Thank you Strat forum:

[Toto'sDad]

I have a couple of Teles, an AS Jazz Bass, and a Martin Acoustic, but I've alwys been partial to my 2008 American Standard Strat. It always sounded decent, better even than any of the Strats I've had in the past. The neck is just perfect for me, and I always enjoyed playing it. It really was just a 3 pickup Tele to me though, because the Tremolo has been locked down since I've owned it. No block or anything, just heavy springs in all the slots and the bridge decked.

I read here that the Strat can't sound right in that condition, I thought I don't know about that, but it kind of nagged at me, and I played a couple of pretty nice Strats on a visit to GC the other night, so today I read up on the info referenced on this site, and set my Strat up to have the tremolo/bridge float.

Well, there weren't any angels singing or clouds parting, but I did notice a marked improvement in the tone, and it has even more Strat tone now. I played for a little while with the strings up pretty high, and noticed another thing right away, the pickups sounded better.

I concluded that what I thought was the right pickup height was not at all correct, I made note of the pickup height and after setting the saddles ended up with the pickups WAY lower than I've ever had them before. Man, this baby which already was a favorite guitar of mine just gained permanent status here at the home twenty that is not even open to argument now. I think I'm going to screw the tremolo arm in and see if I can learn to utilize it, a big step for someone who has always shied away from even trying to use one. I must have gotten lucky, after everything settled down I don't seem to have any tuning issues at all, (big surprise to me) even after doing some pretty good bends.

I want to thank this forum with providing me the tools to get the tremolo, and subsequently my whole guitar playing and sounding the best it ever has. The TDPRI truly is a library/resource for Fender lovers.

Tdad

[jeremypodom]

How did you set up your trem? There's silly folks who said that what I'm about to say is impossible, but it's obviously not because my guitar is set up exactly like this along with many other peoples strats.

On the high E string, when you bend up all the way so the trem is decked, it goes up by a half step
The B string goes up by a whole step
and the G string goes up by a minor 3rd

You can do this by setting up the springs to provide more tension on the bass strings, along with with putting the trem claw at a slant. It makes the trem very predictable and usable if you can get the hang of using it at all.

[dblues]

+1 to all that and more. I still can't do much with the trem bar but learning the proper setup really helped the tuning stability. This place is great for learning how to get the most out of a guitar.

[redstringuitar]

Nice! I've found having the trem decked seems to work better on some Strats than others, I wish I knew why.

[Toto'sDad]

I just followed instructions I found right here through the search feature, and went to a couple of sites that various searches pointed to from other members here, and before you know it, I was in business. I don't really understand why floating the bridge helped, but I know it does. The guitar sounds the best it ever has. For some reason, I also lost a b string buzz that I had to manage while playing too. Dunno, but I like it.

Jeremypodum, I'm going to have to think about what you've said, right now, I'm just starting to believe the thing won't explode and blow me and Toto up!

[E5RSY]

Funny, I just arrived at the opposite conclusion. After 20 years, I recently decked mine for the first time. I think it's an improvement over floating. Who knows? Maybe it's just a "honeymoon" phase.

Scott

[braderrick]

Originally Posted by E5RSY

Funny, I just arrived at the opposite conclusion. After 20 years, I recently decked mine for the first time. I think it's an improvement over floating. Who knows? Maybe it's just a "honeymoon" phase.

Scott

Me too.

[hemingway]

I just did a hardtail parts build. I'm just relieved that it sounds anything like a strat at all (actually it sounds great).

Funny things, strats. You hear them on sooo many records, then you think, that sounds great, I want one. Then you get one and think . . . hmm . . . sounds like a strat.

In those quack positions it must be the most recognisable guitar sound ever.

[MahoganyStratDZ]

Originally Posted by E5RSY

Funny, I just arrived at the opposite conclusion. After 20 years, I recently decked mine for the first time. I think it's an improvement over floating. Who knows? Maybe it's just a "honeymoon" phase.

Scott

I think there's no absolute with this. I started playing, well taking lessons in the 60's with vintage Strats, after I actually could play a bit of course.

So I'm a pretty hard sell on 2-point trems and floating trems. Truth is I try to deck the bridge but with as little pressure applied as possible. Other words if I could deck it with minimal springs I will where-as it still can be used with relative ease without the sacrifice of tuning.

Then came the later years of two-points, then the Deluxe etc etc. Still for the longest time I was luke warm with this and preferred Vintage Trems 6-point, rolled steel blocks etc. I pretty much felt the total was the sum of its parts. So I'm partial to a complete Vintage String path.

Anyway I came across a Deluxe in 09 which the Trem just floats flawless and sounds amazing, the guitar just is never out of tune. What it does aside from this is give me touch sensitive Tremblo, which has always been the attraction but not at the risk of Tone and Tuning.

Different strokes I suppose. I played a RC Hardtail for some time. They grab the Strat tone perfectly, I just am use to the extra option of the Trem and use it now and again.

[Jakedog]

IMO, the pickup height adjustment has more to do with your tonal changes than the float. Pickup height is often overlooked, and makes a HUGE impact. I often wonder how many guitars get sold or traded because they don't sound good, when all they needed was the pickup heights tweaked out.

[redstringuitar]

Originally Posted by Jakedog

IMO, the pickup height adjustment has more to do with your tonal changes than the float. Pickup height is often overlooked, and makes a HUGE impact. I often wonder how many guitars get sold or traded because they don't sound good, when all they needed was the pickup heights tweaked out.

True, getting the pup heights sorted can turn a guitar you can't be bothered to pick up into one you can't put down.

Getting the trem right can be an equally good move....I set mine back to floating this afternoon and noticed a big improvement in tone and feel.

My Strat rocks again, thanks guys!