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Re: Floyds, Dive Bombing, and Tuning...
All good points, but stretching strings to the point of possible breakage is uber-overkill. Plus, it can damage/deaden wound strings even if they don't break.
I've never broken a string while stretching in several hundred string changes in my lifetime. To stretch, I lightly pull the strings up from the fretboard an inch or so at a few points along the length of the string. Then I simply do bends on each string until the tuning settles. Then I play for about 15 minutes or so, check it again, and it's usually all good to go and ready to be locked down.
Originally posted by Koreth
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Whenever I install new strings on my floyd-equipped guitars, I make sure to stretch them thoroughly. In fact, I keep extra high E and B strings on hand because little bits of steel only 9 or 12 thousandths of an inch thick don't always hold up to vigorous stretching. My method is follows: tune to pitch, grab the string and pull up hard, but not so hard that it will (only might 
) break, stretching all along the length of the string. Check tuning again, usually the string has gone down as much a a note and a half. Tune again, stretch again until the string goes down only 10-15 cents in pitch after stretching. Then I tune to pitch and move on to the next string. After all strings have been stretched and the guitar has been tuned, I'll leave the nut unlocked overnight to give the strings a chance to do any more settling or stretching that they're gonna do. Then I lock the nut and do the fine tuning. Then for the remainder of the life of the strings, my tuning is very stable. Drifting maybe a few cents sharp or flat as the guitar gets cold or warm.
Now, the cheap Edge III doesn't always perfectly return to pitch after a pull up or a dive, and ends up slightly sharp or flat. I give the arm a slight tug or the bride a gentle whack and that usually sets it back to zero. Not ideal, but in a pinch, it works.
One thing to check is that everything is tight and nothing is moving when you're pulling up or diving. Are the trem posts secure in the body or do they wiggle a bit? Is the neck pocket tight? Sometimes you can hear a creak from the neck pocket as it shifts when you do a strong pull-up or dive bomb. Grooves in the locking nut pads have already been mentioned.
) break, stretching all along the length of the string. Check tuning again, usually the string has gone down as much a a note and a half. Tune again, stretch again until the string goes down only 10-15 cents in pitch after stretching. Then I tune to pitch and move on to the next string. After all strings have been stretched and the guitar has been tuned, I'll leave the nut unlocked overnight to give the strings a chance to do any more settling or stretching that they're gonna do. Then I lock the nut and do the fine tuning. Then for the remainder of the life of the strings, my tuning is very stable. Drifting maybe a few cents sharp or flat as the guitar gets cold or warm.Now, the cheap Edge III doesn't always perfectly return to pitch after a pull up or a dive, and ends up slightly sharp or flat. I give the arm a slight tug or the bride a gentle whack and that usually sets it back to zero. Not ideal, but in a pinch, it works.
One thing to check is that everything is tight and nothing is moving when you're pulling up or diving. Are the trem posts secure in the body or do they wiggle a bit? Is the neck pocket tight? Sometimes you can hear a creak from the neck pocket as it shifts when you do a strong pull-up or dive bomb. Grooves in the locking nut pads have already been mentioned.
I've never broken a string while stretching in several hundred string changes in my lifetime. To stretch, I lightly pull the strings up from the fretboard an inch or so at a few points along the length of the string. Then I simply do bends on each string until the tuning settles. Then I play for about 15 minutes or so, check it again, and it's usually all good to go and ready to be locked down.
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