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Posts: 13997
Location: Upper Left USA | Well, I tried it and it ain't a Viper. I haven't found the trick to keeping it in complete tune. I think I grip a little too hard.
Daughter doesn't have an interest so its off to Ebay.
But you all get first shot. $225 including shipping. 
Shipped in gig bag (with one rip) to US. |
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Posts: 2804
Location: ranson,wva | nice one woodrow..neck looks kinda thin for my chubby paws tho lol. jason |
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April 2006
Posts: 1138
Location: CT | Originally posted by MWoody:
I think I grip a little too hard.
.......It's not a question of where he GRIPS it, it's a simple matter of weight ratios........ |
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December 2003
Posts: 13997
Location: Upper Left USA | And I thought I lost my grip...
I'm putting some slightly heavier strings on today. I can usually get a guitar intoned, it must be the Tremolo bridge.
Any Tele players with a tip or two? |
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Posts: 629
Location: Houston, Texas | It looks like that bridge is a six screw bridge. They are really kind of tricky and its important to set them correctly in order for the tremelo to work properly. Obviously the heads of the screws can't be seated tightly becuase otherwise the tremelo wouldn't work.
The procedure that I use is to screw them all the way down till they touch the bridge and tighten them ever so slightly but equally between all 6 screws. Then back out the two outside screws and the two inside screws enough so that the heads of the screws are at least a sixteenth of an inch above the bridge plate. Note how much you turn the screws to accomplish this. Then back out the remaining two screws, the second screw in from each side of the bridge, roughly half the amount that you backed out the other four screws.
This is best done with little or no string tension. Test the operation of the tremelo to make sure it moves freely. The idea is to try, and this is not always possible, to get the bridge to pivot on just two screws. You may have to adjust the height of the screws some until you get the best movement of the tremelo, but four of the screws should always be higher than the other two.
Then bring the strings to pitch and adjust the spring tension properly. This can either be done by adding or removing springs or by adjusting the two screws that hold the spring plate to the body of the guitar opposite where the springs attach to the bridge block. I personally like to have the spring tension high enough where the tremelo block actually just rests on the body of the guitar. Shredders and Satriani fans won't like that however.
Most of the complaints about stratocasters not staying in tune are due to these tremelo issues. Also I notice that you have two string trees on the headstock. The high E and B strings don't really need a string tree and most strats don't have them. My '76 does though and I just let those two strings ride above that tree and I don't have any clearance problems. If you do, you may have to remove the tree.
That should give you a guitar that stays in tune well even with moderately heavy use of the tremelo, but lubricating the nut is also recommended. After all that is done, you should be able to intonate the guitar fairly easily.
Your mileage may vary, and others might have other ideas, but these work for me. |
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December 2003
Posts: 13997
Location: Upper Left USA | Rick, thanks.
All of that makes perfect sense.
I just made a run throught the local GC and eyeballed the forty five Bzillion flavors of Fender Strats and their near cousins. The bridge I have is the absolute cheapest available.
My apologies for asking so much foir this unit. I had no idea they were selling these off for between $99 and $200, some with little amps.
The power of Networking! |
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March 2004
Posts: 629
Location: Houston, Texas | Hey, I just re-read what I wrote earlier and it didn't sound right. So I went and looked at my strat and its the string tree for the G and D strings that I don't use.
Yeah, it's pretty amazing how cheap some of the strat copies are, including the ones made by Fender. Even when looking at American made strats you'll find a huge difference in playability between individual guitars. It pays to look at alot of them to find a really good one. |
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September 2006
Posts: 10777
Location: Keepin' It Weird in Portland, OR | Hey MWoody-- My phony Pseudo-Strat cost $97 w/ little ac/dc amp.
(Correct me if I'm wrong but) I heard the Frank Zappa's strat, with Jimi Hendrix's burnt-up body (Zappa rebuilt it) sold for many thousands of dollars.
Nowadays, a Strat is just a body style and p/u lay-out. How it is made, and how it plays, are what really determines it's value.
My Lyon China-strat plays amazingly well. But I wouldn't recommend one to anyone. Just Karma I guess, but I was just really really lucky.
Maybe a locking nut would help, it you've got one laying-around.
And that is a really purdy guitar. |
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December 2003
Posts: 13997
Location: Upper Left USA | Well it is a solid alder - although very light variety, and the neck has some quality to it - I lined it up with the Viper and it is scaled correctly. The bridge is the weak link.
I did what rick said and it intones correctly. I removed the trem and so it hangs. Eventualy I'll get a better bridge or give it to an aspiring Yoot! |
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March 2006
Posts: 1634
Location: Chehalis, Washington | I've got a friend looking into getting an Eric Johnson signature Strat right now. I actually finagled a chat with a Fender rep on the phone, and he said they've had some production trouble on the upper-end models like the EJ of late. Basically, the nitro-cellulose finish they're using on the necks is really inconsistent, sometimes smooth, sometimes sticky and gummy (yuck!). Mostly neck trouble, but some pickup fluctuations and other stuff too. A lot of "if's" for a $1600 guitar.
All said though, as much as I've never been a strat fan, after watching Lincoln Brewster completely off the charts on a strat a couple weeks ago at CMS, I have a whole new appreciation. |
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Posts: 13997
Location: Upper Left USA | I sold my Brother's EJ for him about six months ago.LOL |
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December 2003
Posts: 13997
Location: Upper Left USA | And it now resides on Ebay with a price lower than the parts cost!
Koa Telecaster Fender-like Object
If someone thinks they need it drop me a line! |
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August 2006
Posts: 2804
Location: ranson,wva | nice work mike..good luck with the sale..jason |
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Posts: 3145
Location: Marlton, NJ | Does it come with the custom gig stocking?? |
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February 2004
Posts: 1634
Location: Warren,Pa. | All this fuss...I'm glad I'm only into acoustics.
And what value could there possibly be in using Nitro Cellulose any more??? Is it just to please purists??? As thin as Ovation's polyester finishes have gotten, and as durable and trouble-free as the modern finishes are, why? Why? Splain me.
John <>{ |
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Joined:
December 2003
Posts: 13997
Location: Upper Left USA | The oversized Stocking could be arranged. Don't know much about the Nitro-Cellulose except it melts in your mind and on the instrument.
The stocking was a cool find about 5 years ago. I wish I could find more.
Fleas near your dad! |
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Non-O: Koa-caster
