This is to all Strat owners, I need some advice with my guitar.

I know, I know. Yet another Strat tuning subject.

But, I own 4 other Strats and none of them do this. I need help.

Firstly, the guitar model and setup. It is a Classic 70's Strat 2008 Model. 3 Bolt neck. Bridge is flat on body, three springs. Nut was replaced with a Tusq nut. Guitar was setup at a Fender authorized dealer.

Now the problem. When the guitar is at pitch, I do a double note bend on the G and or B string, strum a chord after the bend and the guitar is out, way out to lunch. Hit the whammy, everything is back to pitch. I tried without the string tees, the same thing. I've tried graphite, chapstick, and 3 in 1 oil to no avail. I've also tried different string brands, Fender bullets, Ernie Ball, etc. I even went as far to take the bridge apart and check for burrs or the like.

I'm torn now with the guitar because as it is, unplayable, and I really love this instrument.

Any advice would be appreciated.

Thanks to all.

Yes, there is movement in the nut slots.

It sounds to me like the nut slots are binding the strings. Who put the tusq nut on it?. The Fender dealier? Does the nut itself move in the groove for it? Have you tried using a set of lighter guage strings? (besides different brands?) Generally, this is a symptom of a poorly slotted nut. The bottom of the slots is "probably" too narrow for the strings and is causing them to bind a bit. Hitting the trem relieves this binding. Lubricants might help, but will only be a temporary fix. Whoever installed the nut "should" be willing to fix it for you, but it sounds like a problem with the nut. I've found they should be rounded on all surfaces. Stew Mac even has a little "tool" which is essentially an abrasive coated string that you slide around in the slot to round off any potential binding areas. You may want to give that a try, just be careful not to get the slot enlarged too much to where the string moves around. It's called "Mitchell Abrasive Chord".

I put the nut in myself, the nut was pre-slotted. I've installed these into most of my other strats and never had a problem with the slots binding. But, there's always the exception. I thought of that too. I bought some fine sandpaper and sanded out the slots, maybe it's not doing a good enough job. Well, I'm off to the Stew mac web site...

Did you glue the nut in? If not, you should. A couple of drops on the end of a toothpick of a wood glue smeared around in the nut groove normally does the trick. As an alternative to the Stew Mac chord, another option, much cheaper but not as good is to use a welder's tip cleaner. It has several small wires that have grooves for abrasion in different diameters used to clean welding tips. They arent as flexible as the chord. You can get one at your local home depot or the like. Whichever you use, you should ensure that you mask off adjacent areas like your headstock and fingerboard with some masking tape to avoid unwanted scratches, and kind of slide the chord, or tip cleaner around in the slot some. Good luck.

I've glued the nut in. I used wood glue as mentioned. But, I never thought to try what you've suggested. I will go to Home Depot tonight and pick that up. Excellent. And, thank you for the suggestions, I really appreciate it.

Neck movement from the 3 bolt affair maybe?

Dental floss works great at smoothing nut slots and smells nicer than vasceline too.

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No no and no

Well, I went to Home Depot and picked up one of those welding tip cleaners. I loosened all the strings and fluted the slots slightly. Tuned it up to pitch and did some string bends, retuned again to stabilize, did a string bend and it's still out to lunch? Played for 45 minutes, tuning, bending, and bitching. Grrr, still no luck!

I checked the neck screws and tried tightening them, but, they're tightened down as hard they'll go. It's possible that the 3 screw design is at fault, but, I can't see that. Firstly, two of the screws are the standard size but the third screw is twice the girth of the other two in order to give more strength. I just can't see fault in the design, when a try to move the neck to check for any play, I don't see or hear anything.

I think I may re-seat the nut, it may have a sag somewhere.

This is puzzling, I have the same brand of nut installed into my Lite Ash Strat, and it plays and stays in tune beautifully?

Any other suggestions, good people?

It still sounds like a nut problem to me. But it might be worth eliminating the trem as a potential source of tuning instability first. Tighten it up so its flat to the guitar top and doesn't move under string tension. Still got a problem? Then it must be the nut.. unless.. whats happening on your saddles - any problem down there? Unlikely I would have thought, but still possible.

A good way of checking to see if strings are binding in the nut slots, is to press the strings down behind the nut on the tuners side. Are they creaking at all? If so, nut problem for sure..

Did you have this problem before you replaced the nut?

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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!

Stop with the nut and examine the trem. My thought is that it would unlikely be the nut if hitting the trem makes it go back in tune if the nut is binding. I think it sounds more like the trem is not completely pulled to the body tight enough and is pulling up on the bends and not resting in the same spot when you release the bend. I think it sounds like your trem is binding a bit somewhere

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Guitars:
1. mid 70's Ventura MIJ Gibson l6-s clone (Pre-lawsuit) in Black with Rosewood FB and EMG 81 BR/ 85 Neck
2. ESP KH2 Neck Thru
3. 2008 Am Std Strat in 3 tone sunburst

I have the bridge flat, and I've had the springs down really tight and it still happens.

The nut doesn't creak at all,I even went as far to put black marker spots on the strings before the nut and after to check for binding. I can press the string before the nut and see that the string is moving.

I now think, maybe, it has to do with the neck radius at the top, where the nut is placed, maybe there's too much curve under the nut causing it to sag, and when I hit the whammy the nut springs back?

What do you think?

Maybe but I think you would see that happening. PLay around with the trem, make sure it does not bind. See if you can simulate the problem by slightly pulling up on the trem and gently releasing

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Guitars:
1. mid 70's Ventura MIJ Gibson l6-s clone (Pre-lawsuit) in Black with Rosewood FB and EMG 81 BR/ 85 Neck
2. ESP KH2 Neck Thru
3. 2008 Am Std Strat in 3 tone sunburst

I think you eliminated the nut personally. Something is going on with the trem I am sure. Are all your saddle screws flush and against the trem plate?

Are you sure there is not any moving of the trem and binding there?

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Guitars:
1. mid 70's Ventura MIJ Gibson l6-s clone (Pre-lawsuit) in Black with Rosewood FB and EMG 81 BR/ 85 Neck
2. ESP KH2 Neck Thru
3. 2008 Am Std Strat in 3 tone sunburst

I've tried that too. I even replaced the bridge plate (assembly) because I thought the original was thinner and might be bending. Guess what, that didn't work either. The bridge is flat to the body.

Welcome to the forum, FredGarvin. Love the name!

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I really like all them "Aster" guitars. You know, like the Stratoc, Telec and Jazzm.