Hi,

I recently bought a new Fender American Strat (from Musician's Friend).
Do I need to have it setup/adjusted?
Or does it come from the factory ready to go?
I notice where the bridge meets the body (at the back) there is about a 1/4" gap is this normal?

If so, I obviously I can't take it to where I bought it from but do you think the local Fender dealer would help me out?

thanks

Chances of a guitar being perfect from the factory is almost slim to none.. although many can live with the way it came.

check a few guitar places near where you live and talk to the staff, try to gauge who might have the best knowledge to do the work for you (good luck)

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This is my guitar, there are many like it but this one is mine.

Any local shop would be able to do it for you but it is a skill you should learn yourself.

Read the little manual that came with the guitar and go pick up a copy of The Stratocaster Handbook. Don't be afraid to tinker with it, you can't break a Strat very easily. If you're new to it you might want to hold off on the truss rod adjustments but anything else should should be able to do.

BTW, the 1/4" gap you're asking about is "normal", well I think it should be closer to 1/8".

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Tune Low, Play Hard & Floor it!

thanx for the info.
is it hard to ajust to 1/4" or does even matter?

1. Does it need set up/adjusted--Most likely
2. The bridge should be 1/8" (factory specs) but someone has already stated that. But that is also a personal choice. Some like it flush with the body too.

I would definately try to learn this skill (set up and intonation). It will save you money in the long run. You should have gotten an instruction manual with your guitar, it has the specs. Of course it does take a little time to learn how to do it correctly. Have fun with your new guitar.

rk

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RK

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

yea I called a "local" store (1 hr drive) and he said he would do it and takes a few hours and would cost $30 - $50 to do. Does that sound right?

Congratulations on your new guitar. Here are the set up guide lines. You should have gotten a book that explains all this. Notice that Fender says 1/8 inch between body and trem, but you can also have it resting on the body if you don't use the trem. It's up to you!
http://www.fender.com/support/stratocaster.php

Um...this is what I read:

Allowing the bridge to float freely (no tension on the tremolo arm) using the claw screws in the tremolo cavity, adjust the bridge to your desired angle—Fender spec is a 1/8" (3.2 mm) gap at rear of bridge. You'll need to retune periodically to get the right balance between the strings and the springs. If you prefer a bridge flush to the body, adjust spring tension to equal string tension, while the bridge rests on the body (you may want to put an extra 1/2 turn to each claw screw to ensure that the bridge remains flush to the body during string bends). Caution: Do not over-tighten the springs, as this can put unnecessary tension on the arm during tremolo use. Finally, you may wish to apply a small dab of Chapstick® or Vaseline® at the pivot contact points of the bridge for very smooth operation.


From: http://www.fender.com/support/stratocaster.php

The 1/16" is the screw height.

Of course it is all on how you interpret the meaning of the text. (lol)

RK

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RK

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

You are correct sir!! I noticed my mistake after reading my post!!:oops:
Typing too fast!

I knew you knew...just messin with ya!!!

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RK

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

Have a pic? We love pics here!

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-Kirk

GUITARS
'12 Sonoran Acoustic - black (dated 10/31/12)
'13 Standard Strat
AMP
Vox ac4c1-bl
PEDALS
Compressor
Big Muff
Vox Stomplab 1G
Carbon Copy Delay

The bridge gap seems to be a personal thing. I prefer mine flush (which it is) to the body. I have it that way on both my strats.

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"I won't be wronged, I won't be insulted, I won't be laid a hand on. I don't do these things to other people, and I require the same from them."-John Wayne

It's not hard, just tighten the screws in the back cavity of the guitar. You can add more springs if you want the trem to feel a little stiffer, this will close the gap a bit too. So tighten the screws a little, retune, check gap, repeat until you get where you want.

It does matter to some extent, the gap will raise the "action" or height of strings above the fretboard but if you do reverse dives (pulling up on the bar) you'll want a big gap.

It's a give and take thing when it comes to the set-up. You have to balance everything perfectly to suit your style. Since you're a beginner just have it set up to the factory specs and as your progress you'll figure out what you do and do not like. That's the benefit of knowing how to do it yourself.



Yeah that sounds about right. Pay for the first set-up. See if you can talk the guy into letting you watch him do it and ask questions. Pay him a little more if necessary.

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Tune Low, Play Hard & Floor it!

thanks for the info.
not sure if I will use the tremlo...
is the action much easier with the bridge flush?
or does it create it's own set of problems with the strings now hitting frets?

Doesn't matter if it's flush or floating there are screws to change the height of each individual string. To clarify what I said before if you have a gap the strings are going to be raised but you can then lower the string at the saddle. Leo did a great job when he designed the Strat, it's very "adjustable".

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Tune Low, Play Hard & Floor it!