I hate for my first post to be a maintenance issue.....but I'm about to go nuts :lol:
I've got a classic 70's strat MIM that I got almost a year ago.....great guitar btw.....although recently now that iv learned a bit about intonation and neck adjustment and all that jazz iv noticed little issues here and there FIRST a weird wobbling outta tune but not outta tune deal on my low e that iv had since I bought it.....its sharp on basically everything fretted on the low E but intonation would be set(to an extent) and with new strings on stretched and all...I learned to live with it up until recently...I really cant explain it...the setup I had last week worked so well....I use the trem a lot so I did the bend a note it would go flat pump the arm its back in pitch(with the aid of some graphtec string trees) long story short last week everything was great up until a string broke...changed strings this week(same gauge and brand...now nothing works...intonation wont set....trem all outta wack(wobbling sound worse) iv stretched the string like there was not tomorrow...and its the vintage kind of tuners that you cut the string at the correct length so there not a lot of winding....the only i changed in the past 6 days was the strings(tuesday) and adjusted the truss a bit but that was about 4 days ago(due to humid climate) iv tried to adjust it to the way i had it but with no luck
I guess I'm gonna take it to a tech.....but iv been screwed over a lot by the tech's around here
sorry for the erratic post but I'm very worried that something may be very wrong
and another thing to note....I'm using a Peterson vs-1 strobe tuner for intonation and the thing goes crazy....flat and sharp at the low e 12th
thanks in advance for any help offered :D
Standard trem right? Probably won't like my advice, others will probably disagree but ............ Take the cover off the back of the guitar, tighten the trem springs up good .... add an extra couple for good measure ....... get your bridge flat to the body. Unscrew the trem arm and put it in the case and never touch it again! NEVER!! Now reintonate and I think your intonation problems will be solved. IMO standard trems don't stay in tune thats why I don't use them. Just bending strings can pull others out of tune and mess with intonation. You could also block the trem for further stability. If you must have the trem, then you will have to live with these little problems.
"Work hard, rock hard, eat hard, sleep hard,
grow big, wear glasses if you need 'em."
-- The Webb Wilder Credo --
I understand where your coming from..I agree it would always go out even when I had a good setup but it was barely noticeable...now its crazy.
iv got 4 springs in the back and the bridge is flush...its always been that way...its always worked good enough too...that's why this is strange...I was thinking of replacing my nut with a graphtec trem nut to help stop string binding...but that wont fix the issue of the intense wobbling in tune outta tune mess on my low e will it?
I think the problem may lay with the comment "on my low e that iv had since I bought it" - the strings are dead and need changing, by the sound of it. Eventually, strings will become so bad that they will no longer tune or intonate correctly, no matter what you do.
You should change all the strings at the same time and do it regularly.
I started with nothing - and I've still got most of it left.
Did you know that the word "gullible" is not in any dictionary?
Greybeard's Pages
My Articles & Reviews on GN
see that's the thing...I had broke a string(with a working setup) put new strings on everything took a turn for the worse.....I replace strings once a week and iv never had this problem...but the low e issue has always been there....I didn't have the same strings on my guitar for almost a year if that's what you mean..the low e problem is with every new set of strings...which leads me to believe its a more serious problem
but like I said I had gotten used to that....but now as iv wrote be for.....things have gotten a bit worse
see that's the thing...I had broke a string(with a working setup) put new strings on everything took a turn for the worse.....I replace strings once a week and iv never had this problem...but the low e issue has always been there....I didn't have the same strings on my guitar for almost a year if that's what you mean..the low e problem is with every new set of strings...which leads me to believe its a more serious problem
but like I said I had gotten used to that....but now as iv wrote befor.....things have gotten a bit worse
Hmmmm <scratches head>
I'm thinking of two things. The first was what TR said about the trem. Block that damn thing down!! The standard ones are JUNK!!
Second thing: When you change strings you have to make sure you get enough wraps around the tuning posts and make sure the strings are wound correctly around said posts or they can and will slip a bit.
I'm sure the problem isn't as bad as you think. Just start over. Yeah with new strings too....(they're not that expensive). Pop those off. Get that plate on the back off. Screw that big screw into the body a few more turns. Put on another spring, then find a piece of wood that will fit in that little space and 'block' that trem down. Then restring that puppy with at least 3 wraps around the posts for the wound strings and 4 or 5 for the un-wound strings.
My thoughts... ??
Research is what I'm doing when I don't know what I'm doing. - Wernher Von Braun (1912-1977)
My first question would be, did you block the trem when you changed strings? If the answer is no, then your trem just slipped out of position and you will have to rebalance it. If you can remember how far above the body it used to float, try to put it back to that position by adjusting the claw screws and retuning, it could take a few tries, but it will put you back in the right neighborhood. Then check your intonation, it should be fairly close, but it will probably need some adjustment.
I actually like vintage trems and I have mine set up to bend both up and down, I don't really have any problem with it as long as I keep it lubricated. Of course, my wife constantly reminds me that I'm so tone deaf I couldn't carry a tune in a bucket! :D
Life's journey can be hard at times, but you have to realize that you are the only one with the power make it a worthwhile experience.
lol
no i didnt touch anything on the bridge...i just adjusted the neck truss(humid) all was fine until i changed strings
well i wish it was that easy to just block it off and no matter how crappy stock trem blocks are i still like using the trem
ill put new strings on it.....im taking it to have new nut fitted so ill get the tech up to speed on the issues.....then later on down the road im gonna grab a callaham s vintage kit to seal the deal for good
thanks for all the help everybody!
Are you taking off all the old strings before putting on new ones or are you doing it one string at a time?
Pop music is about stealing pocket money from children. - Ian Anderson
no they all go.......fresh strings every 5 or 6 days
But when you change all 6 strings, are you taking one string off, replacing it, bringing the new one up to tune, then moving to the next one? That's the proper way to do it with a trem bridge so you don't disturb the adjustment.
"A cheerful heart is good medicine."
oh now i see what you mean......no i take them all off at once...iv always done it like that
