Wyatt's dad I hate to be the first to tell you " Dad" But if your watching Dave and your pants are still down, there is a good chance you are the Gay Rocker.
Thanks Dave ! I decided to write down some of this info because I should try to adjust my strat. Winter (+central heating) has dried the wood and the neck seems to be too much bowed. So... googlegoo...inches..."thou you shall not use inch"...WHAT?... metric system...googlegoo... Neck relief = 0,012" (twelve "THOU") is 0,3048 mm String height = 2/32" or 4/64" is 1,5875 mm Magical numbers for european strat- tweakers to remember are 0,3mm and 1,6mm. Fret positions to remember are 1st, 7th, 17th.
Why the hate for Ernie Ball strings? When I started playing about 40 years ago I used to break fender .009 high E string constantly. Went to D’Addario and Ernies ever since and problem went away.
If I read it correctly the Fender set up guide recommends that Fender two fulcrum bridges should be set at an angle, the same as the vintage six screw bridge, not floated parallel to the body. It says to adjust the two pivot screws, with no spring or string tension on the bridge, so that the bottom of the bridge plate just sits flat against the body. Then adjust the spring tension so that the back edge of the bridge plate is 1/8 inch above the body. Set this way the plate will sit at a slight angle.
Wow!! Dave that is the first time I ever seen a guitar that has the same finish as mine... I got the exact same guitar.. Thanks for the video.. Learn something new everyday. Cheers
My bro and I have been buying guitars like new toys and talking about learning a new trade for ourselves,he suggested taking my guitars apart but I said "hey you have your own to start with" He won't spend more that $150 while I'm putting out $700 so he's not putting tools on mine. We talk about our dad taking us to guitar shops in Long Beach ,Ca 1967 and looking at the fine Gretch of that day,it was dreamy.
Those were some good tips! Fyi, The springs being on an angel isn't a problem. It's how I was taught and have done it for many years and a luthier from Fender's Custom Shop recommends doing it that way in one of their tips videos on their RU-vid channel. I can understand what your saying and why someone might think that. If the center spring was defective I suppose it could fall out. But I would think at that point you'd want it out so you could replace it. By putting them on an angel you get a tad more tension without having to crank the claw in as far. Either way the end result is the same. Thanks for the video!
I watched your channel for almost a year but never bothered with strat stuff as I son't like tremolo systems - HOWEVER my buddy gave me his 'superstrat' with a Floyd Rose and your advice on the block would have saved me hours + broken string
There is the option of the GR-55 guitar synth that will give you a whole lot of guitar sounds and brands. Great also if you want to make a bass guitar sound even like an upright bass. There is a little bit of setting up, but once you've got it, you would not put the guitar down. Saves you having to get used to different guitar feels (making mistakes because your'e just getting used to it).
The guitar will go out of tune for a number of reasons. If the vibrato spring balance is not equal to string tension, it will be prone to go to the sharp/flat. Having said that, we are asking a lot of the guitar to stay in tune when using the wang bar. If you stretch a piece of metal, U don't expect it to return to shape. Locking tuners also help a lot as do nuts with rollers. Pre-stretching the strings will also help on any guitar. Do this by tuning, pulling strings fairly hard and re-tune X3.
It is. When Strats are bottomed out like that it's called, synchronized. There are advantages and drawbacks to either float or synchronized. If it's bottomed out and a string breaks, the other strings don't got out of tune. If it's floating and a string breaks, all of the strings go flat. The trade-off is that you can't pull back on a synchronized trem.
Wow! Dave: i just discovered your channel. In addition to my Martin HD35, I have a Fender Strat Highway 1 with high action. This vid is fabulous. In 5 minutes+, I have learned some basic adjustments. And I really like your downhome Canadian style
I bought a really manky bitsa Strat of uncertain progeny recently... this has been sooooo usefull! It plays real nice now - even sounds like a real Strat. too !! Awesome. Thanks Uncle Leo, thanks Uncle Dave 🙂 ps that tilt feature looks pretty effective.
Hey Dave , Wassup? You are my go to guy for guitar setup knowledge. I’m sure I’ve watched this video prior to today’s viewing. I have a few strats , both vintage and modern trem systems. I like the modern trem for the ability to simply adjust the 2 bridge height screws once the proper saddle heights and radius are achieved . Good move on fender after 4 plus decades. I still like the vintagey aspect of the original bridge however. So, a few weeks ago I routed a battery compartment into a roadworn strat I bought last year having installed the mid boost circuit and not wanting to have to unstring the damn thing to change a dead battery. When I removed the trem cover I was surprised ( guess I shouldn’t have been) to find the springs were set up in the fukakta offset scenario as shown in this video, from the factory! Safe to say they have some good Kush down in Ensenada. Any who, I just left it since I have yet to employ the whammy bar on this axe and the guitar is dialed in to my liking. I had marked the trem screws before surgery and didn’t want to mess with the setup. Yada yada. Funny they Gooched the guitar at the factory. Keep the vids coming. Be well. Tom
Fender's website tells you to use 5/64 on the bass side and 4/64 on the treble side for pickup height. This is for standard single coil pickups. What a world of difference going to 8/64 on the bass and 6/64 on the treble makes.
So much great information in all your vids! Thank you so much. Now I have a way better understanding on how my guitars work and the need for a proper set up for each one! My next guitar is gonna be a Strat for sure, someday, someday....
Hi Dave. I have a new top-tip for you. I tried that stinkin goo linseed oil on my rosewood board and now I smell like a freakin plumber. I cleaned it all back off using Jack Daniels to cut back to the wood n get all that oily stinky stuff gone. I then applied a thin coat of margarine and... you guessed it... it plays like BUTTER! musta overcooked the JayDeeeeeeeee.....
It depends on the era you want to emulate. I would say a Strat as I don't recall them playing tele's. Tele's have a wide range of sounds, but I reckon you can get all that with the Strat and more. Also the Epiphone Casino I would say is a classic Beatle guitar, but again, with some thoughtful selection of pick-up switching and tone control, you'll get close to that. Having said that, there is a magic thing playing with a semi-acoustic. Don't copy them, just get close to it, master the feel.
Great info I appreciate very much all that you share . I just started viewing your vids while I was looking up info on string change for a Deluxe Strat I just added to my tribe. Strings too high,twangy sound and buzz are the challenges and I haven't done more than restring and polish. So more of your vid menu before walking into this new land.
If I don't have the action high enough, bending strings becomes difficult. I like a medium-high action, with the treble side raised a bit higher for bending. I like having it high enough to play loudly acoustically without buzzing!
He's mentioned a number of times that he uses the 'middle' guidelines of the specs as a starting point. Those should work well in most cases for most people. If the user has special desires they need to tell him, and they probably also don't need someone else to set up their guitars for them. If you raise the strings too high, they don't intone correctly - they will play sharp when you fret them. But you do whatever you want.
I liked your comment on the "Fender Custom Shop Master Builder Tips". He angles the springs "just because". That's what I call master builder. Thank you for your real tips. By the way, how do you deal with vintage style bridge saddle's screws. Mine are popping out of the saddle and i don't think that cutting the screws is a good solution. Thank you
Just got a MIM "players" plus top brand new out of the box from Fender. They are still shipping guitars with the original spring config shown. I already moved the springs to the outer prongs; just letting people know.
Hi Dave, thank you for some info, I'm hoping to have a Fender again by next fall/winter(after taking a guess at what my budget is going to look like after paying bills/rent etc. for the next 4 months), have a great summer/fall!.
I have an, almost identical 50th anniversary Strat, the bridge height looked a bit high to me, I would have adjusted that using the two screws, rather than adjusted the neck angle. The tremolo was knocking on the guitar body when the tremolo arm was moved backwards, I have mine a little higher so it can go in both directions without knocking. Otherwise great setup advice.
Thanks Dave, I can't wait to get home tomorrow so I can attempt to fix my strat which looks exactly like this one and by that I mean the before part lol..Well mine has maple neck,,take care and tks once again!
I do prefer hardtails, especialy at set up time. I have mine locked down, the way i play produces a trem warble at times if i don't, I'm sure you understand what i mean? I am self taught so i probably have bad habbits. I have an understanding of how Jeff Beck found his sound but he can control that warble with incredible skill, skill a bit beyond mine lol.I must be ok i have 4 students to teach bad habbits to, i'm compiling a list of Guitar maintanence videos to recommend them. I shall include this on the list. Thank you Dave.
The middle string should have the same tension as the other two; the only difference is as the outer 2 are longer the entire single spring force for the outer 2 will be less per unit length. The outer 2 may have issues as the force does not line up the same as the middle at an angle. All 3 should take the same force in tension, but the outer 2 less per unit length; imagine as these are like the hypontenuse of a triangle, more length = less force per length.
SORRY JUST PLAYING, THIS IS A GREAT VIDEO, I OWN 16 STRATS AND THIS GIVES ME SOMETHING TO DO THIS WEEKEND AND SAVE A FEW BUCKS WHILE IM AT IT, THANKS TONS MAN.
I have to inform Eddie Van Halen and Jeff Beck that they have installed the tremolo springs incorrectly for decades, they will probably get very angry when they find out. I myself have mounted the tremolo springs "the EVH way" since 1978 without a single problem.
They are! I have 5yr old stock fender strings on my special American strat. lol. I put them thru hell. d addario really advanced there products(D add makes fender strings now)
Dave, don't know where you got your setup specs, but they are not from Fender. That is a Deluxe Strat with modern two point bridge....spec is 1/8" at rear of bridge between body and bottom of bridge. The three spring method is supposed to be angled, two springs straight and four springs straight. Fender spec for 9.5" radius, which the Deluxe is, is .010 not .012 at 8th fret with capo on first fret. .012 is for a 7.25" radius neck and bridge height for vintage style is 3/32". Fender website setup specs are published there for all to see.
Understand that Dave, but if you watch your video you will see you called this AmDlx Strat 9.25" radius when it is in fact 9.5" radius and you stated FACTORY spec for relief was .012 at the 7th Fret and it is not. Fender Factory for the 9.5" neck is .010 at the 8th fret. Realize folks setup their own in different ways but they don't then call it the FACTORY specs. Don't get me wrong here, I do like your work and sometimes we all say one thing but actually mean another and I'm not sure but I don't think there is a Factory Strat that is 9.25" radius buddy.
I don't play with a heavy hand, but I have never been able to get away with 4/64" on the low E. Always buzzes. $3k guitar or $200, New, Leveled & Crowned, 9s/10s/11s, high/low relief... I gotta have 5-6/64" or there will be buzzes. I guess I'm just more sensitive to rattles because I mostly play clean.
Love your vids, bro. Q: It appeared to me that you that the whole bridge raised 1/8 as opposed to just the rear of it. Reading the Fender support page, they indicate the whole bridge should sit flat against the body when the tremolo is pulled back, then, when tuned to pitch, 1/8 inch raised at the rear of the trem. That's how I always set them up (I also add a wee bit of chapstick to the pivots as a lubricant.) your thoughts?
New subscriber and I loooove your videos and your dry humor. Good stuff. Thanks Dave oh and to hell with all those ppl who give you shit I love your negativity it is inspiring. Lol.
How do we know when the neck needs micro tilt adjustment? Is there any way to measure that? Perhaps more precise question is if action is too high, how do we determine if neck needs micro tilt adjustment or lowering the strings(lets say that the neck is straight)?
I'm trying to work with the Floyd Rose Terror...I mean Trem system,I have the intonation right on at the 12th, but the 1st string is fine but the 2nd and 3rd are sharp totally wrecking the A major and pretty much anything with a open D or A string.The action is still a bit high, but any lower and the thing buzzes from the 7th fret back. The sweetest spot is at the 5th and 7th position. I'm 55 yrs old and have set up quite a few guitars but this is my first Floyd. Everything is running flat after the 12th fret almost a whole tone at the 20th.I hate to sell the damn thing and stick it to someone else...but it wasn't a cheap guitar listing at 1299.99 and selling for 799.99. would really appreciate a suggestion or three! Keep up the good work...
0:56 "The bridge is 'sucked back' down". Isn't that a legit setup choice? Not everyone likes/needs a floating bridge. For instance, a major downside is that when you bend a string, all the other strings go out of tune because you're pulling the bridge with the string. If the bridge is sat tightly against the wood, bending the string is not gonna pull it out of position.
Hello sir that piece of tape or plastic you flicked in the beginning of video looks like something to cover the trimello hole when the arm is off the spring in that hole won't fall out. Just saying I wish I had a tech like you hear in New Mexico... Thank you.
