angle.

For the tuning issues, new strings can take a while to settle in.
They will slowly stretch for a while and then stop stretching after they reach their limit.
While that’s happening they will fall flat and require frequent retuning.
I pre-stretch my strings while I’m tuning after a string change.
How I do that is I tune up to pitch and then with my right thumb and index finger I will grasp each string, one at a time roughly around the neck pickup and pull straight up away from the body 6 or 7 times to a point of approximately a half inch of deflection.
You can feel when the string gets to the stretch point.
It pulls up fairly evenly and then it resists more firmly.
That’s the point where you stop pulling, else you may snap it.
The half inch I mentioned is for hard bridges.
The string will pull up higher on a floating bridge to maybe about 3/4 inch.

I will then tune back up to pitch and do it again.
I keep cycling through that procedure until I don’t notice any significant difference in tuning before and after yanking on them.

Some people will pre-stretch by bending fretted notes.
I see no good reason to induce pointless fret wear if I don’t have to.
That’s why I pull.

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Post subject: Re: Strat Deluxe Roadhouse going out of tune.
Posted: Mon Feb 19, 2018 11:59 am
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BMW-KTM wrote:
Clearly your bridge floats but you’ve commented it looks high to you.
Could be your new strings are a heavier gauge than the ones you took off.
That’s for the bridge plate angle.

Bingo.

I am going to assume that your "going out of tune" issue is referring to intonation problems.
Keep in mind that virtually everything in your setup impacts intonation, because intonation is impacted by how much the string is being pressed down to fret the note. A change in the bridge plate angle will impact intonation and make the guitar sound "out of tune" when anything other than open strings are played, and it will get worse as you progress up the neck.

Factory spec for the Strat style floating trem is for the rear of the plate to be 1/8" above the body.
If the guitar came with 8's or 9's and you went up to 10's, that is applying more tension which will pull the bridge upward.

This changes the position of the saddles, causing two problems: It raises the string action slightly, and it throws the intonation out.

The trick to changing string gauge painlessly on a Strat:
1 - Loosen the strings to the bridge rests gently on the body.
2 - Put a spacer between the bridge and body to "set" the plate 1/8" above the body.
3 - Remove the trem spring cavity cover and tighten the springs a few turns.
4 - Re-string and tune to pitch.
(5 - For a full setup, check neck relief is acceptable for the new strings, realistically, going from factory 9 to 10 probably won't make a difference)
6 - Check/adjust string height (may not be needed.)
7 - Adjust intonation (will likely be needed)
8 - Slowly release the trem spring screws until there is just enough looseness on your spacer to allow it to slip out... not "fall" out"
9 - Re-tune

In the future, as long as you are using the same gauge and brand of strings, you can skip all of the steps except for 2, 4, 8, and 9 and you should be golden.

Alternatively, a lot of people who do not use their trems, or who only use them to drop notes but never to pull up (Eric Johnson) will tighten the trem springs and even add springs to "lock" the plate down to the body. Follow steps 5-6-7 and 9.

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