Help Me!

[Stiffy]

I have this strat it played fine. I restrung it and now it isn't playable. All the strings are flat up against the fretboard so they just buzz.

It has oldschool 6 screw whammy bridge and the tuners are klunson string thru the top posts.

This just doesn't make any sense it played fine then when I restrung every string up against the fretboard just buzzin.

Edited April 17, 2006 by Stiffy

[thegarehanman]

Did you use a lighter guage of string when you restrung it?

[Stiffy]

I doubt it. I just put some 10-46ers on

[Mickguard]

Yeah, but it really does sound like you put lighter strings on.

Have you tried tightening the spring claw in the trem cavity? Maybe that pulled out a bit --or maybe one of your springs came loose somehow when you were changing strings?

[Stiffy]

What guage am I supposed to be putting on there?

The springs and claw look fine. This is a 6 screw and not 2 point floater.

Bridge is on tite.

[Mickguard]

You can put any guage you want --but if the guitar was set up for a different guage than what you just put on, you'll get exactly the symptoms you describe.

That's because the strat bridge is balanced between the springs and the strings.

In your case, if the bridge is now resting flat against the body (and it wasn't before) then it sounds like the strings are lighter --they don't have the same counteracting force on the springs. So the springs are pulling the bridge down, which lowers the string height.

So you can loosen the spring claw a little bit --that will allow the bridge to raise back to where it was before. It depends on whether you want to use the trem or block it --you can also block the trem so it's flush against the body and raise the saddle heights accordingly.

This page from Fender gives lots of useful strat setup info.

[Stiffy]

Well I'm not having any luck so far. Tried tremelo springs, raising saddles, raising 6 screws in front of bridge plate, turning truss rod counter clock wise. Still the strings on flat against fretboard.

This is really bizarre!

Edited April 17, 2006 by Stiffy

[marksound]

Post some pics. Maybe we'll see something that you've overlooked.

[Stiffy]

Crappy Cammy!

pic 2

pic 3

pic 4

Remember there is a one picture per post rule. Use links for any others.. Thanks

Edited April 17, 2006 by Guitarfrenzy

[Daniel Sorbera]

What gauge of strings we're previously on the guitar?

Open up the trem cavity on the back and unscrew the screws holding the claw thingy to the wood and that will lousen the springs. This will move the bridge up some and give you the correct action back.

[thegarehanman]

Yeah, but after you loosen the trem claw, you'll want to undo everything else you did, like adjust the truss rod, loosen the screws holding the bridge down(there was absolutely no reason you should have done that), and adjust the saddles.

EDIT:

I just read a previous post of yours. You took out the trem block to get a string ball out? I imagine you loosened the trem claw to do this. I'm going to say the original problem was either due to a different guage of strings, overtightening of the the trem claw, or both. However, with all of the adjustments you've made, you've probably made the problem a good bit harder and more time consuming to fix. Good luck

[Mickguard]

I remember when I first got my strat, I found a great step by step tutorial on how to get it all set up-- that really helped. I can try to locate the link, but mostly I just typed 'stratocaster setup' in google.

[Stiffy]

Yeah, but after you loosen the trem claw, you'll want to undo everything else you did, like adjust the truss rod, loosen the screws holding the bridge down(there was absolutely no reason you should have done that), and adjust the saddles.

EDIT:

I just read a previous post of yours. You took out the trem block to get a string ball out? I imagine you loosened the trem claw to do this. I'm going to say the original problem was either due to a different guage of strings, overtightening of the the trem claw, or both. However, with all of the adjustments you've made, you've probably made the problem a good bit harder and more time consuming to fix. Good luck

The tremblock I took out was on a different guitar.

Yeah right it was time consuming and didn't fix things, but I was getting the advice here and fender site. Also there was no way for me to know the exact guage of strings on the guitar that I bought 2 months ago online.

[Stiffy]

These pics have been reduced so please do not remove them. Combined they are smaller than that one guitar pic above.

The guitar I dismantled to get the string ball end out of the block restrung fine. It is also a strat with 6 screw whammy bridge and 2 string tees on the headstock. The only differences is the saddles on the bridge and the tuners.

The one with no restringing problems has modern roto tuners with the string going thought the side of the post and a vintage 6 screw whammy.

The guitar with the restringing problems resulting with the stings lying flush against the fretboard.

Has vintage tuners where the string is placed in the center at the top of a split shaft.

The whammy bridge is also a 6 screw but the saddles are more modern

So why one restrung fine and the other aint?

Edited April 18, 2006 by Stiffy

[Mickguard]

So why one restrung fine and the other aint?

There are so many variables in a Strat setup, it's not easy to say without looking at the guitar.

The type of tuner shouldn't have anything to do with it, since they're after the nut. The saddle type won't have an affect either, since with either type you set the string height accordingly.

What it really sounds like is that the guitar was strung with much heavier strings --everything was adjusted for the tension of those, and when you put the new set on, things got out of whack.

This could mean:

That the neck lost some of its relief

The saddles are no longer high enough (maybe they've been worn down by the larger strings too)

The nut slots are too large or too deep or both

The trem crept up (just a fraction will do it)

So assuming there's nothing wrong with the guitar, it just needs to be set up for the new string guage, and maybe have a new nut cut.

Oh yeah, as for the photos ---you can use Photobucket to generate clickable thumbnail links instead, that way they're still linked to the larger photo.

[stageleft]

You'll need to do a complete setup. Follow the tutorial on the main site start to finish, don't just make random adjustments as you have been. Alternatly take it to someone who knows what they are doing.

George

[Stiffy]

Dayum! I wish the dealer would of told me what guage he used this is so painfully fustrating.

So should go for 11-49 or 12-52?

[Mickguard]

Dayum! I wish the dealer would of told me what guage he used this is so painfully fustrating.

So should go for 11-49 or 12-52?

Dealer? So is this a brand new guitar or a used guitar?

If it's brand new, it's pretty unlikely they put anything that heavy on it --most likely it had 9s on it. That's what guitars seem to ship with most of the time.

[Stiffy]

Dayum! I wish the dealer would of told me what guage he used this is so painfully fustrating.

So should go for 11-49 or 12-52?

Dealer? So is this a brand new guitar or a used guitar?

If it's brand new, it's pretty unlikely they put anything that heavy on it --most likely it had 9s on it. That's what guitars seem to ship with most of the time.

Yeah bought it on ebay from carls custom guitars

[Stiffy]

Dayum! I wish the dealer would of told me what guage he used this is so painfully fustrating.

So should go for 11-49 or 12-52?

Dealer? So is this a brand new guitar or a used guitar?

If it's brand new, it's pretty unlikely they put anything that heavy on it --most likely it had 9s on it. That's what guitars seem to ship with most of the time.

Ok I just contacted him: I used 9's on it, probably just needs a neck adjustment, standard maintenance on Strats, especially with the change of seasons and all, thanks

Take it easy,

Edited April 20, 2006 by Stiffy

[Stiffy]

Dayum! I wish the dealer would of told me what guage he used this is so painfully fustrating.

So should go for 11-49 or 12-52?

Dealer? So is this a brand new guitar or a used guitar?

If it's brand new, it's pretty unlikely they put anything that heavy on it --most likely it had 9s on it. That's what guitars seem to ship with most of the time.

Ok I just contacted him: I used 9's on it, probably just needs a neck adjustment, standard maintenance on Strats, especially with the change of seasons and all, thanks

Take it easy,

You know this sux. When I took them off I heard a puff sound. Then I put new strings on and they laid flat as a pancake. Then I tried to adjust stuff and still strings flatly flush on the fretboard.

Could that puff sound when I took the strings off meant the truss rod snapped and that is why the strings wont raise off the fretboard?

[Mattia]

You know this sux. When I took them off I heard a puff sound. Then I put new strings on and they laid flat as a pancake. Then I tried to adjust stuff and still strings flatly flush on the fretboard.

Could that puff sound when I took the strings off meant the truss rod snapped and that is why the strings wont raise off the fretboard?

In a word....no. Not s'much. At least, that sounds absurdly unlikely, and a broken truss rod would lead to the strings sitting higher, if anything, because it wouldn't be counteracting the string pull. Truss rods don't just snap; sounds like you need to adjust your bridge, and check your neck is seated properly. Without seeing the guitar, it's nigh-on impossible to diagnose what's going on.

[al heeley]

my money's on the trem claw popping out further on the screws, causing the strings to sag against the neck.

[Mickguard]

my money's on the trem claw popping out further on the screws, causing the strings to sag against the neck.

Yeah, but he says the bridge is flush against the body...and he says the guitar is new, so it doesn't seem like that claw screws would be worn out, right?

Could be the neck joint though-- maybe there was a shim in there, that somehow slipped when the neck was unstrung--could be the neck is angled wrong now?

Tell you what Stiffy, at this point, just take the guitar to a tech, it'll cost you a couple of bucks to get it set up properly.

There's just no way anyone here can help you without actually seeing the guitar. Like I said, way too many variables on a strat.