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Forums > Electric Guitar > strat going out of tune - suggestions needed!

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Original message:356 days 14 hours 11 minutes ago

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Member: goodbyeboy

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hi there. i have a highway 1 stratocaster (old one) and i am constantly having a trouble with this guitar going out of tune. just one whammy trick and bam - its not very noticeable but it just annoys me like hell. i am not a big fan of floyd rose so no i am not getting one. any suggestions will be appreciated.

Where words fail, music speaks.

Reply:356 days 11 hours 6 minutes ago
Member: RuiOlasBrandon 's

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I've got to say my Rocket Special guitar [from Marshall Rock-Kit] is the same thing as your guitar...
You have 2 solutions:

-Buy string lockers, to avoid them getting out of tune [but it's kinda expensive]

-Rub a pencil on the nut, to fill with graphite the holes between the string and the nut cut. Do it until it stays in tune.[this is cheap and easy]

Anything else, just say, o.k. ?

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Hey, I'm stupid!

Reply:356 days 10 hours 18 minutes ago
Member: G_Barber

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Try lubricating the saddles with some of that oil that comes with a set of clippers, or WD-40 or something. Also, since it's a Strat, you could try using the Fender Bullet strings if you're not doing that already. They supposedly fit in the holes in the bridge block much better than regular ball end strings, and travel more smoothly.

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Reply:356 days 6 hours 15 minutes ago
Member: dianna

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And of course, you'll probably hate me for saying this, but you could get rid of the whammy...

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The only cure for the suck is practice, practice, and more practice!!

Reply:356 days 6 hours 5 minutes ago
Member: ibzRG

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1958
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Also:

Reducing the trem pivot screws from six to two...
Checking that the nut is properly filed...
Using strings that are not as old as the guitar itself...
Checking that the trem is properly set up...

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Reply:356 days 1 hours 53 minutes ago
Member: SATAN

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make sure the string ends sit in the ferrules of the bride straight alsp, they can get cockeyed and mess stuff up.locking tuners are your best choice if you ask me. also, try using fender super bullets strings... they are made spacifically for the purpose of staying in tune better.

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without me, METAL is just aluminum, ROCK is just a pebble..... oh yeah, and Dont forget to +1 me! it might make you feel better!

Reply:352 days 22 hours 36 minutes ago
Member: Jippy

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You could fit it with a tune-o-matic....

Reply:349 days 17 hours 7 minutes ago
Member: sammy reynolds

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you could also but extra springs in the back. it will be stiff but stevie ray used 5 springs in this strat.

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Reply:349 days 13 hours 47 minutes ago
Member: ibzRG

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As did Jimi and as do I...
This means that the bridge will have to sit flush on the body

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Reply:347 days 20 hours 46 minutes ago
Member: The Rocker

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I have been led to beleive that if you have a standard strat with a vintage trem it should be set so that it is flush with the body it should not matter what springs you have, if you do this ensure that the bridge is ballanced basicaly this means that the tension of the strings should allow the bridge to be flat to the body and only light movement of the trem allows for it to be moved if you get what I mean, also another point I would like to make is that when you sting your guitar dont use too much wind on, 3 revolutions around the machine head post is enough also stretch your strings in I cant express how important this is. and like others have said use some 3 in 1 oil on the sadles the stuff without graphite this stops strings breaking all the time, beware that your intonation and action will need to be reajusted because of the new profile of your bridge, Ive got an american standard strat that has a fulcrum type trem the one with 2 posts that brige is designed to work that way basicaly it floats, vintage bridges dont, I would not recomend that you remove the screws from the bridge as you might pull it off without all of the screws inplace, I would recommend for you to take your guitar to a repair man and ask him to do the job that way you can take it back if its not quite right unless you know how to adjust the action and intonation properly good luck.

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Does Humour Belong in Music.

Reply:347 days 17 hours 24 minutes ago
Member: Jippy

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wow talk about stream of consciousness

Reply:347 days 9 hours 15 minutes ago
Member: waynesw

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I would install a Hipshot Tremsetter in it......thats what I have in my Strat & it works perfectly. Also, as mentioned above, make sure the slots in the nut are properly lubed. You can check out the tremsetter at Hipshot's website.

Reply:347 days 6 hours 56 minutes ago
Member: humstrat1

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You have to have the proper string to spring balance.

Reply:341 days 20 hours 8 minutes ago
Member: Strat

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Mine used to go out of tune with the whammy and the intonation was off. I had it set up by a professional and it stays in tune and is perfect now. I have a 1982, 57 vintage series strat and had the bridge set up floating. The set up made the guitar play different, feels silky and it even sounds better now. What ever you do, don't change the bridge, it just needs to be set up by someone that knows what they are doing, someone that does it daily. They will go out of tune as the strings get older, but with everything there are gains and losses. The gain is the dynamic tone of a strat, the loss is they go out of tune when you play them hard.

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