How to lower the strings on guitar

  • Thread starter Thread starter monkie
  • Start date Start date
monkie

monkie

New member
The strings on my strat is kinda of high which can be pretty tough to bend, can anyone show me how to lower it?

Thanks in advance for any help.:)
 
If you have the usual strat-style bridge, each string is sitting on a little saddle by itself (these things). Each of those saddles should have two little screws, one on either side of the string, that adjust the height.
 
danw said:
If you have the usual strat-style bridge, each string is sitting on a little saddle by itself (these things). Each of those saddles should have two little screws, one on either side of the string, that adjust the height.
Click to expand...

Thanks, I'll give it a shot.:D
 
Ok, just to make I'm screwing the right screw.... are you talking about the 6 screws with springs around it or the 12 little holes from the opposite side of it? Cause when I screwed the 6 screws with the springs around it, that's just tuning it. So, I'm guessing it's the 12 little holes on the opposite side, right? How to I screw that? What tools do I need to get it done with?

Cheers
 
You're correct -- it's the 12 tiny ones. The other ones are to adjust the intonation. What tool you use depends on what they look like on top; I'd suspect you need either a little screwdriver or an allen wrench. They may move easier if you temporarily tune down to get the tension off the strings.
 
danw said:
You're correct -- it's the 12 tiny ones. The other ones are to adjust the intonation. What tool you use depends on what they look like on top; I'd suspect you need either a little screwdriver or an allen wrench. They may move easier if you temporarily tune down to get the tension off the strings.
Click to expand...

I used a little screwdriver and loosened up one of the screws on the 6th string E but it seems to get too loose and wobbly. Which way should I screw to get the strings to go lower? Do I also screw the intonation screws too just to tighten it up again? What else do I need to screw?

Thanks for helping.
 
Yes, I got it.

Thank you, thank you and thank you. I've always wonder why my strat is so damn hard to play. I thought maybe my guitar is not the ones that can lower the strings. LOL!!! Now it's much easier to play and feels better than ever on my fingers. It's easier than I thought. I appreciate the help very much.:D:D
 
Why does my guitar sounds noisier when I play distortion after I have lowered the strings? Could it be that I lowered the strings too low? Also, it feels softer (which I like) but is that normal when lowering the strings? Is there a rule to how low you should lowered the strings? Do I have to make some adjustments with the intonation screws too?

Thanks
 
Yes, it should feel easier to play. The strings are closer to the fretboard, so you don't have to press them down as far.

What kind of noise are you hearing? If the strings are too low, they'll buzz on the frets, but you'll mainly hear that coming from the guitar itself. You also don't want the strings to actually hit the pickups. I guess that could cause some nasty sounds.

Intonation is basically a measure of how well the guitar stays in tune as you play up the neck. If you can play chords and they sound fine, but the stuff way up at the top of the neck sounds out of tune, your intonation might need adjustment. Same thing if the fretted note on the twelfth fret of each string is out of tune with the harmonic in the same place. Otherwise they don't need messing with. Google "guitar intonation adjustment"; there are a ton of articles out there on how to check and how to correct problems.
 
Well, the strings are closer to the pickups now so it may be wise to drop them a little to compensate.

And yes, usually lowering the strings has effect on the intonation. Best way to intonate is to use a very accurate tuner, tune open and then at the 12th fret. If it's flat at the 12th, you need to shorten the string (move saddle closer to the nut) --if it's sharp, vice versa.
 
apratsunrthd said:
Well, the strings are closer to the pickups now so it may be wise to drop them a little to compensate.

And yes, usually lowering the strings has effect on the intonation. Best way to intonate is to use a very accurate tuner, tune open and then at the 12th fret. If it's flat at the 12th, you need to shorten the string (move saddle closer to the nut) --if it's sharp, vice versa.
Click to expand...

Why would lowering the strings affect intonation? The saddle to nut distance remains the same when you raise or lower the string saddles on a Strat.
 
ggunn said:
Why would lowering the strings affect intonation? The saddle to nut distance remains the same when you raise or lower the string saddles on a Strat.
Click to expand...

I hear what you're saying and don't entirely know how to explain myself except to say that I speak from experience. Perhaps it's the fact that the string has to travel less distance from unfretted to fretted, but it does in fact make a difference.

I know I'm the new guy on the boards and have no desire to get flamed so hopefully someone can help with a better explanation. Or I could just shut it :D

EDIT -- just thought of an example which may kind of apply (I hate not being able to explain myself). if you were to hold a string with one hand and hold the other end in another hand not letting it slip and not letting the first hand move, you'd have to travel in an arc (and eventually a circle). In the case of moving a saddle up, there's no 'arc-like' compensation (God help me)... so the distance, though only minimally different, has still changed.
 
Last edited:
I'll try it and see how it goes and will come back to post how it went. In the meantime feel free to throw out any suggestions as I'll be around to read more opinions and suggestions.
 
ggunn said:
Why would lowering the strings affect intonation? The saddle to nut distance remains the same when you raise or lower the string saddles on a Strat.
Click to expand...

It has to do with string tension, string deflection, and the nature of the temperament but you will often have to intonate after making action adjustments. More so on a light set of electric strings with an unwound third.
 
muttley600 said:
It has to do with string tension, string deflection, and the nature of the temperament but you will often have to intonate after making action adjustments. More so on a light set of electric strings with an unwound third.
Click to expand...

Interesting. Why would there be a change in string tension, if that is what you are saying?
 
ggunn said:
Interesting. Why would there be a change in string tension, if that is what you are saying?
Click to expand...

If the action is, say for example 1/4" above the fret, when you deflect it to the fret you introduce two things. More tension for that string length because you have moved it away from its resting position, in effect stretched it, think of like a bow and arrow. The other is that you have moved it further from the saddle than say for a 1/8" action. Its a balancing act and the amount of increased tension and deflection is dependant on the gauge of the string and the string length as well as the material the string is made from.

Often you won't notice a difference, in many cases you will. The reasons above is why we have compensated saddles on acoustics and parallel saddles on a nylon strung classical.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top