Strat Tremolo stiffness

What's Hot
ToneControlToneControl Frets: 11789

I got an ESP partsocaster in 1985, assembled from parts bought from Chandler for about £500, which has been my main strat ever since

It was a mahogany body hard tail, but I wanted a trem, and the seller gave me a spare set - which I had fitted by A1 in Manchester, it has a Pro setup, and has 3 springs

I've played it ever since, and didn't realise until I bought other decent strats over the last 7-8 years that most strats have lighter trems

I have tried to accommodate the range of stiffness in the trems, but I would like it if I could stiffen my other strats


My problems are: I developed a style using heavy right hand damping, and can create a tiny unwanted wobble in pitch when I hit the block with my palm, I can avoid this - but I like playing like that. Also the stiffer trem feels less floaty, and more taut - which suits the way I use the trem, and makes the strings feel more like as if the bridge were fixed


If I went from 3 springs to 5 would that help? 

0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom

Comments

  • CorvusCorvus Frets: 2924
    tFB Trader

    If you add more springs, or swap in heavier-rated ones, or screw the claw in further, all those increase the tension. But also pulls the bridge plate towards the top or flat against it. Heavier strings mean more tension so for the same bridge angle you can use (and may need) more/heavier springs.
    If you don't mind the base being flat on the body so the trem can only go down, there's no prob adding more/heavier springs.
    I like mine with some uplift so it's a trade-off, possible wobble from palm pressure and bending one string the others go flat slightly.

    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • Use more springs. It changes the force constant (if I remember hookes law correctly?).

    I set my trem against the body. Because I sound bad enough dropping pitch, giving me another option doubles my range of errors ;)
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • ToneControlToneControl Frets: 11789

    For the same floating bridge position, 5 springs would need to be stretched less, so a small bridge movement would move more springs, although each is under less tension, and is less stretched. Would the springs be harder to stretch?

    I have noticed that my Evertune guitars feel like the strings are heavier than they are, since they don't give in the same way as usual

    I never learned enough about behaviour of springs

    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • CorvusCorvus Frets: 2924
    tFB Trader
    Assuming same strings & tuning, and same-rate springs; more springs means more tension, so pulling the bridge down more. Setting these things (if you want up-pitch movement) is a juggle of number of springs, their rating, position of the claw, and angling of the springs (the more stretched they are, the more tension they're making).
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • ICBMICBM Frets: 71956
    edited April 2014

    For the same floating bridge position, 5 springs would need to be stretched less, so a small bridge movement would move more springs, although each is under less tension, and is less stretched. Would the springs be harder to stretch?

    Yes. The 'spring constant' - the amount of force needed to move the springs by a given distance - is greater with four or five springs than with three, even though the 'rest' tension at the point the bridge floats at must be the same (since it has to balance the strings), so the claw needs to be set further out. So you get a stiffer feel, and usually better tuning stability but at the expense of a 'shimmery' gentle vibrato if you want that.

    "Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski

    "Just because I don't care, doesn't mean I don't understand." - Homer Simpson

    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 2reaction image Wisdom
  • ToneControlToneControl Frets: 11789
    ICBM said:

    For the same floating bridge position, 5 springs would need to be stretched less, so a small bridge movement would move more springs, although each is under less tension, and is less stretched. Would the springs be harder to stretch?

    Yes. The 'spring constant' - the amount of force needed to move the springs by a given distance - is greater with four or five springs than with three, even though the 'rest' tension at the point the bridge floats at must be the same (since it has to balance the strings), so the claw needs to be set further out. So you get a stiffer feel, and usually better tuning stability but at the expense of a 'shimmery' gentle vibrato if you want that.

    sounds sensible

    SO I guess I measure the distance of the bridge plate thing  to the guitar body, add springs and adjust until the height is the same, and then check intonation?

    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • rauldukeraulduke Frets: 81
    I find the 'feel' on the strings with 5 springs to be too tense.

    Adjusting the claw with 3 springs got my strat where it needed to be (although I do like a little bit of uplift to allow pitch up vibrato).

    Setting up Strat vibratos is a fine art/balancing act though IMO.
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • ToneControlToneControl Frets: 11789

    I think springs vary

    My old partsocaster has only 3, but feels right

    My VG strat feels very light with 3

    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • ICBMICBM Frets: 71956
    edited April 2014

    SO I guess I measure the distance of the bridge plate thing  to the guitar body, add springs and adjust until the height is the same, and then check intonation?

    Much easier… tune the guitar, then add one or two more springs without touching the tuning. Now adjust the claw screws until the guitar comes back into tune and the bridge will be in exactly the same place as it was, hence no need to worry about the intonation :).

    I think springs vary

    They do, and it's also quite dependent on the height the saddles are set at - because the spring force relative to the string tension is the ratio of the distances from the pivot point (the top edge of the bridgeplate) to the bottom of the block for the springs, and the top of the saddles for the strings, which is a much smaller distance. Hence a small change in this has a much larger effect on the spring tension. It's like trying to lift a very heavy object with a crowbar - the pivot point needs to be very close to the heavy thing, or you can't.

    "Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski

    "Just because I don't care, doesn't mean I don't understand." - Homer Simpson

    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 3reaction image Wisdom
Sign In or Register to comment.