Trem/Bridge Springs Strat

MaMo · Post by **MaMo** » Tue Dec 02, 2008 10:01 pm

the placement of the volume knob is one thing that's always bothered me about strats. I've removed the tone pots on my strat clone and moved the volume knob to the bottom with great success.

JamesSmann · Post by **JamesSmann** » Tue Dec 02, 2008 11:15 pm

hmm...i think i'll just try to live with it. frankly until i try to put the live band back together again, i'll just be using the guitar at home, so i can do multiple takes if i fuck up a trem'd chord or two. no worries.

Fran · Post by **Fran** » Tue Dec 02, 2008 11:44 pm

I try to hover above the strings with mine but because i have other guitars with Floyds i forget sometimes and hit the volume knob. Its something you have to get used to i think, i sometimes accidently knock my volume down when strumming as well and the middle pup irritates me so i always lower them. Strats are far from perfect imo, but still a great design.

JamesSmann · Post by **JamesSmann** » Tue Dec 02, 2008 11:54 pm

Fran wrote:I try to hover above the strings with mine but because i have other guitars with Floyds i forget sometimes and hit the volume knob. Its something you have to get used to i think, i sometimes accidently knock my volume down when strumming as well and the middle pup irritates me so i always lower them. Strats are far from perfect imo, but still a great design.

well, nice to know i'm running into a fairly common issue. i've been primarily a bass player for well over a decade, so these are prolly things i would've known a long time ago.

Mages · Post by **Mages** » Thu Dec 04, 2008 3:18 am

I've honestly never had a problem with the volume knob. I usually strum way up by the neck. and I use the trem quite often, I don't think I've ever noticed it hitting the knob. hmmm... I'll get back to you on this but I think I must use it like fran says, over the strings. also, different strat trem arms are bent at different angles. also, how high is the trem sitting off the body? it should only be about a quarter inch or less.

Bacchus · Post by **Bacchus** » Fri Dec 05, 2008 3:19 pm

St. Jimmy wrote:so i think aug actually did fuck something up on my strat. i did the three spring "arrow" scheme for the springs, and it made the bridge nice and floaty. so i put the trem arm in, played a quick barred Eminor chord (my fave cord to bendy/shimmer stylie) and the fucking trem arm goes right into the volume knob closest to my bridge/the high e. WHAT THE FUCK?! is that a common problem? or did aug fuck up the drilling of the volume and tone knob holes in my pickguard? it's like an inch or two too close, causing the trem arm to run right into the knob...GRR.

i kind of fixed it by keeping the arm in a spot between the two tone knobs, but it still feels funky to me.

WHAT THE FUCK AUG.

Hmmm. On my Jagmaster I have the trem arm slightly looser, rather than screwing it all the way in. I think it falls down and tightens between the knobs somewhere, so that it doesn't move any further away than that, but when I grab it it is movable, I like to play notes whilst I'm using the trem, so having it sit in a fxed position doesn't really suit me.

Try loosening it a bit. It's a very versatile bridge that can be set up to whatever way you like, so you night be able to find something that suits.

OR, you could got the SRV way, and put a left hanned bridge on there. That way, the arm will be above the strings, and will get in the way of your strumming rather than being hindered by the knobs.

Mages · Post by **Mages** » Sun Dec 07, 2008 2:49 am

yea, I went back and looked at it. I see what you mean about the arm hitting the knob. the thing is, you would either have to be dive bombing super hard and/or your trem is set too high from the body for this to be a problem. again, the trem should only be about a 1/4 inch or less from the body.

Bacchus · Post by **Bacchus** » Mon Dec 08, 2008 10:47 pm

mage wrote:the trem should only be about a 1/4 inch or less from the body.

Says who?

Mages · Post by **Mages** » Thu Dec 11, 2008 12:29 am

BacchusPaul wrote:
mage wrote:the trem should only be about a 1/4 inch or less from the body.
Says who?

Fender.

actually I just checked they say it's 1/8", which makes more sense.

http://fender.com/support/stratocaster.php

Reece · Post by **Reece** » Thu Dec 11, 2008 8:17 am

Fender also say the VG strat is an innovation. Setting up a guitar to the manufacturer's spec is sill, set it up how YOU like it, not how some twat in a factory likes it.

punch · Post by **punch** » Fri Dec 12, 2008 3:48 am

Zaphod wrote:Fender also say the VG strat is an innovation.

Well played sir.

Mages · Post by **Mages** » Fri Dec 12, 2008 4:48 am

Zaphod wrote:Setting up a guitar to the manufacturer's spec is sill, set it up how YOU like it, not how some twat in a factory likes it.

I'm not saying it is absolutely mandatory to set it up to the manufacturers spec but that is the standard. you should at least start there and then adjust it how you like it. that is how it was designed to operate effectively. and honestly, at least in that one respect, I totally agree with them. there's really no reason to have the trem sitting higher than 1/8 - 1/4" off the body. rarely would anyone want to bend the strings higher than that especially if all you want to do is add a little shimmer (like he said he was after).

JamesSmann · Post by **JamesSmann** » Fri Dec 12, 2008 5:57 pm

yeah, i did a three spring set up and set the claw so that ti sits probably a 1/4" or SLIGHTLY higher from the body, and i quite like it actually. i just wish the fucking arm didn't hit the knob from time to time, but i'm learning to deal. guess the bigbsy has just spoiled me.