Tuning

[Derrick1642607670]

Ok so I have an american strat standard and it holds tune great (in stan. E) but Eb tuning or lower dramatically eases the strings to go out of tune within 3 or so good bends, the whammy bar also will put namely the G and B strings out of tune but none of the others with a few wimpy drops. I've seen people like stevie ray literally throw the guitar across the stage and pick it up and play it in tune ( so maybe a few broken strings, BUT IN TUNE! ) and I don't need stability to that extreme but I'd like to be able to make use of tuning down and my whammy bar. Could this be set-up relevant? any suggestions would be wonderful.

 

Thanks,

Derrick

[Rhino Madness]

I know you were kidding about the SRV analogy but it is physically impossible for a strat to stay in tune with a broken string unless the bridge is locked.

 

A strat can definitely keep its tuning in Eb but it has to be setup for Eb. If you keep switching between E and Eb, you will have problems with one of its tunings. Once you pick your tuning reference and properly adjust the bridge, neck and springs, the strat should stay in tune.

 

Here are a few things that can help:

 

It may be better to use a heavier gauge when tuning lower (e.g. using 0.010's instead of 0.009's).

 

Make sure the strings are stretched properly when installed.

 

It is a good idea to lubricate the metal-to-metal contact points everytime you change the strings. Those spots include the nut grooves, the bridge saddles at the string contact point, the bridge pivoting points, the string trees, etc. A good lubricant is teflon lube (like Tri-Flow) as found in bike shops. Other brands are advertized specifically for guitars (like Nut Sauce) but much more expensive for the same end result.

 

Depending on your current tuners, upgrading to locking tuners might be a great help. If you do upgrade, I recommend Sperzel's locking tuners as they are staggered and eliminate the need of string trees.

[Derrick1642607670]

Well I have everything lubricated well and I play 11's so I'm pretty sure its just because the guitar is set up for Standard E tuning. But I'm still unsure about the whammy since it will drag me out of tune regardless of the tuning.