Strat trem question

**Greg_L** · 01-13-2013

So I gots this MIM Stratocrapper. Setup on it is pretty good. Good action, good intonation, new strings, good playability, but lately it's been going out of tune worse than usual when wanging the wang bar. I don't do big gay 80's divebombs or anything with it, but little surfy wiggles and slow bends down knock it out of tune way worse than it used to. What could be the cause of this new suckage? Gimme some ideas please.

Oh and I have 9's on it with the standard 3 trem springs.

**mjbphotos** · 01-13-2013

Different strings than you used to use?

**Greg_L** · 01-13-2013

Originally Posted by mjbphotos

Different strings than you used to use?

No, nothing is different. Same gauge strings, same brand strings, all I've done is tweak the neck and saddle height as part of a minor maintenance setup. The trem works smoothly and returns back flush with the body. It just goes out of tune really easily now. It didn't used to do that.

**ocnor** · 01-13-2013

Try some powdered graphite on the nut.

**Greg_L** · 01-13-2013

Originally Posted by ocnor

Try some powdered graphite on the nut.

Yeah I was thinking that too.

So it's my understanding that it's going out of tune because the strings are sliding through the nut and/or saddles when dropping tension by using the trem and they're not going back to their exact original position. I just think it's weird that it's just all of the sudden happening when the 20 years before today it stayed in tune reasonably well even with heavy trem action.

**ocnor** · 01-13-2013

The only thing that I can think of is that by adjusting the saddles you slightly changed the angle of the strings causing it to bind.

**Greg_L** · 01-13-2013

Here's some pics. Maybe someone can spot something goofy?

There's a chip on the nut next to the low E. It's been there forever and never seemed to matter before. It's close to the slot, but the string has NEVER popped or slipped out. Ever.

**ocnor** · 01-13-2013

It looks like the nut slots are cut too deep. I'd just replace the nut since it's chipped anyway.

**CrowsofFritz** · 01-13-2013

You should get the hipshot tremsetter.

It's a bitch to set up, but it doesn't go out of tune when you whammy and unlike the Floyd Rose, it stays perfectly in tune when a string breaks (though I am not sure about that

). My strat has it and it's awesome.

**muttley600** · 01-14-2013

Troubleshooting vibrato tuning issues can be a pain.

Questions to ask...

Does it happen on every string?
If not which are the worst?
Does it happen every time?

You've already mentioned some slight changes to the setup so I wont list questions regarding that.

If it only happens on individual strings it's most likely the nut or saddle binding. Fix is to dress the offending saddle or slot.
If it happens on all strings it will most likely be the vibrato block not balanced or seated properly. These are the most common causes but they can be misleading so check carefully.

In your case I would use some graphite on the saddle and nut first and if that doesn't work start looking at the vibrato itself. Sometimes after adjusting things do need a little time to settle down. If you just use the vibrato a little try really digging in for a while and dive bomb it and see what happens. Sometimes that will bed things in. In the worst cases you may need to temporarily block and lock the vibrato block to check that things are staying in tune with it hardtail...

Let us have the three questions above answered and get back to us.