i have had my strat for two years and have always restrung it with the same strings that came with it , 9's i want to try 10's my question is will this be ok without changing the intonation or having to do a setup . thanks

Hi majjackdog,

Increasing one size on string gauge usually requires only a minimum adjustment of truss rod, and if the bridge is floating also tightening the trem claw screws to get the bridge back down to proper height from body, as the bigger strings will pull it up from the extra tension. The intonation, if correct to begin with, may still be very close or good, depending on the particular strings that you use, but might also need slight adjustment.

Here is the setup guide, just guidelines, not hard and fast rules. A setup isn't very difficult, just minor adjustments that can be made with basic tools and mastered with just a little practice. Just try one thing at a time to get a feel for the entire setup and how each adjustment affects the guitar.

http://www.fender.com/support/articles/stratocaster-setup-guide

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Por favor, disculpe mi español, no se llega a la práctica con mucha frecuencia.

Went from 9s to 10s and didn't have to make any adjustments, but I have my trem decked with 5 springs, so there is no movement in the bridge. If you're going fro 9s to 10s, you will probably have to adjust the trem spring claw a bit to move the bridge back into position, but that should be about it.

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+1, Shimmi

I restrung my Strat with .010's after I got it home from the dealer where I bought it. All it required was a very minor tweak to the neck relief and tightening up the trem claw a bit, to bring the gap between it and the deck to approx. 1/8". This is easy to eyeball and get it right, for me, anyway.

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"It's about sound and sound alone. Looks are irrelevant. You can have the best-looking guitar on earth, but if the sound isn't there it is nothing more than a beautiful piece of trash. The sound it makes is the soul of any guitar."

after years of trying every string out there i recently was turned on to SIT 10 -46's nickel power wound. best strings i have ever used. the are no gimmic. SIT means stay in tune. they use a chemical adhesive to keep them from slipping or detune.. use them on my american standard, modified eastwood stormbird "with vintage bisby", eastwood side jack. and the hold thier own.. i can hit a 4 hour jam session put any of these guitars in a case for weeks, pull them out and they are still perfectly in tune.. blows my mind

Short answer; yes. Everyone else pretty much addressed everything. If your tremolo floats you'll need to compensate for the extra tension, and as a result the intonation will need to be adjusted. The tens shouldn't be so thick that you'd need to open the nut slots. I went from 11's to a mixed set of 10/11's, this have me the thick percussive tone I want, but with a few being a lighter gauge alow allows for easier bends. I also find pure nickel strings sound better. While this is an opinion, what's not is they have a better tuning stability. When I stretch out a new set of strings, it only takes 3 or4 times that I have to stretch then tune to pitch instead of the dozens needed with nickel plated steel. They don't have the acoustical output that the plated do. But they have a nice warm tone that component single coils nicely.

ok, took it to a tech, he put 10s on it lowered the action a bit , it sounds great, wish i would have done it a long time ago, the action is gonna take a little getting used to but i am happy with it, thanks for input guys!!!

I agree...wish I'd done it long ago...10's and Fat E's.. been very very good to me.