Fender Vintage Synchronized Tremolo Set-up Options

[Ajmurrell]

Hi all,

I've attempted to set-up my guitar with a floating tremolo, but would like to make sure I've done it right and make sure I'm not damaging my guitar!!

I have a 50's vintage Strat which has a vintage synchronized tremolo. The way I've got mine set-up is to accomdate for a turorial on Jeff Beck's "Where were you", which requires the G-string to be able to raise up a tone and a half.

The way I've done it, I deduced by myself, and thus could be potentially damaging!!

I've done this by loosening the two "claw" screws at the back of the guitar, raising the tremolo up and then reducing string height and intonation accordingly.

I think this is more or less the way to do it, but I'm noticing that it's rather more stiff to press donw on to the tremolo and this is what I was wondering if there was a simple way to change?

The one thing I've not adjusted during this are the pivot screws, would this help make the tremolo easier to decompress?

I'm using standard 10 gauge strings, and have 3 springs in the back at the moment and the claw screws themselves are in line with each other.

I've noticed some people angle their claw screws, would this help?

Thanks in for your help guys I can upload some photo's if it would help.

Cheers,

Adam

[Ivan Milenkovic]

Some pictures would help yes.

Also if you can please tell again exactly what you need to do with the tremolo, I don't think I fully understood.

thanks

[Marcus Lavendell]

Hi Adam,
I'd say your doing it the right way.

But I'm not sure what you mean when you say 'it's more stiff when you press down the tremolo'. Can you explain that part a bit more?

[Ajmurrell]

Some pictures would help yes.

Also if you can please tell again exactly what you need to do with the tremolo, I don't think I fully understood.

thanks

I'll take some photo's this evening, thanks for your help

I may have over complicating things, I'm basically trying to set-up the tremolo so you can use the whammy bar or your hand to both raise up the pitch, and lower it like many floyd rose equiped guitars do.

Hi Adam,
I'd say your doing it the right way.

But I'm not sure what you mean when you say 'it's more stiff when you press down the tremolo'. Can you explain that part a bit more?

Hi there Marcus, thanks for your response!

Yeah, I didn't explain myself very well I don't think. When I say its a bit stiff, I kinda mean the tension from the springs in the back is a bit more than I'd like. So when you press down on the tremolo to get that vibrato effect Jeff Beck uses, you really have to push down hard!

Hope that helped,

Cheers



I can't seem to work out how to reply to each individual post, what am I doing wrong?

This post has been edited by Ajmurrell: Sep 5 2008, 04:33 PM

[Ivan Milenkovic]

Nothing, don't worry, your posts are automatically joined when you post 2 consecutive posts..

Regarding the tremolo... when adjusting it you need to adjust two things:

1. 2 screws that hold the plate where springs are attached to in the back
2. springs themselves.

Photo the back of the guitar, and bridge with a phone or something and upload it, so I can give you specific instructions. Can't give you those unless I know how things look now.

This post has been edited by Ivan Milenkovic: Sep 5 2008, 08:58 PM

[Ajmurrell]

Sorry for the delay, the digital camera got taken away on a business trip by mistake... Currently in Manilla... Lucky camera...?