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Goran
Double Platinum Member
Sweden
2203 Posts |
 Posted - 01/09/2009 : 08:01:12
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I recently read in on a Swedish guitar forum about a way to get Fenders with little resonance and not-so-good tone to sound better. And it worked for me on a MIJ Strat that I�ve had for years and didn�t have the oomph I would�ve liked.
To do this just loosen the neck screws a few couple of turns with full string tension and tighten them again. The point is that the neck should be forced to fit tight at the end of the neck pocket. This would not always happen if one fasten the neck without the force of strings pressing the neck against the pocket.
Give it a try, it�s free!
I made my MIJ strat sing a bit more than it used to.
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Dr. Bob
Moderator
Australia
6593 Posts |
Posted - 01/09/2009 : 08:25:50
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Hi Goran & Guys
This is such a great tip,
& so simple. 
Regards Dr. Bob |
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DeFrag
Moderator
USA
3409 Posts |
Posted - 01/09/2009 : 08:52:02
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Sounds great!
Tks Goran. |
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pedals 4 pv
Platinum Member
Canada
1351 Posts |
Posted - 01/09/2009 : 09:13:19
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Thanks for the info Goran. More Sratology I just tried this and I could feel the neck seating in the pocket. I can't say for sure if it changed the tone or not because I am still not accustomed to the guitar. It did, however, make a big change to the tuning. I tuned it up just before I loosened and retightened the neck bolts and re checked the tuning after and it changed quite a bit. I would think that the guitar would stay in tune better with the neck fully seated in this manner. If you try this it will be obvious that this is an important step in reassembling a strat. Especially if your neck isn't fully seated like mine was. Thanks again for the good advice Goran.  |
Edited by - pedals 4 pv on 01/09/2009 09:37:28 |
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FRANZONI
Double Platinum Member
Ireland
3543 Posts |
Posted - 01/09/2009 : 09:21:17
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Nice one......new one to me too........
P.S.... one trick i heard for gibson type guitars(and it works on my yamaha SG) is to screw the part that holds the strings behind the bridge down tight onto the body of the guitar... some people also recommend to put the strings 'up and over' vintage style even with the tunomatic bridge(as in the way you had to string up a les paul before the tunomatic bridge came along) i haven't tried the part with the strings yet but screwing the back of the bridge down seemed to make the yamaha less trebley sounding and give more body to the sound...
P.P.S ... pedals4pv....i was editing my message and you had it done and dusted and reported back.... fast work..... |
Edited by - FRANZONI on 01/09/2009 09:44:11 |
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pedals 4 pv
Platinum Member
Canada
1351 Posts |
Posted - 01/09/2009 : 09:47:29
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quote:
Originally posted by FRANZONI
Nice one......new one to me too........
P.S.... one trick i heard for gibson type guitars(and it works on my yamaha SG) is to screw the part that holds the strings behind the bridge down tight onto the body of the guitar... some people also recommend to put the strings 'up and over' vintage style even with the tunomatic bridge(as in the way you had to string up a les paul before the tunomatic bridge came along) i haven't tried the part with the strings yet but screwing the back of the bridge down seemed to make the yamaha less trebley sounding and give more body to the sound...
On a tune-a-matic it makes a big difference if the string touches the back part of the bridge. The string should only touch the saddle. If the string touches you need to raise the stopbar so the string just clears the back of the tune-a-matic. I tried this on my LP. The strings were touching and when I raised the stopbar a bit it made a big difference to the sustain of the higher notes. Mine were touching on the treble side, on the E and B strings.
Franzoni, I still haven't put the screwdriver away. The Strat was in the guitar stand and the screwdriver was on the computer desk. I must tidy up.....Tomorrow! |
Edited by - pedals 4 pv on 01/09/2009 09:51:25 |
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Goran
Double Platinum Member
Sweden
2203 Posts |
Posted - 01/09/2009 : 10:11:16
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I have tried the wrap-around thing on Gibsons, I�m not sure if it in itself makes any difference, but the idea is that the stringanchor should be as low as possible for better tone and/or sustain. BUT, as mentioned, the strings should not touch the bridge, just the saddles.
If the strings touch the bridge when screwed down to the body try the wrap-around trick. It looks cool anyway�
Edit; Some SG�s has a very steep angle neck/body so that the bridge has to be raised very high, in this case wrap-around is perfect.
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Edited by - Goran on 01/09/2009 10:19:07 |
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Dr. Bob
Moderator
Australia
6593 Posts |
Posted - 01/09/2009 : 12:20:01
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Hi Guys
Just getting back to Goran's original Strat tip.
And listening to what "pedals 4 pv" mentioned about the tuning changing, quite a bit.
I was thinking about this?
So if the neck moves back a bit in the neck pocket.
Does this also mean that the intonation changes slightly as well,
and that you should probably recheck, or reset your intonation, after this Great tone mod?
"pedals 4 pv" how is the intonation on your Strat, after dong this?
I guess some of the changes to the tuning, are be associated with how you have your floating trem. set.
Me, I'm a hard to the body kind of guy, that's the way I have my day to day Blackie Strat set, I have found that I get much better tone out of it that way.
I'm about to set my Tobacco sunburst Strat. up to have a floating trem, and I know it's a bit of a bugger, with the vintage 6 screw type trems.
just my 2 cents worth.
Regards Dr. Bob |
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FRANZONI
Double Platinum Member
Ireland
3543 Posts |
Posted - 01/09/2009 : 12:52:23
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| I'm a hard to the body kind of guy as well....i read somewhere that with the vintage trem loosen the four inside screws slightly when setting it up to float and tighten the outside two down....i tried this a couple of times but it's a bummer when you break a string as the whole guitar goes out of tune or if your doing country style bends...there is(or was) a device caled a hipshot tremsetter that goes on the tremolo claw at the back of the guitar that kept the guitar in pitch but i don't know if they are popular anymore...if want to bend up i normally bend the strings behind the nut..i saw Jerry Donahue and Danny Gatton do this on a tele..... i took the G and D string post off my strat andf other fenders years ago to leave it more vintage like and to give me more angle to bend them..... |
Edited by - FRANZONI on 01/09/2009 12:54:13 |
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zerksies
Double Platinum Member
USA
3406 Posts |
Posted - 01/09/2009 : 12:58:18
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| i got one better. loosen the 4 screws and take some sandpaper into the neck pocket a remove all the paint you get better resonance and sustain on a wood to wood contact. i do that will all my guitars has a noitceable effect |
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Goran
Double Platinum Member
Sweden
2203 Posts |
Posted - 01/09/2009 : 12:59:04
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Dr Bob,
Your theory about intonation is correct of course, but in practice the movement of the neck must be fractions of millimetres, but if you�re really pricky about intonation do check it.
And as I like teles a lot I can�t be too concerned about intonation, I bend the strings right while playing
As for your floating vs flat-to-body trem, what you say is true, the floating trem loose some tone and sustain. But I really like a floating trem, it�s much more usable. I have one strat with a locked trem and that one has a big tone for sure.
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Goran
Double Platinum Member
Sweden
2203 Posts |
Posted - 01/09/2009 : 13:04:07
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quote:
Originally posted by zerksies
i got one better. loosen the 4 screws and take some sandpaper into the neck pocket a remove all the paint you get better resonance and sustain on a wood to wood contact. i do that will all my guitars has a noitceable effect
Yes, this is very true, I�ve heard it before, and I suppose that using shims in the neck pocket had a bad influence of tone too. And if one has to use shims the design of them have a great importance too. I�ve seen a description (Dan Erlewine) making them like a wedge (fitting the whole neck pocket), but that is a big job.
Oh, don�t do the same mistake as I did on one of my first strats, I was thinking that the harder you tighten the screws the better tone. That may be true but I put all my muscles into that and the threads in the neck got destroyed and I had to plug the holes and make new holes, very funny� |
Edited by - Goran on 01/09/2009 13:08:03 |
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Dr. Bob
Moderator
Australia
6593 Posts |
Posted - 01/09/2009 : 14:01:11
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Hi Goran
Is your floating trem. Strat, one of the vintage 6 screw types?
And how did you set that one up?
Regards Dr. Bob |
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Goran
Double Platinum Member
Sweden
2203 Posts |
Posted - 01/09/2009 : 14:25:02
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quote:
Originally posted by Dr. Bob
Hi Goran
Is your floating trem. Strat, one of the vintage 6 screw types?
And how did you set that one up?
Regards Dr. Bob
I just have strats with the 6 screw original trem, I don�t like/trust the newer ones, I�m very conservative regarding guitars.
I use 3 or 4 springs depending on guitar/spring strength and set the back of the bridge assembly about 3 mm above the body. That�s about it, I also put �grease� on all contact points of the strings. This is more important with a floating trem, as tuning stability is a little reduced. The �grease� I use is mostly Big Bends, but before that I have used Vaseline, graphite powder and other like that.
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zerksies
Double Platinum Member
USA
3406 Posts |
Posted - 01/10/2009 : 00:40:20
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| i also reccomend installing a tremsetter does great for sustain |
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Topic |
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Fender tweak
