Tremelo Assualt! (Part II)

Tuning the guitar (with tremelo systems)

Since the bridge is held in position by the string pressure on one side and the spring pressure on the other, if tuning of one of the strings is changed, then the other strings will also go out of tune by themselves inorder to keep the tension in the spring constant. While tuning the guitar, as you tune the strings one by one to their correct frequencies, the tunings of all the strings which were previously tuned will get affected. This can become very very frustrating at times. But by fooling around you can always develop your own little trick! This is what I have come up with..

1) Firstly, loosen all the three nuts or the allen screws on the string locking plate with the help of an allen key (usually provided with the guitar). Care should be taken that the screw doesnt come out completely cos it will make the square to fall out of the slot and things will get messy. 180 degrees turn of the allen key is more than enough.

2) Now, rotate the fine adjustment screws on the brigde so that 1st and 2nd string screws are in the middle position. The extent of unscrewing should increase from 1 & 2 to 5 & 6. That is 5 & 6 screw should be in highest position, then 3 & 4 and then 1 & 2 which should fairly be in the middle position.
Now start tuning using the pegs. At first tune to correct frequencies. As you move from 6th to 1st string it will be observed that when 2nd and 1st strings are tuned correctly, the tuning on 3rd and 4th strings drops slightly whereas for 5 & 6 string it drops more. Now use the screws to adjust these slight changes. When its done, all screws would be at the same level.

3) When tuning is done, tighten the nuts (or the allen screws.) This will also cause a bit of pitch rise in all strings. It can be fixed though the screws.

4) Keep the allen key in a safe place!

So the guitar is tuned and ready to be used. After some amount of playing, the strings will lose the tuning. Slight changes can be adjusted using the screws. When the screw reaches its upper or lower limit, its time to re-tune your guitar by repeating the procedure.

P.S. There was a bit of a doubt in my mind whether I should post this here as I wasnt sure if it will work on other tremelo bridges or other guitars. Yesterday I tried this thing on a ESP. It worked just the same way it works on my axe. THis reconfirms my faith in this method.