Strat trem question

[Greg_L]

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?
.

1) Yes, pretty much. All strings go out of tune. Some worse than others. I just tuned it up, did a big old bomb down, and re-checked. All the strings went sharp. Did it again, same thing.

2) The wound strings seem to be affected the most. On the second test, the high E didn't go out of tune at all. The low E, A, and D go way out.

3) Yes.

[moresound]

Your guitar hates you.

[Greg_L]

Your guitar hates you.

Probably. It knows something is up. It's about to be replaced.

[moresound]

I was gonna suggest that you didn't properly place the strings in the tuning pegs right - but now it doesn't seem to be the issue from what you are explaining to Muttley's questions.

[moresound]

Probably. It knows something is up. It's about to be replaced.

No! Your gonna get rid of it? And after all these years together.

[Lt. Bob]

Try some powdered graphite on the nut.

^^^^this ^^^^^

although if you go to key/lock kiosk they'll have a different powder that locksmiths prefer and it's white so it doesn't show up so bad.
Maybe a teflon?

But if the wound strings are the biggest culprits ..... to me that would make it even more likely that it's at the nut.

[Greg_L]

No! Your gonna get rid of it? And after all these years together.

I didn't say get rid of it. I said replaced. I got something cool on the horizon. Cool to me, anyway.

[Greg_L]

^^^^this ^^^^^

although if you go to key/lock kiosk they'll have a different powder that locksmiths prefer and it's white so it doesn't show up so bad.
Maybe a teflon?

But if the wound strings are the biggest culprits ..... to me that would make it even more likely that it's at the nut.

Okay I'll try it but that seems like a band-aid. Should I get a new nut?

[Lt. Bob]

Okay I'll try it but that seems like a band-aid. Should I get a new nut?

well ....... I dunno and I'll be interested in muttley's take on this but one of the things a nut has to do is let the string make a clean break at that end of it's 'speaking' length.
So by it's very nature a nut kinda grabs the string unless it's a roller nut.

personally, if a lube fixed the problem i wouldn't go any further than that.

[Greg_L]

well ....... I dunno and I'll be interested in muttley's take on this but one of the things a nut has to do is let the string make a clean break at that end of it's 'speaking' length.
So by it's very nature a nut kinda grabs the string unless it's a roller nut.

personally, if a lube fixed the problem i wouldn't go any further than that.

Yeah, I'm gonna give it a try.

I've never seen a roller nut. That's a neat idea. Roller bridges are okay, but why not a nut? Why not both? Might need too much angle down to the tuning pegs.