The enigma of the Strat set-up

What's Hot
RandallFlaggRandallFlagg Frets: 13929
Got a Strat back in my collection again after not having one for some time. Been settling it in and adjusting to find the right set-up and it's all coming back now, the fussiness and dilemma of the Strat, well at least the 2 Custom Shop Strats I've owned.

I switch between a floating and decked trem and get the following:

With 5 trem springs and bridge decked to allow no bridge movement I find that I get noticeably more fret buzz on the lower strings on the lower frets, even with correct neck relief, action and pickup height, plus it just feels and sounds stiffer.

With 3 springs, trem floating and a 1/8th inch gap between rear of bridge and body it's a nicer feeling set-up on the fingerboard, with noticeably less fret buzz and a generally slinkier feel. I don't use the trem too much but it's nice for shimmers on chords, however, I have to consciously play without my palm on the bridge, or just gently for palm muting or have the bridge move and wobble the pitch as I play. With a floating bridge I find my picking hand naturally moving forward and picking around the neck pickup on a Strat but just it seems to play and sound better than decked.

So there's the dilemma, decked bridge with more fret buzz and stiffer feel but able to bash harder like on a Tele or a floating bridge, lot less fret buzz and a slinkier feel and somehow better tone, that requires a more careful technique.

I'm going to leave it floating for now but raised that 1/8th to give a full tone pull up on the trem on 2nd string makes the bridge plate feel quite high under the hand so we'll see,

Funny old thing a Strat, no other guitar quite like them, 



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

Comments

  • CloudNineCloudNine Frets: 4254
    Has to be floating for me, or all the 'stratty-ness' goes out the window.

    You should defo try some Raw Vintage springs. Cost very little and can really transform some guitars. Can easily float with all 5 springs on, but I have settled on 4 on mine, and it is great.
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • guitars4youguitars4you Frets: 14039
    edited January 2017 tFB Trader
    I know it is only a marginal amount - but if you move your bridge from flat to floating, you have moved the height up a gnats whisker -not sure if you have adjusted the bridge saddles a touch to account for this - marginal I know but on a guitar set up there is often little room for negotiation, between a clean note and a slight buzz, so that extra tweak on the setup, when the trem is  flat, sounds like it is needed on your Strat

    Again a floating bridge will always give you more of a 'spongy' feel as the bridge gives a touch as you bend - Equally 5 springs and bridge flat adds more 'resonance'
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 1reaction image Wisdom
  • Floaty springs. It took a few weeks but my technique altered subtly with tips from @mike_l a while back with regards to palm muting and especially unison bends (basically resting your hand on the bridge to help reduce the amount of pitch warbling that happens when you do unison bends). 

    I've heard that looser springs can affect tone but I'm not convinced after my own testing. It is very hard to A/B in any meaningful way, but I wound up leaving three ordinary springs in rather than 5 'vintage style' ones. 

    That said, my guitar definitely  better with 3 springs than it does with 2 or 4, floating or otherwise. So there is something in it.  Or maybe I'm just inventing things in my brain :)
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • grungebobgrungebob Frets: 3300
    insert a shim under the back of the bridge to set it up at 1/8th height but then actually deck it with 5 springs. Use the right shim you'll never see it and you get stable tuning, ability to palm how you like but with less fret buzz. want a more slinky feel, use slightly lighter strings.
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • OctafishOctafish Frets: 1937

    So there's the dilemma, decked bridge with more fret buzz and stiffer feel but able to bash harder like on a Tele or a floating bridge, lot less fret buzz and a slinkier feel and somehow better tone, that requires a more careful technique.

    As Guitars4you says the buzzing/lack of buzzing is purely to do with not adjusting the saddle heights to compenaste for you effectively adjusting the bridge height and action when adjusting the trem spring tension. Any adjustment in trem setting should involve checking action intonation toi ebnsure correct set up.

    Personally I like the trem floating no more than about 0.5 mm, but not against the body. I primarily use the trem to lower the pitch and I don't like other strings going out of tune when doing unison bends which can happen if the springs are too slack/bridge floating too high.
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • VoxmanVoxman Frets: 4718
    I like mine how (I think) you've set yours - floating to allow up/down trem action, traditional 3 springs straight aligned (not 'V' pointed), 
    I started out with nothing..... but I've still got most of it left (Seasick Steve)
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • richardhomerrichardhomer Frets: 24793
    Voxman said:
    I like mine how (I think) you've set yours - floating to allow up/down trem action, traditional 3 springs straight aligned (not 'V' pointed), 
    Same here. Rarely use the trem but presents no tuning issues and puts the saddles more or less parallel to the face of the body which palm damping comfortable.
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
Sign In or Register to comment.