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So i just picked up a squier vintage modified mustang on craigslist. I traded a custom pedal for it. it's sonic blue with tortoise pickguard and has been upgraded with the fender stamped tremolo and saddles... i dont know if its american but its not the squier trem and bridge

Bridge

Tremolo

It also has some nice grover mini tuners- like youd find on a strat.

The pickups on this guitar are amazing! i love the way it sounds. But I cant keep it in tune.

So far, I've moved the tremolo springs up to the highest tension notch. Ive tried moving the cigar tube tailpiece up and down. Seems down is better. Ive put chapstick on the saddles and under string tree, ive put graphite lube at the nut. Tuners are perfect. But I cannot keep this guitar in tune if I touch the tremolo at all. Even small movements. I also tried wrapping the bridge posts with electrical tape. to minimize the rocking of the bridge, ive also made it completely immobile.

the whammy bar is very sensistive. and it doesnt feel like it ever returns to its beginning position when i push down on the bar. now I do have a mexican strat with the stock cheap block and stock bridge, tuner and nut. I have it setup to be fully floating and it stays in tune perfectly. So I have achieved a working trem previously.

I'm starting to think the springs on the tremolo are worn out. they dont feel like they have much tension- ive heard moving the springs to different positons on the bridge post is extremely difficult to do with a pair of pliars. But it really was not tough at all for me.

Anyone have any other ideas? What about the rocking bridge? should i leave it stock and able to rock? if i do that where should it be when i set it up- like what position should the bridge be when im not using the whammy bar? should it be forward like towards the nut? in the middle? or pushed back towards the tailpiece?

I do feel like the tremolo does not want to return to its beginning position- maybe something in the tailpiece is catching or has unneeded friction?

I've looked all over and have done everything i could find. Can anyone help me out and point me in the direction of something i might be missing. Springs worn out a common problem anyone's experienced previously?

Thanks for reading!
Clay

The nut slots might be too narrow for the strings – they could need filing?

Welcome!! If there's hardly any tension on the springs then replacing them could be a good call. On the one I had it was a little clunky (almost like the spring was brittle or something).

You could also check that the bridge posts aren't taped up. A lot of people wrap the posts so it doesn't rock, on mine I find the rocking helps keep it in tune. The springs on that one move very freely but it stays in tune fine.

Oh, also make sure that where the posts from the cigar tube come through the bottom plate that it's pivoting on the right part. You see them with the threads on that part quite often and that causes serious issues when returning to pitch.

Thomas wrote:Welcome!! If there's hardly any tension on the springs then replacing them could be a good call. On the one I had it was a little clunky (almost like the spring was brittle or something).

You could also check that the bridge posts aren't taped up. A lot of people wrap the posts so it doesn't rock, on mine I find the rocking helps keep it in tune. The springs on that one move very freely but it stays in tune fine.

Oh, also make sure that where the posts from the cigar tube come through the bottom plate that it's pivoting on the right part. You see them with the threads on that part quite often and that causes serious issues when returning to pitch.

so youve replaced springs? Whered u get em? And how do i know what is the proper placement for the cigar tube? Ive looked at it but im not sure where exactly would be correct.

I remember there being something confusing, like the tightest spring action is not where you expect it, I think it's not at the end of that metal bar but closer in. Actually it kind of makes sense, because the longer those bars are, the closer it gets because of the angle (unless it's super long).

claytushaywood wrote:so youve replaced springs? Whered u get em? And how do i know what is the proper placement for the cigar tube? Ive looked at it but im not sure where exactly would be correct.

No I never replaced the springs on the Squier, I never kept that guitar. I got it as a part of a trade and I just wanted to see what they were like. So I only had it for a month or two. As for the cigar tube posts, theres a clear indentation all round the post just after the screw threads. The pivot point is obvious when you look at it.