Bridge Question

ikeman · January 21st, 2008, 10:26 AM

Hey fellas,
I got a question about my bridge. Of all the strats I have ever seen, the bridge lays flat across the body of the guitar, so when you engage the tremelo bar, you can only bend a note to a lower pitch. On mine (it was made in either 86 or 87 U.S. Vintage series based on the serial #) the back of the bridge is raised, about half a centimeter so the trem arm can be pulled back to bend the note higher. I have had this guitar for over a decade, and never noticed this before. Am I paranoid or is something wrong?
One thing that may be (and is probably) the reason for this: Not thinking about any intonation problems (which didnt occur) I switched from using super light gauge D'Addario (.009 to .042)to using heavier D'Addario strings (.011-.049 gauge).
Normally I would just take the guitar into the shop and ask the guy, but I live on a small island in Korea and there is no guitar tech here. I apologize for the long winded nature of this email.

Thanks guys,
Ikeman

tazzboy · January 21st, 2008, 03:33 PM

Sounds to me like your guitar should a LSR Roller nut is what you need to add to that guitar if want to stay in tune otherwise your going to be retuning your guitar.

Axis29 · January 22nd, 2008, 06:25 AM

It sounds like you're just fine. Many people install extra springs or crank in on the claw screws (inside the tremelo spring cavity on the back) to pull the bridge down tight to the body to help with sustain and tone.... aren't we all chasing tone every chance we get?

But if it floats and you like the sound and playability of your guitar, don't mess with it!

I had a Floyd Rose equipped Strat that was floating. I didn't ever bond with the guitar. My current strat has a vintage style trem that sits flush with the body and I love it.

However, I"m hoping to pick up a CP 50's strat this week and it has a very nice floating trem with lots of room. I love the way it play and the way it sounds, so I probably won't mess with it for quite some time!

ikeman · January 22nd, 2008, 02:02 PM

THanks for the replies. As long as I am not damaging my guitar I dont really care.

peace

Ikeman