Stratocaster tremolo set up properly

[Mark Nix]

I finally set my tremolo arm on my strat properly. Did you guys know that it is intended to raise the low E, A, D and B a whole step, G 1 1/2 steps and the high E a half step?

If you strum the high three string of an open D chord and then raise the tremolo arm it raises the first three strings to what would be a barred C chord.

A good example of the sound it makes can be found on JJ Cale's 'Cherry'

http://youtu.be/jGxBWluon84

Anyone else know it was supposed to do this?

[Chris LeDrew]

Yes it's how I set mine up as well. Great for bending during solos. Very intuitive for a pedal steel player. And the guitar stays in tune very well set up this way.

[Dave Mudgett]

Setting a Strat tremelo is a matter of taste - there are lots of valid ways to set it up. The amount of string pitch change, per unit trem-angle change, will depend on the tuning and the strings - overall gauges, wrap/core ratio on wound strings, materials, construction, plain vs. wound third, and so on - and number and tension of springs and how they're arranged on the claw and inertia bar. One can control, to some extent, the relative pitch change of strings.

Personally, I don't generally float a Strat trem - I usually lower only. For what I do most of the time, floating the trem compromises the tone and sustain I'm looking for too much. I use what most guitarists would consider pretty heavy strings, and I prefer a more direct connection with the body. There is also the issue of losing tuning when a string breaks. Floating is good for certain types of things, not so good for others. To my tastes.

[Mark Kuban]

I finally set my tremolo arm on my strat properly. Did you guys know that it is intended to raise the low E, A, D and B a whole step, G 1 1/2 steps and the high E a half step?

If you strum the high three string of an open D chord and then raise the tremolo arm it raises the first three strings to what would be a barred C chord.

A good example of the sound it makes can be found on JJ Cale's 'Cherry'

http://youtu.be/jGxBWluon84

Anyone else know it was supposed to do this?

Sounds great! Can you give us some tips on what you did to set it up like that?

[Mark Nix]

I finally set my tremolo arm on my strat properly. Did you guys know that it is intended to raise the low E, A, D and B a whole step, G 1 1/2 steps and the high E a half step?

If you strum the high three string of an open D chord and then raise the tremolo arm it raises the first three strings to what would be a barred C chord.

A good example of the sound it makes can be found on JJ Cale's 'Cherry'

http://youtu.be/jGxBWluon84

Anyone else know it was supposed to do this?

Sounds great! Can you give us some tips on what you did to set it up like that?

http://youtu.be/OUkKZy8U_gA
http://youtu.be/7luUzgDwwcs

Followed what this guy said to do. when putting the paper under the back make sure the paper is square on the edges so pressure is equal, not slanted, as a book does when opened, otherwise you won't get the correct distance for tuning the tension springs.

[Mark Kuban]

Thanks for the tip and the links to videos. Will give it a try.

[Clete Ritta]

...it is intended to raise the low E, A, D and B a whole step, G 1 1/2 steps and the high E a half step?...Anyone else know it was supposed to do this?

Yes, they are often set like that. A trick in setting it up is the 6 screws of the bridge itself. When string tension is tuned up before all screws are tightened, tighten the bottom one near the bar till the bridge flattens out, then loosen just a bit till it raises up. Repeat for next 5 screws. This ensures that the bridge is not screwed down too tightly to "float" freely. The amount of float is then tuned with the claw springs in back. You can add up to 5 springs for maximum bar tension (ala SRV) if you don't want any float. This ensures that the bridge returns all the way flat each time and is just a little more stable tuning wise. Pulling a floating bar up tends to catch some string tension beyond the nut and leaves the string sharp. Use teflon or graphite as shown in the nutslots to reduce this effect. This is also why most modern whammy systems (Rose/Kahler etc.) use a locking nut and fine tuning wheels at the bridge.