Stratocaster vintage tremolo - best detailed description how to set up?

[Larioso]

Fender description on site was very brief to make the coins drop how it works - for me anyway.
I had a jazzmaster long ago, but never like that tremolo. So try again with a Strat and what they call syncronized tremolo.

A lot of flush to body, adjust 6 screws - but unclear if to hold tremolo flushed to body while doing etc.
And there are 2 ways to move tremolo, as I understand.

The pivot points, and some may be used, but said that SRV sometimes just had two pivots activated.
And why are there even 6 pivot points?

I saw one description somewhere to remove springs as a start etc - other don't.

Saw other descriptions with more springs, mine just has 3.
Mentioned that people buy their own springs and add etc.


I felt finger bends were hard, some springs seems to adjust a long way first - I hate that.
Can it be set up to completely blocked so do not give in to finger bend/vibrato and just use for dive or just hit for effect?

Thanks.

[Lake Placid Blues]

Re: Stratocaster vintage tremolo - best detailed description how to set up?

No, don't set it up to dive only, if you want better tuning stability. I always set them up floating. You can try it but it it will probably go out of tune more and feel less smooth.

I only use the two outside screws as the main pivot points. The other four screws are not tightened down as much.

To set the tightness of the two outside screws I do it with out strings or springs attached. I tighten them down just to the point that they barely start to impede the full range of motion and then maybe back off just a hair. The other four screws less tight.

Depending on string gauge you can use 3 or 4 springs. 3 usually with 9's. If I use 3 springs, I attach them to the three center claws on the spring claw with the two out side springs attached to the outside hook points on the block.

Then it's a matter of trial error to find the balance of tightness of the springs vs the string tension at pitch, so I can pull up about 1/2 step on the g string. This usually leaves a gap between the back of the trem and the guitar body about the thickness of a credit card.

In my experience floating gives better tuning stability than tightening down hard against the body. So I do not recommend it be set for dive only. In my opinion, it also feels better when using the trem.

This usually works for me. I can dive bomb or flutter it and not have it go out of tune.

If you find after doing this that the tuning stability is not great; the key to the vintage trem's stability, while set up floating, is making sure the strings do not hang in the nut or the string trees at the head stock end. A well set up nut is critical. Even bone works great if the nut is well cut. Plastic or brass not so much. Graphite also works good but darkens the tone slightly.

A drop of this synthetic lube in each nut slot from a tooth pick also helps:

http://www.e-z-1.com/

Sperzels and no string trees is better yet.

[Chistopher]

Re: Stratocaster vintage tremolo - best detailed description how to set up?

Generally I've found that the best setup for "dive-only" still allows you to pull up about 1/4 step. And one of the key things everybody forgets is that tightening the 6 mounting screws too tight will mess with the tuning stability. This stuff was already mentioned above, but I'd just like to emphasize the importance of it.

[Mincer]

Re: Stratocaster vintage tremolo - best detailed description how to set up?

First, decide how you want to use it. There are no rules, and just because a Famous Rockstar did it one way doesn't mean that you should do the same thing. So think about how you want to use a trem (mine are set for floating, but that's just me), and pretty much any system can be set up to stay in tune.

[Larioso]

Re: Stratocaster vintage tremolo - best detailed description how to set up?

Many thanks, everybody.

I never used trem, just trying a bit on jazzmaster and did not like that style it offered.
But with this Strat I flt finger bending did not respond, so figured maybe just give up on that and fix it.

But this guy changed my mind, I could not believe to find such a well made instruction

I started with this to get the basics for my 6 screw type

Then continued with the full explanation for any type to make it dive 1.5 step on G, 1 step on B and half step on E in the the vid he referenced.

So I got courage to at least try a floating setup for now, and will have to fix nut slots and some friction there.

The attempt to manual on Fender's site is crap. I can't believe they don't provide anything better for their own stuff.
Also read up since I have two books of Erlewine, and he complicates things so I havae more questions than answer at the end of it.

So playtime on my Strat now, american original 50's and just love the sound of this thing.
Just dumped volume pot under pick guard yesterday, also fixed to reach butt truss rod screw right up, without taking neck off.
Half screw is visible, so just carved a bit in body and pick guard to reach with a screw driver - similar to a Precision bass I had.
Then sanded with 1000 grit paper all fretboards to get rid off gloss, and now as smooth as my Tele some for some reason were more satin.
This high gloss made me nuts how fingers stuck danced making a bend, even audible - now just glides with no friction.
And fixed tremolo today finally - floating, will see how that goes.

[ItsaBass]

Re: Stratocaster vintage tremolo - best detailed description how to set up?

The vibrato is adjustable for a reason. Different people want it to behave in different ways.

In order for it to be a true vibrato, you need it to float. Traditional vibrato in music goes both up and down in pitch (since long before guitars were invented).

If you are more of a whammy bar trickster than a traditional vibrato user, you don't necessarily need to pull up on the bar (but maybe you want to).

If you set it to float, then the vibrato is always active. It moves just by your fretting pressure. If you set it for dive only, then it is only active when used.

Floating, bending one strings flattens every string. And breaking a string throws the whole guitar out of tune. Dive only, your bends feel like a hardtail, and you stay in tune if you break a string.

It all depends on what you want, is the point.

I like to be able to use the vibrato to bend up a step from time to time, but the highest string I ever need to do that on is the B string. So that's how I set my float height. I mainly use it for traditional vibrato: a slight waver both above and below the "home" pitch. So I set it to float. If that's all you need, you barely need to float it.

The important thing is the nut. Your slots need to be large enough to allow your strings to freely move through them. If they aren't, then vibrato use will play hell with your tuning stability.

[uOpt]

Re: Stratocaster vintage tremolo - best detailed description how to set up?

I control the thing with the 2 outer screws and leave the 4 inner screws a bit higher.

I float. Can't deal with decked trems.

[Jacew]

Re: Stratocaster vintage tremolo - best detailed description how to set up?

No, don't set it up to dive only, if you want better tuning stability. I always set them up floating. You can try it but it it will probably go out of tune more and feel less smooth.

I only use the two outside screws as the main pivot points. The other four screws are not tightened down as much.

To set the tightness of the two outside screws I do it with out strings or springs attached. I tighten them down just to the point that they barely start to impede the full range of motion and then maybe back off just a hair. The other four screws less tight.

Depending on string gauge you can use 3 or 4 springs. 3 usually with 9's. If I use 3 springs, I attach them to the three center claws on the spring claw with the two out side springs attached to the outside hook points on the block.

Then it's a matter of trial error to find the balance of tightness of the springs vs the string tension at pitch, so I can pull up about 1/2 step on the g string. This usually leaves a gap between the back of the trem and the guitar body about the thickness of a credit card.

In my experience floating gives better tuning stability than tightening down hard against the body. So I do not recommend it be set for dive only. In my opinion, it also feels better when using the trem.

This usually works for me. I can dive bomb or flutter it and not have it go out of tune.

If you find after doing this that the tuning stability is not great; the key to the vintage trem's stability, while set up floating, is making sure the strings do not hang in the nut or the string trees at the head stock end. A well set up nut is critical. Even bone works great if the nut is well cut. Plastic or brass not so much. Graphite also works good but darkens the tone slightly.

A drop of this synthetic lube in each nut slot from a tooth pick also helps:

http://www.e-z-1.com/

Sperzels and no string trees is better yet.

This sums it up pretty much.

What comes to mind to add:

I use pencil to lube the nut. Graphite lasts damn well.

Make sure trem moves freely and smoothly without strings or springs.

Don't wrap excess string on tuner post. I usually put the strings straight and wrap from there, so there is 1-3 wraps on the post. High e might need some slack to hold.

After you set it up, play it while, tune when needed, and let it sit a bit. Often trem needs little time to settle