Guitar not returning to pitch after using the tremolo? Or is the tuning going bad after extended use? If that sounds familiar, it might be time to set up the floating bridge on your guitar. This can be a difficult and frustrating ordeal, especially if you don’t do things in the correct order. But if you follow these simple tips, you’ll be setting up your own trems in no time! All you need are a few basic tools and a quiet, clean area to work on your guitar.
So why do we need to set up a trem system? Well, it can be very frustrating to play a guitar that keeps going out of tune every time you use the whammy bar. It’s uninspiring, and is disastrous in live situations. But fear not! Setting up a trem bridge is easier than it looks, and with a little patience and the right tools, you’ll be dive-bombing in no time!
First, identify the style of trem bridge on your guitar. There are several variations of the vibrato/tremolo style bridge. However, the more popular ones are based on the vintage-style 6-screw trem bridge, the PRS-style floating bridge, the modern 2-point Fender-style trem and the Floyd-Rose style trem.
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Other tremolo systems like the Bigsby, Jazzmaster-style trems and the inspired Gibson Vibrola, are usually only ever found on vintage instruments and reissues. I’ll cover how to deal with these in a separate article, though, to keep things a bit simpler here.
Sometimes the nomenclature is a bit puzzling, too. Even though the effect produced by a floating bridge is called vibrato, Fender erroneously used the term tremolo for the bridge on its brand new Stratocaster guitar way back in 1954, and the confusion has persisted ever since. Therefore, keeping with tradition, we’ll carry on using the word ‘trem’, but you can change that to ‘vibrato’ in your head, if you like.
This is my basic process to set up two-point floating trem systems on all my guitars, and it works pretty well. If the trem system uses more than two trem posts (the screws or little metal barrels that keep the bridge in place, see image) like PRS trem systems and vintage Fender-style six-screw bridges, then all six of the screws used to hold the trem in place need to be at the same height. If these are not all at the same height, it will cause issues with your tuning. Fender-style vintage trem systems aren’t quite as picky, but don’t truly float as well as modern trem systems.
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When working with Fender-style 6-screw trems, some people will take out the middle four screws, or raise them slightly, effectively converting the 6-point trem into a 2-point trem. Keep in mind that raising the middle screws can sometimes cause problems, as the baseplate of the bridge can get wedged into an odd position on the screw threads and make the bridge wonky.
A decent set of the correct size tools for your guitar will make this job much easier. Something like the Harley Benton Guitar Toolkit * contains just about everything you will need to do the job. I also use a TC Electronic PolyTune * when checking my tuning.
Using the correct tools for the job is extremely important, otherwise there is a huge risk of damaging the components of the bridge. You don’t want to have to replace the whole thing. You will also need a fresh set of strings, as old strings will not provide the required tension and will cause problems while calibrating. And this may sound obvious, but make sure that your workplace is uncluttered, so that you can get the job done properly.
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Before changing out your strings, the first thing you will need to do is to look for any mechanical issues. Use your ears and sense of touch to feel for any clunks or notches in your guitar’s trem system. If a component doesn’t feel smooth to the touch when using the trem, it’s a problem that needs to be addressed before going any further.
Common mechanical issues are loose tremolo arms, notches on trem posts or worn blades on the tremolo baseplates. If a trem arm is loose, I often use PTFE, sometimes known as plumber’s tape. Just wrap a small amount around the trem arm and re-insert it. This will usually do the trick. Of course, the tremolo arm has to be the correct one and correspond to the type of bridge installed. For example, you might have trouble trying to use a Floyd Rose arm with a PRS bridge.
With damaged trem posts, you are normally better off buying a new set. Trying to fix them once they’re notched is usually not worth the trouble.
Having A Difficult Time With This... Bridge Floating Way Too High. Once I Tune The Other Strings Are Tuned Back Down. Any Help?
Sorting out worn blades (the part of the baseplate of the bridge on 2-point trem bridge that makes contact with the trem posts) is a relatively easy fix. You can re-sharpen most trem blades using a good quality needle or small file to remove any burrs in the metal.
Once you’ve sorted out any mechanical issues, you want to put a fresh set of strings of your chosen gauge on the guitar. They need to be fully stretched in and tuned to pitch.
This all sounds obvious, but if you don’t follow these simple steps, then you are heading down the wrong path and you’re going to have a bad time. Make sure you know what string gauge and tuning you want to use before you start setting up the trem, otherwise you will need to set up the trem all over again.
Ana Electric Guitar Floating Tremolo Bridge Shim For Adjustment Tuning With Wrench
Now that you have a fresh set of strings, you can go to the next step: adjust your guitar’s intonation for each string. I know a lot of players get a bit stressed out about it, but it’s really pretty simple.
The intonation refers to the guitar playing the correct notes across the fretboard. It needs to be adjusted for each string and can be done by moving the bridge saddles either forward or backwards.
Here’s how: Tune the lowest open string to pitch and then play it, or, for a more accurate reading, play the 12th fret harmonic (barely touch the string over the 12th fret and pluck it). Now, depress the string at the 12th fret and compare the two pitches. It’s a good idea to use your guitar tuner to check the tuning, as it will provide more accuracy than an untrained ear.
Guitar Floating Tremolo Electric Guitar Bridge Shim For Adjustment Tuning
If the fretted note is flat, make the string shorter by adjusting the bridge saddle towards the neck. If the fretted note is sharp, adjust the saddle back away from the neck. A good trick to remember which way to adjust can be memorised by this phrase: “flat/forward, sharp/back”. When adjusting the saddle, it’s good practice to detune the string. A string tuned to pitch has a lot of tension and you could end up ruining the intonation screw.
If your guitar trem system is dusty and dirty, then you should clean it now using a soft cloth and remove any old grease or lubricant that could cause buildups of dirt and residue.
A floating trem is a mechanical system and will require regular cleaning and lubrication. I use sewing machine oil, which you can buy online for very little money. I put a small amount onto any moving parts, to help relieve any friction.
Approaches For Fixing Floating Tremolo Tuning Problems
You can also use a product like Big Bends Nut Sauce * in the nut slots and string trees which your strings pass over or under. Again, this helps relieve any friction points, which will help with tuning stability.
If you hear any pings when using your trem system, it might be because a string is getting caught somewhere in the nut or string trees. In this case, you may need to clean, lubricate or even re-cut your guitar’s nut.
To polish the nut slots on my guitars, I use a piece of frayed string and a little Brasso. The Brasso has a tiny amount of abrasive polish in it, and the string, when unravelled and frayed, acts like a thin string-shaped polishing cloth.
Guitar Floating Tremolo Bridge Shim Easy Adjustment And Tuning Tremolo
You can also use pencil lead to lubricate nut slots, since it is made out of graphite, which acts as a lubricant for strings. However, I would recommend products like Nut Sauce over the graphite dust from a pencil, as it tends to stay in place and work better. I also have my own concoction of mixed graphite dust with petroleum jelly (Vaseline) that I apply to the nut slots with a cocktail stick. It works really well, but can be a little messy!
Now you’re ready to get floating! The art of getting a floating trem to work correctly is all about balance. You are attempting to make the springs in the rear cavity of the guitar counterbalance the tension of the guitar’s strings when they are tuned to pitch.
One challenge is to get the trem height exactly right. In an ideal world, as far as modern 2-point tremolos or PRS-style trem bridges are concerned, your trem baseplate should be parallel with your guitar’s body. Your trem posts will set the overall height of your trem and you can
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