Bridge problem when I re-strang my fender strat, the tension is so high that the bridge is being pulled up by the strings alot and it doesnt look right, and Im not over tuneing, its in regular E tuning

Corona, CA USA 2003-2004

1974 s=seventy 4= the year

It is a US strat! Congrats! Guitar Info This guitar is from the U.S. Vintage Series
made at the Corona Plant (Fender), USA
in the Year(s): Cannot be determined from serial number,
however you can consult this chart showing the
corelation between serial numbers and dates found on the neck
Fender MIA RI Serial Number vs. Neck Date


Fender: Corona Corona factory was opened in 1985, Corona California, with major guitar production starting in 1987. With the addition of a custom shop in 1987 the plant currently employs about 700 workers. Apart from general and Custom Shop Fender instruments and amplifiers, it also encompasses Guild acoustic & electric guitars.

My advice is that if you need to ask how to do it, you don't have enough experience to execute this properly and safely. Please take it to an expereinced professional.

fret buzz can usually be cured by adjusting the tension rod, unless the neck is permanently warped from excessive heat/humidity (from, say, being left in a car on a summer day).


hold the headstock up to your face, and look down the neck. you should see that the neck is uneven around the frets that buzz. if the neck appears straight when viewed from the headstock, down toward the body, then the strings are just too low, and the bridge should be raised. if you see unevenness in the neck, however, when viewed this way, you should attempt to use the tension rod to straighten the neck.

the tension rod can be adjusted with the hex bolt that pokes out at the base of the headstock, right from under the top of the fretboard. use an allen key to gently turn the tension rod either way until the neck begins to straighten out. if the tension rod cannot straighten the neck, then the neck is warped from heat/humidity.

Here is a link to the instructions you need:http://www.fender.com/support/stratocaster.php Pay particular attention to Intonation Roughing It Out section. Hope this helps.

Try this site:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NOsy5KtD7JE

Sounds like the bridge was either in the wrong place or the string tension excessive.

Sometimes there are low, medium, and high tension grades of strings.
Find out what your mandolin requires.

If the strings are snapping, you are tuning them wrong. They should NOT break with 10% over the final tuning. It sounds like you may be using the wrong strings.

De-string it to see if the wood will recover. If it doesn't take the instrument to a Luthier for repair.

The "handle type thing" is a Tremolo or, more often referred to as a "whammy" bar. The thing at the base of the strings is called a bridge. Looking at the strings, there should be a hole to the right of the smallest string. If your "handle" is threaded, stick the threaded end into the hole and rotate in a clockwise motion. Once is hits the bottom of the threads, back it off one turn and gravity will let it hang out of the way while you play. If there are no threads, it will slip in and you will feel a "click" when it's in the proper position.

On the back of the guitar, there is a cover plate that covers the cavity where the springs are located that make the "whammy bar" work. The springs hold tension on the bridge so you can tune it and play normally, but let the "whammy bar" stretch or release tension on the strings when you push or pull it. If you already have springs inside the cavity, the extra spring you have will let you add more tension to the bridge, but you probably won't need it. If there are no springs already installed, you can install your "extra" spring in there to give you the flex and spring for the "bar-handle" to work properly.

To install a spring, loosen or remove your guitar strings, open the cover on the back, and install the spring over the hooks on the bridge and the hook on a metal bar on the other end of the cavity. Replace the cover, insert your "handle", and wiggle-away.

The allen wrenches are most likely for adjustment of the moveable pieces that support the strings on the bridge. The bridge has adjustments for up and down, and forward and back to adjust the height and distance where the string is supported. Don't adjust the bridge supports unless you loosen the strings. It is highly recommended that you don't make any adjustments yourself unless you are familiar with the mechanism. You can adjust your guitar where it's impossible to keep in tune if the adjustments are not perfect. There are usually guitar repair shops close by and offer "set-up" services to get your instrument adjusted properly. It's well worth the money to have it done right, and the service people with often teach you many things that will help keep your instrument playing well.

Hope this helps.

Jim
[email protected]
Phoenix, Az