Strat Trem Tuning Stability

[PonyOne]

Any feedback on how well Strats stay tuned under heavy tremolo use?

[lalimacefolle]

yeah , they suck big time!!!
only hendrix stayed in tune with a strat...

[Raskolnikov]

Strats with traditional vibratos are a real nuisance. Some guitars stay in tune really well, others don't. I think the "don'ts" constitute the majority here. Anyway, you can do a few things to help the guitar out:
-Graphite in the nut: Next time you change your strings, grind up some pencil lead and put it in the string channels on the nut- it will decrease the friction there and reduce the ammount of "hang ups" and differences in tension between segments of the string.
-Set up your bridge SRV style: You loose any pull up, but if a string breaks, you're five remaining strings are still in tune. To do this, you loosen up all of the screws forward of the saddles (that attatch the top of your bridge to the block that the springs attatch to at the bottom). This will allow your bridge to sit flush against the body. Next, tighten up the springs until you no longer have any pull up in the bridge.

No matter what you do, the more extream the dive bomb, the more out of tune you'll go. The only ways to totally eliminate these problems are either double locking system or to simply go non-tremlo.