Trem set up and keeping in tune.

[Tigerdaisy]

I'm sure this topic has been well covered over the years, but I'm surprised that there isn't a proper section dedicated to this major area, if not 'the' major area of 'the sound' along with the other headed topics, seeing as how involved it can be keeping a Strat in tune if you want to do HBM impressions. For instance, how important are locking tuners, are teflon string trees necessary, should you change to a frictionless type nut, string types and bullet ends, trem set up etc and various types of lubricants like 3in1 oil and lip balm etc etc.
It would be interesting to hear how others get on- it would have been interesting to hear how HBM himself got on over the years, but it seems to be a topic never covered, or is the secret to have three or four guitars in the wings and to swop them over after each number...

[noelford]

My American Vintage Series Strat has never had any tuning issues and it has had nothing done to it other than a professional set-up. As long as the string width is right for the nut and the tremolo is set up correctly, everything should be fine. Locking tuners, which I have on some of my other guitars, are fine (and make string changing easier) but are not necessary for keeping in tune, provided the guitar is set up correctly. Set-up, at the risk of repeating myself, is everything and you shouldn't have to spend money on anything else to have a guitar that stays in tune all night.

[JimTidmarsh]

I agree with Noel. I have a US 62 Reissue Strat from the late 1980s and have never had any tuning issues despite some fairly heavy tremolo action.
Mine hasn't had a pro set-up since I bought it, but I keep it good condition and swear by the Strat Haynes manual for measurements etc.

Don't forget, in the early days Hank had a bog standard guitar and luthiers were people who made lutes!

[mojolomjl]

I have 3 Strat type guitars all with floating tremolos and have never had tuning problems with any of them.
Noel has summed it up correctly, if you follow his recommendations you wont go far wrong.

Best regards,

Maurice.

[ecca]

Yep, I got 3 various strats with floating trems that are well used and never goes out of tune. Normal stuff, no locking nuts etc,

[Tigerdaisy]

Interesting answers. I'm on my fifth Strat, and up till now have never tried to use a trem seriously usually 'locking' the trem block down to the body. I can see the problem with staying in tune lies mainly with a sticking nut where the strings are too tight.

[noelford]

I'm on my fifth Strat, and up till now have never tried to use a trem seriously usually 'locking' the trem block down to the body.

I often wonder why so many people do this. The trem is much more than a 'whammy bar'. With practised use it allows the player to introduce subtle nuances into a melody - something I, as a mainly instrumental player, find incredibly useful. Good trem technique is worth a 'workshop' in its own right.

[ecca]

Absolutely right Noel.
A trem adds another dimension to a guitar.
It seems daft to lock it down.