Scott Henderson Discussion

[SurfGreen]

Hi Scott!
Hope you and your amazing hands are all right!

Writing you for a simple question 'bout tremolo set up. I've got a mexican Strat that I use for mods experiments, and I'm trying to set up the tremolo by following your adivices on this forum. Well, I managed to get a major third by pulling up the harm, but there's a issue: now the bottom of the tremolo plate seems to me too much raised by the body of the guitar (I have three springs on the back, mounted exactly like on your guitars). I saw many photos of your Suhr, and for sure the bridge is quite raised, but not as much as mine. Do you have any indication to give me to lower the bridge without losing the result?

Thanks a lot!

P.S. Saw you in Viggiano, Basilicata, Italy, last summer. What a wonderful gig! Pure sound orgasm with you and your boys, that evening!

[Thanasis]

Hi man, just my two cents cause I have done it a few times.

If you have the tremolo cover on the back of your guitar, you should probably be able to see the six string holes that run the strings along the trem block (with your current set up) . When I tried the floating maj third setup I could see them better than having it decked and they seemed properly aligned with the hole of the trem cover.
You might want to lower the action a little, as the floating has the tendency to lift the strings higher. Don't let the weird angle fool you. If you're experimenting, I would also suggest the Carl Verheyen set up, which gives you an extra angle to worry about (that being the angle of the spring plate at the back), but it's fun. High E string semitone, B string tone, g string min 3rd up.

[SurfGreen]

Hi Thanasis! Thanks for your two cents!

[Scott Henderson]

If you're getting a perfect major 3rd on the G string by pulling the bar up all the way, then the plate is sitting where it's supposed to. There's no adjustment to change it, and like Thanasis said, you can lower the action if floating the bridge raised it.

I'm confused though - there's no reason for the back of your bridge to be higher than mine, unless you're trying to get a major 3rd from some other string.

[SurfGreen]

All clear, Scott, thanks a lot!
So I'll leave the height of the bridge as it is and I will not worry about it anymore. However, no troubles with the action, I had already proceeded to lower it.

I have just another question before I stop bothering you. I would also like to enlarge the six holes in the plate, as you suggest, but I did not understand if their original shape should be maintained (perfect circles, only a little wider), or they must be somehow ovalized in the direction of the guitar scale.

Thanks again, and have a nice day!

[Thanasis]

Quote from Scott from another post:

First, bore the 6 holes in the plate slightly larger, by one or two drill bits. The main reason the bridge doesn't stay in tune is that the plate fits on the screws too tightly. You'd think Fender would have figured that out by now! Drop the bridge into the guitar and screw in the two end screws until they barely touch the top of the plate. The other four inside screws are just there for support - the heads should not touch the plate! Raise them about 1/8" higher than the end screws. The bridge needs to float to stay in tune - I can pull up on the bar so that the G string goes up a major 3rd to B, but you can make it float only a little and get the same result. If you get a new Fender bridge, unfortunately the block has been powder coated (even the part that touches the plate), and it totally ruins the tone of the bridge. I wonder what genius at Fender was responsible for that idea. So, you'll have to take the block off, get a drill and a nylon paint remover disk, and sand the coating off the block until it's just bare shiny steel like it's supposed to be. Use Big Bends Nut Sauce in the nut, and a drop of oil on each of the six screws - your 6 screw bridge will finally stay in tune.

[Scott Henderson]

Thanks Thanasis - the only thing I'd change is that it's one drill bit size bigger, not one or two. If the holes are too big it causes other problems. The holes are perfect circles, not oval. After you drill them, it's very important to smooth the edges around the holes. You'll need some kind of a tool for that - not sure what it is but a hardware store would know.

[SurfGreen]

Ok folks! Thank you both very much, I'll certainly follow your precious advices!

[Thanasis]

Also, if you can, I would suggest avoiding the two flute drill bits so you can get a smoother result. I guess you'd need more "flutes" so you don't drill curls of metal out of the hole. A curl slightly off the perfect angle of your drill is probably thick enough for a trip for a new bridge. Lower speed and torque is probably preferable for this kind of work. Maybe using a smaller drill like a rechargeable screwdriver type will help as it is more gentle. Excuse the terminology, not a native speaker

[SurfGreen]

Hey Than'!
Understood all you said, don't worry! Luckily I've a friend who's a carpenter, he has a column drill machine and all sorts of tools for my purpose. He'll help me with my bridge!
Anyway many thanks for your suggestions and kindness!