How To Keep A Strat Tremolo In Tune 

Please never take this video down! You have no idea how much you helped me out and how many other Strat players you will help! I struggled so much with this until I found your video. I knew there had to be a perfect balance between springs and strings. In my case I tune 1/2 step down (flat) and my string gauges are 10-46, if I follow other peoples setups it just won't work because of different string gauges, different tuning and more than anything different spring tensions. To find that perfect balance was the holy grail for me. I0ve got it floating, I can push/pull on it, do crazy bends and never goes out of tune. A lot of people blame the nut (90% of the time) but I have to make it very clear that ITS NOT ALWAYS THE NUT! I made my own nut and was going crazy not being able to find the real problem. I don't even use any oil or graphite in any spot and it stay perfectly in tune! I am amazed! Thank you so FREAKING much Jesse! All the best...

Man, Thank you so much, I've had a Fender Strat Classic Player 1960's for some time with the bridge decked and I could never set the bridge as a floating trem in any satisfactory fashion without issues. After searching the net for best method, I've concluded that yours and Frudua method are simple and most effective, the one by Youri Shishkov is also worth a look. My Strat is now a full-fledged WMD and it stays in tune no matter how bad I mistreat the trem. Watch out Jeff, coming your way !

It sure is a very correct way. Checking that first latin-sounding guys video and yours has given me a proper starting point how to set mine. Mine was blocked up. But to hell with that, a Strat is a Strat, and its meant to be used with a tremelo bar. Am starting to work on mine like that, hopefully I'll get it right and it won't go out of tune too often when using my tremolo bar.

Thanks buddy! So straightforward and no overly technical! Simple short common sense! Good one buddy!

This is excellent! I had already seen the Frudua demo, and the Carl Verheyen video - but this ties both those together, and is explained a bit better than either, so I will feel more confident in tackling the job now. (I am working on a Sterling Cutlass, but the 2 point vibrato sytem is virtually identical in design to Fender's) Thanks very much - lovely tone on that MIM Strat!

Most cheap Strats have a Nut that is built for 42-9 gauges not 46-10. The Nut is critical to have its slots cleaned and to make sure it has the right cut to allow the strings to move in and out.

Actually for most string sets the A, D and G strings have the most tension in standard tuning. Tension drops for the low E and the top 3 plain strings are at lower tension than all the other strings, with the tension gradually rising from E to G. Which if you think about it is a bit weird. It is possible to design a string set that works perfectly well and sounds good with roughly equal tension from string to string. D'Addario even sell balanced tension sets. If you operate a Strat vibrato with equal spring tension and without any strings on the guitar, you will notice that the bridge tends to pivot only on the screw next to the arm. The other side of the bridge comes away from the screws and tends to float around in space. This is even more obvious for a two point bridge. This happens because the arm is attached on one side of the bridge, it's applying pressure in an unequal fashion. With strings in place the bridge appears to stay in contact with all six screws when the arm is deflected. However there may still be a difference in the balance of tension across the bridge. The idea of setting the bass side of the springs for more tension may help to counteract this tendency.

Great advice! I bought mine new, and the setup was pretty good, says in tune nicely. I did swap the string tree for an American standard low friction one. And I put on a Supervee Mag-Lock stabilizer. Works great, like a convertible hard tail, that becomes a floating trem only when you want it to.

thanks for this video!! i've desperately been needing to setup my strat so the trem bar actually works. gonna try this method with the index cards.

Don't worry about angling the trem claw. The overall tension is the same whether they're angled or not.

Good info on the bridge tweaks, Jessie, thanks! I've found that if I'm breaking strings at the nut it's usually due to a burr or the slots being too tight for the gauge of strings being used. My Luthier also makes a cut (on the nut) for each string that is kind of like a ramp (on the headstock side) and it's extremely smooth transition, allowing the strings to move freely, with a less obtuse angle. Same with the broken strings at the bridge, it's always been a mechanical problem or a burrito that has to be corrected. I do know a bass player who snaps his "A" string constantly. He insists that it's due to acidity in his sweat. I think he's full of shit, I might believe his personality destroys it over his sweat lol.

Great job mate. 👍 I’ve just installed a great tremolo bridge and I’ve never used tremolo before and I can’t get it in tune. I wondered if I should angle the claw. Thanks. 😁👍

My guitar was in tune when i bought it.

I agree with everything that he is saying but one thing that nobody ever seems to consider is the bridge plate itself.. On the bridge plate where the strings come thru the block and into the saddles the string holes wear over time creating little string groves from tremolo use.. The wound strings especially can hang up there. . These need to be deburred cleaned up and lightly campered periodically depending on how much you use the tremolo. The next time that you have your strings off, just remove the saddles and inspect the string holes on the bridge plate. If you see groves dug into the string holes from the strings pulling up and down you can either clean them up or replace the bridge plate.. This is probably the worst friction point in the entire tremolo system. This and the nut slots are probably the most common reasons why Strat vintage tremolos will not stay in tune.

Thank you very much for this post. I'd seen this method before but had no faith in even trying it..but you explained it sio clearly I decided it was worth a shot,And voila! My guitar is playing better than ever.

Thanks Jesse, I was going out of tune..I detuned left the springs as they were, I tried the G string method and 'presto' back in tune always..Anth

I'm really close at being done with Fender's 1950's tremolo technology. I really do miss the Floyd Rose. I've got a Korean made Fender Special Edition Lite Ash Stratocaster that has always had tuning issues. It has the American two point bridge. I've shimmed the neck so the angle is just right with the bridge. I installed Graphtek saddles and string trees. I installed a Fender rollernut and locking tuners. The set up is nice and the intonation is on. However, one wobble of the whammy and all bets are off. The guitar sounds incredible but is useless for gigging. I can live without a whammy and have my eyes on a Telecaster.

I crushed the like and subscribe buttons, man!! Your strat is much much in tune compare to my floyd rose equipped guitar 😭😭

Thanks, I got put onto your youtube videos by Paul Christenson, he told me you did note for note solo breaks. I love your covers and the ones where you just have a jam I fins that I pick up some useful licks. Thanks

I did it to my Strat. It does work.. however, it goes sharp when I use the trem. I got frustrated so I just decked it to make it a "hardtail".. but your explanation is really the correct way.. thank u for the info

Did you loosen up the 6 screws of the bridge in before adjusting the tremolo spring screw? without loosen those it's not suppose to work as you are describing. I prefer the new screw bridge over 6 screw. Sometimes the 6 screws are bothering when doing intonation setup. I don't know why Fenders/Squire Guitars don't come out with floating tremolo as default.

That was a very helpful video Jesse - Many thanks!

Great playing. Sounds really good.

thanks for the vid - you're right, it is confusing. In your first step, when you tighten the claw screws to make the bridge flush, what is the tension like on the other strings? I had them too loose, so after I got the G to an E with a stack of post its, the wedge fell out before I could get all the strings up to standard, and once I got the whole thing in tune the bridge was much too high and the G was going up to C/C#. Tried it again, but having the strings be tighter before getting the G to E right, but ended up breaking the high E. I'm going to do more research and get some more strings this weekend and keep trying - I know it's all about the equilibrium of tension - but I think Im missing something simple here

Man thank god for guitar nut buster and Vega trem .

Hi.. great video.. can i ask what are you using for your tone in this video.. sounds great

@ 5:02 +1 that angling the claw only changes the total load. The sustain block will not see individual string loads, or loads on only one side of the block...

I put a Babicz tremolo on my Mexican Strat. If I graze my whammy, it detunes so I can't play with my bar. I'll try your method. Thanks for sharing.

Does anyone know why my mexi strat keeps going sharp when i pick it up to play? I've tried lubing the nut with graphite and stretching the strings... and i tune "up" to right note when tuning my guitar... never down and my guitar still goes sharp? Help! Lol

Nice video. I had blocked off my trem because I found that if you break a string with a floating trem the whole thing would go out of tune. Once broke my low e on the first song of a set and guitar was unplayable. Was the trem set up wrong or is that just a risk you take with a floating trem?

I've never owned a guitar with a trem, so this is probably a dumb question, but I'll ask anyway. Does this method work with non-Fender but similar trems like Wilkinson or PRS?

Thank you! Best explanation on the web.

Are you using the original bent saddles? Sorry I don’t speak English very well, don’t know if you say something about on your video

Hi! That notes you mentioned (Bb, Db and F) are perfectly in tune? I I’ve been trying to do this setup and always one of those three notes is out of tune, and it keeps staying out of tune after some tremolo usage

Even before watching this video: gut the darn Fender thing out of all original hardware - bridge, nut, tuners, string trees, and replace them with aftermarket quality ones. Fender has been haughtily riding its legendary name for far too long, refusing to install something that truly works, because, you know, it's FENDER. Even Leo Fender have moved forward when he created G & L guitars, you can see that his bridges are so different from original Strats and much more functional.

Hey Jesse, it's Jesse here 😂😂😂, will this work on non fenders (Ibanez gio grgr120ex)

Tight like a tiger mate!!

whats it like after you shred three or four songs jamming with a band?

I would like to know what interval you set up each string to? I \guess I missed it but I would like to do this to my strat..is it open string intervals or what?

0:53 Better Call Saul intro song

The strange stuff you notice on videos... It looks like the third finger on you left hand looks like you hit it with a hammer... it looks a bit bruised.. Anyway ... good video and good info to try out!

Thanks for the video! Why is there a cut at 0.53 seconds?

"You can go nuts with it" plays Hawaiian riff

Jesse, I too learned this setup from Carl Verheyen and it worked fine with my '98 MIM Strat. Why have a Strat and then "wound" it's capabilities by turning it into a faux hardtail?!?Peace amigo... ;-)

Hi Jesses, what do you use for blocking the tremolo/bridge?

Good info, thanks mate.

Hi jesse, i have your same guitar and sounds good Can you give me your measurement of high pick up From the pole to the bottom of the string Thanks a lot I wait

I'll try this tonight, it sound good

0:53 better call Saul

Did you stretch the strings prior to tuning?

If I'm wanting to play songs in Drop C tuning with the tremolo bar, would I have to tune to guitar to C instead of standard while doing this?

what string gauge do you use in this video?🤔

Did you lower your saddles to so you can bend up on your trem ?

thank you, Jesse!!!!!!

Thanks for the video. Just curious, what happens when you bend a string with an adjacent string being played at the same time? Does the adjacent string now go flat with the floating bridge? That is the only thing stopping me from trying this from what I've read or seen so far.

Thanks. I’m going nuts with my Strat going out of tune. You’d think that a $2000 Strat with all the bells and whistles would hold a tune. I’ve played $200 Squires that were better so KEEP THAT IN MIND all of you beginner guitarists. More $$ is not necessarily better.

What about adjusting the 6 screws holding the bridge?

Nice video thanks

Dude, that's my guitar. Mine's a 91.

Ye but can you wail on it without it slipping

Had problems in tune had to smash it against the wall few times stayed in tune🤔🎸🤠 Mexican guitars🤔

Tuning stability on a Stratocaster has almost nothing to do with the bridge and everything to do with the nut. I can divebomb my Stratocaster 11 semitones and it stays in perfect tune, so I made a short vid: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-ll_7sVmwMs4.html

You're stealing Frudua's stuff: come up with something original or get off the scene.

I just did it. It seems to work.