American vintage synchronized tremolo setup

I read somewhere two points tremolo type makes the guitar sound different from the original strat sound. Is this true in any way? What's the tonal difference beetwen this bridges? Last edited: Apr 30, Messages: 11, Messages: 6, Messages: 7, Funk U , Apr 30, If you have your pickups too close to the strings the magnetic pull will cause the strings to vibrate in an elliptical pattern instead of a circular pattern which results in problems with the guitars tone and loss of harmonics.

You want your pickups close enough to have good output but not so close as to affect the vibration of the strings. To perform the measurement simply take your ruler and measure the distance from the top of the pole piece to the bottom of the string on the first high E and sixth Low E strings of the guitar. After you make this adjustment you will see that the pickup will be angled closer to the 1st string and farther away from the 6th.

I like to move the pickups quite far away from the strings and listen to how the string sounds through an amplifier with0ut any influence from the magnetic pull of the pickups. Then I like to raise the pickups until they are very close to the strings and listen to how the magnetic pull causes tonal changes and loss of sustain. Then I back the pickups off until I can hear that they are no longer influencing the vibration of the string.

Lace Sensor pickups have little to no magnetic pull on the string. I would also suggest pulling them away from the strings a little bit and listen to the difference in sound. You may like them a little farther away from the strings. Intonation affects how well your guitar plays in tune along the entire length of the fretboard. Have you ever noticed that after you tune your guitar it still sounds off when you play chords or notes and the higher you go on the neck the worse it sounds?

In theory, the distance from the inside of the nut of the guitar to the middle of the 12th fretwire should measure the same distance as the middle of 12th fretwire to the bridge saddle. But, if you do this adjustment by measuring with a ruler it will still sound off. So, we have to adjust the intonation with a good tuner or you can simply use your ear if you have a good ear. Before you adjust intonation make sure all your other adjustments are done. That means truss rod, string height action , pickup height and tremolo height all have to completed before you do intonation.

To adjust the intonation tune your strings to standard tuning. Then starting at the 6th string play the open string and the play the note an octave higher at the 12th fret. The pitch should be the same. Your ear, or tuner will tell you if the octave note is sharp or flat. If the note is sharp use a Phillips screwdriver and move the bridge saddle farther away from the nut or toward the back of the bridge plate. If the note is flat, move the bridge saddle closer to the nut or the front of the bridge plate.

Adjust the bridge saddle to compensate for flatness or sharpness until the note at the 12th fret is in tune with the open string note. Do the same for all six strings and your guitar will be properly intonated. Once you have completed all the above adjustments your Stratocaster should play very comfortably and stay in tune very well. Whenever you change strings I would check all the adjustments and adjust any that are out. Leave any questions or comments in the comment section below. Your email address will not be published.

This setup guide is based on the American Stratocaster series. Click here to search for an American Deluxe or Ultra Stratocaster Before you start adjusting: Be sure that you take a measurement of all settings before you adjust anything. Tools you will need: Set of automotive feeler guages. In this system two posts go through the baseplate to anchor the strings and the vibrato bar. Beneath the baseplate—in a small trem cavity—are two springs that connect the posts with the plate and provide string tension.

There are two basic types of trem arms, both of which are fairly self-explanatory: Screw-in and pop-in. Tremolo systems can be complicated and many such systems exist.

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