Strat Tuning Help....

[Orchid]

Now I'm having horrendous tuning stability with my strat. I do a full bend on the B for example, and I go flat. I'm not talking about going a little out of tune after a while, I'm talking about completely going out of tune in the middle of a song.

Now I'm wondering whether it's the fault of the tuners or the bridge, since I can constantly hear the string "clicking" on the string tree when I bend. But I'm thinking it might be the tremolo's fault since it's going flat after bending. I was thinking of getting a Tremol-no, but I need to diagnose the problem first, so help is appreciated.

[kelly user]

fender strat, i'm assuming, sounds like your string is slipping. either you don't know how to restring a guitar, and or your tuners are worn out.

[Orchid]

Not a very helpful comment, I know how to change strings, which has nothing to do with what I was talking about. Also, it's hard for me to believe that the tuners are "worn out" as I just bought this brand new 2 days ago. Cheap quality tuners, I could understand, but what do you mean by "worn out"?

[VitaminG]

could be the string hanging up on the nut. When you bend, the string slides through the slot in the nut. When you release the bend, the string may not be passing back through the slot to its starting point. So the string now sounds flat.

Check the slot on your B string for burrs, and that the slot is cut properly. You could try some graphite powder in the slot, or try running a lead pencil through it for lubrication

[kelly user]

fender strat, i'm assuming, sounds like your string is slipping. either you don't know how to restring a guitar, and or your tuners are worn out.

see here, i said and or meaning either or i was just making sure. similar to asking someone if something is plugged in when something doesn't want to turn on. i'm not insulting your intelligence.

further more if you just bought the guitar and its crapping out on your return it for another. You should be specific and say something along the lines of " i just bought my new FENDER strat ( assuming that it is a fender strat seeing as you never specified), picture here, and it goes out of tune frequently"

[kelly user]

Not a very helpful comment, I know how to change strings, which has nothing to do with what I was talking about. Also, it's hard for me to believe that the tuners are "worn out" as I just bought this brand new 2 days ago. Cheap quality tuners, I could understand, but what do you mean by "worn out"?

Yes it does because when you don't string a guitar right, the strings can and do slip when they are bent because they are not secured properly.

[Orchid]

That's probably if you've wrapped/wound it in some retarded fashion, or only have one loop around the machine head. Good thing is that I was actually gonna be exchanging this anyways because it was a floor model, and even though it's 99.9% new, it's got some scuffs, so I'll be getting a new one in a box in about a week.

[kelly user]

That's probably if you've wrapped it in some retarded fashion, or only have one loop around the machine head. Good thing is that I was actually gonna be exchanging this anyways because it was a floor model, and even though it's 99.9% new, it's got some scuffs, so I'll be getting a new one in a box in about a week.

explains it all, did you ask how long it was on the floor. floor model is not new by any means. The tuning machine could be easily worn out, easily.

[Orchid]

could be the string hanging up on the nut. When you bend, the string slides through the slot in the nut. When you release the bend, the string may not be passing back through the slot to its starting point. So the string now sounds flat.

Check the slot on your B string for burrs, and that the slot is cut properly. You could try some graphite powder in the slot, or try running a lead pencil through it for lubrication

Thanks, I'll look into that, but the problem is that it's not just the B string, I tune it up, play for a while, and I put it down, then I pick up back up about 10 minutes later and all the strings are out of tune, either all flat or all sharp.....I'm guessing it's tremolo issues with that.

[kelly user]

all sharp?? hmmmm....... fairly new strings? old school tremolo aren't that sensitive. .......... unless your whamming the hell out of it.

[toejam]

Maybe you're not stretching your strings enough? Tune up to pitch, bend/pull the strings, retune, rebend and restretch strings, retune, repeat process until strings don't go out of tune while bending.

The trem springs may need to be broken in, too.

[piranhaguy2002a]

I bought a new Fender standard strat last month and the first thing I did was put graphite on the nut and where the strings sit on the saddles at the bridge. But in turn, I also installed locking tuners and a tremsetter to stabilze the tuning. Hell the only original parts left on it is the neck the trem and the body.

[Orchid]

Allright, I'll actually provide all the details now that I have time, so that everything'll be clarified. I bought this strat 2 days ago. It is in fact brand new. I'll be exchanging it so I guess it won't matter that much, but I'll have to wait about a week anyways and at the moment with the way it's going out of tune so easily, it's driving me nuts. It goes out of tune uniformly at times, meaning that all strings are out of tune either sharp or flat, usually happens when I put it down from playing and pick it up a while later. I'll hit bends on the e,b,g and I can hear a "click" from the string tree, or possibly the nut (even though upon inspecting it, the nut seems fine). Then the string I bent will be flat. Now I was orginally thinking that it's the tremolo's fault and I was thinking of spending the money to get a tremol-no because I really don't use whammys at all. Now I'm beginning to suspect that it may be w/ the tuners. or something up around the headstock. But then again, since I'm exchaning it later, I'm trying to get used to doing set-ups on a strat, with this guitar .

[skorb]

well, I guess returning it is fine, but unless I'm missing something, nothing you've said addresses the nut issues people have pointed out to you. that would be the first thing I checked. the next one may have similar nut issues, and you just need to use some Big Bends Nut Sauce in the nut slots and the strings never bind.

strings binding in the nut is what causes most tuning problems. it's an easy fix.

cheap or worn out tuners is the rest. unless this is the worst Indonesian or Chinese Fender imaginable I would bet the tuners are fine.

vintage trems rarely cause tuning issues.

[Orchid]

Well it's a Mexican and everything's friggin nice on it, I'm loving it, but yeah, tuning....What's this nut sauce you speak of? Can it really make THAT big of a difference?