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Problem with my Strat

DoubleBoogie

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Joined
Jun 6, 2004
Messages
4,800
I was hoping someone could give me some ideas. I have a Fender custom shop Artisan Strat. Something is going on with it that I can’t figure out. I’ve checked the intonation and it seems to me to be very close to perfect. There are no issues playing regular fretted notes all the way up the neck. The problem appears when I bend a string up and then play a normal fretted note. In my case, when I play in the key of E and hit the g string fretted at the 11th fret and bend it up a whole step and then fret the b string at the 12th fret and play it while holding the bend, it is WAY flat. If I just play the b string by itself at the 12th fret, it is back on pitch. If I do something similar bending the b string and then playing a note on the e string while the note is still bent, the pitch is fine. I have no idea what to think about this. I first thought it was the tremelo moving to create the problem, but I would have thought it would also show up on other bent strings. I’m out of ideas on this one...:hmm. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated!
 

Iguana

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Joined
Aug 22, 2018
Messages
108
Just spit ballin’ but, any chance your G string is a heavier gauge than the rest of the set? Bending a heavy g would put more tension on the bridge causing the other notes to go flat. If that’s not it, I’m stumped. Does the guitar return to pitch when you release the bend?
 

DoubleBoogie

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Joined
Jun 6, 2004
Messages
4,800
Just spit ballin’ but, any chance your G string is a heavier gauge than the rest of the set? Bending a heavy g would put more tension on the bridge causing the other notes to go flat. If that’s not it, I’m stumped. Does the guitar return to pitch when you release the bend?

The strings are all normal gauge. Yes, when I release the bend and hit the b string, its back in tune. I’m really perplexed by this.
 

DoubleBoogie

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Jun 6, 2004
Messages
4,800
I’m not a big user of the tremelo at all and am thinking about tightening the bridge down to see if that helps.
 

metropolis

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Sep 14, 2018
Messages
390
It most likely is the bridge and probably just the G string affecting it more than the B due to increased tension. When bending the G you may also be bending the D while you do it which impacts it too.

Definitely lock down the trem and see if that affects it - most likely more springs in the back and setting it to fixed, not floating.
 

DoubleBoogie

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Joined
Jun 6, 2004
Messages
4,800
It most likely is the bridge and probably just the G string affecting it more than the B due to increased tension. When bending the G you may also be bending the D while you do it which impacts it too.

Definitely lock down the trem and see if that affects it - most likely more springs in the back and setting it to fixed, not floating.

Thanks for that tip. I am bending both the d and the g when I bend the g. I'm going to screw the trem down and see if that takes care of it.
 

El Gringo

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Apr 8, 2015
Messages
5,657
If you don't use the whammy bar , put in the springs (all 5 ) and that way it will be tight like the above poster mentioned and that should work . Out of curiosity do you have the bridge floating where you can do dive bombs and pull ups ?
 

TM1

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Joined
Jun 27, 2003
Messages
8,349
I would make sure that the Trem is sitting flat on the top and the I would make sure the slots in the Nut are polished. One thing I know after working on Strats for over 40 years is Fender never cut their slots very well. I’m guessing that a good tech could make sure that the nut slots are the correct, even depth and that they are just slightly wider than the string and they are polished in the slots.
Most guitar manufactures leave the slot depth way too high and when you push down on a chord in the first position it will not be in-tune. This applies to Custom Shop stuff as much as regular production guitars.
If you don’t use the Trem then I would use all 5 springs! Pulling/bending a string Will not ensure that it will return to the exact same spot and be in tune. Also you will have much better sustain with the bridge sitting flat on the top of the guitar, one last thing... make sure that the holes the strings go through are smooth and that the top plate is tight against the block. I find the vintage blocks need a little extra attention as it’s usually just machined and thrown together. I normally pull the bridge and sand the top of the block to make sure it’s perfectly flat and the edges of the holes have a slight roundness instead of the sharp edges. Just cause it’s from the Custom Shop doesn’t mean all the little things are as they should be. They’re on a production schedule too.
good luck!
 

Ken Fortunato

Administrator
Staff member
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Feb 26, 2006
Messages
2,742
How old is the guitar? It could be something as simple as "spring fatigue"... :hmm
 

DoubleBoogie

Well-known member
Joined
Jun 6, 2004
Messages
4,800
I would make sure that the Trem is sitting flat on the top and the I would make sure the slots in the Nut are polished. One thing I know after working on Strats for over 40 years is Fender never cut their slots very well. I’m guessing that a good tech could make sure that the nut slots are the correct, even depth and that they are just slightly wider than the string and they are polished in the slots.
Most guitar manufactures leave the slot depth way too high and when you push down on a chord in the first position it will not be in-tune. This applies to Custom Shop stuff as much as regular production guitars.
If you don’t use the Trem then I would use all 5 springs! Pulling/bending a string Will not ensure that it will return to the exact same spot and be in tune. Also you will have much better sustain with the bridge sitting flat on the top of the guitar, one last thing... make sure that the holes the strings go through are smooth and that the top plate is tight against the block. I find the vintage blocks need a little extra attention as it’s usually just machined and thrown together. I normally pull the bridge and sand the top of the block to make sure it’s perfectly flat and the edges of the holes have a slight roundness instead of the sharp edges. Just cause it’s from the Custom Shop doesn’t mean all the little things are as they should be. They’re on a production schedule too.
good luck!

Thanks Don. I think you are spot on about the nut. I need to take it to someone that really knows what they are doing and get that part right. I experience exactly what you’re talking about in that first position. It goes very sharp at the first position if I fret too hard. Once this virus thing is over, I might try to get it to Joe Glaser up in Nashville. The guitar has a great overall tone otherwise.
 
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