Stratocaster tuning secret

  • 33 Replies
  • 64705 Views

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

*

Offline CityofBlindingLights

  • *Site Supporter*
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • 3358
  • 87
  • THIS IS MADNESS
    • View Profile
Re: Stratocaster tuning secret
« Reply #15 on: January 16, 2011, 12:21:14 AM »
There's a product for that COBL... the D-Tuna.  I'm not a Floyd guy but I've played 'em and they seem to work pretty well.

I'm aware of it. But even still, it's only a minor component to my dislike of Floyds. The entire hassle of setup alone is my main issue. I have no problem with those who use them, they just aren't for me.

*

Offline wxs3

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • 1019
  • 28
  • Embrace the Madness, The Madness is Good
    • View Profile
Re: Stratocaster tuning secret
« Reply #16 on: January 18, 2011, 08:51:41 PM »
I could play either one, but my fav is the stock fender trem, hands down.
My first aftermarket pickup was a Super Distortion back in the 70's.  I strayed and tried Rio Grandes, Duncans, and EMGs only to come back to Dimarzio.  Funny were life takes you.

*

Offline KH Guitar Freak

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • 844
  • 5
    • View Profile
Re: Stratocaster tuning secret
« Reply #17 on: January 30, 2012, 08:03:14 AM »
I've played Floyds without a problem.

My beef with Floyd Rose systems, is that by the time I have the thing set up to play, I'm bored/frustrated and have lost all interest in wanting to play. My vintage trems get me where I need to go just fine, I don't have many tuning issues. Yeah, occasionally it may happen, but that's if I'm going SEVERELY wild. Honestly, my ridiculously bluesy bends put the strings out of tune more often than my vintage trem.

And god forbid if I'm playing a Floyd guitar and want to play in drop d...

Perhaps, but I find that both vintage and Floyds are just as hard (or as easy) to set up as one another. YMMV...

*

udk666

  • Guest
Re: Stratocaster tuning secret
« Reply #18 on: February 20, 2012, 01:27:27 PM »
the video is very interesting.
but i dont understand the vintage trems vs floydrse thing.
i own both for diferent purpusses and both work for diferent results.

*

Offline Butch Snyder

  • Full Member
  • ***
  • 178
  • 5
    • View Profile
Re: Stratocaster tuning secret
« Reply #19 on: December 14, 2012, 03:06:22 PM »
Very nice video.  Thanks for sharing.  I'm just now getting back into vintage trems.  After playing mostly Teles and Strats with the trems tightened all the way down and the bar thrown out, I now have confidence to actually use my Strat's trem and also make it float.

I adjusted the claw and it actually did what Carl's Strat does.  It stayed in tune.  I know of another player doing this with no success.  Also, I know Carl uses 9's as a string gauge.  I use 10's.  We'll see what happens....
-Butch Snyder

*

Offline RayBarbeeMusic

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • 1208
  • 57
    • View Profile
Re: Stratocaster tuning secret
« Reply #20 on: March 22, 2013, 08:09:05 PM »
1) When the Floyd was invented, graphtech and locking tuners did not exist, it was *THE ONLY* way to stay in tune.  Period. 

2) Now that graphtech and locking tuners do exist, a floyd isn't really necessary, and I don't miss it on guitars where I don't have one, at least not for tuning reasons.

3) A Floyd with a big brass block not only does not suck tone, it often exceeds the tone of a vintage bridge.  Also, the existance of graphtech and locking tuners make the nut clamp un-necessary unless you are doing stuff that would actually pull your strings out of the slots, and honestly, a Floyd with brass block is one of the best sounding trems available when using a graphtech nut and locking tuners, I greatly prefer it to Wilkinson, etc. 

4) The "tone sucking" and other issues commonly attributed to Floyds are not floyd related at all.  If you float a trem vs. locking it to the wood, you lose some tone.  That is true of any trem.  So if you go from a locked down 6 screw (which you locked down because it wouldnt stay in tune anyway) to a floating Floyd, you notice a tonal difference.  Duh.  I also hear this old chestnut all the time:  "well when you break a string the floyd goes out of tune" well no shit, when you break a string on any floating trem it goes out of tune, that has nothing to do with a FLoyd.  I use 13-62 or 14-66 strings at standard EADGBE pitch, and even my stop tails go out of tune when I break a string due to the change in neck tension. 

I work on guitars as part of my living, I can get damn near any trem system worth a crap to stay in tune exceedingly well with proper setup, graphtech nut, and locking tuners (excluding the Stetsbar, which still has too much internal friction).  You *DO NOT* need any "lube", "nut sauce", etc for that to be true, and if you are using that stuff, you aren't doing the wood any favors and you're making a mess to cover up a problem somewhere else, probably a sharp edge on the bridge or saddle or an improperly cut nut. 

*

Offline wxs3

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • 1019
  • 28
  • Embrace the Madness, The Madness is Good
    • View Profile
Re: Stratocaster tuning secret
« Reply #21 on: March 24, 2013, 10:16:51 PM »
I also have had success with "blocking" a floyd (in my wolfgang).  I had cut a piece of wood and glued it in between the body and the stock block on the peavy floyd.  I think as long as there is some sort of contact with the body of the guitar, it helps with tone quality.  My strat with a floyd also has an oversized brass block that is in contact with the body in the cavity still sounds better to me.
My first aftermarket pickup was a Super Distortion back in the 70's.  I strayed and tried Rio Grandes, Duncans, and EMGs only to come back to Dimarzio.  Funny were life takes you.

*

Offline LuredMaul

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • 340
  • 26
    • View Profile
Re: Stratocaster tuning secret
« Reply #22 on: March 27, 2013, 11:21:41 PM »
As Soon as I saw this post I knew it was the Carl Verheym (sp) video LOL.

It does work.

*

Offline Butch Snyder

  • Full Member
  • ***
  • 178
  • 5
    • View Profile
Re: Stratocaster tuning secret
« Reply #23 on: March 28, 2013, 08:40:59 PM »
-Butch Snyder

*

Offline 27fretshred

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • 364
  • 2
  • I have more frets than you!!
    • View Profile
Re: Stratocaster tuning secret
« Reply #24 on: March 30, 2013, 09:30:30 PM »
1) When the Floyd was invented, graphtech and locking tuners did not exist, it was *THE ONLY* way to stay in tune.  Period. 

2) Now that graphtech and locking tuners do exist, a floyd isn't really necessary, and I don't miss it on guitars where I don't have one, at least not for tuning reasons.

3) A Floyd with a big brass block not only does not suck tone, it often exceeds the tone of a vintage bridge.  Also, the existance of graphtech and locking tuners make the nut clamp un-necessary unless you are doing stuff that would actually pull your strings out of the slots, and honestly, a Floyd with brass block is one of the best sounding trems available when using a graphtech nut and locking tuners, I greatly prefer it to Wilkinson, etc. 

4) The "tone sucking" and other issues commonly attributed to Floyds are not floyd related at all.  If you float a trem vs. locking it to the wood, you lose some tone.  That is true of any trem.  So if you go from a locked down 6 screw (which you locked down because it wouldnt stay in tune anyway) to a floating Floyd, you notice a tonal difference.  Duh.  I also hear this old chestnut all the time:  "well when you break a string the floyd goes out of tune" well no shit, when you break a string on any floating trem it goes out of tune, that has nothing to do with a FLoyd.  I use 13-62 or 14-66 strings at standard EADGBE pitch, and even my stop tails go out of tune when I break a string due to the change in neck tension. 

I work on guitars as part of my living, I can get damn near any trem system worth a crap to stay in tune exceedingly well with proper setup, graphtech nut, and locking tuners (excluding the Stetsbar, which still has too much internal friction).  You *DO NOT* need any "lube", "nut sauce", etc for that to be true, and if you are using that stuff, you aren't doing the wood any favors and you're making a mess to cover up a problem somewhere else, probably a sharp edge on the bridge or saddle or an improperly cut nut. 

The brass block upgrade on the floyd has been the best upgrade I've ever done on my guitars. I gotta thank Budd for recommending it to me a few years ago. Now it's the first thing I do when I get a new guitar with a floyd.

*

Offline RayBarbeeMusic

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • 1208
  • 57
    • View Profile
Re: Stratocaster tuning secret
« Reply #25 on: March 03, 2014, 07:01:59 PM »
What is in the video works........until you bend a string.  Then that string goes out of tune, and to get it back, you have to dive bomb to reset. 

So while it "works" in terms of being able to dive bomb and come back in pretty decent tune, it does not work in terms of being able to play regularly and expect the guitar to stay in tune without whacking the bar to reset it. 

IMO, that doesn't qualify as really working.  I wouldn't tolerate that from any other Trem and say it "worked" in a tolerable way. 

There are 6 screw replacements like the Super Vee Bladerunner or the Wudtone unit that do take care of the issues with a 6 screw trem.   

*

Offline wxs3

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • 1019
  • 28
  • Embrace the Madness, The Madness is Good
    • View Profile
Re: Stratocaster tuning secret
« Reply #26 on: March 04, 2014, 12:20:48 PM »
Sorry Ray, but I totally disagree.  On the strats that I have done this on, I have not experienced the issues that you refer to.  I've had friends that have unblocked their trems to try this and have had positive results.
My first aftermarket pickup was a Super Distortion back in the 70's.  I strayed and tried Rio Grandes, Duncans, and EMGs only to come back to Dimarzio.  Funny were life takes you.

*

Offline RayBarbeeMusic

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • 1208
  • 57
    • View Profile
Re: Stratocaster tuning secret
« Reply #27 on: April 03, 2014, 12:28:43 AM »
I'd have to see it to believe it.  I will work either for bombing or bending not both.  Seen literally over a thousand 6 screw strats, never seen one with stock bridge that stayed in tune for real, the way any decent 2 post trem will. 

*

Offline wxs3

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • 1019
  • 28
  • Embrace the Madness, The Madness is Good
    • View Profile
Re: Stratocaster tuning secret
« Reply #28 on: April 03, 2014, 10:18:51 AM »
It's worked for me and for some others, sorry it didn't work for you.  Been playing for 40 plus years, it worked for me.
My first aftermarket pickup was a Super Distortion back in the 70's.  I strayed and tried Rio Grandes, Duncans, and EMGs only to come back to Dimarzio.  Funny were life takes you.

*

Offline darkbluemurder

  • Global Moderator
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • 1590
  • 52
    • View Profile
Re: Stratocaster tuning secret
« Reply #29 on: April 03, 2014, 10:33:39 AM »
What is in the video works........until you bend a string.  Then that string goes out of tune, and to get it back, you have to dive bomb to reset. 

So while it "works" in terms of being able to dive bomb and come back in pretty decent tune, it does not work in terms of being able to play regularly and expect the guitar to stay in tune without whacking the bar to reset it. 

IMO, that doesn't qualify as really working.  I wouldn't tolerate that from any other Trem and say it "worked" in a tolerable way. 

There are 6 screw replacements like the Super Vee Bladerunner or the Wudtone unit that do take care of the issues with a 6 screw trem.

That was exactly the problem I had with the only guitar that had a Kahler Professional on it, and it was the reason I sold this guitar. Never had such a problem with a Floyd Rose equipped guitar no matter how much I tortured it.

I have one guitar with a 6 screw Wilkinson which works very well for moderate bar use - no tuning issues at all. I have a Callaham on another guitar which I had to block and disconnect the bar because it would not stay in tune even if I only got near the bar - but that could have been due to other culprits than the system itself.

Cheers Stephan 
Area 67, Area 58, Area 61, VV Pro 54, Injectors, VV HB2, Virtual Solo, SDS-1, Area T, Area Hot T, Area T 615, Virtual Hot T, Chopper T, Bluesbucker, Breed set, Air Norton, Super Distortion, DLX+ set, DLX-90, DP240, DP198, DP168, VPAF b, AT-1, Mo' Joe, FRED, Super 2; GS b