Fine tune trem & lock nut for my Strat - What are my options?

[fitz]

I have my stock Strat trem decked, 5 springs with the claw all the way in, and the trem bar is in the case.
I'd be interested in installing something with a little more tuning stability.

What are my options?
Can I do this without breaking out the router?
Not that a little router work isn't in my wheelhouse...
Just not sure if I want to start hogging away at the Ultra.

 

[Jethro Rocker]

It doesn't stay in tune? Tusq nut?
I saw this interesting critter. Uses string tension to hold it there no bolting in required.

Above Explorer is obviously routed for FR.

 

[Thatbastarddon]

I have my stock Strat trem decked, 5 springs with the claw all the way in, and the trem bar is in the case.
I'd be interested in installing something with a little more tuning stability.

What are my options?
Can I do this without breaking out the router?
Not that a little router work isn't in my wheelhouse...
Just not sure if I want to start hogging away at the Ultra.

View attachment 109060

Two point trem, or six screw?

Six screw

Two point

Along with that nut thing @Jethro Rocker posted.

To be honest, I don’t have either style…seen the six screw style in play around here…I think @C-Grin and @smitty_p iirc.

 

[fitz]

It doesn't stay in tune? Tusq nut?
I saw this interesting critter. Uses string tension to hold it there no bolting in required.

Above Explorer is obviously routed for FR.

Again, this is for my Ultra Strat.



Tuning sucks if I use the stock trem and have it properly floating.
It needs a new nut regardless - it's just too low, and there's no way to fix that without something new.

The Explorer pic is an example of a lack of fear to grab the router.

Two point trem, or six screw?

Two point trem.

It also has stock locking tuners, but a locking nut is on a different level of not needing to compensate for string tension behind the nut.
Once you lock down the strings at the nut, fine tuners on the bridge are kinda required.

I'd consider a drop in if it had the fine tuners.
I'm not sure something like that exists.

Leaning right now towards a Kahler. (router required)
They claim to have "found" some NOS stock of 80's Flyers in the warehouse, and they have them on clearance for $195.



Add the String Locking Nut for $60, and the whole thing is still a decent value.



Love the Kahler Flyer on my Hondo - and prefer it to the 2 guitars I have with FR's.

 

[Jethro Rocker]

I get it. Ok.
That thing I pointed out sits just behind the nut and has fine tuners on it. Seems like a super cool idea. Should lock any movement past nut and has the fine tuners.
So far my Ultra 2 Strat stays in very good tune even with whammy abuse, as I tend to. I did rack mine to the body so it won't bend up as it only went up minimally anyhow. I wonder why yours falls out?
My 82 Explorer has a Kahler my first one. Seems to work super well and very versatile.

 

[JohnnyGoo]

Look at the Floyd Rose Rail Tail and locking tuners for your Strat.i had one on a Strat and it works so smooth.its dive only.no mods to guitar required.

 

[GrooVey]

I’m a big fan of Blade Runner trems.
It takes the screws out of the setup. Screw the front piece to the body and the saddle portion rests on the blade.

 

[67plexi]

I have a few trem guitars 4 Fender strats two Peavey one Parker Fly Deluxe first year the best ever invented and last PRS Custom 24
the Parker only tuned it once still in tune one more point on the Parker went 13 years on a set of strings band practice twice a week
and gigs twice a week must be the stainless frets the PRS Custom 24 Brazilian neck and fingerboard stays in tune also.
The worst guitar was a 1988 Strat Plus two point bridge cast saddles string braking piece of garbage.

 

[fitz]

Ok, an interim update:
Backed off the spring claw and went to 3 springs.
Lifted the trem to float and lowered the saddles.
Tightened up the truss rod a bit to pull a little bow out of the neck.
Put some Music Nomad "Tune-It" gel on the nut & saddles - says petroleum & silicone free.
Took a while to tune - kept going sharp when I went slack back to tension, but that seems to have settled in for now.

I think these adjustments have corrected what I was perceiving as the nut being too low.
I've got the action lower than I've ever had on this guitar without any buzzing.
Hardly any room to pull up without the trem block hitting the cavity wall - plenty of clearance to go slack.
Hoping to avoid the nut change, so I'm happy about that.

Gonna let it settle in for a while and re-test.
Still considering the Tusq saddles.
Local shop has them for sale through year end on Reverb, and I have another 10% coupon from buying the Shawbucker2 from them last week.

 

[Jethro Rocker]

I’m a big fan of Blade Runner trems.
It takes the screws out of the setup. Screw the front piece to the body and the saddle portion rests on the blade.
View attachment 109073

Looks very interesting. Never saw these before.
Mine is a 2 point Fender unit instead of the old 6 screw and I have really had no issues so far with mine. Never hurts to try something tho if it becomes an issue with proper gig use.

 

[smitty_p]

Replacing my stock saddles with these locking saddles made a big difference in tuning stability for me:

WLS130/F Model — Wilkinson Direct

The WLS130/F locking saddles are designed to fit on the vibrato used on Fender guitars. Launched in the late 1980’s, the Fender solid saddle with offset intonation screw was originally on American standard models and was also featured on Plus, Deluxe, Plus Deluxe, Signature and Ultra models and can

www.wilkinsondirect.com

You do have to be sure to get the correct model. The pic of your Ultra looks like it needs the "F" style (above), with the offset intonation screw. That's what I use.

But just in case, here's the model with the standard, centered intonation screw:

WLS130/S Standard Model — Wilkinson Direct

The WLS130/S is our standard model and will fit many traditional and modern vibratos including vintage style Fender bent saddle models, Gotoh 510, Musicman, G&L, Ibanez AZ series and more. Easy to fit without specialist knowledge, our WLS130/S locking saddles are a very affordable upgrade to

www.wilkinsondirect.com

I also use locking machine heads; they came stock on the guitar I use with these saddles. The guitar also has an LSR roller nut, but it still wouldn't reliably return to pitch with anything other than mild use. These locking saddles essentially let me use my trem without concern. It returns to pitch even after a dive almost as well as a Floyd.

 

[smitty_p]

Oh...one other thing...

One thing I've discovered after years of using all sorts of vibratos and trems from Bigsby to Maestro to the Washburn Wonderbar to the Fender floating bridge to Floyd Rose:

All bets are off until your strings are done stretching out. If you try to troubleshoot tuning stability issues before your strings are done stretching, you'll be chasing ghosts.

Oh, and it really is true...a well-cut nut really does make a big difference (assuming you're not using a locking nut).

 

[fitz]

Replacing my stock saddles with these locking saddles made a big difference in tuning stability for me:

WLS130/F Model — Wilkinson Direct

The WLS130/F locking saddles are designed to fit on the vibrato used on Fender guitars. Launched in the late 1980’s, the Fender solid saddle with offset intonation screw was originally on American standard models and was also featured on Plus, Deluxe, Plus Deluxe, Signature and Ultra models and can

www.wilkinsondirect.com

You do have to be sure to get the correct model. The pic of your Ultra looks like it needs the "F" style (above), with the offset intonation screw. That's what I use.

But just in case, here's the model with the standard, centered intonation screw:

WLS130/S Standard Model — Wilkinson Direct

The WLS130/S is our standard model and will fit many traditional and modern vibratos including vintage style Fender bent saddle models, Gotoh 510, Musicman, G&L, Ibanez AZ series and more. Easy to fit without specialist knowledge, our WLS130/S locking saddles are a very affordable upgrade to

www.wilkinsondirect.com

I also use locking machine heads; they came stock on the guitar I use with these saddles. The guitar also has an LSR roller nut, but it still wouldn't reliably return to pitch with anything other than mild use. These locking saddles essentially let me use my trem without concern. It returns to pitch even after a dive almost as well as a Floyd.

I was looking at those Wilkinson trems after seeing this Pete Thorn vid.
Didn't think to look for just the saddles.

I went and ordered those Tusq saddles, so we'll see how those work.
The Ultra Strat came stock with locking tuners.

All bets are off until your strings are done stretching out. If you try to troubleshoot tuning stability issues before your strings are done stretching, you'll be chasing ghosts.

Oh, and it really is true...a well-cut nut really does make a big difference (assuming you're not using a locking nut).

Strings are new from the HH mod last weekend, but stretched in and stable.
I must have been deceiving myself about the nut with the set-up I did when I decked the trem a long time ago.
Since I floated the bridge and got the tuning stabilized, the whole guitar is working awesome.
I think the truss rod adjustment and resetting the saddle height when I lifted the trem to float it completely solved my nut issue.
Staying in tune - and snaps right back to tune after a slack dive.
I can't stop playing it.

 

[DirtySteve]

I was looking at those Wilkinson trems after seeing this Pete Thorn vid.
Didn't think to look for just the saddles.

I went and ordered those Tusq saddles, so we'll see how those work.
The Ultra Strat came stock with locking tuners.


Strings are new from the HH mod last weekend, but stretched in and stable.
I must have been deceiving myself about the nut with the set-up I did when I decked the trem a long time ago.
Since I floated the bridge and got the tuning stabilized, the whole guitar is working awesome.
I think the truss rod adjustment and resetting the saddle height when I lifted the trem to float it completely solved my nut issue.
Staying in tune - and snaps right back to tune after a slack dive.
I can't stop playing it.

I can't tell you how many nuts I've screwed up thinking it wasn't cut right when it turned out to be something else. Now I check my nut with feeler gauges before I touch it. .010" on the low E at the first fret, .006" on the high E. If I'm not mistaken I learned that from the late Inspector #20. I learned a lot about nuts from that guy, sure do miss him being here.