Keeping Your Strat Tremolo In Tune - The Final Verdict - What Did Jimi Do?
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- čas přidán 5. 02. 2018
- You open up a real can of worms when you start discussing the Fender Strat tremolo tuning problems and how to solve them. This is (hopefully) my final opinion on the subject. First, how you set up your tremolo should be based on your playing style. Carl Verheyen sets his up a certain way because he bends up to pitch a lot. Jimi sets his up for extreme dive bombs. So set yours accordingly. In this video I found that floating 1/16" off of the body was a little too much for my style. I prefer the sound and feel of it just a hair off (1/64-1/32") or touching the body. I found that you may get a little more stability if you float it just a hair.
I love playing my reverse headstock. Once you play one, you may never go back to standard. It makes it easier to quickly bend the plain strings and the bass strings sound better. I found that I nullify that effect of the headstock if I float the bridge 1/16". That is why I reduced it. The guitar sounds and plays better to me. The springs will stretch too easily and you have to bend more to get to the same pitch because you also have to stretch the springs some.
I show some closeup photos of Jimi's Woodstock Strat during the concert in 1969 and you can see that he has his tremolo either decked or very close to the body. He had his tremolo completely under control during the set. So, like I said, set yours up according to your playing style, decked if you don't use it, floating 1-64" to 1/16" if you use it and want some stability, and maybe a little more if you want a really smooth tremolo for chords like in SRV's Lenny or Riviera Paradise. And don't forget to lubricate the contact points before a gig and maybe even during breaks. - Hudba
“Tune while you play” - Jimi Hendrix….if you watch him, he’ll tune in the middle of a song, in the middle of a solo. Incredible
"only cowboys stay in tune, anyway" JIMI HENDRIX , ME: "nothing against cowboys."
@@peghead yes! ❤️🔥
@@peghead Howdy !
Hell yes!!
"just play" great advice! sounds awesome as usual
The best advice 👌
if you wanna sound like jimi by the "backwards strat" or buy a lefty and string it for right hand, and play it right handed. it does affect tome and bendability of strings. oh, and... well. he didn't actually stay in tune. he corrected mid song and worked around sour notes by voicing them elsewhere as needed. he also used "unusual" string gauge combinations and tuned downa half step to affect the tone.
I'm a lefty and play a right handed Strat over many Years! I love the Sound, the Tremolo and Hendrix! :D I had never played a lefty Strat, I always play a right handed Strat! The best way to learn the Hendrix style playing! :D You have the privilege to play many Amps without Earphones! I always have to play at home with earphones! greetings from Vienna :D
Wow, what a beautiful place to play guitar. I think I could live with headphones if I was playing there. It is nice living in the bigger homes in the U.S. so I can crank my amps. I'm cranking them right now. Welcome Vienna!
And yes, I love my left handed Strat. I am going to try to get another left handed neck and put it on one of my other Strats. They play so much better.
Great channel and content as usual! It's a never ending cycle. Haha! For years ran trem decked. When gigging and wanging away at volume the bridge re contacts the body and creates a cool sustain to the feedback much like tapping on back of your headstock to keep the feedback going. You can hear how Jimi pumps his feedback and sustain w/ the trem decked. Currently, I keep my 62 Strat w/ 11's dedicated to E flat, 4 Raw V springs, and about a 64th of space under the Callaham bridge plate. My Black 59 Strat set up w/ 10's, Callaham bridge plate and block, tuned 440, 4 Raw V springs and floating to Carl V's spec somewhat. I do find that ultra fine final claw adjustments to the slinky side of the neck do keep my E,B,G strings does make a difference. Despite the float set up this guitar just rings and really stays in tune. I might even argue that 4-5 springs ran w/ a tad bit less tension is more stable than 3V shaped popular spring set up. Springs are a huge part of Strat tone! Id love to build a reverse headstock one of these days.
Yes millstap, I agree Jimi decked his trem with a little bit of relief where your not fighting the trem and if it were floating the tuning issues would have been far worse. Set mine like that and works great!
Very good expo! I'll just add that back in the '70's the wisdom was 'you should just be able to slide a playing card under the back of the bridge' - everyone I knew played decked
Nice video and great tone coming out of your rig
Always come back to most of your video....damn do I enjoy your channel!!!
Thanks for supporting my channel. Be sure to watch the latest videos I did on the Highwood Contoured Vintage saddles because those helped a lot in keeping the tremolos in tune. The bridge definitely needs to be floating to keep it in tune.
I have mine floating and set up to intervals and I never have any tuning problems, plays like a dream
The best way to “float” your bridge is to use plectrum or thin flat piece of plastic or wood unlike one of those rulers you use in school that’s flexible and thin and made from tough plastic and is about an eighth of an inch thick.
It’s best to use a solid or firm plectrum that you can fit just under your bridge before tightening the strings.
Then you can tune and set your strings then simply lift your bridge a bit via the trem bar then remove the plectrum from under the bridge and your guitar will be set with the bridge released a bit and you can use your own desired hight and it will always be the same if you use the same plectrum.
A floating bridge is used for not only for increases in up pitch but the first “floating” bridge was a bigsby which allowed the strings to be swayed in both an increasing pitch as well as a decreasing in pitch.
This was to give the player the ability to use a two tone vibrato which gives the note/chord a duel fluctuation from set tone to a tone increase in both directions allowing the note to flow back and forth not just in one movement.
This would be unlike the difference in bending a string only up and back to position when doing vibrato or bending it up back then down then back in both directions from fixed position not just one.
The Bigsby is meant to be used in a lifting then dumping motion from a set position not just dumping down and to set position.
Most people use vibrato with a whammy bar by depressing the bar and returning it to position then repeating when one should use it by both dumping and lifting the bar in both directions from set beginning position.
So one should rock the whammy bar down then pull up past the starting note then down past the starting note then up past the starting note repeating in a equal pitch shift to create a fluctuation between the set note and two pitch shifts in both increasing and decreasing pitches from either point of the set note in active vibrato.
A Bigsby is not a whammy bar it is a tremolo device that creates a artificial vibrato or controlled alteration in pitch both increasing and decreasing for tremolo of chords that standard vibrato can not be applied to due to requiring a fixed grip on the strings and for single note vibrato of bent or held strings and to create a more dramatic tremolo or vibrato that provides a wider tonal range and effect that can’t be managed without a tremolo device.
The Bigsby was not used to create a wide sway or for dips or dives or squeals it was designed to be used when standard vibrato was not possible and for a wider tonal range that you can not achieve through manual means alone.
The Bigsby is often mistaken for a whammy bar when it is a tremolo unit designed for tonal enhancement not for dramatic effects and dive bombs and squeals.
Floyd Rose tremolos are for this and the Strat six screw trem is somewhere in between used for dynamic tremolo but not dramatic and Jimi Hendrix was the first person to use the six screw trem to the degree he did creating a new standard for tremolo units and a new frontier for the electric guitar that altered the course of rock music forever.
Jimi’s mix of edgy and rugged blues progressions with the upbeat energy of rock gave rock music a new feel which was high octane driven flurry’s of notes and energetic melodies that had a raw essence to them.
The use of power chords give rock music a new dimension of sound that created a basic chord that had a high low octave range and a harmony note that took the high and low and added enough body to it to be a functional chord utilizing the minimal amount of strings or notes needed in a chord to limit the tonal range to a simple raw two note chord which was a universal chord and had the potential to be used in multiple keys and with more then one type of chord and could create a rich dynamic sound that the basis of rock would soon be established upon.
Just want to make note of some appreciation for your informative comment
you sound good!
I had a Strat in high school, a new '74, Olympic White, Maple neck and I was terrified to even "Touch" the vibrato bar for fear of going out of tune. I eventually removed the bar to avoid accidentally bumping it. I discovered about 20 years ago that the more you use it, the better as I concluded that the strings sliding through the slots on the nut actually polished them and eliminated the tendency for the strings to "stick". I always used a pencil to lube the slots but started making my own "nut lube" with graphite pencil shavings mixed with some Vaseline, applied also to the string tree, now I can "dive" my vibrato and remain at pitch (something unheard of prior) 95+% of the time and usually just need to tug the errant string to bring it back to pitch. Moral of the story, " work that WHAMMY while your practicing, it'll become your long lost friend".
I can certainly relate. I never had problems with my 1964 Strat until one day it wouldn't stay in tune. That is what started this whole science project to find out what had gone wrong. You can get it to where it never goes out of tune. I have no issues with any of mine anymore. I swear by the Highwood Vintage Contour saddles because of the little groove that is a great place to hold some Teflon grease. I use Super Lube which is clear, food grade grease with PTFE so you don't ever have to worry about staining your nut with graphite. I rarely put it on my nut anymore. The sticking is almost 99% at the tops of the saddles. I do put in on the nut just for insurance when I have a little left over on my toothpick and don't want to waste it. The tube of Super Lube will last you 10 years probably. I have four Strats that stay in perfect tune no matter what I do just as long as the saddles are lubed and the trem plate is floating at least 4/64" off of the body. And I am a dive bomb addict. I do it a lot, probably too much, lol.
I do the same thing, reducing the string angle, also, first wrap under, 2nd and 3rd wrap over, dont use string trees
I can tell you, I have a guitar with locking nut, and fake floyd, instead of locked at bridge, it is strung like normal strat through the block but it has roller saddles and fine tuners.
Same exact issue, so it's not getting hung on the nut, not getting hung on saddles, but where strings come through trem block is main issue.
No way to solve it really. .but I also have traditional strat guitars and I can keep them decked and in tune by knowing what to do after a dive bomb. . I simply bar all lower strings I can and bend up real quick, and that puts bottom 4 in tune instantly.
The upper two require same thing, a quick bend. There is also another way, which is rather than go right to a chord after a dive, start playing leads bending on all the strings before hitting a chord again. Because bending the strings is key to keeping decked trem in tune after using the term. So you have to be methodical about where in a song or a ruff you use the trem, and not do it at a place in the tune where you have to immediately play a chord after. This is I'm sure how srv did it as well. He for the most part went trem crazy at song endings, then in certain spots in songs where he could bend the notes before going back to a chord.
As for JH, he did not usually stay in tune most of the time after using wammy. .listen to star spangled banner, he was so far out guitar was occilating . Was HORRIBLY out of tune, as was most of his live shows.
I've been trying to figure out ways to go about this with a decked trem - it is a strange and frustrating problem!
Not really sure how your bar method works? Do you just bend them in a bar, is that what you mean?
I can't tell if it's strings in the block or the break angle from the saddles... But it's definitely NOT the nut because I can bend, and go flat, literally lift the string out of the slot and bend it behind the nut and the pitch won't change, but as soon as I hit the trem arm with a minor dive it brings the string into pitch again, so it is to with the bridge - I have this on two decked Strats. You can basically opt to have it stay in tune with trem use only, or have it stay in tune for bends which is what the majority of people want.
I did have a thought about attaching a small shim of wood to the inside of the block on the neck side to reduce the break angle, you could call it 'floating decked' I guess haha...
You wouldn't have as much range on a dive but if it remediated the tuning stability it would be a win if you're keen on keeping your Strat with stock components.
Hey Millstap, I know this an old post but I haven’t seen this mentioned anywhere - beyond the visual evidence of Jimi’s trem setup for Woodstock, I was listening to the concert yesterday a couple times (on a long drive each way) and I’m absolutely certain his trem was decked for the show.
Two points in case:
During Red House, he snaps the high E string yet remains perfectly in tune.
After the excessive dive bombing during TSSB, when going into Purple Haze, his guitar is slightly out of tune and notably sharp - the bane of decked trems which can only be rectified by bending the strings to return them back to their default resting position on the bridge’s witness points. As the tune proceeds we can hear Jimi’s guitar manages to get more in tune and I reckon it’s from the string bends he’s doing on most of the strings.
Obviously Jimi never always decked his trems, but later on perhaps sometime in ‘68 early ‘69 he must’ve cottoned on to this kind of set up for tuning stability.
I seem to recall Mitch Mitchell remarking about how Jimi finally had his guitar set up right at Woodstock.
Love to know your thoughts, though this may have been discussed before?
Well, you are right on I think. In the beginning, I have some proof that his trem was floating at Berkeley. I don't remember which song but it was during his acrobatics when he was playing his Strat under his right leg. You can hear all the strings go very sharp when his leg hits the whammy bar. So, he used both setups and that makes perfect sense. I still don't like the decked setup exactly for the reason of the strings going sharp. There is a very physical reason for that. The tremolo was not designed to be decked. If you look at the tremolo patent schematic, the saddles (when strung up and in playing position) are perfectly perpendicular to the body surface. So you will notice, when the saddles are forced to move away from the nut in a decked setup, the string pressure on the top of the saddle increases to the point to where the string sticks to the top of the saddle and that last little movement of the saddle to more of a 110 degree (vs. 90 degree) angle pulls the strings (usually mainly the plain strings because they stick better) ever so slightly sharp. After playing and bending strings for a while, those stuck strings eventually get unstuck. That is why the Highwood saddles completely solve that problem because the groove is a great place to store some Teflon grease so the strings will not stick. If I was ever going to deck my trem again, I would only use the Highwood saddles. But, I prefer to float my trem slightly at 4/64" off of the body which helps a lot with the sticking problem. The less those saddles tilt away from the designed perpendicular (90 degree) angle, the better it stays in tune. But, when you set up the trem the way Leo designed it, it is about 1/8" above the body and just feels funny for today's player but great for that classic (slight) Strat vibrato. It was never designed for dive bombing. Leo was shocked when he saw what Jimi could do with it.
@@millstap Thank you for the reply!! 🙏
Just to further remark on Jimi's use of a floating trem :
At The Singer Bowl in New York (23/08/1968) you can see him open with Are You Experienced with his first choice guitar being a rosewood white Strat, however not long into the song he breaks a string which throws the tuning horribly sharp thus indicating the tremolo was set up to float.
With the tuning being unretrievable in this state, Jimi then opts to play the remainder of the show with his blue strat - while in transition to being plugged in, the white one saw some foot pumping on the tremolo arm!
You can see all of this occur for the following few minutes starting from the 2:40 mark: czcams.com/video/pssCoV9zjOg/video.html
Funny you mention Highwood saddles - I have a set reserved for a partscaster and I was immediately thinking of them part way through reading your reply!
I've not tried a 1/16th" set up for about 15 years, at the time I didn't realise that my main guitar was set up like that, only in the last few years when I started learning about set ups did I start taking measurements. The guitar (once finally in tune), was remarkably tuning stable and only a slight tug upwards on the arm to get it fully back in tune after excessive dive bombs. With excessive trem abuse the string's natural resting position in the block and saddle shifts ever so slightly so I understand so a method of reset is required by the trem arm or by bending, the worst thing you could do is start messing with the tuning pegs haha...
Nowadays I have gravitated to a decked trem, plainly because I feel terrified of going crazy out of tune if a break a string when playing live - the anxiety is always there but it rarely ever happens to be honest! I have an unproven belief in 'warming' your strings up before going full ham, most of the time I break a string on a point of contact its usually when going in cold just after picking the guitar up. Ball-ends unravelling is a different matter though, I always solder the twists!
I'm finding now that I can usually knock the strings back in tune with just a hard strum, or two of all the strings.......Just one good muted "ka chunk", and I'm usually right back in tune, with this serving the same purpose as yanking back on the bar when floating the bridge ofc...........I use good old 3-in-1 for maintenance lubrication so as to seep into the tight spots, and crevices under the strings, and I fully deck the bridge against the wood now instead of (semi floating), until even the most intense string bend with my fretting hand will not lift the bridge.....................I wonder if maybe this is why SRV seemed to have such good stability with decked trems, as his aggressive style chunks all of the strings most of the time even when playing single notes...haha
Man, really do enjoy your videos. Rationing them! 1 per day. No more. :)
Someone said on another video you should be sponsored by Fender ..
You should! 15 minute videos, pro quality production etc. Would be gold!
SO much better than the metrosexual already-been-done 'retro' shit they're pushing so much lately ..
Thanks. This is like down home cookin'. I wish Fender would reach out. That would be cool.
Hey Millstap!
Just wanted to see if you're still using the same setup or if there's been any changes or new discoveries in keeping your strats in tune? Still using the same amount of float or have you gone back to decked?
Thanks!
What string spacing do you have on that guitar and others, 52.5mm or 56.5mm. If it’s the latter do you have any problems with the E strings slipping off the neck? I’m building a 50’s partscaster but dithering about what trem brudge to get. (Mr Lips)
Tom Monaghan Hello Tom. I’m in Madrid for a few weeks so I can’t measure. I would guess it is standard whatever that is. I don’t have hardly any slippage on this Nash Strat. I have more on my other Strats. I think a big factor is also neck radius but mostly fret height and width. I think a slightly lower and wider fret will have less slippage. These 6105 frets are a good size. My others have .050 x .090”.
The last one is one of the best. But i have manny manny more
Honestly the only way without a locking trem is the Vega Trem, it's amazing
I can absolutely say now without a doubt that a standard Strat tremolo will stay in perfect tune. I have four of them now that are always in tune even with complete Jimi style dive bombs. I realized that the trick is in the setup but mostly the saddles. All with 5 springs set normally for a bit of float. Floating stays in better tune. The Highwood Vintage Contour saddles make all the difference in the world. They may not be exactly the same tone as a vintage Strat saddle, but to me, they sound better with more sustain. This video may be a little outdated because I made improvements after this I think.
Oh, I forgot to offer you fret work. I'd be happy to fret and nut a lefty(As a righty) Strat neck if you get a nice custom Warmoth or whatever unfretted neck. It's the least I could do for the time you take making videos that really helped me out. People are stingy about opening up vintage amps for all to see the "secrets" inside.
*You* alone were the only source for actual Bassman running voltages and component values.
Thanks for the offer Matt. That's really nice of you. I'm surprised that amp guys would try to keep common knowledge as a secret. I guess it is that competitive spirit. And, it isn't all that common I guess if you consider the only schematic out there is not completely accurate. I found that the '59 reissue schematic is pretty darn close to my amps. I'll take a look at those Warmoth neck and see what I think.
I just found stainless medium/tall Jescar wire and Strat bone nut blanks in my stash. All yours if you find a lefty bare neck. I usually just use 10 coats of boiled linseed oil over a few days for the finish. A little amber dye mixed in for an older/used look.
Hey Matt, I am going to stick with nickel/silver frets mainly for the softer feel. I could't find the correct left handed, big headstock neck at Warmoth. I may have missed it. I did also look at the bhefner site referenced in the comment below, and after all of the add-ons, it came to the same price as Allparts. Right now, I focused on remodeling my kitchen so I've spent a lot of money lately. I tried to convince my wife yesterday that I needed a vintage Echoplex EP-2 (like a hole in my head). She knows there is nothing she can do to stop me when I get my mind set on something. I'm going to try to restrain myself from spending any unnecessary money for a while. We'll see how long that lasts.
I just priced out a custom big headstock, all plain maple, 21 6105 nickel silver frets installed, vintage width nut slot, vintage tuner holes, black dot inlay/side marker, compound 10"-16" radius, boat neck contour(old Fender style), unfinished, lefty neck. $157+ shipping.
Different radius, like a 9.5" costs more for some reason. They don't have the 7.25" with the big headstock necks. If you get a Tusq nut and do some fitting, it looks like something you can handle. I'd still be happy to install a bone nut and do finishing work. I can do nitrocellulose, but it takes a few weeks to cure and wet sand/polish.
Maybe it was the finish that put it up to $229. I need to look at that site again. My Nash has a 10 deg. radius. I don't think it is compound. At least I can be more confident that I can bolt it on and not worry about possible fret outs on big bends. Maybe I should give the Tusq nut another chance now that I know it was the bridge that was grabbing the strings.
Never been a fan on how my strats sound on floating bridge, yes, more resonance through the body, woody beefy sound and more sustain :)
It's about the only way I can keep it in tune now. I did discover the biggest issue is when the strings hang up on the top of the metal saddles. Lube is a must. I use dry teflon.
millstap awesome man! Most of the guitarists i know, maybe Gilmore floats it, but not Jimi nor SRV, the guitar sounds awesome just playing it acoustically, Gary Moore said in an interview that he test the electric guitar acoustically and hear how it sounds and sustains, about custom necks, check out Musikraft.com for custom necks, the closest to what Fender uses, but not all parts, cheers 👍🏻
So you think the Musikraft necks are better than Allparts? I need to check them out. I wanted to get another reverse headstock neck.
millstap im positive, i have all parts neck, warmoth and 2 musikraft, and one of them is a cbs reversed headstock on my Hendrix custom strat :)
Yeah over the years with my obsession with Jimi I've come to pretty much the same conclusion. I think the biggest clue is just listening and replicating his whammy work, he definitely has the ability to pull up on it slightly to raise pitch just enough to get the "wo0-wo0"... Idk how to explain it but it's pretty much impossible to do on a decked bridge. You can hear the slight pitch when his working it up and down really fast. EXP is a good example to learn from, many tracks from AYE? And BOG along with numerous other shows but those were my biggest focus.
I like to get Jimi's tracks and put them in audio editing software to edit/slow the tempo and you can find a lot of details this away along with just slowing it down. Slowing the speed down you can hear his attack, vibrato range, bend attack, whammy dives and wobbles etc. I swear just listening to Jimi at half speed I've found so much detail that progressed me so much in my Jimi obsession.
Anyways, my thoughts too is his bridge is just BARELY off the body/decked so you can pull hard and get a very slight pitch increase.
Keep groovin Millstep! Love your videos, I'm finding I'm on the same page with most of your examples and discoveries etc.
Warmoth custom necks are the bee's knee's. Super cheap if you can do all the fret work/nut yourself too. I can't remember the last time I had a floating trem. I have those "Raw Vintage" springs in my SRV Strat, decked with enough tension to bend easily and still be able to flutter if I want to.
BTW The Fender Vintage Tension tremolo springs are almost identical to the Raw Vintage springs. They feel the same, *SOUND* the same and cost $20 less. Some say 5 vs 3 or whatever springs has no tonal impact, they're not regular Strat players. It's similar to going up in string gauges with a stronger midrange. Some of you guys should try it with the Fender Vintage Tension springs, it'll be an easy and cheap mod.
Thanks for the info Matt. I can't do frets or nuts. I would but the investment in tools is too much especially for one neck every several years. It's good to know that Fender got smart again and made some good springs. I may have to try them out. I've never heard of them. I do use Raw Vintage if I need any.
I think it was around 2010 when Fender released those springs as parts. They're the same springs from the Vintage Reissue's and Custom Shop that they've been using forever. Lower tension at a linear rate, unlike the modern Strat springs.
Here's the Model # 0031643049.
I have all the tools for nut and fret work. The nut files were the single largest investment at $100, the rest is a mix of Stew Mac, Ebay and modified/home made tools. I copied Stew Mac tools for a fraction of their asking price. I made it back doing a few fret jobs for the local aspiring musicians and refretting every single guitar I own with stainless wire and 12" radius fretboards. The latter would have cost me thousands!
As an avid follower and a guitarist that goes back and forth between floating and completely decked. I'm curious to know your thoughts on floating after a whole year. Do you still float? I have found slight floating with 11's is what i prefer the most, "i think". hahaha...
Yes, definitely a slight float. I just think it is more stable. Just 3-4 business cards off of the body. I'm not having many if at all any issues when I lube the saddles and I really like the new Highwood Contoured saddles I'm using now.
Go to 8:20 and look at how his wang bar is bent over the saddles and down towards the tip?
Most trem arms bend the other way?
I have played the Fender Stratocaster for 25 years and have never had tuning issues and I am a heavy trem user like Jeff Beck. If you set the guitar up properly you will never have tuning issues.
How did you set your trem bar?
Yes, ..and hopefully less CZcams articles on the subject !
I use the trem pretty aggressively so I leave the trem cover off to help dissipate the heat from the block, springs & claw because the excessive heat seams to cause the strings to go slightly flat. I'm thinking about trying to use a small electric motor to make a small fan which will fit in the cavity which can be activated with a small toggle switch mounted on the pick guard. Also a small thermometer which will activate a warning light that will tell me I need to lighten up on the whammy bar for a bit. To me, a guitar without a tremelo isn't a guitar at all & a song without prodigious use of the trem isn't really a song.
Hahaha...oh man, I'm not sure if you are being sarcastic here but...holly hell you hit that hard!. I would suggest a small fire extinguisher just in case things get even more wild!!
@@amorfo9127 Yes! always a good idea to keep a fire extinguisher handy.
That's the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard
It sounds Jimi, now just play. :)
what kind of amp/ pedals are you using. You nailed the tone man!
I use pretty much what Jimi used. I use vintage 1959 and 1960 Tweed Bassman amps. They are the father of the first Marshall amps so that is why they sound close. Then I use a Fuzz Face clone (Voodoo Fuzz from Russia), a clone Italian wah-wah (Area 51), and a clone Uni-Vibe (Sabbadius Funky-Vibe). I also use an Area 51 Alienist (Arbiter Treble Boost clone) and a Fullton OCD for overdrive which one is usually on and sometimes both. The amps are a big factor and also getting the right pickups. I am using Rumpelstiltskin Experience pickups which have a little more output and are based off of the mid '60's Jimi sound. It all adds up.
I just deck it because I use the trem fro chord vibrato and dive bombs, plus when you break a string you stay in tune.
Yes, that is definitely the practical way. I still think a Strat sounds more like a Strat when it is floating because the springs are more in the "circuit" that way. I finally confirmed that Jimi did float his at least sometimes. If you watch Live at Berkeley, when he puts his Strat between his legs, you can hear the guitar go sharp when he hits the whammy bar with his leg. I still don't know if he floated all the time. I think there are cases where he broke a string and didn't go out of tune too.
is the tefon tape the only solution for stopping whammy bar being wobbly? I like whammy bar to be lose and I've tried even the little spring ( that goes into the hole) but the same thing happend. Any advice for that (thinking of SRV's song Lenny ) Txs
I haven't come up with a good solution (until now). The tape lasts about 5 minutes and the spring gets jammed. Callaham claims to have solved the problem with a different depth of thread and a bushing I think. It really depends on the bar and the threads. The farther you screw it in, the less wobble but then it has to be forced out of the way. I would say some type of very thin tubing that fits perfectly around the bar would be good. Maybe there is some shrink wrap tubing that could be heat shrunk around the base of the bare just above the threads. I think I just came up with a great idea. I have some fairly large heat shrink tube that could be shrunk to fit the bar. Now, if it is just thin enough to let the bar screw in, we might have a solution.
I tried something similar, but unsuccessfully. The handle won't screw in properly and while winding it in deeper, the plastic (or rubber) goes outside.. Nevertheless, yesterday I came up with the new idea to - pour a liquid silicone into the hole. After that, I winded up the handle and wiped some silicone that came out. I cannot say it is ideal, but it's a little bit better that the teflon tape..Must find some silicon that gets a little bit stronger after dries out. Let me know how your solution went :)
I'm trying now. Out of four whammy bars, only one wobbled a little so I am going to try it. I just happened to have the perfect heat shrink tube for the job. I'll post it if it works.
I couldn't get it thin enough to go into the hole. It is so tight but just loose enough to have a little play. The only thing I can think of now it to try to jam some very small shim in the hole. Maybe the end of a .010" E string or something. It has to be very thin.
I was able to get a .010" E string in there but it wasn't easy. A .009" may be better. At first, I pushed down on the bar and tried to jam the string into the little open spot on the opposite side I was putting force on the bar. It didn't go. So I unscrewed the bar, stuck the string into the hole and tried to screw in the bar. It wasn't easy but I forced it in and was able to get it down. The string eventually broke below the top of the plate so I am not sure how much of the string is in the hole but my wobble is gone and the bar is still loose to turn out of the way. Try that. You might want to use a .009" E instead. Either way, the little piece of string will fall out when you take the bar out and you can put another one in if needed. Seems to work. Just don't stick the string in the hole far enough to interfere with the threads.
Cool, do you anything about how Jimi Strats were wired? I heard it was'nt standard.
You should go watch all five video (I think) of when we questioned Roger Mayer about all of this. czcams.com/video/_Yy-IYE-YsY/video.htmlsi=FKm0p8WJbNr0o3vY, czcams.com/video/XrGCYNCAY5A/video.htmlsi=wxP-btd4TkQFtwjJ, czcams.com/video/t69dlETr0_k/video.htmlsi=yliQj1eSvjTktHZ3, and two more. In the videos, which are 3-1/2 hours long total, he mentions that they would only rewire the Strats that he was going to destroy so that the volume knob would not work. Other than that, I'm pretty sure they were stock.
What happened to the pick guard!? Beautiful Nash Reverse. Thank you, I like the barely floating idea. I have a question, pick guard is major part of the sound, are thinner pickguards more resonant?
The duct tape was my way of keeping the knobs from turning since they are very easy to move when you don't want to. I finally figured out a knob stopper which is a thin rubber ring under the knobs which puts resistance on them. I have never focused at all on pick guards and thickness. I have every thickness. Our of my guitars, I have three guitars with three ply pick guards and they are my favorite. I only have one '57 style single layer and it breaks and warps a lot more than the others.
@@millstap nice, thank you, I am thinking 8 screw vintage is preferred over 11. ? It let's the pickups float and sing a bit more perhaps.
There is a great recent CZcams of some one that compares two steinbergers one with pick guard and one without. The pick guard clearly had a better sound than the direct mount pickups.
@@russlgtr Interesting. Steinbergers are a different animal so I bet the Pickguard does make a difference on it. I probably like the 11 screw better because it keeps it flush to the body better without warping anywhere.
What pedal are you using at 7:25^ for the hendrux sound
I watched these videos religiously in preparation for a star spangled banner performance. Fortunately, my guitar stayed perfectly in tune. I've been asked to play it again this Friday for a basketball game and was wondering: in your experience, how long does the guitar stay in tune after lubrication?
Good question. Not very long in my opinion. If I were at a gig, I would probably put lube on between sets (but that is only if you plan on dive bombing a lot which probably isn't realistic). Once the lube starts to wear off, you can still function. The guitar takes a little longer to go back into tune, but if you bend some strings, it usually settles down. You should do a video of your performance. I would love to see it. I had another thought the other day. People tell me that Jimi never worried or adjusted his intonation because it always looked wrong in pictures (I haven't really noticed it being that "off"). I need to experiment with this theory, but my main problem string was always my plain G. That string's saddle is usually the closet to the back of the bridge when the intonation is set correctly according to a tuner. I'm thinking that the closer the saddle is to the plate's string hole, the likelier it is to hang up on the saddle because of the more acute bend angle. Maybe Jimi figured that out and adjusted his saddles to keep his guitar in tune better. It might be worth experimenting with if there is one particular string that gives you problems.
Also, did my videos help you keep your guitar in tune? I'm interested to know that these help. I think the revelation is that most of the tuning problems are caused by the metal saddles.
Very much so. I think I stumbled upon your channel because I was looking for ideas on how to use a strat tremolo (I'd never used one before), and you posted a demo a few years back with your 1964 strat that I learned a lot from. I believe it was very shortly after that, you posted these videos about keeping it in tune. I've never been much of a guitar maintenance guy because my other guitars haven't given me issues, but your videos have been very informative and helpful. I'll have to look into the intonation and saddles because the G is pretty temperamental on my guitar as well. One thing I noticed (and like I said, I'm not too knowledgeable when it comes to guitar maintenance, so correct me if this was just sheer luck), was that my guitar did an even better job of staying in tune when I lubricated the springs themselves. I've kept doing that because it seems to work.
And fortunately, I had a friend who videotaped the performance I was initially referring to. I'll leave the link to that below if you'd like to watch it. When I play it this Friday, I'll probably do less dive bombing because I've been instructed to keep it around two minutes...we'll see about that. Thanks.
czcams.com/video/DdU7rMiosn0/video.html
That was great video. Good job. You were correct in lubing the springs, mainly where they contact the claw and go into the block. Stevie Ray's tech lubed every place where the strings made contact, including the string tree on the headstock and the nut slots. You can even lube the contact point at the plate where the strings come out of the hole and hit the front of the slot on the saddle. Stevie used plastic wire insulation at the end of the string and ran it up through the slot just past that contact point, mainly to help keep from breaking strings but it also reduced the break angle over the saddle. That could be another cure for your G string. I use about 1-1/2" piece of spray tube from a spray can on my G. I think I mention that in the videos. I used to put it on all of the plain strings but now just the G. I think Stevie used the tubes on all of his strings.
I've never, ever been able to get a decked trem to stay in tune. ...One dive, and it's all over the place.....semi-floating is the closest I've been able to ever get, and even that's not nearly as stable as straight out floating for me......though I would love to be able to deck with tuning stability, not have the bar so stiff it feels like it's gonna snap every time I use it.
Just barely floating is working for me. I've finally realized that almost all of the problems are with the strings sticking to the metal saddles and not at the nut. Today, it dawned on me why I may have more problems with my G string. When you set up your intonation correctly with a strobe tuner, the G string saddle is always the farthest back so the string bend angle is the most extreme at the G saddle. Some people say Jimi never set his intonation correctly and now I am wondering if he figured out he found if he moved those saddle up towards the nut some, that it cut down on the sticking problem. It is just another experiment I wanted to conduct but haven't gotten around to it yet. If it works, you trade a little intonation for less sticking. Right now I am able to manage it satisfactorily with the dry Teflon lube I reference. It dries pretty hard and stays in place. I also dive the strings while I am applying it and let it dry in the dive position. What springs are on your guitar. I have not problem dive bombing with five springs. Some newer brands strings do not have the correct tension. They are super tight and I have played them before and I felt I would break the bar. Raw Vintage is a good replacement because of the correct tension.
millstap You are right on the money, going from my observations.
There's no doubt in my mind that the problem lay in the saddles, instead of the nut as many insist.....I get much less sticking if I lower the saddles as much as possible, but I have to have high action, and can't stand low action.
And you may be on to something with Hendrix swapping out slightly off intonation for better trem usage, and tuning stability.....def worth experimenting with.
I need to invest in some raw vintage.....as all of the springs I have came from various guitars, and GFS trems, and are modern, and no doubt entirely too stiff.......I just wasn't sure if raw vintage was worth the investment, but I guess I need to give them a try.
millstap.....Just wanted to say thanks, as your video, and comment piqued my interest in returning to the semi-floating setup, only using three of my stiff springs as opposed to trying to use 4, or 5, and I now have a almost no all the way decked trem with tuning stability, and useable arm tension......... this setup allows me to achieve double stops, unison, and steel style bends with little to no flattening of the other strings as well as drop D tuning, and string breaking having no effect on the other strings....it's perfect...... thanks again buddy.
Millstap is easily the best hendrix dude
Thank you. You guys are going to convince me to start posting videos again.
why are the pickups higher on the bass side?
Less high end like Jimi w.s. strat
whats your thoughts on him using a tele neck on white neck
We actually had the opportunity to ask Roger Mayer about that but he wasn't aware of the situation. It is unique because the Tele neck has a square shoulder in the neck pocket and the Strat neck pocket is rounded so it wouldn't fit very well. Someone must have customized that Tele neck to get it to fit correctly. He must of just liked the feel of the Tele neck and decided to try it.
I found this interview of Neal Moser in L.A., the luthier that actually modified the Tele neck to fit that Strat. Interesting. Apparently they needed a neck to replace a broken one and the only thing they had at the time was a Tele neck. www.groundguitar.com/jimi-hendrix-gear/jimi-hendrixs-1960s-fender-stratocaster-telecaster-neck-newport/
Hey Millstap!
Are you still using this bridge/trem setup and still recommend it?
Thanks!!!
Since this video, I went back to 4/64” float. I use strictly Fender factory specs now and they are perfect. Search my videos for “Fender Factory Specs Make a Difference.” That setup is a must for the light Hendrix gauge strings. I have noticed that different levels of float have different tone sometimes so you have to experiment.
@@millstap Thanks, I'll look for it now! Really enjoy your videos!
@@millstap Hey Millstap,
Since your reply I went ahead and set my trem for 4/64 float and have been seeing some nice results. I have 5 Raw Vintage springs and Big Bends Nut Sauce on all contact points. I still need to try the Highwood saddles.
It’s been staying in tune during normal play and does go a little sharp on bigger dives but not so much on light trem use, like Lenny by SRV. I notice that when it does go sharp, if you bend those strings they pop back in tune. I was thinking that it stays in tune during light trem use because the downward motion sends it sharp, but the upward motion pops it back into tune. So if you’re just lightly fluttering with it, you might be constantly pulling it back into tune without realizing?
Anyways, you mentioned in one of the videos that you thought the issue was at the saddles. You were spot on! Since my original post to you I did a lot of reading through old forum posts at the GearPage, and came across several from John Suhr. He did tests with a locking nut setup on the guitar, and watched under a microscope. When you dive the bar, the string gets caught by the saddle at a point further forward, and when the trem returns the string is pulled sharp. It happens mostly with the low E and G because they have the least amount of tension. Apparently this is just something the occurs with this type of design, and can be lessened to a degree, but I don’t think can be completely avoided unless you have a double locking trem. Some of the things discussed that would lessen the effect were lubing contact points, not over-stretching strings, deep drilled holes in the block, getting more downward pressure on the saddle. Assuming all other areas like the nut are already good.
Here are some quotes of his that I saved:
“This has been an issue since the dawn of the tremelo and the very reason double locking systems were invented.
I learned the hard way in the 80's by putting a locking nut on my favorite guitar that it isn't a nut problem (provided the slots are all good)
Very simple guys, I have studied this under a microscope.
When you dunk the trem the saddle slips under the string and pulls it sharp.
Do a string bend and it goes flat again.
The G and low E being the most slack will be the worst offenders.
Different string gauges and brands will behave differently.
Also dont overstretch your strings !
If you take the G and tune it to B it will stop happening, of course that doesn't do you much good.
Raising the saddles to plant the string more firmly on the top will help this occur less then you have to lower the whole plate, or using some Big Bends nut sauce any place string touches metal will also help. So basically you have two methods of attack, you want to plant the string more firmly over the saddle or make sure it is 100% free to not get stuck there.
It will only get close to no problem if you realize what is going on and adjust the way you play. I can make any non locking bridge exhibit this problem.
Some guys make their bridge able to float both ways so they can pull back on the bridge to bring it back like Beck, Henderson, Landau.
They know the issue and work around it.
Now if we are talking about the issue of all strings not returning to pitch then that is a knife edge issue.
Also you must make sure you can lift each string out of the nut slot with no grab whatsoever and use some Big Bends there as well.
I have built guitars with a Floyd Bridge and standard nut, they stay in tune 95% as well as installations including the locking nut.”
“The issue is at the bridge not at the nut.
I have extensively researched this issue. Different tension over the saddles, string gauge/brand style of saddle and sylae of playing will give different results for different people but it is most certainly there.
You can see it with a microscope, it is dependent on tuning tension, if you can hold the tension harder over the G string or tune the string up LOL!
seriously.... just tune the G to a B and it will go away, I know, that does no good. Worst offenders are the Low E and G since they are the most slack. When you dunk the bar the saddle slips under the string and pulls it sharp, pull on the G string and it goes flat. People who dont experience this just dont play in such a way that aggravates the problem.
I can make ANY guitar with a standard style trem system do it. I dont care what has been done to the gears or nut. In fact I have put a Floyd locking nut on a guitar with standard bridge and the problem is 100% still there. There are some newer style bridges that pretty much alleviate the problem but they sound different. Naturally you do want to make sure your strings are not sticking in the nut, pencil lead in the nut locking gears and a lube the saddles but the only "cure" is to use a locking bridge. Also shortening the distance from the ball end of the string to the saddle helps.”
“Except it is not an opinion.
I analyzed the string movement under a microscope as it sits on the bridge and what happened after my destruction of a guitar I liked installing the nut only. The bridge was a perfectly working original Schecter bridge. Then I attacked the side I knew to be the only possible issue left and all issues went away as predicted. That is science, analyzing cause and result. You are free to do the same experiment yourself.
To explain a little, the G string and the low E have very little down pressure not holding the string firmly on the saddle. When you dunk the bar the saddle slips under the string and when you release it pulls it back sharp. Then you bend or pull the string and it slips over the saddle again pulling it flat. If you don’t bend strings non of this matter much. Dunk the bar, then tune and you are fine. But if you bend that G you will start having issues. You can see this ying yang movement with a microscope with a locking nut only so it is out of the picture. If you tune that G to a B the issue goes away. Nothing is in a vacuum of course. You still can’t have a pinchy nut or strings recoiling around the gears. Of course I’m simply a tech who has 40 years experience doing this and thinking about it. Nothing to do with spiritual comparison and no opinions are involved.”
@@xderiwx Wow, very interesting. He used science and I used common sense. Although, it did take me a year or two, I think, to finally figure it out. It appears it took John almost 40 years, lol. I looked at every single bridge component except the saddles. I should do another video with these quotes. It was very simple. If I slightly lifted the sharp string out of the nut slot without putting too much extra tension on it, then set back in the slot and the string was still sharp, it's obvious the string was not stuck there. Then I lifted the string off of the saddle and it went back into tune. I disagree with some of his conclusions but he did say something interesting about the deep drilled block holes to reduce the distance between the ball and saddle. I am not sure what affect that would have. I have been a little disappointed in the Callaham blocks because they have shallow holes for ball ends but when you put on a set of Fender Bullets, all of the bullets stick out of the block. I think Callaham over-engineered it like he tends to do. He was probably thinking more mass is better for sustain. That Big Bends Sauce looks like repackaged Super Lube to me. I would just buy that. 89cc's for $6 (Harbor Freight) versus 1.5cc's for $16. Like he said, the locking tremolos sound so much different than the standard Strat trem. They sound bad to me for sure so it's imperative to get the standard trem working properly. Even the new two screw Fender trem doesn't sound right. What I don't agree with is putting more tension on top of the saddle to reduce the problem. To me, that is what makes the problem worse. Albeit, you do need the proper pressure on top of the saddle to get the best tone out of the bridge. If you lower the saddles too much, which reduces the pressure, you lose tone and sustain. 5/64" is perfect for me and definitely no lower than 4/64".
I'm surprised John didn't know all of this. I would think he would have been around when Fender settled on the setup specs for the Strat. Those specs are there for a reason although I never hardly paid any attention to them for 40 years, lol. The reason it is imperative to float the trem, especially if you are a dive bomber, is because that reduces the back pull the saddles put on the strings as they return to equilibrium against the trem springs. If you deck the bridge, you'll notice that the saddles will actually tilt back away from the nut allowing them to grab the string even better at that last minute distance of movement. That is when the pressure on top of the saddle is the highest and it gets to the point to where the string finally sticks, and then the springs pull the string just a hair sharp. And, yes, mainly the G string but you can end up with all of them going whacky, but mostly the plain strings. The windings on the wound strings are running almost parallel to the long section of the saddle (not sure how to explain that scientifically). So, they tend not to stick as easily. The Highwood saddles help because of the groove. The groove keeps the plain strings, mainly, from cutting multiple grooves on the top of the saddles which can exacerbate the sticking problem. And, the groove is a great place to hold the grease and keeps you from wiping it off with the palm of your had while you are playing. I put the grease on about every other day. I use a toothpick to get it in there and I dive bomb the strings so I can lift them enough to get some grease under the string.
P.S. I never really used my trem until I started playing Hendrix. I didn't even have the whammy bars installed. I first installed it on my 1964 Strat and it stayed in perfect tune for years doing complete dive bombs. Then one day, out of the blue, it started going out of tune. It drove me nuts. I couldn't figure out what I had done differently. That's when I became determined to understand Leo's crazy invention. Then I bought my Nash Hendrix left-handed Strat and the trem on it was virtually unusable. Now, it stays in perfect tune. That Nash was probably the final straw that made me figure out what was going on.
@@millstap Looking forward to another video on this if you do decide to do it! I agree, the nut sauce is overpriced, but I just grabbed one to try out the last time I ordered picks. I don’t have a Harbor Freight near me.
The deep drilled block is an interesting thing. I have a Strat with the two point trem and it’s block is drilled a lot deeper than my vintage styled block. Stays in tune better through trem use, but also has the notched Fender saddles. I guess with this whole issue it’s just all of the little details adding up or not, and determining whether your Strat stays in tune. Bridge float, hole depth, saddles, springs, tuning, lube, strings, whether you thought about another guitar or not, etc. :)
When your 64 first started acting up, what do you think was the thing that caused it? Was it originally setup with the specs that you’re currently using with positive results?
Also, what kind of performance are you experiencing out of your strats now? If you dive bomb, are they coming back perfectly in tune on the tuner, or a little sharp and you’re just ignoring it and playing through?
Thanks!!
Love your playing and vids Milltsap! Are you tuned down 1/2 step?
Yes, pretty much always unless I go to D for some of Jimi's songs.
Speaking of obsessing over it, can I ask what strings and picks you use? Lol
I use D'Addario XL's, the EXL110 set, 10-46. Then I buy single .015"'s and replace the .017" G. I have a mixture of XL and NYXL single plains. They are the best IMO. NYXL's are a little expensive so I just use the singles and not the sets. They last forever. I will try a set of NYXL's soon. I'm using Cool Picks Juratex .8mm (medium) and sometimes heavy. I love them but they don't last very long and are expensive. Here is Richard Fortus swearing by NYXL strings, at 44:35, czcams.com/video/htjhWRG9llI/video.html.
I go with D’Addario 9-42 and Dunlop Tortex .73. I’ve tried the NYXL’s and haven’t really noticed the difference but I don’t care much for fresh strings either way.
Which D'Addario's are you using?
9-42 EXL120 I’m too weak for the 10s lol I’ve read Hendrix used 10-38 Fender rock and roll strings and sometimes went with the 9 on the high e instead. I figure with the reverse headstock it makes them feel pretty close to 9-42 regular headstock but idk. He also used fender medium shell/celluloid picks too judging by a used pick of his that was sold at auction and Woodstock close ups which to me have a similar feel and size to the .73 tortex that I prefer. I’ll have to give those Cool picks a try!
StoneCole has come iiiii
What is the tape on the guitar for?
That was to keep me from turning the volume control easily. I’ve since put a rubber ring under the knob and removed the tape.
I found your channel last night - great stuff. I'm learning a lot from your videos. I'm playing with a floating tremolo. Currently, I have only one guitar, a strat (ultra) with a floating trem. Would a decked trem help with tuning stability so I can switch back and forth between Standard and Eb tunings?
Decking definitely has its advantages but I don't think Strats sound as good when decked. Plus, I don't thing the tremolo stays in tune as well as a floating tremolo. Ideally, you will eventually have another Strat that you can keep set up for E and one for Eb. That's what I do. But, there are times when I tune up or down. If you tune up, then you have to tighten the springs to maintain the 1/16" clearance of the bridge plate to the body. And when tuning down, loosen the springs to maintain the 1/16" gap. That's a little more difficult because it takes the tremolo a while to settle down until it is stable again.
Deck it with 5 springs
Don't go allparts go musikraft it's probably 100 bucks extra but you get custom shop quality
Do you think the six screws in the tremolo could be getting loose and causing it to go out of tune. Because they just go into the wood and Alder isn't very hard of a wood. I know that from adjusting the screws some strats I've had. The wood was really hard and the screws were hard to turn. But the other ones the screws turned very easy. I guess it's luck of the draw what kind of piece of wood you have.
I finally determined that 95% of the tuning issues are with the saddles and that area where the strings come out of the plate. Mainly the tops of the saddles. When they get grooves in them, they are able to grab the strings easier so they knock the strings sharp when they grab the strings from the increased friction when you release the bar. The proper lube helps tremendously. I was using a dry Teflon because I thought is was cleaner but recently found the best Teflon grease called Super Lube and it works much better and is clear and much cleaner. czcams.com/video/ZZOc6Fy7rC0/video.html. I would like to put it everywhere including where the plate contacts the six screws but so far, just putting it on the saddles works wonders.
@@millstap playing guitars like opening Pandora's Box! People have no idea what they're getting into!
many people don´t know about the whammy bar tricks on Hendrix and all dive bomb tricks need know make a pinch harmonics because if you don´t know how make , you can´t make a dive bomb only a few tricks not all then make a pinhc harmonics and later dive bomb ( years later i do it without pinch harmonics ) Jimi know all the tricks but he only just plugging the stratocaster on the amp and later the magic starts.
Yes, Jimi was the first to really use the Fender tremolo to its fullest potential. All of my tremolos stay in perfect tune now that I know the strings can potentially hang up on the saddles.
Sure your tone changed the strings are now closer or farther from the pickups😂😂😂 if the pickups are too close it may change intonation a bit
I must disagree with you about Jimi having a 'decked' trem bridge. Maybe in the early days, o.k, but in the Woodstock event, he definitely had it floating, because if you watch the film of Woodstock, during 'Star Spangled Banner' when he got to the war sounds, you can see him pulling up on the bar, raising the pitch in parts. I know most of the time he was 'divebombing' but at certain times he was pulling the bar.
I’m surprised I said that. Hopefully I put the link to this video, czcams.com/video/Wh7Qj7qpkiA/video.html, at the end which is Part 3 where I say floating is better. At least a 1/16” of float is necessary to keep the trem in tune. Fender specs of 1/8” is a little too much for me but what it does is keeps the saddles more perpendicular to the body and keeps the saddles from grabbing the strings when the springs return to equilibrium.
4:44 please can you tab that lick? I’d be forever grateful
I need to learn how to do tab. There has got to be a program that makes it a simple process but I don't know what that is.
what would jimi do is like what would jesus do
Even though some say he could never keep his tremolo in tune, he did an amazing job with that thing. He did things with his tremolo that still cannot be duplicated to this day.
Mine stays in tune. It's all in the set up
Does it stay in tune when you do severe dive bombs and push the bar all the way to the guitar body? That is where it starts to get sticky. Even though, I had a vintage Strat that never had any tuning problems and then one day it started acting up. It drove me nuts.
millstap yes. Although I dont like to do it.
Try this..when you dive bomb hold it down and check what the screws connecting to the bridge are doing. Do they touch the bridge plate?
Jimi would be the last player that I would follow on how to setup a strat trem. He simply needed a good guitar tech but he likely just went on the cheap and didn't give much of a rip. I've seen him in action live three times and his only savior was that he was using so much crappy fuzzface tone that it slightly masked his out of tune guitar. His "mid song tuning" attempts were sometimes ok and often not very good. That said, Jimi was a sensation for a short time. Don't do drugs.
I never understood why people would buy a lefthanded guitar to play it right handed. I get jimi did it but i bet he would of just played a leftie if they made them at the time
Once you do it, you realize how much of an affect it had on Jimi's sound. You'll notice a lot of pros now have reverse headstock Strats. That make a difference in how the strings bend. It was serendipity. Having the whammy bar on top was a huge benefit. It is much better located on top. SRV did everything except on a right handed body but even the opposite slant bridge pickup and the upside down body make a difference too.
@@millstap yeah I definitely get the reverse head stock part. I just think left handed and/or upside down guitar bodies look weird lol
@@jonnihard1090 They are definitely not as comfortable and have their drawbacks plus playing in high A is nearly impossible. It gives you an understanding and respect for how long Jimi's fingers actually were. He did it with ease. I have fairly big hands and still can't get up there. Watch some videos of him playing up there. Impressive!
Jimi was always out of tune. Not as out as you are. If you deck it you got to bend notes after a dive and then you will be perfect.
Same with floating only harder to get rock solid.
But man you are so out you don't get it, buy a teli.
Whammy bar is a art form all its own, very few player s are good at it, wiggle the whammy out of tune, out of time, for most i advise against it.
why do you sound so drunk
I always blame it on my southern or West Texas upbringing. At least I hope that is what it is. I don't drink much and definitely not during this video.
It's ok, man. It sounds interesting if nothing else, don't worry
IT doesnt matter whether he is in tune or not.....the way his guitar sounds no one will notice it.....unless he plays clean and melodious.....but then he wont be Hendrix.....hahaha.''.....'noise" doesnt have any tuning........he's better off with a jackhammer.....hahaha.
Jimi played out of tune, thats what he did
All that rambling and you never even explained your "idea" of how JH kept in tune. And how about SWEEPING the floor 4Gs!