tuning stability on whammy bar-equipped Strat

OFBM · Newbie Alert Joined: 30 Aug 2005 Posts: 1

The topic says it all...how good do these guitars stay in tune? I plan on getting a strat someday, but I dunno if I should get a fixed-bridge or whammy-bar. Any suggestions?

Scot Dvorak · Sea Monkey Joined: 01 Sep 2005 Posts: 10

Just like any tremolo, there are pros and cons... I like having a trem-bar on my Srats just because it sounds sweet to lightly trem chords (along with occasional trem tricks). Fender trems, however, can be tricky as far as tuning stability goes. Here are a few suggestions:

-- Upgrade the tuners to locking type machines: This allows not only a "fixed" point for your strings, but they also require less string wraps so the string doesn't bind and/or release on itself.... Fender makes a direct replacement locking tuner set that doesn't require any alterations. They just fit right in!

-- Replace the (typically) plastic nut with a graphite (Graph-tech) nut... Strings stretch and move constantly. Graph-tech nuts are made of a composite that provides constant friction free string movement. This along with the first suggestion are the biggest factors. On one of my Strats I have the Jeff Beck endorsed roller nut which works great for more agressive whammy playing. For now, grind a pencil led into the string slots (quick solution)! ...Graphite bridge saddles also add a small amount of help. More so in the string breakage department. But they slightly change the tone, I think for the better (added sustain)....

-- Hipshot makes a device called a trem-setter (or something). which returns the trem bar back to its original position every time. I have this on one of my guitars and it works pretty good, except If I change string guages, it requires re-adjusting which can be a little funky.

-- There is a technique that (especially if you lived through the whammy 80's) naturally becomes a part of your playing. Give the bar a quick "down and back" after solos or any time you notice a little off tunage. With practice, you can execute this seemlessly. do this, also, when changing strings and while doing an initial string stretching. This is an "ace in the hole" method for getting your tuning (acceptably) back on the fly.

Good Luck My Whammy Brother

Mazz · Posted: Thu Dec 08, 2005 8:58 am Post subject:

My father has a Fender Custom shop Stratocaster with a Hip Shot Trem-Setter and a Wilkinson Roller Nut, & that guitar stays in tune pretty well, between the two of us, (I'm 20 years old and He's 50 years old) we have 10 guitars, most of which are Fender products;
• '88 Fender Mexican Std. Stratocaster
• '94 Fender Stevie Ray Vaughan Signature Stratocaster
• '90 Fender Custom Shop Stracocaster (Full Heavy Ash body...I have full-sized tube amps that weigh less than that stratocaster...Like my '67 Vibroverb reissue...)
•'02 Fender Squier Jagmaster
•(ORIGINAL) '69 Fender Pink Paisley James Burton Telecaster
•'04 Ernie Ball Music Man Axis (w/ standard bridge & no locking/roller nut)
•'03 Gibson Les Paul (which is hard tail)
•'03 Fender Mexican std. Telecaster (which I bought my self after I finished rehab)
•(older) Gibson Les Paul Recording (Not Studio... & I don't really know very much about that Les Paul, because to be completely honest with you I've never seen a guitar called any type of "Les Paul" that sounds LESS like a Les Paul...my Ernie Ball Music Man sounds more like a Les Paul than that "Recording-Model" bullsh!t does...)
•(Newer '00+) Jackson Soloist with a Floyd Rose Bridge and a locking nut...& that guitar is great, because (If you've ever seen the Head-Cutting Duel at the end of CrossRoads...where Steve Vai (Jack Butler) hits a 7 over open on D, B, (high) E strings & then He Kicks-Out and he Dangles the guitar by hanging it off the Whammy Bar... with the Jackson you can do that because it's go 2 string locks so as long as you didn't *JUST* change the strings (because the Stretch for a while) it stays in tune great, & you can lower Tension on the strings & *Poop*...it's great

In my personal Opinion...the only real great thing about Stratocasters is if you could get one like a '68 with an enlarged Headstock...& set it up so it just plays like absolute butter...my father's good friend who I took Lessons from; George McCann (who is a *Golly Gee* MASTER...I pride myself in being the kid who can very rarely be out-played while I'm jamming with other people, & I owe most of that to the fact that I spent 18 months of playing 8 hours a day ONLY (learning) to play the Classical Piece that is Eugene's Trick Bag from CrossRoads (Which is actually Paganini's Caprice Number 5 & was originally on a Violin, NOT a Piano & I've broken so many strings trying to play that ending not before I Realized that it's closer if you do a Pinch Harmonic, have the Bridge floating like 1 3/4 steps, crank the bridge Backwards & don't bend the string...& It always helps to have 24 frets)

...but I'm getting away from my original statement...what I'm really shooting for is that Stratocaster's have their own sound which is great for Blues & THEY ARE GOOD, but they're like a Porsche, or a Corvette, there kinda like a Guitar player's Status Symbol...as-is a Les Paul or like a badass SG (Like the one Santana used @ Woodstock in '69...with 2 Soapbar p90's...That Was RAD!!) or I suppose like a PRS custom 24 would have no other purpose than to be a Status Symbol...cuz you could get like an Original 50's Flametop Les Paul for Less & have that thing set up any way you want it (Sorry...I'm floating away again) but I Havn't seen a Hard Tail Strat for a While, except (I think) the uuuh Robert Crey Signature Strat