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Post subject: Out of Tune
Posted: Sat Dec 27, 2008 11:03 am
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Hey everyone,

I was recently playing my strat which to this point has always remained accurately in tune. However, recently I've noticed that as soon as I would switch the tuning and play a bit it would immediately fall out of tune. I'm confused and frustrated because I have locking tuners that don't seem to hold the strings well anymore. Any ideas or suggestions?


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Posted: Sat Dec 27, 2008 11:22 am
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Hi,

Is your tremelo springs loose, worn, or maybe not enough?

I have mine blocked, ( don't use it ) I can tune up or down and stay good

Hope this helps

Bill


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Posted: Sat Dec 27, 2008 11:43 am
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+1 for trem springs. You cant have a trem and keep changing tuning, it sends the whole bridge haywire. As Mr Bill says blocking the trem should sort it.
Failing that grease the nut, string tree and saddles. The strings could be catching at any of those points.

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Posted: Sat Dec 27, 2008 12:15 pm
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nikininja wrote:
+1 for trem springs. You cant have a trem and keep changing tuning, it sends the whole bridge haywire. As Mr Bill says blocking the trem should sort it.
Failing that grease the nut, string tree and saddles. The strings could be catching at any of those points.

+1 to the above -- Except just add a spring and call it a day (that way you can still use it). If your tremelo is 'floating', get rid of the float. That - along with a properly sized nut and some graphite - will address most of all Strat tuning issues.

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Posted: Sun Dec 28, 2008 2:00 pm
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I would think it is either your springs in the back of the guitar OR it could also be that your locking tuners are loose .... I have schaller locking tuners and you can calibrate how loose or strong they remain in place by adjusting a little screw on top of the pegs..... :)


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Posted: Mon Dec 29, 2008 10:20 am
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Thanks for all the suggestions :)

I will try to tighten the tuning heads first to see if that helps, then I'll see what I can do about the springs. This may seem like a stupid question but what's the purpose of the springs?


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Posted: Mon Dec 29, 2008 11:39 am
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The springs go against the tension of the strings. So, ideally, you have a bridge that is balanced between those two tensions.

You lower the trem bar, it lowers the tension of the strings and drops those notes in pitch. You let it back up, and the springs pull the bridge back into position, and hopefully - the strings back into pitch.

But if you keep changing tunings, you'll knock that default balance off on the bridge and have tuning problems.

If you want to change tunings a lot, block that trem so it doesn't move at all. If you want to use a lot of trem, and still change tunings, you should look at a different tremolo unit that's made for those sort of antics, because a stock trem isn't.


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Posted: Mon Dec 29, 2008 12:15 pm
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Ahh I understand. I really don't switch tunings too often but now that I understand this I'm not going to anymore. Thanks a lot for the help! I really appreciate it!


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Posted: Mon Dec 29, 2008 12:24 pm
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Well, you can, but to a certain extent.

I have a MIA strat, and I really don't use a trem much at all. For the trem stuff I do, I have my "metal" guitar with a double locking kahler on it. I can get stupid on that and I know it'll be in tune.

For most of the stuff I play on my strat, I almost never use it, but I do like to use drop D and a few other small things here and there. So I have my trem blocked. There are better ways to do it, but bascially I just tightened the springs so tuning down (or breaking a strings) doesn't knock everything else of tune.

So it depends on what you're going to do with the guitar, and finding a way to either make it work, or getting another option.


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Posted: Mon Dec 29, 2008 1:03 pm
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Get a Strat for each tuning you like.


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Posted: Mon Dec 29, 2008 9:18 pm
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atolleter wrote:
Get a Strat for each tuning you like.


I like it. That would mean that I would have to buy at least 2 more guitars. My wife would kill me. :shock:

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Posted: Tue Dec 30, 2008 6:04 am
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Eventually you'll buy more anyway, we all do it. :)


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Post subject:
Posted: Tue Dec 30, 2008 10:37 am
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'07 Fender HWY 1 Stratocaster SSS
'06 ESP LTD MH - 100 QM
'04 Crate GFX65
'07 Fender G-DEC
Multiple Boss Effect pedals

I feel old. What the hell is this stuff anyway?


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Posted: Wed Dec 31, 2008 7:54 pm
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Pete55 wrote:
'07 Fender HWY 1 Stratocaster SSS
'06 ESP LTD MH - 100 QM
'04 Crate GFX65
'07 Fender G-DEC
Multiple Boss Effect pedals

I feel old. What the hell is this stuff anyway?


Fender Highway 1 Stratocaster Pick up config is Single/Single/Single coil
My ESP LTD is a Stratocaster Clone with a Quilted Maple Body
Crate is a type of Amplifier 65 watts (very loud)
G-DEC is a Guitar Digital Entertainment Package (amp) for practicing w/o people
Boss is a brand of effect pedals such as distortion, equalizer, chorus, overdrive to enhance the sound of your guitar.

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2007 Fender Highway 1
2012 American Deluxe
2015 MIM Dave Murray HHH
2010 Fender Blacktop
1987 Fender Avalon Acoustic
2012 Marshall DSL 15 watt head


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