The difference between my two Strats

[Stratpicker]

Hi Rosemary
for you, In OZ, the only guy with a PLEK is - http://www.sydneyguitarsetups.com
I have the sneakiest feeling that you will hear the LOUD "Ker-ching" ring of his CashTill for this kind of work.
but the basic philosophy of NIgel is Spot on - play your guitar at the Techs place and let him see how you handle it. Be CLEAR what you want out of the work he will do. Decide on the string gauge and make that you want that suits you. Play the re-worked guitar and be sure you are happy with what he has done before you part with your cash.
cheers
ian
Its curious that the tone of the Mexi (with presumably ceramic bar pickups) sounds better than the Am Stan (with Alnico'S).

[RUSSET]

Hi Ian and Paul
Sorry for the confusion but the sunburst Strat, the American Standard, is perfect. Whatever angle it's at is really good and there's no problem bending up a tone. The Mexican Strat also easily bends up a tone but is just a bit too low for me to move my hand as freely when playing while holding the arm all the time. Maybe that can also be solved by practice. I have so many things to learn and practise (e.g. palm muting just for a start) so I suppose adapting to different trem bar heights is all part of it too.
Thanks for the warning about the knees and yes the mo is more Merv I think
Best wishes
Rosemary

Hi Rosie,
the problem you are having with the height of your trem arm on your Mex strat could well be that USA Strats have a tiny spring in the bottom of the hole that the arm screws into, which aids keeping the arm tensioned, so that it stays were you put it when you let it go. This, of course means that the trem arm can sit higher, depending on how many turns you give it when you screw it in. I don't believe that Mex Strats, or any other Strats not made in the US, come supplied with this spring. You can buy these little springs, but you must make sure that the Trem block that is fitted to your Mex Strat hasn't got a hole that goes all the way through the block, as some of the budget Strat models do, or the spring will obviously fall straight through.

Tony.

[Rosemary]

Hi Tony, Nigel and Ian

Thanks for the tip about the springs and PLEK is now a new addition to my vocabulary. Thanks for that too. I checked out the website (a fascinating guitar shop!) but unfortunately they're in Sydney and we're in Brisbane. After the first free service on the American Strat I'll probably go back to the store where I bought the Mexican Strat as apparently they have an excellent technician and I expect selling only secondhand instruments they'd have to have good technicians to make sure they're all nice and playable.

A lot of my problems are almost certainly because I'm such a beginner and really don't have any technique yet. It's interesting that if I record my practice sessions the tunes I've been playing the longest are much more in tune than newer ones. For instance song 1 will be in tune, song 2 a couple of minutes later will be slightly out, song 3 will be in tune again. That has to be user error and not a problem with the guitars. Maybe I can adapt to the different tremolo bars in time too.

My husband asked me when I was going to buy another guitar but no more at the moment.

All the best
Rosemary

[Stratpicker]

Hi Tony, Nigel and Ian
A lot of my problems are almost certainly because I'm such a beginner and really don't have any technique yet. It's interesting that if I record my practice sessions the tunes I've been playing the longest are much more in tune than newer ones. For instance song 1 will be in tune, song 2 a couple of minutes later will be slightly out, song 3 will be in tune again. That has to be user error and not a problem with the guitars.
All the best
Rosemary

I have an interview with Hank somewhere, where he was describing the parts of his guitar.
The Interviewer pointed to the trem arm and asked what it does. Hanks reply was -"Its got me into and out of more trouble than you could ever imagine!" That him and me both then!!
cheers
ian