How To Setup A Strats Tremolo
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- Опубликовано: 23 май 2023
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In this vid I explain how to setup a Stratocasters Tremolo system.
Its very very easy and I highly recommend you experiment with it to find out what you like the most. : ) 
Видеоклипы
![The Perfect Stratocaster Trem / Vibrato Setup [Floating, Flat Or Blocked?]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/PjVXWyUGpwc/mqdefault.jpg)
![The Perfect Stratocaster Trem / Vibrato Setup [Floating, Flat Or Blocked?]](/img/tr.png)
I just wanted to say thank you so much for this. I have always been Paul Player and my wonderful wife just bought me a Stratocaster for my 56th birthday and I was having hell with the trem not returning to pitch. I also couldn't decide if I should deck it or float it . I watched a few other videos about Strat setup but they bored the arse off me. That is until I found this one. I found your personality to be uplifting and your explanation simple, easy to understand and you had me up and working in just an hour or so after watching this. I have been binge watching your videos lately and have learned so much. You seem like a really great bloke and I am grateful that you have chosen to share your immense talent with the world. Cheers for everything Dave. You are the best guitar player I have ever heard. Even our Jimi might admit that. Take care mate.
floating is my favourite.. after a downer a quick pull up puts all back in tune after a good stretch
Searched for this on RUclips yesterday 🤣
Dave you are so awesome. Never knew the importance of tremolo screws in back cavity.
I’ve always had it so tight that it was hard tail ish. Now sounds more stratty loosened up a bit. Tight enough that low e doesn’t detune while bending b at 15… amazing stuff I should’ve known years ago.
Thanks Dave, top tip for the bendy trick! I usually also back off the bridge plate screws a smidge and run some pencil lead in the nut to help with string lock too.....
Long time I don't play my old Stratocaster, I'll do it now that I have your tips, thanks!
Good tips. After you've done it on a few guitars you can pretty much do the setup on feeling. My very first floating setup (on a Vintage reverse neck strat) took me hours but I did a similar setup on my new Supersonic recently and ballparked it pretty good on initial setup. This is crucial stuff to learn though. Can't imagine having to lend my guitar to a guitar tech for every little adjustment. Every player, professional or not, should at the very least learn to be an amateur guitar tech aswell.
It doen't take "hours" when you understand what you're doing. Frudua shows how to do it fast: ruclips.net/video/7luUzgDwwcs/видео.html
@@Leo_ofRedKeep Oh I know, but this was years ago and one thing about doing something for the first time is that you're probably scared to break stuff. What really made me comfortable with adjusting everything was building a few kit guitars.
This is great! I have 2 Strats and I thought I was the only one who likes different setups for them. Thanks
Just what I was looking for, thanks Dave
I had my no. 1 strat set floating forever. Never had any issues with tuning, so why changing anything. Then, one time I tried decking it just out of curiosity and I must say, it changed the sound to the better for me. Now that it's decked, it has a bit more balls and lowend, less of a banjo sound.
Amen.
Hey brother, i just want to tell you that your style of playing along with your true passion for playing has literaly saved my soul. I wish you did more lessons because my brain is wired exactly as yours is and i just cant connect with some of these other people and there explenations about things. I started late in life playing and I have just started playing in public and i dont think i would have even taken the plunge if i haddent seen your trio vlog when you had to go outside and sit in the van and collect yourself. My brain tortures me in the same ways. I wish you lived in kentucky usa because i would love to jam with you! Please keep putting content up because i am starting to learn that there is not alot of people that play with the passion that you do. I dont know how to play but i know what sounds good and the sounds mix with colors and its like the air around you is the canvas and the notes are equal to colors and depending on the volume and notes you play they translate into color. So the room your playing in is the canvas and you pic the colors. Thats how I feel it when i play anyway. I know it makes no sence but thats the passion i have for this. And until seeing you and watching you i didnt think that kind of passion existed in real life anymore. Anyway im rambling on but anyway i hope to jam with you one day and if your ever in kentucky usa man you have a place to call home and a place to create your artwork! Have a good day!
I like my bridge floated so i can go crazy to the max when i need to
Thanks man! You are doing great! LOL. Very informative. Adjusting my trem now as we speak.
Oooooo Dave you never disappoint!
Sorry man, theres only one way to set up a Strat, full float! A properly set strat trem feels and sounds thousand times smoother than a floyd in my opinion! But it's not easy it takes some tinkering to get it right, but when you do it's like magic! The trick is the claw angle. If you apply more spring tension to the bass side than the treble you can find the balance and it will stay in tune wonderfully. As far as bending notes is concerned, my style is extremely bend and vibrato heavy. Ive gotten into the habit of holding the bar in my fingers most of the time and during heavy bends i just counter the extra tension by holding the bridge still. It becomes very intuitive very quickly and has really helped me up my trem game!
Claw angle bs. No truth to that.
@@DonIsadick-mf3gv
But it's true' not his idea' there's a couple of videos about this that he's evidently watched to know this, actually I came up with the idea in 1955 but was never credited for it.
Try it and get back with me before casting doubt.
@@BryanClark-gk6ieno, it is nonsense. I did it, did not change a thing and there is a simple reason for it.
The block is a solid piece of metal, and acts sort of like a hinge, so pulling more on one side than the other accomplishes nothing.
The spring resistance is combined resistance of all springs.
End of story.
@@DonIsadick-mf3gv
The block does not act as an hinge' the springs attack to the block and then to the claw.
The bridge plate is the hinge part' not gonna argue with someone that doesn't even know the parts of a guitar LoL 😂
Watch Carl Verheyen
How to setup a vibrato
on a strat. Same technique I used from the start
Educate yourself and be thankful I even replied to you. End of story.
Just had my Fender strat serviced and sorted for the trem system and tuning. Its like playing a new or hand made strat. The trem and tuning now work correctly and it stays in tune even after divebombing etc. Its worth getting the term sorted as Dave shown or if like mine there was a fault with the trem position with a guitar tech.
I'm calling bullshit. Played starts all my life. Trems are a disaster.
Useful info cheers Mr S!🙂
Thanks Big Dave. Good video buddy 😎👍👋💯💯🎸🎸
Great vid thanks so much for the great advice
Also as the weather is getting hotter and more humid its a good idea to check your guitars neck as it can change slightly with the change in weather.
Decking also helps if one often breaks strings.
😎✌👍❤🖖
Indoodles.
I usually give my strat trem a couple or three tugs to get it back tune!! Love you all and have a blessed day!!! Love you all and have a blessed day!!!
Awesome video man, just in time too😂❤
Dude awesome thanks!
Great video. Very informative. Do you loosen strings as you lower from floating
Yeah man. I have a Fender 62 reissue. It came floating. And they set the springs VH style. It’s crazy how in tune the guitar stays while going crazy on the bar! It’s not the actual best feel for playing. If I had someone around who could make it more playable I’d get help. But I don’t really have anyone I’d trust to do the work. Had a friend lose old capacitors on his old Les Paul. Pretty sad that a shop would sink that low. Only guitars I’ve been able to set up are Gibson SG,s I had many over the years. And I could make my old Mustangs play. They had crazy cool Tremelo set ups. And I didn’t mind short scale. Actually I could do stuff I couldn’t on regular scale necks. I wish I had your knowledge. Or afford another Strat set up more playable. Sorry 4 rambling. Keep Rockin. Peace. I played a Kramer with a Strat style blonde neck. I messed with that guitar for days. I actually towards the end just threw it across the room. Picked it up and it was there. Felt right to me. It wasn’t a set up most would like. But it fit me! I wish you weren’t across the pond. I’d pay you o help set up the Strat. I know you could do it. Just hearing your flow I can almost feel how smooth the setup is on your guitars. Besides the fact that you play amazingly, but it does help when you have that perfect setup for you? if you can understand that. Sorry man. I’m rambling again. Actually I wanted to get your opinion on shims? If you have time and see this I’d appreciate your input. Okay. God bless
Thanks. Bought a used 2020 strat player Mexican Fender. Went straight to putting new strings on and would not tune ? Looked at the trem bridge and it was like half inch in the air ?!? More I tuned the more it pulled upwards! Took off back plate and sure enough the wood screws were all the way out. Reposition the 3 springs like yours and turned 2 screws to almost a finger width. Now nice and flat and holds tune. Thanks. 🎸👍🏼
I was skeptical on this video because I see a lot of guitarists have setting a trem to a rocket science an u simplified very nice Dave... 👏 Bravo...but maybe return to the subject with a 2 point tremelo strat modern ..it's feels different an handles tension differently like u said an they were designed to float like original but more ergonomicly....
I've been waiting for this...............for years!!!
Same here 😂
@@bernhard. I know how to do it. I want to know how DAVE does it.
Its just the same here 😉
if possible it would be great to have segment indicators on the video, so we could jump from floating, to deck, to block
5 springs and floating for me. Just set and intonate and push up and down like crazy. Rinse and repeat about four times and it will stay in tune.Cheers! .
Floating is a tuning problem. I have one setup floating. And one surefire way to get it back in tune is do some solo bending most of the strings. If I pull up, it's almost in tune, if I dive, g b and e are always sharp. So it becomes a game of what can I do with the bar, and how can I get it in tune after I do that? And bending all the strings is only 100 percent way. So I have to use the bar selectively where I can do runs after and so on.
Not worth the hassle really. And it is same on EVERY non locking strat type trem.
I never played a bigsby trem guitar, people say they are a nitemare too.
But after 40 years on strat style guitars, and also Floyd equipped guitars, the 6 screw trem or even 2 post suck for more than a wiggle band maybe a dive near the end of the song so I have time to bend all the strings before the next song. 😀
I set my bridge just slightly floating. I mean a few degrees from being straight with the body. I just use my palm when I want to use the trem.
Thank you for doing this. I got something to think about now. I'm going to take one of my strats and experiment with. By the way, I assume that you slacken the strings when you adjust the screws at the back? 🤔
Nice one 👍
Dude! Amazing content as always! Would you suggest decking it out if the low E is going flat when you bend the B string? I've been trying to find that sweet spot but it's taking me a while :(
Thanks!
It's not easy to set a standard Strat style vibrato up in a floating position as it's held in place by the string tension pulling against the springs, it leads to tuning instability and it's not good if you break a string while playing as it puts the remaining strings out of tune. I totally block mine by jamming a piece of wood behind the spring block, I think it feels and sustains a lot better than using the 5 string fully tightened method, I believe Clapton used to do the same thing.
wow, this blew my mind about bending the B string @ the 15th fret. Never knew how much it could go out lmao..
And blocked with a block of wood too mate
Thats no fun. :)
I am the same Dave, deck the trem!
spot on tips! I also have to set the 6 bridge screws just right for decking it flat to the body. For me that's the tricky part. Screw them too much and it will cause some trouble no matter how much you mess with the claw.
You're right, if you want crazy whammy bar effects, get a Floyd Rose, otherwise the standard traditional tremolo is fine
Dave, what do you think to the Cort G280 select?
Yeah, I like the flat deck mine too but I built a Strat put a Paul reed Smith neck on it two point trim. It went clear into the spring cavity when you drilled it. so I’m gonna have to plug it then I gotta two point trim piece that you can screw to the body with two screws. That way I can keep it flat right now the holes are a little bit off and I painted it the ugliest black-and-white thing ever seen but I call it zebra.
Did anyone noticed that John uses a jaguar tremolo arm on his strat? Don‘t know how long he‘s uses it. But I saw some current pictures.
Are there any other adjustments to be made when switching from float to deck or deck to float? Also, my springs were set to a V shape. Can deck be still be achieved?
Would the number of springs in the back also adjust how hard it is to press down on the trem arm? Or would that be more of the 2 screw placement?
The number of spring will do that yeps.
Hi Dave, I just wanted to say, my Fender Stratocaster has 5 springs on the back; beneath the plastic plate. Then again my Stratocaster is a 1970's reissue model and I (too) like the plastic plate removed on the back. What year is yours or if it's a reissue what year is it emulating? Cheers.
Its a reissue from 2002.
I HOPE this helps me out ...new guitar player here of 4 months and I have a 04 Fender Showmaster Strat and it is the FIRST EVER trem guitar!!!! So it came with 9s and I swallowed to 10s and now to tune up it pulls my trem WAY UP !! I tuned down to like C standard to drop it back down ..haha but then of course I am having fret buzz on some....lol.....so....I have had thoughts about BLOCKING it up to hard tail it .....I NEED HELP yall!!!......hahahaha.....
Would that "bend test" work with the floating trem setup? I like that setup because I can achieve a very soft trem action.
No it wouldn’t.
Thank you.@@thedavesimpson
Free the springs !
How many string tuning iterations does it take if you adjust the trem position? Tuning stings moves the trem height, so you adjust the claw and retune. Two, three times?
One. This way: ruclips.net/video/7luUzgDwwcs/видео.html
Hey! I’ll be picking up a 70’s squire e series strat with the fender system one floating trem, do you have any advice on how to set it up? Cheers.
Not sure really. Sorry. I don’t have a lot of expierence with those.
No worries man I appreciate the reply🙏
Hi Dave, Just curious what gauge strings do you use on your strats and what string action/height do you prefer on your strats? Im guessing, you just go by feel? 😉
I use 10 - 46s and i have vids on how i set my string height. :)
@@thedavesimpson Thanks and I will check em out. 😊
This is how mine are set up. But my wilkenson 50IIk trem floats. And doesnt put the others out when bending. Its crazy. I also had a LTD with a FR special the same. But most give and have that out of tune pull of bridge due to lifting.
Just wondering where you got your free springs? I don't have much money so I love to get some free as well.
I saw a video on RUclips about floating tremolos and this old guy from fender said about placing the springs differently helps keep it in tune better. But I forgot where he said he placed them.
Actually probably wasn’t the springs. I think it he screwed one side lower and he had an odd tuning. Can’t find the video anymore annoyingly
Thats true but it doesn’t work on every guitar.
@@thedavesimpson I was going to float my bridge. I just know I’m bound to break a string on my first go though. I’ll wait before I put new strings on first.
I just got a new guitar with a standard Tremolo bridge. My problem is It wont move at all. Witch way should I turn the screws that hold the springs. In or out.? Thanks
If its flush you need to unscrew them.
@@thedavesimpson Thank you so much, it worked. I normally don't use the whammy bar but if I ever sell the guitar I want too make sure it's working. Once again . thank you my friend
Been waiting for this one sir 🚨 Does Frusch deck his trem?
He does yes apart from the new white strat he has.
I want to block my trem. If I try decking it I don't have tall enough bridge adjustment screws to get a good action. I just gotta figure out what type of wood to use, and where to get it.
I've played hard tails for most of my life, just got a strat. Love the feel and sound, the tuning drives me apeshit. But I would like to dive down. Have you ever tried the gadgets that look like pistons that allow you to go both ways but stay in tune (jury's out, staying in tune is a myth with all trems!) Big fan, thanks for the video
I haven’t tried them no.
I have. I have a rockinger I think it's called. It works. Only problem is you can't flutter with it. You definitely feel resistance on the up pull because that's how it is designed.
There are other types I haven't tried but I heard one in particular is really good. The super vee maglock. It has some sort of magnet configuration inside it instead of a spring.
All good information for reference. I don’t use my tremolo because I don’t play well enough to bother with it. But according to your demonI can definitely adjust it if I ever need to. Thanks.
👍☮️🌞🎸🩷
Hey Dave! I’ve tried the “E string and B string bend” technique and got quite insicure about it.
I’ve done it till my tremolo springs’ screws almost reached a very tight tension and the E string still goes a little flat (but goes back in tune once i release the bend on the B string 15th fret). Is this normal?
Few more doubts: is it normal that the screws gets very tuff to screw in even tho they’re like halfway in?
Cuz I’ve had the bridge attached to the body (like hardtail) even tho the screws weren’t fully in and the springs still looked to be stretched more.
I would say that you need to add another spring to the tremolo. :)
@@thedavesimpson I put 5😂 but 2 were like 1 mm shorter idk if that affects it
Silent Hill 2 screensaver FTW
Best games ever!🎸🤘
Why do Fender Player Strats have the 3 springs arranged as a triangle instead of parallel?
I’m thinking of getting a hard tail Strat so I won’t have to deal with this, but they are few and far between.
Clapton had one. Didn't like it. Went back to normal strat and blocked the trem.
mate, I use 5 springs because when I restring with 3 the bridge just keeps lifting.. can I fix this by just tightening the claw springs..??
Yes. Most idiots would rather buy something than try to think.
Might have another go at mine. 3 springs and its stiff as hell
hey dave, could you please please bring back the rory gallagher series i need more!!
Yes please need more too ...
"You cannot hurt the guitar" - mostly true except wood around the screws wears off and eventually strips, so better think first and keep screwing around to a minimum. This can be more of a problem in a softer body like basswood. If that happens, you need toothpicks ;)
A very good point. :)
Can you adjust the screws with the strings on or do they need to be removed first?
Sorry to sound a bit thick... I'm half watching this with my 2 year old wahting to be entertained 🙈
You can adjust with the strings on yep.
@thedavesimpson Cheers Dave, sorted and set up with 11s.
Keep up the great work.. informative and great sense of humour.. much better than the American reviewers 😊
Why do some guitars go out of tune after using the tremolo? how to fix it? thank you
Thats usually down to the nut. Try some pencil lead i the slots.
I don't own a Strat and don't want one. So...just for the algorythm. Hope you don't mind, Dave.
But it's interesting!😊
Someone told me that if I deck my tremolo, I can’t properly do a vibrato on any notes or chords because a proper vibrato goes both up and down in pitch just like it does when you do a vibrato on the fretboard with your finger.
I thought vibrato is just an oscillation and has nothing to do with pitch modulation. That’s the definition anyway. But I cannot find an example, guitar or otherwise (like vocal) to prove this odd theory wrong…
Be careful in that area , you will change key of your guitar turning screws but then re tune your strings then ..
I have a Floyd bridge for last 8yrs about. When you have a sustainiac guitar you’ll need a floating bridge, trust me on that … When my Floyd
Is set up perfectly, look out‼️. But when it’s not , What a nightmare and headaches figuring it out , and it’s still one of my longest lasting guitar so far..
✌️👍
Help me Dr Dave, I can't find the claw on my Les Paul
So why do my B and G strings always go sharp in a floating configuration ?
Things never return perfect. Its just the nature of the original trems.
If you pull on new strings and stretch them .. not too hard so to break them and keep pulling them until you no longer need to tighten the tuners to get to pitch then they will return to tune after a push down on trem with a quick pull up on trem to prevent them going sharp and you have stability and more options to shape your musical expression
String gauge can effect how many springs to use !
Yes. Five springs are meant to be used with the 13-56 sets that came with Strat's in the 50s-60s.
I broke my strats whammy bar so I put 5 springs and use it as a hardtail 💀🤟
Thanks for that internet person 😊
🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸👍
Hi dave
Its not easy to do. I out new stings and its fret buzzing like hell, i frying to ajust everything action leve tros road springs trem piviot nothins help. So i put back old strings and buzz is gone....
It’s Saint Wednesday my doods
009s or 010s ?
10s.
There must be something seriously wrong with mine because it wont sit on the body no matter what i do lol
You got the six screws to tight. The front edge of the trem is beveled underneath the place. So if the screws are to tight it won't go flush to the body.
Best way to fix, take off strings, and springs. Loosen all 6 screws. Now it is flat to the body. Now start tightening one of the screws till it lifts the back of the bridge up, then back off the screw till it's flat again.
Then do the other screws same way 1 at a time.
I got it figured out finally, i needed to add springs and screw the claw in a little bit more. You described it much better than anyone else i read info from too by the way so kudos to you for that! Haha im rockin now
Hi 😊👋
Too much talking
Then go away then.