Although I don't always agree with ME of the CS, he nailed this one already. Fantasize all you want, reality is a $@!&*.



http://www.fender.com/community/forums/viewtopic.php?f=22&t=55279

Clue:
Neither ME nor myself are making money selling devices or books about keeping guitars in tune. You can't get around things like the loose string behind the saddle, or lack of pivot point on a six screw bridge. But their will always be gullible people eager to part with their cash. Embarrassment sometimes keeps people from admitting that they were taken. <ahem> tremsetter <cough>

_________________
---> "The amp should be SWITCHED OFF AND UNPLUGGED before you do this!" <---

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

I'm callin' bull poop. Watch this video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iy-F7iSIopA&feature=player_embedded

_________________
"The individual is handicapped by coming face to face with a Conspiracy so monstrous he cannot believe it exists. The American mind simply has not come to a realization of the evil which has been introduced into our midst." J. Edgar Hoover

Wow, using the whammy causes the guitar to go out of tune? And further, you can pull or push on the bar to get it back in tune? Gee, I would have never believed that.

You must be one of those guys that "do not have neither the knowledge nor patience to setup a trem properly".

Hey, all joking aside, it's big of you to admit you were wrong, even though you did it in a back-handed way on another thread.

_________________
---> "The amp should be SWITCHED OFF AND UNPLUGGED before you do this!" <---

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

I admitted that the guitar came off the stand cold and in-tune. After warming the strings up with the whammy bar, two strings were slightly flat, which means, to elaborate further, two strings went *slightly* flat after substantial playing and radical whammy usage last night, normal. And I also admitted that when the guitar cooled after this morning's warm-up sesh, the string tension rearranged itself while cooling and went into tune upon warming the strings with the whammy bar, normal.

Trini said his guitar goes out of tune when he "touches" it. That's not normal. This can be fixed if his guitar is not defective or junk.

I'm tyring to help Trini. You seem to be interested in wrangling with me, not helping Trini.

Stop, you are making an ash of yourself. The vintage trem is stable when setup properly and the wood is hard, and the hardware is good, and the setup is right!

Have you been able to stabilize your trem shimmilou??? If not, send it to me and I'll fix it for you!

_________________
"The individual is handicapped by coming face to face with a Conspiracy so monstrous he cannot believe it exists. The American mind simply has not come to a realization of the evil which has been introduced into our midst." J. Edgar Hoover

Trini, one more piece of advise; use Fender Super Bullet strings if you want to use the trem. Thus far, they've been the most stable and reliable strings for the vintage trem. They last a long time too! Also, make sure the string trees, nut slots, saddles, and bridge plate contact points (string holes, screws and screw holes), string bullet ends, and sustain block stops are lubed too if a shop does the setup and when you change strings yourself. Again, Nut Sauce is working best for me!

Feel free to ask any more questions you have about the vintage trem!

_________________
"The individual is handicapped by coming face to face with a Conspiracy so monstrous he cannot believe it exists. The American mind simply has not come to a realization of the evil which has been introduced into our midst." J. Edgar Hoover

Thanks a mil , you have been a big help
on the front of the bridge has 6 screws, should these be tightened down first before using the claw springs to lock the tremlo to the body?
woud the 3 spring be sufficient to hold down the tremlo or do i need to get 2 more as some has shown?

_________________
Dave
T&T

You're welcome! I've been at the stage you are and some kind people helped me out too. So, I'm just payin' it forward!

The number of springs is dependent upon the gauge of the strings. What gauge strings are you using? I use 2 springs for 8 and 9 gauge strings, 3 for 10 gauge strings, 4 for 11 gauge strings.

I've pulled the info about the screws you are asking for out of the online Strat guide. There's a link at the bottom to the guide. I highlighted the info about the screws:

TREMOLO

Stratocaster guitars can have four distinctive types of bridges. The most well-known bridge is the vintage-style "synchronized" tremolo. The other three are the American Series bridge, which is a modern-day two-pivot bridge; the non-tremolo hardtail bridge; and a locking tremolo, such as the American Deluxe or Floyd Rose® locking tremolos. If you have a non-tremolo "hardtail" bridge, proceed to "Intonation (Roughing it out)." If you have a locking tremolo bridge, click here.

First, remove the tremolo back cover. Check your tuning. For a vintage-style tremolo bridge, a great way to enhance its performance is to pull the bridge back flush with the body using the tremolo arm. Then loosen all six screws located at the front edge of the bridge plate, raising them so that they all measure approximately 1/16" (1.6 mm) above the top of the bridge plate. Then tighten the two outside screws back down until they're flush with the top of the bridge plate. The bridge will now pivot on the outside screws, leaving the four inside screws in place for bridge stability. For a two-pivot model such as the American Series bridge, use your tremolo arm to pull the bridge back flush with the body and adjust the two pivot screws to the point where the tremolo plate sits entirely flush at the body (not lifted at the front or back of the plate).

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.

http://www.fender.com/support/articles/ ... etup-guide

Your best bet is to read through the entire guide first to get a better understanding of all the work you will be doing on your guitar, then follow the instructions! If you run into any issues, let me know! And, there are no stupid questions here. Ask away!

_________________
"The individual is handicapped by coming face to face with a Conspiracy so monstrous he cannot believe it exists. The American mind simply has not come to a realization of the evil which has been introduced into our midst." J. Edgar Hoover

thanks, i use that same set up guide for my strat
as for the springs, i only have the 3 that came with the strat
as for the bridge screws, i guess i am suppose to leave that alone even if i am locking down the tremlo?

_________________
Dave
T&T

If you are locking down the tremolo (not floating it for whammy use), all screws should be flush with the top of the bridge. The four screws in the middle are raised to facilitate less contact points for consistent returns to center when the bridge is floated for whammy use.

I'd still use Nut Sauce for the string trees, nut slots, saddles, string contact points, and the string end stops, and lubricate the bullet/ball ends too so the strings don't get too stuck if you leave them in for a while! If the strings ever get stuck in the sustain block, use an E string to push them out.

_________________
"The individual is handicapped by coming face to face with a Conspiracy so monstrous he cannot believe it exists. The American mind simply has not come to a realization of the evil which has been introduced into our midst." J. Edgar Hoover

thanks once again and i will get some nut sauce

_________________
Dave
T&T

You're welcome!

I found that the lip balm and 3-in-1 oil do not work as well as the Nut Sauce does when floating the trem. However, Fender does recommend using the 3-in-1 oil to prevent corrosion and metal fatigue on the string saddles. So, after changing strings, per Fender's recommendations, the saddles should be treated with 3-in-1 oil if you want to keep the saddles bright and shiny!

I'm bad. I don't use 3-in-1. It's a pain keeping the bridge clean after using it, I don't like the smell of it, and because of the following cautions:

"CAUTION! May cause eye irritation. Prolonged or repeated skin contact may cause mild irritation and defatting dermatitis. Avoid eye contact. Avoid prolonged or repeated contact with skin and clothing."

http://msds.flexoproducts.com:8000/MSDS%20for%20Distributors/3%20IN%201%20OIL.pdf

Keep us posted on your success with the setup!

_________________
"The individual is handicapped by coming face to face with a Conspiracy so monstrous he cannot believe it exists. The American mind simply has not come to a realization of the evil which has been introduced into our midst." J. Edgar Hoover

Just passing through.......

What I didnt see mentioned is skill level concerning tuning-- use of trem-and the possible subjectivity of both depending upon the player, I.E., if you are new to the instrument, you may find that it goes out of tune frequently (assuming you're using a tuner)---or sounds out of tune--- simply because of how you're playing it. The number of times a Strat has to be returned to a dealer because of tuning instability or bad intonation is very, very rare....and probably a couple of more verys.

Setting the trem flat as mentioned is certainly a viable solution......but you won't be playing any "Walk, Don't Run" (WHAT? you know..walk don't run.....shakes head.....you know...the Ventures.....nevermind :O).......)

_________________
______________
rob Schwarz
Director,Fender Customer Service
Proudly serving Fender Customers
for over 30 years