I would love to use my tremelo more and float the bridge on a couple of strats...but I've never been able to keep the vintage trem's in tune.

Any set up tips out there?

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CREDO ELVEM IPSUM ETAIM VIVERE

Leave it with me Nicholsoni I'll be re'stringing my 57 later. I'll get some good pictures and show you just how it's done.

Sweet!

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CREDO ELVEM IPSUM ETAIM VIVERE

OK standing by.
Claude.

*hic*

alright *hic* here we go lads/...
Right heres what you need to restring your guitar



Yep beer, chocolate and a radio. Cos let's face it, it's a boring task. Thats why anyone who can pays a expert to do it. (note also the long nose pliers, screwdriver hammer and 11mm spanner, best forget about them). Oh yeah and some Sloe Gin that the missus made for me.

Right no1, I'm not at all sold on having anymore wraps around the post than absolutely necessary. Proof? Look at this B string, 2 and a bit winds round the post. You don't need any more.


So onto business.

First determine the correct length to cut the string at. I've a solid, set in stone rule. 2 finger widths past the post for all but the B and high E. Where I use a 3 finger space. Thats the minimum I can get away with, without the string slipping off the post.
Like so


Slide the finger of your left hand up to the 2 fingers of the right, cut at that.


excuse the sausage fingers.

Shove that in the tuners hole.



Bend the string over to your right when facing the headstock end.



Now the important part.

Place the index finger of the right hand ontop of the string, press down, firm. Use the ring and little finger of the right hand to pull the string up. You're aiming to keep as much tension on that string as possible. Don't give it any room to go where it wants around the tuner post.



Wind the string onto the tuner post.

Get that string good and tight onto the tuner post, but dont worry about being bang on concert pitch just yet.
Give the string a pull when it's somewhere near.



I pull up and back. My sole goal is to allow that string no space to go where it wants as it wraps around the tuner post. If the string goes sharp of desired open pitch pull it till it goes flat then tune up again. NEVER tune down unless your using locking tuners. If you can't pull the string flat enough. Tune down, pull the string (as above) till it won't pull any flatter than it reads on a tuner. Then tune up again.


Doing that gives results shown below. Minimal wind's around the post, the string being tuned to pitch with no space left to spare for it to move into when you dip the trem bar. The string can't really pull loose because you've already done that as you tune the new string.

Here's what you should end up seeing with the guitar at concert pitch. Minimal neat winds onto the posts.

Low E 1 wind around the post



The high E 2 winds round. though you can't see it clearly on this photo. Every wind below the previous wind.



happy new beer all, I'm back to the gin now.

good job niki, and thank you. if i remember correctly you do the G,B,E strings differenty a bit dont you?
in the above you mentioned that to never tune down unless using locking tuners.
ok what if you naturally stay tuned down, does the above apply?
finally, why is it that your brew ha-ha stayed unopened in every pic?

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63supro
"The good thing is in a club situation, most of the patrons are trashed and really can't tell the difference."

Ya didn't notice the gin bottle disappear though did ya?

If you tune down anyways, then that is your desired pitch, isn't it? If you tune to D,C,B or whatever, thats the goal your aiming for. Tune up to that, if you go over, pull the string till you get to the pitch or flat of it. Or if you can't get it tune down then pull the string till it stops flattening.
Then tune up if needed.

I tune all my guitars to concert pitch, that's what their setup for, that's the goal. So that's what I refrence in my posts. It's not important, though target pitch would have been a more accurate term to use.

ok i figured as much but wanted to clear it up

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63supro
"The good thing is in a club situation, most of the patrons are trashed and really can't tell the difference."

What the gin or the tuning?

yes lol

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63supro
"The good thing is in a club situation, most of the patrons are trashed and really can't tell the difference."

Thanks Nick, it confirms something I thought for some time now, the less string around the peg, the more tuning stability. Happy New Year to you and yours Nick.
Claude.

Thanks Niki,

That was about what I was doing for string changes, however I was hoping for some advice on setting up the bridge itself. It's when I use the whammy bar that I tend to get out of tune. I was hoping that someone could help with that end of the setup.

Ian

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CREDO ELVEM IPSUM ETAIM VIVERE

Have you tried setting up IAW the Fender how-to guide? That's all I do and my guitar rarely goes out of tune. In fact, my vintage styled trem stays in tune better than the 2-point trem I had on another guitar which also had locking tuners and a roller nut. If you get set up like the guide, and still have trouble, it could be an issue with a string binding in the nut or string tree. Lube usually helps, but sometimes the nut needs a little more attention.

Thats where all the stability is mate.

Other than that, download realplayer and open this link in it's web address bar. (theres no other way to open it, I can find)
http://www.gitaarnet.nl/video/carlverhe ... p-hoog.ram

I own one Fender and 2 "Partscasters" and to be honest, with the partscasters, I had never tried the Fender guide but it seems to have done the trick as my "trial and error" guitar seems to be staying in tune through whammy bar use.(The Fender has only been setup after purchase and now I know what to look for.)

We'll have to try the other partscaster next.

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CREDO ELVEM IPSUM ETAIM VIVERE