Best strat setup video for factory defaults

P

pauly

Fractal Fanatic
Hi all,
I’ve had an American strat for ten years or so and it’s crap - always has been so I never play it. It’s like brand new cause it’s rarely touched.
I’d like to set it up so it’s how it should be. I’m hoping I’ll then enjoy playing it.
There’s a plethora of strat setup videos on YouTube, and most of them have slightly different parameters.
As I know nothing about strats, I turn to you knowledgeable guys.
What is THE Stratocaster setup video that will guide me to setup this instrument as fender intend3d it?

Thanks
Pauly
 
Thanks for that
Good tip which I will integrate into the overall setup if I can.
Pauly
 
Do a Google search for "frudua strat floating".

I saw a really good setup video years ago, but this guy Frudua seems to really know how to set them up (not just the bridge).

That being said, I'm not a Strat owner...
 
Project Mayhem said:
Carl Verheyen advice was the best for me personally.



I float my Strat's closer to Jeff Becks setup than what Fender recommends and Set my spring claw as Carl suggest's....and it just works... always in tune.
Click to expand...


Can you show me a pic of your spring setup and tell us how you did it? I saw the video before and the video intrigued me, but the video was kinda skimpy on the how.
 
Thanks Unix-guy,

Yeah I watched his and a few others and spent a few hours on it today. It’s a different guitar! I reckon I was about 85% accurate with the setup and by the time I configured the tremolo, the relief, the action, intonation, and pickup height, it’s quite playable. It’s got those rotten 9 thou strings though and I’m used to tens so it all feels a bit loose. When I buy a guitar, I usually by 10 or so sets of standard strings from the same manufacturer so my strat and teles both have 9s (which was standard for those years models) - next time I’m getting strings for the strat, I’ll put some tens on it and maybe stick with them.
Thanks
Pauly

unix-guy said:
Do a Google search for "frudua strat floating".

I saw a really good setup video years ago, but this guy Frudua seems to really know how to set them up (not just the bridge).

That being said, I'm not a Strat owner...
Click to expand...
 
Hi muad’zin,
You simply adjust the bolts or screws that apply tension to the springs until you get a half tone on your e string bending up. (Like you get an f on your high e)
It’s a bit fiddly as everything seems to interact with everything else so you end up adjusting it multiple times - for example, when I setup mine, it was all good until I adjusted the action, then it was all out of whack again.
Another gotcha is the 6 screws that hold the bridge down - there’s not an adequate explanation about these and I eventually figured out that they should not be tight.
Thanks
Pauly

Muad'zin said:
Can you show me a pic of your spring setup and tell us how you did it? I saw the video before and the video intrigued me, but the video was kinda skimpy on the how.
Click to expand...
 
Muad'zin said:
Can you show me a pic of your spring setup and tell us how you did it? I saw the video before and the video intrigued me, but the video was kinda skimpy on the how.
Click to expand...

Fairly straight forward. Just change the angle the claw (high E string side further screwed in than the low E side) until the 1st string will raise 1/2 step when the bar is pulled back, the 2nd string will raise 1 full step when the bar is pulled up, and the 3rd string will raise 1 1/2 steps.

Of course you will need to adjust the bridge height and other aspects of the neck relief/action/intonation to suit your playing style and preferences. This setup works wonderfully on my 2007 Strat Deluxe...never goes out of tune! (PS. I also use a balanced set of 009 gauge strings from StringJoy)
 
Muad'zin said:
Can you show me a pic of your spring setup and tell us how you did it? I saw the video before and the video intrigued me, but the video was kinda skimpy on the how.
Click to expand...

Sure. I’ll try and get a couple of pics up this afternoon. The setup is pretty well described in @favance post. The first time you do this can be a little time consuming as you have to constantly adjust the claw and then re tune until you get the intervals you want (minor 3rd on g string). Once you get the bridge to have the travel you want, then you start adjusting the angle on the claw... starting at pitch, I fully dive the bar and then release it while at max travel... then check pitch on low E again...adjust claw on low E side and then repeat previous step. Eventually, you find a spot of equilibrium where the spring tension equals the string tension and it always returns to pitch (assuming no issues at the two witness points on the string). Compensate the higher bridge position with the saddles, (I cut down the saddle posts so they Dont protrude above the saddle and bother my hand), and then reset your intonation. Once you’ve done it a couple of times, it gets much quicker as you know roughly where it will end up at, and can start closer to the point, saving some iterations.

Some will say the baseplate being de coupled from the body has negative tone implications, and I’m sure it does to a degree....However, to me, the wider sonic palette it provides, far out weigh those concerns. Plus watch live at Ronnie Scott’s...no objectionable tone from my perspective.

EDIT:
Here's some crappy phone shots:

IMG_0053.jpg

IMG_2179.jpg

I know the two outside springs seem as if they would exert similar pull...However, the bass side has 4.7mm's more pull...which is where it will stay perfectly in tune as long as I have my usual 10-46 set on. Naturally, if I change string gauge or even brand...I need to repeat the process to find the new balance point. Action is low despite the bridge height, and plays like butter. Looks totally wrong...plays great.
 
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Additionally, @pauly ’s point about the six screws is important as well. They have to be dead straight and not tight...I screw them all flush to the body and then back them out a half turn each.
 
favance said:
angle the claw (high E string side further screwed in than the low E side) until the 1st string will raise 1/2 step when the bar is pulled back, the 2nd string will raise 1 full step when the bar is pulled up, and the 3rd string will raise 1 1/2 steps.
Click to expand...

Claw angle doesn't affect rate of pitch change on one string vs. another.

The claw could be parallel to the bridge or angled the other way. The g-b-e strings would still go up about 3-2-1 semitones if there's room to pull the bar up far enough.
 
Bakerman said:
Claw angle doesn't affect rate of pitch change on one string vs. another.

The claw could be parallel to the bridge or angled the other way. The g-b-e strings would still go up about 3-2-1 semitones if there's room to pull the bar up far enough.
Click to expand...

Claw angle absolutely changes the pitch when you pull back on a bar/floating tremolo! Have you followed/watched the video mentioned above?
 
favance said:
Claw angle absolutely changes the pitch when you pull back on a bar/floating tremolo! Have you followed/watched the video mentioned above?
Click to expand...

I've watched the video. The claw angle doesn't determine relative rate of pitch change on each string.

If you set the bridge to float so the g pulls up 3 semitones, the b and high e will typically go up about a whole step and half step respectively. The claw angle has no effect on this. You can't change the claw angle and change that 3-2-1 pattern to something like 2-2-2 or 1-2-3, for example.
 
Claw angle does not determine what intervals will result. It could be parallel and still get those intervals. The purpose of the angle is to equally offset the string tension, so it is always in balance and returns to pitch. Given same spring setup...distance determines what intervals you can get, and angle determines if it will stay in tune ( all things otherwise equal).
 
pauly said:
Hi all,
I’ve had an American strat for ten years or so and it’s crap - always has been so I never play it. It’s like brand new cause it’s rarely touched.
I’d like to set it up so it’s how it should be. I’m hoping I’ll then enjoy playing it.
There’s a plethora of strat setup videos on YouTube, and most of them have slightly different parameters.
As I know nothing about strats, I turn to you knowledgeable guys.
What is THE Stratocaster setup video that will guide me to setup this instrument as fender intend3d it?

Thanks
Pauly
Click to expand...

These are the videos I watched to learn how setup my Strats.







 
Thanks guys for your replies. And pics. On my guitars I mostly have 2 stud tremelos though, only one guitar with the traditional 6 screws. Would that work differently?
 
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Muad'zin said:
On my guitars I mostly have 2 stud tremelos though, only with the traditional 6 screws. Would that work differently?
Click to expand...

I thought it was either or?

I have a U.S. Strat with 6 screws only. I also have an Edge Strat with a 2 stud trem., but no screws. I have the same bridge on the sustainer guitar I built.
 
Project Mayhem said:
Carl Verheyen advice was the best for me personally.



I float my Strat's closer to Jeff Becks setup than what Fender recommends and Set my spring claw as Carl suggest's....and it just works... always in tune.
Click to expand...

Sweet that was a very cool video. I’ve watched a lot of tremolo setup videos and that was a good one think I’ll give it a go see what happens. Thanks :)
 
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