Tremolo Unit.

[Bluesnote]

Hi. Looking for a bit of help here from the techies in this site.
I was wondering how to overcome the problem of the tremolo unit on my Squier Stat not balancing properly.
Its the type of unit that had six screws going into the guitar at bridge, apparantly if you unscrew them a touch, it allows the bridge to pivot and therefore
change the pitch up or down. Trouble is, if I dont make sure the tremolo arm has not been pushed back down to where it started from, it throws the guitar out of tune. Its the crappiest tremolo idea I've ever seen, none of my previous Strats had this system, nor my Ibanez, which pivots on two bolts coming out of the body and stays perfectly in tune all the time.
I've looked at some sites that suggest just using the two outside screws and a bit of grease or vaseline under the unit, this does'nt work either. I see some of the real Strats use this tremolo system too, which I find really odd.
I suspect that some of you guys in here have had the same problem, if so, I'd be really interested to find out how/if you overcame this pain in the ass problem Apart from a replacement unit that is.
Cheers Hugh.

[Bill Bowley]

Hugh,

Those six screws that go into the body are the pivot points, not tuning adjustments. If you 'loosen them all off' the bridge plate will ride up them and you will find tuning difficult.

Heres the 'good oil' from Fender:

TREMOLO
Stratocaster guitars can have four distinctive types of bridges. The most well-known bridge is the vintage-style "synchronized" tremolo. The other three are the American Series bridge, which is a modern-day two-pivot bridge; the non-tremolo hardtail bridge; and a locking tremolo, such as the American Deluxe or Floyd Rose® locking tremolos. If you have a non-tremolo "hardtail" bridge, proceed to "Intonation (Roughing it out)." If you have a locking tremolo bridge, click here.

First, remove the tremolo back cover. Check your tuning. For a vintage-style tremolo bridge, a great way to enhance its performance is to pull the bridge back flush with the body using the tremolo arm. Then loosen all six screws located at the front edge of the bridge plate, raising them so that they all measure approximately 1/16" (1.6 mm) above the top of the bridge plate. Then tighten the two outside screws back down until they're flush with the top of the bridge plate. The bridge will now pivot on the outside screws, leaving the four inside screws in place for bridge stability. For a two-pivot model such as the American Series bridge, use your tremolo arm to pull the bridge back flush with the body and adjust the two pivot screws to the point where the tremolo plate sits entirely flush at the body (not lifted at the front or back of the plate).

Allowing the bridge to float freely (no tension on the tremolo arm) using the claw screws in the tremolo cavity, adjust the bridge to your desired angle—Fender spec is a 1/8" (3.2 mm) gap at rear of bridge. You'll need to retune periodically to get the right balance between the strings and the springs. If you prefer a bridge flush to the body, adjust spring tension to equal string tension, while the bridge rests on the body (you may want to put an extra 1/2 turn to each claw screw to ensure that the bridge remains flush to the body during string bends). Caution: Do not over-tighten the springs, as this can put unnecessary tension on the arm during tremolo use. Finally, you may wish to apply a small dab of Chapstick® or Vaseline® at the pivot contact points of the bridge for very smooth operation.

Hope that helps.

[stagetech]

Hi Hugh,
Bill is spot on. Also this is a standard bridge used on the vast majority of Strats.

Now that said, I have come across this problem before with Squire and some chinese import strats.
Take a look under the bridge, to do this you will need to remove it. Turn it upside down and you should see that the forward part of the plate where the mounting holes are, is chamfered. The centre line of the chamfer should run through the middle of the mounting holes, if it is anywhere else it will not pivot. I once took one apart (Chinese Squire) and it had no chamfer at all. If you do need to replace it, make sure the replacement has the same hole spacing as your current one, and that the depth of the trem block is no greater than yours. Wilkinson do a bridge with elongated holes in the middle that overcomes the spacing problem.

Ian

[Bluesnote]

Thanks guys. You have me wondering about the chamfer bit now. When I try to raise the pitch with the arm there is a grinding/creaking sound off the unit with might suggest it not being shaped properly. I still cant figure how it would be possible to get enough movement from the unit to perform deep bends given that the screw heads would always restrict this movement as far as I can see. I'll strip the unit right down and see if it needs modifying in some way next string change. I dont understand how they still use this system when the two bolt system is so simple and effective and gives you any amount of movement that you would desire.
Cheers...Hugh.

[Bill Bowley]

Hugh,

There's a lot more to the '6 screw' system than meets the eye -you may notice for instance that the majority of 'famous' guitarists (Clapton, Marvin, Welch, etc) all use the 'vintage' tremolo set up rather than the two point system. In fact, you will see adapter kits on the market to transform the two point tremolo units to a six screw too. In the minds of many (myself included, for whatever that is worth!) the six screw system, when it is a well made unit and set up properly, adds a lot more 'sustain' to the sound. If you have ever used a guitar with say, the Callaham bridge unit, you would notice a marked difference to the versions that abound in the the cheaper guitars.

For instance, here's Fender's current model Eric Clapton Signature Strat -take a look at the tremolo unit, its the vintage 6 screw type, its there for a good reason- and don't forget Clapton could have anything he wants on a guitar that carries his signature!