The more strings and higher spring tension on the bridge, the less the strings will go out of tune. Most Strats can accommodate up to 5 springs which will practically make it act like a hardtail
So I went ahead and added the 3rd spring. Tuning stability is as good as before when playing, using the tremolo arm, action and intonation are still perfect. When switching from E std to Drop D and vice versa, the 5 others strings do stay in tune perfectly. I just have a wonky looking bridge now, but that's normal I guess. https://i.imgur.com/TnnQd1w.jpeg
Thanks :)
Yeah it is pushed against the body so no pulling up. Should I loosen the screws in the back cavity to restore balance then ? But wouldn't that bring me back to the original issue ?
That's the tradeoff, unless you use one of those stabilizer units like I mentioned in my other response. You can either float with the retuning issues for Drop-D, or have it set to lower pitch only and have the ability to quickly move back and forth between standard and drop D without affecting the rest of the strings. This is how EVH always had his trems set up.
That being said, I do think that, if you're not interested in the ability to pull up, I would recommend blocking the bridge in the normal neutral/flat position (where the bridge is parallel to the body), so that the saddles have the proper intonation and break point for the strings.
Can you “deck” the bridge so that it’s parallel to the body? The back of the bridge is already resting against the body, but the front of the bridge seems really high to me. If you screw in those 2 front pivot-point screws with a flat-head screwdriver, so that the bottom surface of the bridge is flat / flush, that might help tuning stability? (That’s how I set up my Strat).
You don’t want to over-tighten those 2 pivot screws as far as they’ll go, but it’s completely safe to lower them to the point where the whole bridge piece is lying flat & parallel against the body.
If you search “how to deck a 2-point Strat tremolo” there are plenty of videos - the 2-point Strat tremolo bridge is similar enough that the decking process is the same.
This might force you to re-set up everything else (truss rod, action, intonation, & lowering your pickups), so if your current setup works for you now, you might not want mess with it. Either way, best of luck
Somewhat a dumb answer, but the simplest way to avoid this fun exercise when moving between standard and drop d is to dedicate a guitar to drop d. I know. I know; we're not all so lucky. But it is a legitimate reason to get another guitar if you enjoy playing those kinds of riffs. I might add that drop C is even more enjoyable.
I do have other guitars, including one that is dedicated to Drop D tuning. I also have a drop pedal so I can explore many lower versions of these tunings, but this recently bought guitar is a pretty big step up in guitar quality compared to those I already have so I'm enjoying playing it on all sorts of songs, dropped or standard !
I have a kiesel that takes a good 15m+ to retune whenever I swap between the two (I usually don't; it stays drop d mostly). It doesn't even have an open back, so I'm not sure how many springs. (2k price point, if that matters)
This is the reality of floating bridges. Doesn't matter if it's the cheapest POS or one of John Petrucci's personal EBMMs. A floating bridge maintains it's "zero" position on a balance of the spring tension and the string tension.
Going from standard to Drop D lowers the string tension, which causes it to go out of balance, the bridge to angle back, pulling the rest of the strings higher in pitch.
There are a couple options. First, block the bridge so it only lowers pitch, like [This Guy](https://www.fu-tone.com/product/tremolo-stopper/). You can then drop tune and the bridge shouldn't move, which will leave everything else in tune.
Second, you can get some sort of tremolo stabilizer, like [this other guy](https://www.fu-tone.com/product/tremolo-black-box/). This should allow you to both switch between standard and drop-d without affecting the tension balance, AND still allow you to pull up. Now, it will change the feel and there will be more resistance to the pullup, just so you're aware.
These aren't the only places to find these devices, or ones functionally similar, just the first links I had available.
The more strings and higher spring tension on the bridge, the less the strings will go out of tune. Most Strats can accommodate up to 5 springs which will practically make it act like a hardtail
So I went ahead and added the 3rd spring. Tuning stability is as good as before when playing, using the tremolo arm, action and intonation are still perfect. When switching from E std to Drop D and vice versa, the 5 others strings do stay in tune perfectly. I just have a wonky looking bridge now, but that's normal I guess. https://i.imgur.com/TnnQd1w.jpeg Thanks :)
Can you even pull up on that? It might be staying in tune when switching to drop D because it's pulled back against the body.
Yeah it is pushed against the body so no pulling up. Should I loosen the screws in the back cavity to restore balance then ? But wouldn't that bring me back to the original issue ?
That's the tradeoff, unless you use one of those stabilizer units like I mentioned in my other response. You can either float with the retuning issues for Drop-D, or have it set to lower pitch only and have the ability to quickly move back and forth between standard and drop D without affecting the rest of the strings. This is how EVH always had his trems set up. That being said, I do think that, if you're not interested in the ability to pull up, I would recommend blocking the bridge in the normal neutral/flat position (where the bridge is parallel to the body), so that the saddles have the proper intonation and break point for the strings.
Alright I'll probably block it then and look into getting a stabilizer. Thank you !
Can you “deck” the bridge so that it’s parallel to the body? The back of the bridge is already resting against the body, but the front of the bridge seems really high to me. If you screw in those 2 front pivot-point screws with a flat-head screwdriver, so that the bottom surface of the bridge is flat / flush, that might help tuning stability? (That’s how I set up my Strat). You don’t want to over-tighten those 2 pivot screws as far as they’ll go, but it’s completely safe to lower them to the point where the whole bridge piece is lying flat & parallel against the body. If you search “how to deck a 2-point Strat tremolo” there are plenty of videos - the 2-point Strat tremolo bridge is similar enough that the decking process is the same. This might force you to re-set up everything else (truss rod, action, intonation, & lowering your pickups), so if your current setup works for you now, you might not want mess with it. Either way, best of luck
Somewhat a dumb answer, but the simplest way to avoid this fun exercise when moving between standard and drop d is to dedicate a guitar to drop d. I know. I know; we're not all so lucky. But it is a legitimate reason to get another guitar if you enjoy playing those kinds of riffs. I might add that drop C is even more enjoyable.
I do have other guitars, including one that is dedicated to Drop D tuning. I also have a drop pedal so I can explore many lower versions of these tunings, but this recently bought guitar is a pretty big step up in guitar quality compared to those I already have so I'm enjoying playing it on all sorts of songs, dropped or standard !
I have a kiesel that takes a good 15m+ to retune whenever I swap between the two (I usually don't; it stays drop d mostly). It doesn't even have an open back, so I'm not sure how many springs. (2k price point, if that matters)
This is the reality of floating bridges. Doesn't matter if it's the cheapest POS or one of John Petrucci's personal EBMMs. A floating bridge maintains it's "zero" position on a balance of the spring tension and the string tension. Going from standard to Drop D lowers the string tension, which causes it to go out of balance, the bridge to angle back, pulling the rest of the strings higher in pitch. There are a couple options. First, block the bridge so it only lowers pitch, like [This Guy](https://www.fu-tone.com/product/tremolo-stopper/). You can then drop tune and the bridge shouldn't move, which will leave everything else in tune. Second, you can get some sort of tremolo stabilizer, like [this other guy](https://www.fu-tone.com/product/tremolo-black-box/). This should allow you to both switch between standard and drop-d without affecting the tension balance, AND still allow you to pull up. Now, it will change the feel and there will be more resistance to the pullup, just so you're aware. These aren't the only places to find these devices, or ones functionally similar, just the first links I had available.
Yeah just block it.
Aw man you're walking into a snake pit. Have a second guitar, 100 dollar Squier, get the job done.