Hello everyone, I just bought an American Standard...my 1st Fender and everything was great for about 30 minutes. Then the wheels fell off. Need some help figuring out the solution for some problems. Here's the list. Sorry if this is redundant to this website. I have no experience with fenders until now.

1. I think the spring on the tremelo popped out because the arm has too much play. I saw a spring at the shop I picked it up at on the amp and I think that probably belonged to my guitar.
Is this a common problem and is it a quick fix?

2. The dealer swore up and down this trem wouldn't knock the guitar out of tune and was more dependable than my floyd rose on other guitar and know I can't keep the damn thing in tune after an hour of playing. How do I fix this problem...or is there a trem. out there that is dependable for staying in tune?

3. I'm already getting fret buzz that wasn't there, is this to be expected too.

That's it so far. I hope this is not a sign of things to come because other than the problems listed, this guitar is everything I have been looking for in a guitar. Any feedback would be greatly appreciated.

I 2nd the setup idea. They will go through the trem and the springs and take care of the buzz as well as make the guitar much nicer to play. I love my American Standard but after I had it set up I loved it sooo much more.

Well, I had the guitar setup and it was playing perfectly, but I don't think he broke the strings in...he said it might loosen up but I didn't think that would make the frets buzz. The action is pretty low so it probably just needs adjustment. I had him set the trem to float before I left and that may have something to do with it too.

I actually didn't know the trem had a spring until I read the manual...I new I should have grabbed the damn thing when I saw it sitting on the amplifier. I seem to recall the twang when I removed the tape at the store. How do you put it back in? Just put it on the bar and put bar in I would think.

I think the guy was full of it when he said it would take the same abuse as a floyd. I wish there was something to do to improve this. I guess I just have to take it easy. I am wondering if I could put locking tuners on to improve this or if there is a improved trem. that would work better for staying in tune. I can live without the dive bomb, but it still doesn't stay in tune that well using it for a light/moderate vibrato. I am really dependant on a trem when chording.

I never even had a spring for either of my Strats, but that hasn't prevented the tremolo from working. It can sometimes be tricky to get a good set up on a Strat, but once it's there it's like nothing else in the world.

I'd recommend you read the Stratocaster Handbook, especially if you're new to Fenders. It has great information on everything including how to do a good set up.

http://www.amazon.com/Fender-Stratocaster-Handbook-Maintain-Troubleshoot/dp/0760329834/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1266736759&sr=1-1

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Ok...I'm just gonna drop my $.02 in here for what it's worth. As always these are just my opinions.

As others have said, yea...ya lost the trem spring. I think everyone does at some point or other. To be completely honest, I can't remember the last time I ever had one in any of my Strats...personally I just let the bar "swing" and it doesn't bother me. In fact for me it actually keeps the bar out of my way most of the time.

As far as a Strat trem being "as stable as a Floyd", honestly that's a bunch of bull. Ok...I don't really like Floyds to begin with as they're really a pain to set up. Personally I really prefer either Kahlers or those old Fender "System I or III" trems myself. The point however is that Floyds, Kahler and System trems all have locking nuts...YES, they -are- going to be more stable tuning-wise. That's not to say that Strats are "bad" but as others have said, no, you can't really do dive bombs on them all that well.

Now there -are- a few things you can do to improve this. The key to tuning stability on a Strat is a -good- setup. In that regard, first and foremost don't assume that the "tech" working at the guitar store where you bought it actually knew what he/she was doing...many of them don't! When you took it back to get it setup, -if- you took it back to the same store where they said a Fender trem was as stable as a Floyd...personally I'd take the guitar somewhere else! To me it seems clear that at least one person at that store is a chronic b.s.'r. If your having tuning problems and fret buzz on a brand new guitar, that tells me you've got a bad setup right off the bat. All of this is one of the very big reason's I learned to do my own (well...that and the sheer number of guitars that I own! LOL!).

Particularly if you have your trem "floating", a set up on a Strat is actually a bit more complicated than most other guitars...make an adjustment to the bridge for example and the neck and everything also typically needs to be adjusted too. I recently changed string gauges on my MIM...I just went from .009's to .010's and yea...I ended up tweaking the setup again. Also...and this is yet another reason I do my own setups...I don't believe that most techs (even good ones) can really do a proper truss rod adjustment in only one afternoon...unless it's a very minor adjustment. Typically I will only make -very- minor adjustments on my truss rods at any one given time...I'll adjust it, then let it sit over night then check it again and adjust it more if necessary and then let it sit for a while again, and so on until I have it just right.

That's almost what sounds like may have happened with your instrument...when the tech set it up for you, perhaps he/she over-tightened the truss rod just a bit...it was fine when you got home and played well for a little bit but the truss rod kept pulling back as you were playing causing the tuning issues and the fret buzz. It could be other things to but that's what it sounds like to me...

Now second to that...and this is something that a lot of people seem to over-look; if this guitar was purchased brand new, please remember that it is a "new" guitar. The simply truth is that unless you're buying custom shop, new Strats...even American Standards, are mass produced instruments. In some cases they may actually end up sitting in a warehouse for a while and as such the wood does have a chance to really dry out a bit and settle in but in other cases, they have been known to just crank those suckers out and sometimes the wood in that new guitar isn't rcompletely dry yet.

With that also please remember that you've moved the guitar from one environment to another. I don't know what part of the world you live in or what the weather is like there but here in Ohio we're in the middle of winter right now. If I were to purchase a brand new guitar right now that had been sitting in a fairly well controlled store (steady temperature, humidity, etc) and brought it in to my house which is typically only 62 degrees during the day and down to 54 at night and -very- dry at the moment...yes...I would fully expect even (and especially) a brand new guitar to be a bit "wonky" for a while.

I actually do remember back in '96 when my wife got my MIM for me...in this case it was the dead of summer, but the guitar was of course in a nice air conditioned music store (and my house isn't). She too was brand new and yea...the first couple of months I had her she gave me some problems...had to keep tweaking things until she finally settled down. In the summer of '08 I also brought a brand new Squier Standard Strat...in this case even though it was a Poly finish, the thing was so "new" that I actually made a small dent in the finish right in the store...the chord jack bumped against it and left a small mark...the finish was still that soft. That one I pretty much had to let sit for about 6 months and then I did a full set up on her. She plays really well and the tuning is nice and stable NOW here a year and a half later, but at first she was really a bit to handle.

Oh...another thing on the whole winter issue... Guitars are, obviously made mostly out of wood. Wood can and does expand and contract with changes in temperature and humidity...that goes without saying. However another little thing that many people tend to over look is "body heat". If for example the guitar is sitting in a room that may only be 65 to 75 degrees and then you take it and put it up against a body that's around 98 degrees (aka "body temperature), the guitar -is- going to warm up a bit and as such could also cause some minor tuning issues. Personally while I'll always tune just before a practice or jam or something, I will check my tuning again after about half an hour of playing when the guitar is good and "warmed up"...almost always needs a couple of tweaks by that point.

Also...and while I'm not trying to be insulting here, I don't know your level of experience as a guitar player either. For some reason a lot of people seem to be under the impression that a guitar is somehow like a piano when it comes to tuning...they seem to think that a guitar only needs to be tune every 10 years or something! Please remember that guitar tuning as a whole is NOT just "set it and forget it"...especially if you play rather hard, you may simply need to get in to the habit of checking your tuning on a periodic basis.

Very simply, sometimes it can take a brand new guitar (or even just "new to you") a few months or so to really start to "settle in". My advice here is to simply take her to another tech...preferably someone who you -know- is going to do a really good job (or simply learn to do it yourself...saves money and headaches) and then just be patient for a while. Also pay some attention to your home/studio environment...if you are some place where it's winter right now, might not be a bad idea to get a humidifier or something (see the thread on these forums about "sharp frets").

Anyways, not sure if that's what you were really looking for, but I hope it helps!

Peace,
Jim

Wow, many good points. That was worth way more than 0.02 cents.

As far as tuning stability goes:
1) Lubricate nut, saddles, and string trees.
2) You may want to go with "no float" (bridge flush against body). It is one of the great debates around here ... to float or not to float. Personally, I vote for "no float". Do a search on "float" and you will learn everything you need to know.

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Laughing out loud with fear and hope, I have a desperate plan ...

Wow, you guys are like a Fender encyclopedia...much appreciation. I am happy to report my tuning stability has improved a bit. It takes a lot more finesse on the Fender trem. than I am used to. I also went through my string break in where I pull up on the strings just above the fret finger up and down the neck, again. It still seems the strings are slipping just a little...or at least that is what it sounds like. I keep hearing the noise when I use the tremelo...a little ping that sounds like the strings are slipping. It doesn't go out of tune by much, but at the end of a song I usually have to tune just a small amount...esp. on the high E and the G.

I am pretty sure I just need to raise the strings just a tad because the action is set very low. Just having so much fun playing it that I haven't got around to it.

One thing I noticed when I really cranked up the amp this weekend is how punchy and bright this guitar is. I may decide to trade this one out for an alder strat. I plan on comparing them this weekend. We will see.

Thanks everybody.

Hi patmac72: just as a point of information, no you don't put it on the bar. You drop it in the hole and screw the bar in on top of it. It's loose in there - which is how it can easily drop out when the bar is removed.

Cheers - C

It's likely that the string is hanging up on the nut. As someone else mentioned, make sure to lubricate the nut, as well as the string trees and string/bridge contact points.

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Then again, what do I know ... I've only been playin' for 6 months ... !

3rd recommendation for a pro setup.

And Strats seem to be way more fussy than say, Gibsons for staying in tune. One more reason to love the quirks, once you get used to them.

Well guys, I traded out my guitar for another of the same make for the following:

1. Something wasn't right with the trem...to much play without spring and grinding sound with spring.

2. The constency of the wood grain was better, there were little knots in the old guitar, call me superstitious, but we all know what a knot does to the constency of the wood. I believe small details like this add up.

3. Probably the biggest difference, I didn't like the noiseless pickups as much, sure you have to deal with the cycle humming, but I just prefer the character of the old pickups. I hear fralin makes something that gets rid of the cycle hum...if this can be accomplished without altering tone that would be great...would like to hear back from anyone who has tried this.

4. One thing I did which also helped, I also used 10's instead of 9's on the strings.

Anyway, I am thrilled with the new guitar so far. Have to take a break...fingers starting to ache [/quote]