Who here never uses the trem bar on your Strats?

[faizal_rocks]

Haha, guess its time for me to step up to .10s n get used to bending

 

[HIMYNAMEISARTHUR]

if u wana keep shred on light strings and have heavier effects do consider the slim-top heavy-bottms gauge..

 

[EugeneSmasher]

Mine's hardtailed by adding two high-tension springs to the current three low-tension springs. It takes a lot of effort to force the bridge up now, but generally if the springs tension is higher than that of the strings, your bridge is hardtailed since it cannot move anymore (well... not by itself, anyway :mrgreen.

But it isn't truly a hardtail bridge. I like to call it a semi-hardtail since it can still move if I use enough strength, but the process and effort needed already puts me off attaching a whammy bar.

 

[EugeneSmasher]

if u wana keep shred on light strings and have heavier effects do consider the slim-top heavy-bottms gauge..

These are the strings A7x's guitarists use, but I don't really know any others who use it...

 

[faizal_rocks]

HIMYNAMEISARTHUR: Hybrid gauge u say? I don't mind the heavy bottoms since I don't bend the bottom 3 tat much but the slim tops..hmm..won't those last 3 strings go out of tune since they are .9s?

 

[Ized]

i can vouch for the Zr trem, i used to own an ibanez s470. no problems with herman li stuff.

the strat trem can be set up to stay in tune even when full floating. need further proof of this. ask Dhalif and his beloved stock squier. not so much an issue of trustworthiness cos such issues are subjective and preferential.

 

[MadWerewolfBoy]

Well, your trem holes looks like this:

What i was refering to was the 2 point knife edge system (something similar to those used by floyd rose units) but another alternative is the 5+1 knife edges:

Lube may help but i'm not sure how to apply it to the 6 screws/holes on the bridge..

 

[KennethC]

im not sure what hardware is mine cos my strat is completely stock except for a orange drop cap change and a dimarzio fast track 2 swapped in the bridge position. I do know that my tuners are the Schaller F-tuners though, can be found on the japanese fender webby. I find the tuners rather stiff when doing turns, maybe this is incremental towards keeping my strat in tune? Cos i do abuse my trem bar quite abit......like ritchie blackmore or malmsteem.

Sounds like decent hardware to me. I also achieve a stable floating trem config w the stock saddles/bridge/tuners on my Fender strat. No need for space age stuff.

 

[3rd_stone_fr_the_sun]

i play a fender japan ST45，but never had much prob with its trem
the trick is lubricate all the moving parts and string contacts (saddles, nuts, pivoting screws etc)。
also for floating trem, the bridge is pivoted on the two outside screws while the middle four are set floating slightly

 

[MadWerewolfBoy]

Any tips on how to lubricate em? I don't think pencil lead works for the screws

 

[3rd_stone_fr_the_sun]

i read somewhere that SRV's guitar tech used a mixture of grease and graphite，for me i just use pencil lead on the nut threads and pencil lead mixed with machine oil for the screws.

 

[Dolwood]

Try to use a fine sandpaper thinly sand at the nut string groove followed by pencil lead.....

 

[3rd_stone_fr_the_sun]

what does the sanding do? to roughen up the surface so the graphite would stay?

 

[fgl]

I dont. I normally dont even ask for the trem bar if Im buying the axe 2nd hand....

 

[Ized]

use some Nut Sauce, or with a tip of a pencil, if you'r a real cheapskate

 

[3rd_stone_fr_the_sun]

i guess i'm a real cheapskate at that

 

[MadWerewolfBoy]

Or maybe we could use this!: (sorry ah sub, linking ur blog here!)

The Guitar Addict!: GHS: GraphitALL (sub's blog)

looks good and all but $10!! O_O

 

[Mobius]

I have stock tuners, stock bridge on my Jap strat, stay in tune pretty well. Use 10s, they stay in tune better and sound better too..to me at least. Do a proper stretching of the strings when changing, it goes a long way in keepin ur tunning stable. i use pencil lead as well for the nuts and saddles, saddles I just "shade" where the string is suppose to be before i put on the string

 

[faizal_rocks]

Hey guys, thanks for the tips

I think u guys might want to check out this site..

Super Vee

Could this be the tremolo system to end all tremolo systems? Hmmm..

 

[Dolwood]

Sanding&pencil lead-To reduce the co-efficient of friction the string resting on the nut when you using the trem.