i need some help

[Vass]

always find that it's best to tune the low e and a strings a little sharp. The unwound strings will pull the trem up a tad, bringing the e and a back down closer to being in tune. Cuts down on the time spent doing the floyd dance.

[RickBlacker]

About stretching... Can you simply pull back on the F.R. trem to stretch them out?

[DonP]

About stretching... Can you simply pull back on the F.R. trem to stretch them out?

Sure, but don't ding the body. And I'm not sure if the bar will go back far enough to give the strings a good stretching.

[RickBlacker]

K... If you just use your fingers, how far is far enough? An inch, 2 inches off the fretbard?

[MartinBarre]

K... If you just use your fingers, how far is far enough? An inch, 2 inches off the fretbard?

As far as they'll go (within reason, don't be pulling like Conan the feckin Barbarian).
Press down on the third fret, pull up the string til it's tight. Press down on the 7th fret, pull up the string. Do this all the way up the neck, on each string.

[RickBlacker]

What does stretching them out do for them? Does it basically condition them so they wont go out of tune? Or is there some other purpose as well?

[VitaminG]

new strings will naturally stretch under tension. So your guitar will continue to go out of tune. If you stretch the strings out as you restring the guitar, you're accelerating this natural tendency and your tuning will be more stable.