Strat Tremelo model... do they stay in tune?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Easto
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Easto

Easto

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I'm having a hell of a time finding a new hardtail in my area so I may have to go for a American Standard with Tremelo. I know the G&L's have a good reputation for staying in tune but how about the Fender's? If I block the tremelo will that fix it and give me a solid bridge? Or... can I just remove the tremelo bridge and install an aftermarket/fender hardtail?
 
these questions have been answered numerous times in the past month only.
 
If you want to make it non-tremelo forever, yes, you can get a hardtrail bridge from lots of people. Including Stewart Macdonald. Or, if you want to find a block of wood it will indeed work. However, if you want to detune, you might notice your bridge will eventually (depending on how low you want to go) actually touch the body of the guitar. This will act like blocking it as well...but might marr the finish a bit.
 
Converting to a hardtail is far more work than just buying a hardtail bridge. You also need to fil-in the tremelo cavity, and doing that well is VERY time consuming. If you are not a very experienced woodworker, it is also going to send a lot of wood to the botom of your trash can. Getting it done professionally is expensive, because it is time consuming.

Blocking the trem is, however, a realitivly easy and quick (for a professional) fix. This is what I would advise, as a fully blocked trem is every bit as stable as a hardtail. They still sound a little different. But then, Eric Clapton blocks his trems, because he likes the SOUND of the trem more than the hardtail.


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See those two big screws in the bottom holding on the spring holder thingy. Screw them way the fuck into the body of the guitar. Theres your hardtail.
 
I think trem strats stay in tune fine as long as you don't touch the trem. :)

I like the sound of trem strats better, and blocking them also alters that tone. What I do is tighten the springs until the bridge sits flat on the top of the guitar and enough so it won't move when I bend strings. With this setup the trem only works down, but I don't use it anyway, so it doesn't matter. I get the tone of a trem strat without tuning issues. I also have a Tom Anderson Hollow Droptop (super strat sort of guitar) that I have setup the same way. Works for me.

If I want the hardtail I'll play my tele.
 
I've had pretty good luck using the trem and staying in tune.

I use 5 springs, I set the spring tention so that the trem will have some upward bar action, in other words, I want pull up on the trem bar and go sharp with a note...instead of setting it like most folks do, where you can only dive bomb.

If you pull up with the trem bar, with the same force that you pushed down...it will stay in tune. If you are going to tremelo chords with the bar...try to picture "center" and base you trem bar movement on that being the center...go the same distance up as you go down.

Be aware that this entails loosening the screws that hold the trem to the guitar body...I wouldn't want someone to attempt this and strip the screw holes in the guitar out. :eek:
You have to loosen those screws to get enough pivit. The traditional strat set up is to loosen these screws until the tremplate lays flat on the guitar..to get upward bar movement you have to loosen them more than that.

This is supposed to be the way Hendrix set up his trem...it seems to be the only way to stay in tune and really dig in with the trem.

I've been playing a trem strat since 1976 and IMO a strat set up like this is the best you can do with the original hardware

Just make sure you have good keys also. I have Klusons. I use .10 to .48 strings (the heavier the string gauge, the better this works)
 
Easto said:
I'm having a hell of a time finding a new hardtail in my area so I may have to go for a American Standard with Tremelo. I know the G&L's have a good reputation for staying in tune but how about the Fender's? If I block the tremelo will that fix it and give me a solid bridge? Or... can I just remove the tremelo bridge and install an aftermarket/fender hardtail?
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Getting a tremelo Strat to stay in tune has virtually nothing to do with the bridge assembly (provided it is not blocked or way overtensioned) and everything to do with what's going on at the headstock.

Friction is the killer; the strings must be free to slide toward the keys and back. Make sure the nut is cut so that the strings do not wedge down in the slots and stick (I use a little dab of teflon-graphite slurry on each string). Replace the metal string T(s) with graphite or roller T's; the friction coefficient of metal on metal is very high.

I've been playing a tremelo Strat for over 25 years, and until I figured out that the nut and T is where the prob is, not the bridge, tuning (especially of the G string) was my nemesis. Now my '61 Strat is like a rock.

Oh, and if you break a string on stage, just put it down. ;^)
 
Easto said:
I'm having a hell of a time finding a new hardtail in my area so I may have to go for a American Standard with Tremelo. I know the G&L's have a good reputation for staying in tune but how about the Fender's? If I block the tremelo will that fix it and give me a solid bridge? Or... can I just remove the tremelo bridge and install an aftermarket/fender hardtail?
Click to expand...
Easto, if you're wanting a hardtail strat, don't sell yourself short just because you're having a little trouble finding one. If that's what you really want, it's worth taking the time to find it. I've had an american hardtail for about 3 years now and the tuning is solid as a rock. It can go through all the temp and humidity changes in the world and be left in its case for 2 months, and then when i break it out again and start bending strings like crazy, it doesn't complain one bit.
 
Like ggun said, the nut has a lot to do with it. The only strat I've had that stays in tune is a '86 'Contemporary 22' - Japanese strat I bought new that came with with string clamps at the nut and a Kahler 'system I' bridge with micro tuners. After adding two more springs to make five and get the right tension, the thing has been rock solid.
 
I use a Tremsetter. These are manufactured by Hipshot and also sold by Fender. It allows you to set your strat up with a floating tremolo, without a couple of the problems associated with this type of setup. You can bend notes without the other strings going flat. It's also easier to tune up because the other string's tuning is not affected by tightening or losening a string.
 
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