Strat Tremelo Bridge floats too high

[Stratobuc]

I have a Wilkinson bridge on my Strat. It was set up for .009's originally - then I changed guages to .010's. Now the bridge is floating a bit too high from the body. Can anyone tell me how to get it back down without adding more springs to the block (there are three now)? Thanks.

[Rosewood]

If you have any more travel on the spring claw just adjust the screws clockwise to put more tension on the springs.

[Stratobuc]

Thanks a lot. That was much easier than I thought. It sits down nicely now.

[Boris Bubbanov]

If you have any more travel on the spring claw just adjust the screws clockwise to put more tension on the springs.


+1

I like to do a blend of trem springs and trem claw adjustments. Some of my trem springs offer more resistance and I fit those to the Strats with 11-49s.
But you never know for sure which guitar wants 3, wants 4 or wants 5 springs and other that a small bit of weight I see no intrinsic difference. Never heard any different spring jangle once the amp is fired up.

I like to use the claw loosening or tightening to get me increments of adjustment between 3-4 and 4-5 springs.

[operanonverba]

You may not need it but I use a small machine ruler to measure the edge of the spring claw from the edge of the body cavity to make sure I did not turn one screw more than another. I don't know if having more tension on one side would effect it but it seems like it would. Could be just my OCD.

[Boris Bubbanov]

My personal sense is, trem springs have a sweet spot and if you try and stretch them out too far, they may lose some of their ability to return to their original length.

When you keep the trem cover on, and the trem claw loose (in using 5 trem springs instead of 3), the block may remain close enough in position you can change multiple strings at once and still have no access problems. Depends.