String Tension and Tremolo

[Guitar Toad]

I am still in the midst of experimenting to determine how I prefer my strat set up. A few weeks ago I put two more trem springs in (to make 5) and tightened the claw. That produced greater sustain and a brighter tone.

Tonight, I loosened the claw again to allow the trem to function but left the 5 springs in.

Now, the tone sounds a bit darker and the strings feel looser due to the tremolo being active I'm sure. Yes, this is my observation, even with standard E tuning.

These are just some experimental observations I thought I would pass along.

 

[the guy who invented fire]

Re: String Tension and Tremolo

It is my opinion that the best tone will come with 5 springs a tight claw and the tremolo plate pulleed down and touching the face of the guitar...that said...I keep 3 springs (sometimes 4 or 5) and I keep the tremolo plate floating...75% down, 25% up...that has become part of my playing "style" when I "play" a strat, and I wouldn't have it any othe way.

 

[Guitar Toad]

Re: String Tension and Tremolo

It is my opinion that the best tone will come with 5 springs a tight claw and the tremolo plate pulleed down and touching the face of the guitar...that said...I keep 3 springs (sometimes 4 or 5) and I keep the tremolo plate floating...75% down, 25% up...that has become part of my playing "style" when I "play" a strat, and I wouldn't have it any othe way.

Christian,
Fender recommends 1/8" between the back of the tremolo bridge and body. How does your 75% down and 25% up translate into body to bottom of trem bridge distance?

I'll have to experiment a bit more to determine my best tone parameters.

I am a bit undecided at this point. Both ways that I have tried have their merits.

My next step will be to try heavier strings and move up to about a 10-46 set.

 

[the guy who invented fire]

Re: String Tension and Tremolo

Christian,
Fender recommends 1/8" between the back of the tremolo bridge and body. How does your 75% down and 25% up translate into body to bottom of trem bridge distance?

I'll have to experiment a bit more to determine my best tone parameters.

I am a bit undecided at this point. Both ways that I have tried have their merits.

My next step will be to try heavier strings and move up to about a 10-46 set.

it depends...normally I like to be able to pull up on the bar and make my low E string go up to a perfect G note...right now it will only go to F#, but the intonation is perfect, the action is perfect, the everything is perfect on this guitar right now, and Im a bit superststious I guess because I won't change anything about it!

 

[Vasshu the humanoid typhoon]

Re: String Tension and Tremolo

I dislike 5 springs, the trem feels awful to me, I mainly use three or two...hehe
5 springs only works if you use doornails for stings
My Standart trem is also floating.

 

[WhoFan]

Re: String Tension and Tremolo

I use most of my strats with the bridge against the body.... Makes tuning some much easier and it does help a bit for tone..... But i really like the way a floating strat bridge feels! It does make the strings feel slinky..... i imagine this is because there is less spring tention and the trem is ready to pivot, so the bridge moves a bit when you bend strings and stuff.... One thing i don't like about floating trems is i hit the strings pretty hard and sometimes that causes the bridge to fludder or wobble. I also do not like the sound of the springs ringing in the back of the strat being picked up and thru the amp..... Godin has taught me a few tricks after buying their Solidac model.... On their trem they glue stiff foam to the trem block and this stops the bridge for wobbleing when you hit the strings hard... The foam is on both sides of the block and fills the space.... when you move the trem bar the foam squishes up againts the body and returns to form afterwards. It works great!!! My Godin is the only guitar i use floating! As for the spring noise i stick packing foam in the back and squish the back cover down on it..... this stops the spring noise.

WhoFan

 

[Vasshu the humanoid typhoon]

Re: String Tension and Tremolo

The trem on float requires a slightly different technique than with a flatmount one, and I love the springnoise, that is an essential part of the Strats sound to me.

 

[the guy who invented fire]

Re: String Tension and Tremolo

The trem on float requires a slightly different technique than with a flatmount one, and I love the springnoise, that is an essential part of the Strats sound to me.

I agree 100%

 

[TheArchitect]

Re: String Tension and Tremolo

On a strat I generally lock the bridge down against the body and call it a day. It definitely sounds a bit better and tuning stability is improved. The wobble of the trem arm in the block makes the trem unusable for me anyway. The bushing method PRS uses on their trems is stupidly simple and incredibly effective. Its the only trem I use. Everything else is hard tail.

 

[Vasshu the humanoid typhoon]

Re: String Tension and Tremolo

I always ends up with tuning trouble when my standart strat trem is flush, somehow everything goes sharp at the moment I use it.
The PRS is a wobbly piece of...well I do not like it one bit, but that is my thing with PRS anyways, never liked any of the guitars I have tried, they are for sure not my thing.

 

[TheArchitect]

Re: String Tension and Tremolo

I always ends up with tuning trouble when my standart strat trem is flush, somehow everything goes sharp at the moment I use it.
The PRS is a wobbly piece of...well I do not like it one bit, but that is my thing with PRS anyways, never liked any of the guitars I have tried, they are for sure not my thing.

The point of locking down the trem is that I then don't use it.

 

[TheArchitect]

Re: String Tension and Tremolo

I always ends up with tuning trouble when my standart strat trem is flush, somehow everything goes sharp at the moment I use it.
The PRS is a wobbly piece of...well I do not like it one bit, but that is my thing with PRS anyways, never liked any of the guitars I have tried, they are for sure not my thing.

Define wobbly. The arm, the bridge? Never had an issue with mine.

 

[Vasshu the humanoid typhoon]

Re: String Tension and Tremolo

No the action of the trem on a PRS, I don't like it.