DIY - How to Float a Strat Trem
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- čas přidán 31. 07. 2024
- For more DIY Videos, visit: bit.ly/DIYvids
In this step-by-step tutorial, Nashville guitar tech John LeVan demonstrates how to “float” a two-post Stratocaster tremolo so it can both lower and raise the strings’ pitch.
If your Strat-style guitar’s vibrato system has a hardtail setup or the whammy bar is currently configured to simply lower notes, you’ll discover how easy it is to adjust the trem for subtle up-and-down movements. If you’re into Hendrix-inspired rhythm guitar, classic surf, vintage rockabilly, or ’60s spy and space instrumentals, a floating trem is essential for nailing authentic sounds.
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![The Perfect Stratocaster Trem / Vibrato Setup [Floating, Flat Or Blocked?]](/img/n.gif)
All of these experts in the comments who know the RIGHT way to setup a trem, yet they are watching a video on YT which shows you how to do it. Seems legit.
Dude, LeVan is the man. He has done some work on my Wolfgang guitar years ago and it has been a beast ever since.
SO psyched that you guys are going to start doing these vids. Love the article; great to see it on video!
I appreciate the precision this musician brings to the process of floating a trem.
John, great vid sir! I found that I do all the same things as you, but I do measure the relief on the neck as well before proceeding with setting up the trem to float. It's a "Just-in-case" thing for me. Thanks pal! Enjoyed this!! - James
What's really cool about a floating bridge is that when you bend the string it pulls up the bridge to give you more clearance so the note doesn't choke out or buzz! Also it lowers the note a hair at the top of the bend so you have more stability of hitting the note correctly. It really is a difference you can hear and feel.
This is a good video and very useful information even if you have to tweak the adjustments on the springs to your comfort level. It’s the beauty of Leo’s design that you have infinite options. Well done 👍
I just did the math and the options are in fact Finite.
@@HankCScorpio You’re a passionate purist man and that’s what we like about you.👌
Excellent walkthrough - this exactly what I needed to know...
I don't have a Strat - but I do have a Sterling (MusicMan) Cutlass with a 2 point trem set flush to the body... and it came with the 3 springs set up as John recommends here, so I have a good start already.! Thanks, John!
Did you face the problem of the bar not staying in place? For flutters I have to pull up instead of gently knocking the bar down.
@@penguindrum264
Hi, not quite sure what you mean there... I don't use it for divebombing or anything too crazy. The arm is a lockable push-fit so it's very responsive. If it drifts out of tune, I just bang the arm right to the deck once or twice and that gets it pretty much back to pitch, but if your saddles and nut are slick enough there won't be much of a problem. It's all about equalising the tension of the strings and the trem block
Never knew Lou Diamond Phillips was a guitar tech.
Well, he did play Ritchie Valens, so maybe he is a guitar tech after all...
I really liked how thorough this post was. I would like to see one on setting up a traditional 6 screw tremolo. Although many of the things such as spring tension are the same, there are some differences.
For example, and I only learned about this recently, the back of the 6 screw tremolo should not sit flush with the body. I have mine set so that if I pull it all the way back, I can get a 1/4 tone on the treble side of the strings.
I was told the reason for setting it up like that is to allow the bridge to move properly.
Great video. This is good information I can use. Thanks so much.
That was awesome, John. Thanks brother! 😉🤘
Very nicely explained - thanks!
This was so helpful thanks so much!
I want you to know I just,as we speak, fixed mine from watching the vid!!!!! Thanks a lot!!🤘🏽👍🏾👍🏾
Great video
Does anyone know what'll be the best distance or angle of the spring? Does the spring angle affect the intonation? If it's so, how to deal with that? In my case, after I change the angle then the overall intonation is totally different, the 3rd string is G on the open position but G flat on the 12th fret and so on.
How do you know how much should you raise the bridge with the 2 pivot screws in order to float?
I'm guessing if you want it flush to the body you tight them both all the way.
So I need to losing the string each time before adjusting the screw again or just tune it after ?
I generally recommend 4 springs for string gauges .011 and higher
Thank you for the video. I did this on my blocked Jackson with 3 springs, but the bar won't stay in place now. Anyone know how to fix this?
Can that be done to a Synchronized Tremolo System? (Instead o the 2-poles, there are 6 small screes attaching it to the body)
Nice!
I unscrew the middle 4 ones a bit?
I've done this to a few guitars, including 2-post and 6-screw designs, and I tend to run into the biggest problems with tuning stability when I do bends and the bridge doesn't 100% return to its starting point. If you're looking for something that will let you add a little bit of shimmer to chords, this does the trick. I was even able to do divebombs with a setup like this. I think it also bears mention that doing this can have a pretty profound effect on the tone of the guitar.
TheRealZoSo does a floating bridge fix tuning problems ?
@@lennykrainie1903 if anything, it can exacerbate them. Bends will flatten other notes. If you bend a lot you will get to a point where you can’t bend as much because you are dragging the bridge forward. It has advantages, but it’s very very personal what at individual likes. Sometimes I float mine and I miss bending. Sometimes I block mine and I miss the shimmer and jangle you get in chords that a floating tree seems to produce. It doesn’t solve problems per se. Just makes the sounds and playing different.
Hipshot Tremsetter! If you don't know, look it up. If you're curious to how long it will last, Mines going on 26 yrs. Of floating bridge. But it's a Fender /Floyd Rose and it's stock on the 90's deluxe plus Strats.
this dude sounds exactly like m shadows
Exactly hahaha
XD
A wee bit
I'm confused, wouldn't the draw be from the diameter of the string? What would the bridge have to do with it?
Hello .do you have any link where you play that guitar . tnx , cheers
when you lowered the strings to get it back to the action it was before, you didn't use a capo, like you did when you first measured them?
Great video. For a guy with 0 skills fiddling with a guitar I managed to float my trem perfectly.
If you make the pyramid type shape with the springs in the back, it is possible to make the springs pop out due to uneven tension
Yes, this! Your springs WILL fall out due to uneven tension
Can I float my trem system with four springs in the back of the guitar?
Yes I do it on my PRS
Yes you can
What is he using to measure the action?
Is there a difference between having a 3-spring configuration set with all springs parallel, versus having them angled (as in the video)? What about having five springs versus three?
@Greg Elchert when I bought my guitar (and it goes the same with every Fender guitar I’ve owned) factory setting was set to three springs sitting at an angled position. Never had any issues, so I’m wondering why some people say it is not ok to have this configuration
hi, i've been playing the same stratocaster for 17 years and i've noticed that the bridge is starting to rise up a bit more than it used to. the tilt is 0.5cm or maybe slightly more. i'm sure it was more like 0.25cm a few years ago. i have recently removed a temp tremblock using the 2 coin method, not sure if that's anything to do with it..
I'd replace the strings with new ones, not uncommon to happen, especially after so many years!
when we setup to the floating system...the problem is when we play bending the string tension bridge also lift up. how to fix them????
Impossible. This is the main drawback to a floating system, bending up one string and playing a double-stop. The other note goes flat. One way around it is to play with lighter gauge strings, to lessen the effect. Or, if you recognize that the most common double-stop bend is done on the 2nd and 3rd strings, try using a home-grown hybrid set, with lighter gauge strings for the 2nd and 3rd strings. Compensate with a heavier string on the high E to try and balance the bridge. Something like 11-13-17-28-38-49. You can get this by combining a set of Daddario110 and Daddario115. The Daddario "Balanced tension strings" will do the OPPOSITE of what you are trying to do. So don't use those! Also, the claw in the back may need to be set slightly skewed for an even bridge. Now bending those strings won't push the bridge around quite so much. OR, you can just deck the bridge for bombs only and put those springs back on. (Note, I'm about to get flamed for suggesting a set that might warp your neck over time. That's my disclaimer)
Nice working place :)
You should slacken the strings before you adjust the posts to avoid damaging the bridge plates knife edge.
Immediate cringe!!
Naive question I guess, but still: why do you want to "take the string net out of the equation"? It is here anyway eventually... Why not measuring the height of the cords with it instead of adding a capo "in the equation"? :)
2 pivot how many high ?
I've seen a lot of strats set up with three springs with the outer springs angled that way, and I don't see why it would be a problem-I think the angled outer springs would be under slightly more tension than they would be parallel to each other, which may be desirable. However, the notion that 5 springs is "way too many" for a floating trem setup seems incorrect to me: the tension is set by the claw screws rather than the number of springs isn't it? I have a floating trem on one of my strats with 5 springs installed because it was just way too sensitive with only the three springs that were in it when I bought it. Not sure, but it seems to me that the stability of the "float" is increased with five springs when the trem is set with the same aft clearance between the bridge plate and body (more stable than it would be with three at the same clearance). The claw screws can be backed out to float the trem regardless of the number of springs, right? I'm sure the appropriate spring number would vary, depending on the stiffness of the springs themselves, and probably the gauge of the strings. I don't want the trem to warble under the slightest palm pressure, and I like a controllable action with the arm that isn't too loose.
I had the same question. I seems unnecessry to angle the spings. I just would like to know WHY it would help. Maybe it's just his preference?
If you look at photos/footage of Hendrix and SRV, you'll see that most of their guitars have five or sometimes four springs-usually the cavity can be seen at least briefly when they're doing the playing behind the head or playing with their teeth tricks. But Jimi (and perhaps SRV) was likely using stock Fender springs.
I have since discovered that springs from different manufacturers can have quite a range of tension. I set up an aftermarket bridge with the five included springs, and I was unable to float the trem at what I felt was an appropriate height above the "deck" because at that height all five springs were completely compressed. They had almost no tension on them at all. Pulling up on the bar to raise the pitch would actually push the springs toward the hooks and cause a clunky feel as they moved loosely on the claw with no tension. I now have this guitar's aftermarket trem set up with only two of the manufacturer's powerful springs. Even three of their springs was too much for a set of 9's.
Very good. Finally!
My strat has the opposite problem, too much float. 3 springs in the back, do I need to add, or can I just tighten the claw a bit?
It should work with 3 springs, I would just tighten the claw for now and see how it works.
You may not even see this or need it, but try tightening the claw. If you get to the end and still have too much, then loosen the claw and add an extra spring. Repeat until you get it to your desired height.
Damn, what a pain in the neck. Kudos to those with the patience and know how to do this. Yay for guitar techs!
What about intonation?
Please make DIY for Floyd type bridges!!!
I have Schecter Damien Elite 7 FR and even with Hipshot tremsetter I couldn't get floyd to return perfect same pitch. I can get tension between strings and springs right for tuning and intonation + have floyd horizontal (with or without tremsetter) but still after doing divebombs it goes out of tune.
if your float is good and even on the bridge itself it might be string slippage at the nut or string stretch.
my guitar goes out if i dont really tighten my locking nut down real tight.
Logan Miller Hmm.. that could be only reason that come to my mind, although I try to tighten screws, but don't want to put too much strenght (my friend broke his Satriani signature ibanez nut screw sadle pretty easy)
ive been playing my dean for a few years and besides some string imprints in the blocks ive had no issues.
i tune maybe once a week or so, but i also have it devoted to standard only and have an esp for drop and such
Logan Miller Since I have hipshot tremsetter installed, If I don't use Floyd bar, It holds in place like fixed bridge and keeps in tune amazingly long. I can ply for long time and need only turn a bit fine tuning on bridge time to time. After taking out of case it's still in tune and barely need fine tuning.
But when I use Floyd it's not as nice as it should.
hmmm i dont know man, next time i go to the shop ill ask the luthier I apprentice under maybe he has some gem of knowledge for you.
So you didn't release the tension before moving up the bridge by turning the screws? Some say it's better to lower the string tension before moving the screws because it can damage the edge of the blade (part of the trem touching the screws).
I've never done it that way and most tech don't either. I'm not saying they're wrong, but most tech don't release the tension before adjusting the claw. If true, it would most like relate to a Floyd.
A perfect Temolo set up is a Whole-step draw on the high E string and perfect fourth draw on the low E string!
@Keith Clark correctamundo!
You shouldn't put your springs in that configuration because not all the springs have equal tension between the block and the claw. You want all your springs to be parallel
Noel St. John When you buy a new official Strat the strings are not parallel but like \I/
Jeff Beck sets it angled.
Cheddar Bob I
Cheddar Bob that's pure hogwash. .so many ignorant guitar players keep spreading that myth. .
Fender does it WRONG from factory.
Two outer springs do not pull equal with centre.
does this work for any guitar? I have an ibanez RG series :/
What is your tremolo on your RG?
+Svil Buscus its flushed down to the guitar.
Ricky Spanish I mean the model
Tried this once, man, what a pain in the butt. I prefer to have everything rock solid, because I abuse my guitar a lot.
So what I want to know is how did Jeff Beck set his tremolo up? Still looking...
I don't understand why you want two springs at an angle; this means the middle string will have more tension force per length than the two outers. Like the hypotenuse of a triangle, these outer 2 now have a longer distance from end to end distributing force over a longer span. These are now not in equal tension, though they are symmetric. I agree 5 is too many, 3 is good, but 2 at an angle I do not agree with.
This dude has to be John Bollinger's long-lost brother...
A floating trem is a whole different animal. The strat as it is designed is a rock solid piece of tuning perfection. To make the trem float is to open up a whole new set of problems involving the perfect tension needed between the strings and the springs. I've never had a floating trem guitar that was worth a hot damn as far as staying in tune goes. Even if you don't use the trem! I would highly caution anyone against doing this mod unless you have several strats or other guitars and are knowing what you're getting into. If this is your only guitar I would never do this mod.
If you set your trem to dive only, or block it altogether, that's cool. But a Strat tremolo is most definitely designed to float: 1950s patent drawings show that it's meant to float, and Fender ad copy from circa-1954, if I recall correctly, even mentions that it's designed to make the pitch go down *and* up. And American Standards have the two-post design specifically to enable even more upward pull than the 6-screw design. So "the mod" would be decking it or blocking it. And I've found that a floating trem stays in tune better than one that's dive only; the upward pull can help the strings snap back into place. With a little maintenance and proper setup, a floating trem stays in tune fine. Breaking a string is another matter entirely, of course. :)
This is hardly even a mod. It can very easily be put back into its original place. Not only that but anyone can do it.
Eric Moya I think you're right on all point here Eric. I set my strat clone, which has a six screw bridge, with a small gap between the body and the back of the bridge, the trem works smoother, stays in tune better and I find I have better control of the bar.
So we have successfully established that opinions are like assholes- everybody has one, yours stinks and mine doesn't.
nitemareman1
Ha, fair enough. But the guy who designed the thing said this in his patent application: "If the handle 37 is not engaged or is held against movement, the instrument is played in the conventional manner and no tremolo effect is observable. If, however, the handle 37 is *oscillated to and from the body* [emphasis mine] during vibration of any or all of the strings 3, a tremolo effect will be produced by each of the vibrated strings." In other words, if you pull up and down on the arm.
The sweet smell of supporting evidence:
patentimages.storage.googleapis.com/pages/US2741146-0.png
www.google.com/patents/US2741146
if John LeVan and John Bollinger had a radio spot where they were talking to each other...you wouldn't know who was talking...
Got me worried John , the guy does one five bomb and the tuning will come undone like a cheap suit. At least you tried John.
Raising the two posts to see if the bridge float it is absolutely dumb! If it didn't float with them down my god it won't with them up.
looks like he brought it back too factory spec.
You remind me of the actor Alex Karpovsky.
How ironic , I'm working on my strats rn :p
So now you have the 2 outside springs at one tension, and the middle spring at a different tension. There is a can of worms right there. A lot of set up guys would disagree with the way you have the springs installed.
Who have a crap and go tell that to Jeff Beck.
Exactly right. Carl Verheyen's video makes by far the most sense to me, and he ends up with a vibrato that is a known quantity for up bends. It involves angling the claw - so technically the springs have different tensions, but only because you want them to, not because it looks pretty
***** Why not just screw the claw all the way or block your trem with a piece of wood?
***** floating trems can be difficult and frustrating. I've heard good things about Tremol-No's. All of my guitars, the claw is screwed all the way in and and there's no space. When you pull up on the bar it doesn't move at all.
I wish I had a good guitar with a floating trem though.
I'm no expert, but with the same tension on the outside springs, a center spring being a different tension shouldn't matter. It's still symmetrical or an even distribution of tension since the odd spring is centered, right? I'm not even convinced it matters if the tension is even, but I don't understand what you think the issue is with the way he did it.
my strat has 3 springs
You can buy more
Or remove some
Are you a professional? I have NEVER laid a customers Guitar on naked wood while working on it …..wow. Always a soft, clean cloth.
It's not wood, it's a pad. It curls over the edge of the workbench and you can see when he puts his hands down around 2:15 that it is soft, and flexes. I have something similar on my bench.
What would happen if I made the claw too loose
there wouldn't be enough tension on the springs, as the guitar was tuned to pitch the bridge would pull too high up off the body. tighten too much n the bridge gets pulled down on the deck.
+CJ99 Yeah i'm a dumbass. I tried taking out a spring and loosening the claw because my tremolo system sucks and the bridge lifted up all the way. My strings felt like they were in drop F. It took about an hour to get the springs back in order.
In case anyone was wonder that was a John Mayer signature black one strat
No it wasn;t, Mayer's signature strat have 6 screw bridge.
It’s literally my strat, but mines a Squier.
🤦♂️
GenacheLuca what im saying is it LOOKS like mine. Really dude
GenacheLuca it looks exactly like mine. I bought black pickup covers for it. Love the way they look. The pick guard and the rest of the plastic is the aged white color like this one has. I also got a color matching tremolo bar head.
why didn't he detune strings first??
They really should all be straight, the angle takes away force per millimeter. Much more than you think. Does the guy that owns the guitar know what you are doing? Hell did you tell him you have his guitar? Fix the thing correctly John. Three springs are good but not pulling off in weird directions.
He's now set the bridge so high, especially in the front.Most likely G will go out about 1/2 step...with any tremolo use....
Excellent video but please add a soft thin blanket underneath that guitar. I would be pissed if I seen you dragging my guitar on that table. Use a felt top on that wood.
It's not wood, it's a pad. It curls over the edge of the workbench and you can see when he puts his hands down around 2:15 that it is soft, and flexes.
@@Dead-Eye And which part of "please add a soft thin blanket underneath that guitar" did you not get? no pad, a THIN blanket is what you use, it's what all the guitar shops around use. Even pads can scuff older guitars bodies, specially the newer acoustic guitars that look like they have a millionth of a mm of paint on them ( since people don't have muscles anymore to hold an acoustic guitar). A thin blanket is all I use, i don't trust those thick pads due the material on them.
@@danfuerthgillis4483 Dude, you said " I would be pissed if I seen you dragging my guitar on that table. Use a felt top on that wood."
You thought it was wood.
"a THIN blanket is what you use, it's what all the guitar shops around use".
LOL @ nonsense. Different techs and shops use whatever they like. I've seen all sorts of protective surfaces working just fine.
Pads of foam or cork etc worked fine for me through 35 years of fixing guitars for people.
@@danfuerthgillis4483 Lecture me more on fixing guitars, why don't you?
@@Dead-Eye I have over 15 guitars ( acoustic, electric, classical) some made, some bought over the years so the only person I need to lecture is myself on maintenance of those guitars which means doing it properly. Since some of them have over 25 years of age and look new I think I have done a good job on maintaining them, specially the acoustic guitars ( hydro treatment and temp/humidity monitors/ humidifier etc.
They never address the wear in the string holes on the bridge plate or install string sleeves.
He's way off ....the 2 chrome springs are the stock ones .....fender only uses 2 springs from the factory on the 2 point tremolos
Weird my 2011 with the 2 point only came with 2 chrome springs and the bridge floating flush with the body sorry for the idiotic comment
The black ones are stock. Fender uses black springs on their Stratocasters.
"Way too many springs in order to float"....Horse shit. Both my Strats float with 5 springs. 5 adds tuning stability.
Yup. But it depends on the string gauges. A nice heavy set will float with 5 springs. 11's rule the world!
Such an old guitar, yet it has springs at the back, just like Ibanez guitars :)
The bridge at that height has way more then half step. Wtf? And raising the two posts two see if the bridge float it is guitarded.
You would think in all these years Fender could come up with a tremolo that is flawless like a Floyd.So frustrating to keep in tune that I have just given up.WTF Fender?
Physics. You want a floyd, buy something with a floyd. Without a locking nut, ANY tremolo will go out of tune. You could install locking tuners instead, but you still will have trouble getting it in tune and keeping it in tune if you plan on wanking that trem bar very hard. For a stratocaster, best compromise is decking the bridge and installing locking tuners. Double stop bends sound fantastic, and you can still dive if you want. SOME say a floyd on a les paul, or on a strat, or on a tele, is a sacrilege. So buy a Charvel or an Ibanez and stop pretending.
Spring fail
This can easily be done yourself. Why pay for this to be done?
+shawnsdada He didn't say it was common sense, he said it was easy. You are watching a CZcams video that explains how to do it, silly.
the truth is that the strat is not an instrunment to be played with the bridge "floated". Hell, I'd say it is not even an instrunment to be playd with a vibrato bridge, only with a solid stable bridge system.What's the reason to be able to push down on the vibrato and when you come up, to have messed up your tuning?Same thing goes when you push back on the vibrato(only in floating mode).
+al6s2491 you've never played a strat that was set up properly
how is it possible to know this?do you believe that the strat is such an all around magnificent instrunment that it simply has to be set up correctly and then it can play anything? I guess there's no point for floyd rose bridges and locking nuts to exist then huh?
i believe that MY strat is tuned up properly and that i go apeshit on the tremolo bar during live shows and never have to tune. if you have the tension on the springs with strings correctly you shouldn't have any problems staying in tune. and yes, strats are magnificent. if you like floyd rose, more power to you. i think they have a thinner sound overall. but i like steve vai and think he has great tone so to each his own. i'll take my properly intonated, balanced strat. it was good enough for beck, hendrix and blackmore and they all 3 abused the shit out of their whammys
ok so all you did to correctly tune your strat was followe the instructions in this video? I've tried this, I've tried the frudua method and none worked...
it's not super easy to do. it takes a lot of patience and back and forth before you find the sweet spot. i would take your guitar to your guitar tech that trust. have him set it up. tell him you want the bridge to float. tell him you want to be able to pull up 1.5 steps on the G string, 1 step on the B and 0.5 steps on the E. that sucker should be able flutter by just tapping the bar. good luck
Why do you set the Springs like that ? ..It makes ABSOLUTELY no sence....
OUTER springs = Tension..... Center Spring = ALWAYS HAS LESS Tension ...... WHY ARE THEY LIKE THIS .....WHY NOT THE SAME TENSION ON ALL SPRINGS.......IMAGINE ALL SPRINGS CONNECTED TO CENTER TAB ON THE CLAW IN THE SAME PLACE >>>>JUST TO EXAGERATE THIS......IT MAKES NO SENCE MIDDLE SPRING NEVER CARRIES ITS WEIGHT LIKE THE OUTER SPRINGS IT CAN'T POSSIBLE BE DOING THAT
That's very wrong you have to study more if you want to give you some more nice videos
But why would you ever want to do that to a strat?
it has to be the shite-est design ever
TheGalwayFarmer But it works and looks cool