not even slinky on strat wont stay tuned

[grbdlc00]

i recently put a set of not even slinkies on my mexican fat strat and it wont stay in tune (tuned to C) for more than a few minutes. ive filed the slots in the nut to accomodate the girth of the strings and have tightened the claw screws, but now when tuning, by the time i get to the 4th string, the 6th is a half step flat. whats going on???

 

[jongitarz]

I never could get an American Strat to stay in tune

 

[grbdlc00]

haha...thanks? i never had any problem with the factory strings, probably .09 or .10s. when i refer to being in tune, i dont mean by any exacting standards. with these strings it wont even maintain any semblance of relative in-tune-ness(???). anybody?

 

[jongitarz]

Is the bridge set up to float or does it lay flat against the body?

 

[grbdlc00]

float, though i dont need it to, i never use tremolo for anything

 

[jongitarz]

If you don't need it to float, I would set it up so the bridge lays flat. It will return to that position and the tuning will be more stable

 

[grbdlc00]

how exactly would i go about doing that? or, where could i find that info?

 

[grbdlc00]

never mind. thanks.

 

[jongitarz]

Crank the trem springs, and adjust the pivot bolts so the bridge lays flat. You can also look at the FAQ section of this website, and follow the set up instructions for most of our guitars.