Install 2-point tremolo strato

As for the claw, it can definitely be done tuned up, but if you're having any issues, it might sometimes be easier to screw it in maybe even more than necessary with the guitar detuned loosening it back out once tuned up will be a lot easier than tightening it.

Please come back and let us know if adding additional springs stabilises the tremolo height. Nice write up. Tinkered with a few guits over the years but never one with a Strat trem. Did a setup on a Danocaster at the weekend using this for reference. Went with "dive only" and put the trem flush on the body plus an extra turn of the claw screws for good measure.

Used high temp grease instead of vaseline and used graphite pencil dust to lube the nut. The problem I was having is a tremolo shifting up and down on the screw where the whammy bar is. In resting position the tremolo piece was floating not parallel to the guitar body, then when I used the whammy bar, the whole piece would slide up the screw.

I don't know if this is normal. It seemed to me that it wasn't. So I pushed on the whammy bar to have the tremolo piece sit against the body and I screwed in those screws until they reached the metal to see what happened. This stopped the tremolo from moving up and down that screw and now the tremolo looks parallel with the body. It floats and moves smoothly. This however, messed up the action on my guitar and I was getting buzzing in all strings.

So I started playing on the strings, plucks and bends and then adjusting the saddles until the buzzing was nearly imperceptible. By the time I finished, the guitar was basically buzz free, the tremolo moving smoothly and the action was reasonable I wish it was lower, but maybe for that I will need to adjust the truss rod a bit. I don't know if that will help however, and I can probably deal with the way it is now. One thing I can't stand is buzzing on the strings. The fender manual says it should be.

The measurement I have there is clearly way too high. Anyways, it'd be nice to not have to deal with this stuff ever and just be able to play from day one. I just got a brand new Stratocaster Deluxe and I tried to screw in the tremelo bar but there doesn't seem to be any threaded receptacle for it in the bar.

Am I missing something. I looked down the hole and it is smooth. I see a screw that can be driven in with a hex tool. Is that really how they expect to install a tremelo bar? Hi Daniel. Please see this Youtube link. It gives the perfect solution. What a great tutorial! Took two springs off; can you use four, or would it make the pull uneven? Thanks, pjtrenthem. I think you should be OK with 4 springs.

It might be a little stiffer than using 3, but that might be what you want. As for pulling uneven, I have heard of some guys adjusting the claw so that it's farther in at one end to compensate for this. Not something I've ever needed to do, but you might want to play about with it if you do feel that a straight claw angle feels uneven to you. Let me know how you get on and what ends up working best for you. I've got a question about adding springs. When you say that "it" might be a little stiffer, are you talking about the tremolo operation or the feel of the strings.

I use 10's with 3 springs. I like to bend strings and wanted to possibly add a 4th spring but don't want to add too much tension on the strings to tear up my fingers My reasoning for adding a 4th spring was to prevent tuning issues due to string bending but I certainly don't want to make string bends painful due to string tension.

Wanted to say that this is a great thread Hey, sorry for the delayed reply. I was specifically referring to the stiffness of the tremolo itself, but you may or may not notice a difference in the strings themselves, since there is a bit less "give". Honestly, though, I'd recommend you just try it and see how you feel. As for the stud height, well this is exactly how certain other tremolos are set up some Wilkinson models, for example. Basically, they recommend setting up the saddles to the right radius, and then you can move the studs up and down to change the height, which is obviously a lot easier once the initial radius is set up.

Hi, I've just purchased a standard strat and wanted to set the tremolo to be flush with the body, i. I loosened all the strings so that the tremolo sat flat against the body, but have noticed that the mechanism in the back of the guitar is not parallel the claw screws are lop sided. I've tried screwing the claw screws in the same amount to make it parallel, but the bottom part high E of the tremolo is sitting marginally higher than the top part low E when you look along the guitar from bridge to nut.

With this affect tuning and potentially worse things, i. Hi Greg. I think I know what you're describing, but could you possibly link to a photo or two to clarify? If it's what I think, then I don't think you should feel bad about adjusting the claw at a slight angle if that's what you need to do.

Sometimes the spring tension isn't quite the same between the springs, or other times there's just a bit of a difference due to the claw not being perfectly centered, etc. In these cases, an angled claw could well be the solution.

So an angled claw won't be as bad as suggested? Do you think this will bring the tremolo level? Hey Greg, firstly it really doesn't look that bad to me. I wouldn't be particularly concerned about either that bridge angle or the claw angle.

I've seen much worse. Secondly, the spring tensions and therefore the claw angle shouldn't really come into play here though I could see how some twisting might go on.

I'd be checking the front of your bridge first to see if it's level. If it is, then there's a chance the bridge itself is slightly warped, and quite honestly I wouldn't be overly concerned about this. However, adjusting the stud height at one side of the front of the bridge should be more directly connected to how the bridge sits including at the back. I'm assuming it's a two-stud tremolo. Please correct me if I'm wrong. Sounds huge. Does anybody really do this?

It says 0. Where and how is it measuring? Top of the bridge plate from the body surface? Good questions, Anonymous. For where to measure, I'm going from the underside of the plate, near the back just before it starts suddenly curving up.

That ruler is metric along one edge, and along the other a Chinese measurement called "cun" that looks like inches, but each unit is in fact approximately one tenth of a foot or 3 cm. I've made mention of it on some other posts, but not on this one. Sorry for any confusion. Hi, I'm poor, so I got a Chinese Strat. I'm having a hard time getting it in tune.

It seems I have to move the saddles all the way back to the bridge plate, and then the saddle springs get in the way. Is it advisable to remove the saddle springs? Why are they really needed anyway?

Or should I look for smaller saddles? Right now the guitar has the large rectangular saddles like you have in the picture. Also, what do you recommend for string height at the saddle end? This greatly increases tuning stability and makes the guitar smoother to play. The two most common types of tremolo found on Stratocasters is the 6-screw Vintage tremolo and the Two-Point Knife Edge tremolo found on the American series of Stratocaster. You will first want to adjust the front edge of the bridge so that it is level with the top of the pick guard.

So I set the front edge level with the top of the pick guard. On the Two-Point tremolo simply adjust the pivot screws until the front of the bridge is level with the pick guard. To get a good view of this you can pull back on the tremolo until the bridge is flush with the body and then look at the front edge of the bridge. To level the front of the 6-screw tremolo pull the tremolo arm up until the back of the bridge is flush with the body.

This will make the bridge pivot on the two outside screws while leaving the four inner screws in place for tremolo stability. After you have the front edge of the tremolo adjusted you want to adjust the back edge of the tremolo.

To do this, remove the plate on the back of your guitar to access the tremolo springs. Then adjust the screws that secure the tremolo claw to the body tighter or looser to change the gap at the back of the tremolo.

You will have to adjust the spring tension with the screws on the spring claw, re-tune the guitar and then check the gap at the back of the bridge. It may take several adjustments and tunings to get the gap right. Another good thing to remember is to lubricate the pivot points on the pivot screws at the front of the tremolo. Just use your Big Bends Nut Sauce for that. Next you will want to adjust the truss rod. Most Stratocasters use a Bi-Flex truss rod which allows you correct neck curvature in either concave or convex positions.

To check the adjustment make sure the guitar is tuned properly and then affix a capo behind the 1st fret of the guitar. Get out your feeler gauges. The adjustment specification is as follows:.

Most Fenders use the 9. So get our your. With the capo set behind the 1st fret, hold down the low E-string at the last fret on the neck. Then slide each gauge between the top of the 8th fret and the bottom of the sixth string. Sometimes after you let the instrument sit overnight the adjustment will change slightly as the neck settles in. Remember to never force the truss rod! If you encounter excessive resistance during this adjustment your truss rod is maxed out.

This adjustment will greatly increase the playability of your guitar. String height, or action, is highly customizable on the Fender Stratocaster. I am very aggressive with my lower strings when I play rhythm so I like my low strings set at a higher action to get rid of unwanted buzzing. I also like to play very lightly and quickly when I solo so I like my higher strings as low as possible for increased speed. You can see the recommended Fender adjustment for string height in the table below.

Keep us posted!! Gree , Mar 6, Thanks, I have a digital caliper that I can use to check the mounting stud so I will try to fine a drill bit smaller than the stud. I have a drill press that should help with the holes being square to the body. Messages: 1. How about a progress report? Persecutor , Jul 9, You must log in or sign up to reply here.