Adjusting Strat String Tension
Greendistantstar
it should be. Tuning down a half or whole tone helps, but that creates other issues and I want
standard tuning.
So I'm left with adjusting springs to reduce the tension, but before I start fiddling around too
much, any tips/clues on what to do/not to do? Will spring adjustment require truss-rod adjustment,
which in turn affects the spring adjustment etc? Anyone familiar with adjustments on some floating
trems will know that that soon turns into a 3 dimension puzzle you wished you'd never started.
TIA,
GDS
"Let's roll!"
the_cat
wrote:
You're chasing the wrong thing.. If you adj the spings you need to
retune and your right back where you started as far as string tension
goes. A string of a given mass need to be at a certain tension to hit
pitch. A lighter gauge string set is what you want to do. If you have
10's on there try a set of 9's -- intonation will need adj.. e
JNugent
> As much as I love my Strat (Jeff Beck Custom Shop) the string tension seems
> more of a struggle than it should be. Tuning down a half or whole tone helps,
> but that creates other issues and I want standard tuning.
> So I'm left with adjusting springs to reduce the tension, but before I start
> fiddling around too much, any tips/clues on what to do/not to do? Will spring
> adjustment require truss-rod adjustment, which in turn affects the spring
> adjustment etc?
Merely adjusting the springs (so as to float the bridge into a different
position at rest) will not require a truss rod adjustment. Only a stribg
gauge change would need that.
Changing string gauge will usually require a truss-rod adjustment *and*
spring adjustment.
> Anyone familiar with adjustments on some floating trems will
> know that that soon turns into a 3 dimension puzzle you wished you'd never
> started.
Quite so...
JimT
That's what I was thinking. It's not reducing or increasing tension it's
bringing into equilibrium.
Fender has step by step instructions on the procedure for adjusting the
neck/strings/bridge.
Check *all the measurements* if you change anything. Weather can effect
the truss rod so by all means check it too. Floating fender bridges are
pretty easy to adjust in my experience.
Jim
The Repair Guy
>Will spring adjustment require truss-rod adjustment,
>which in turn affects the spring adjustment etc?
The springs are adjusted to resist a certain amount
of string pull, and so is the truss rod. Changing string
gauge or string tension will affect the rod and the
springs.
Assuming that these two are at equilibrium, further
adjustment of string/spring balance won't affect
overall tension (which the rod counteracts).
The Repair Guy
http://repairguy1993.netfirms.com/
Sac Dave
wrote:
This might be some help It was posted hear a week ago. I went up and
tried this method on my Strat style guitar, I had the trem blocked
could only dive bomb now no more block. The video is a little long
but good. He also has other videos on trems . #1 will probably be the
one that helps you, the other two are interesting.
#1 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O0Oyc6slYRc
#2 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z-h-jQlTA-w
#3 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=daAsLkXND7A
Tony Done
wrote:
I'm just adding a "me too":
Change to a lighter gauge string
Tune up
Adjust (loosen) truss rod if necessary
Loosen trem strings
Adjust saddle height if necessary
Retune
Readjust trem springs and saddles if necessary
Retune
Tony D
David Eberhardt
wrote:
You're a martial-arts guy, so I'll put it this way:
Go up to a heavier gauge, and fight the crap out of that guitar. Then
go back to your current gauge, and laugh at its feeble attempts to
fight back.
;^)
-(geetar)dave-----:::
vvvvvv,davideberhardt,com
Greendistantstar
There's a certain twisted sense in this :)
GDS
"Let's roll!"
Greendistantstar
> Merely adjusting the springs (so as to float the bridge into a different position at rest) will not
> require a truss rod adjustment. Only a stribg gauge change would need that.
>
> Changing string gauge will usually require a truss-rod adjustment *and* spring adjustment.
Really? I've changed gauges (not dramatically) on plenty of non-strat-style guitars (mostly SGs) and
never gave a thought to adjust the truss rod. Truss rod adjustments have always been limited to neck
issues, not string tension ones.
I'm confused....
GDS
"Let's roll!"
jtees4
I tend to agree...the neck needs adjusting whenever it needs
adjusting, not necessarily when changing strings. Sometimes seasonal
depending on the guitar and it's construction. EX: Hohner G2T-needs
truss rod adjustment for each change of season. HamerUSA-Never needs
truss rod adjustment. Just a stiffer, more solid neck. Love both
guitars though.
JNugent
> Greendistantstar <Greendis...@iinet.net.au> wrote:
>> On 6/12/2010 1:42 AM, JNugent wrote:
>>> Merely adjusting the springs (so as to float the bridge into a different position at rest) will not
>>> require a truss rod adjustment. Only a stribg gauge change would need that.
>>> Changing string gauge will usually require a truss-rod adjustment *and* spring adjustment.
>> Really? I've changed gauges (not dramatically) on plenty of non-strat-style guitars (mostly SGs) and
>> never gave a thought to adjust the truss rod. Truss rod adjustments have always been limited to neck
>> issues, not string tension ones.
>> I'm confused....
> I tend to agree...the neck needs adjusting whenever it needs
> adjusting, not necessarily when changing strings. Sometimes seasonal
> depending on the guitar and it's construction. EX: Hohner G2T-needs
> truss rod adjustment for each change of season. HamerUSA-Never needs
> truss rod adjustment. Just a stiffer, more solid neck. Love both
> guitars though.
We don't have proper seasons in the UK. It gets a bit colder in the winter
but apart from that...
I don't think I've ever had a guitar neck move because of climatic reasons.
BTW: I didn't mean to imply that the truss needs adjustment when changing
strings - only when changing string gauge. I've heard some say that they
never touched the truss-rod when migrating from 9s to 10s, but the string
gauge changes I had in mind were bigger than that - like the Epi archtop
(floating bridge) that came with 10s(!) but was fitted tout-de-suite with 13s.
DeeAa
My 2c's:
- Yeah to change string tension you need different gauge strings
- Yeah the best thing to do is play something with a thicker gauge for
a while and then your regular ones will feel very light.
I myself use .9 heavy bottom sets on most of my players, but the
acoustic is .12 and MUCH harder to play and good exercise; also on the
Flying V I have a .10 set because due to shorter scale it's easier to
bend than the strat scale ones anyway. Then moreover I have .9
superlights on one Yamaha I use when I need to record as fast as
possible licks and fluid runs. I also have a bass and playing that for
a while also makes all others feel much lighter to play for a change
again.
- Yeah truss rod adjustment may well be needed with gauge changes - I
myself am very particular about my neck relief so I may adjust it on
weekly basis on some guitars, some only once a year or less.
For me most of the need arises from humidity and temp changes - at
home they stay in ten degrees warmer than at the training facility,
PLUS the humidity changes between like 80 and 10% throughout the year,
and that makes for the need most.
Cheers,
Dee
DeeAa
> This mirrors my experiences. Even when I changed from an .011-".050" to
> a .012"-.054" set with a wound 3rd (only one size 'up'), I needed to
> tighten the rod about a 1/8 turn. The guitar I put 13s on last night
> looks like it will need at least a half turn to even get close.
>
That's one tough neck :-) I have one guitar that needs about more than
a full turn just brining it home from the cold and damp training
facility...
Cheers,
Dee