Drop D on a Strat with a floating trem.

[Xoiijin]

D Tuning on a Strat. I am looking for some advice on what some of my options would be to get drop D tuning on my strat and some whammy bar action.
I have a MIM Fender Strat. I love the thing; I keep coming back to playing this guitar (have it for about 12 years now). I have scalloped the neck (light scallop), changed pickups (JB Jr., Virtual Vintage, Lil ’59). The problem that I have is that I really want to use a whammy bar.
My other guitar is an Ibanez JS1000. The guitar plays beautifully. I do go back and forth between my strat and this guitar. I love the tremolo system in the guitar. Once is it dialed in, you can abuse the hell out of it. The problem is I cannot play drop D currently the way it is set up.
So I am looking for some ways to be able to play in Drop D tuning on my start and still get some whammy bar action. So far here are a few options:
1. Install a Floyd Rose Tremolo system. Keep the tremolo flat to the body and install a D-Tuna. This option would probably cost the most. Probably around $400-$500 for the parts and labor.
2. Install a Super Vee Tremolo system with locking nut. This saves me the cost of routing the guitar (the tremolo is a drop in replacement), so I would probably be looking at around $300-$400. Same thing I could keep the tremolo against the body, but the fine tuners will be able to drop to D.
3. Install a Tremol No on the Ibanez. I can set it to full float or against the body. Around $50-$100 option. I have not had any experience with this system, but it is an option.
I know anything I put into the guitar I will never see the money return on it. That is ok, I am never parting with this guitar. I know I could suck it up and not use the whammy bar, keep my strat with the tremolo against the body and just use the tuning key to drop D. I am trying to exhaust these other options. I also am not looking to purchase a new guitar WITH a Floyd rose, or bring two guitars to do what I need to do. I really love the Strat body and neck that I use.

Thoughts ???

 

[guitarister7321]

Why exactly can't it be played in Drop D with the current tremolo? Can't you just set up the springs and intonation for Drop D, rather than spend $50 to $500 on it? I also don't see why you would spend $400-$500 getting a Floyd Rose installed when a Mexican Strat with a Floyd Rose factory installed costs around $500. I'd say your best bet would just get it professionally setup at a guitar shop or luthier. I've seen setups cost anywhere from $20-60. Or, if you know how to setup a guitar, you could do it yourself for free.

 

[Konfyouzd]

Yea... Your problem confuses me.

 

[ImBCRichBitch]

..... Try either a Hipshot Tremsetter or a Super Vee Maglock system. keeps it from throwing it out of tune.

 

[Xoiijin]

Why exactly can't it be played in Drop D with the current tremolo? Can't you just set up the springs and intonation for Drop D, rather than spend $50 to $500 on it? I also don't see why you would spend $400-$500 getting a Floyd Rose installed when a Mexican Strat with a Floyd Rose factory installed costs around $500. I'd say your best bet would just get it professionally setup at a guitar shop or luthier. I've seen setups cost anywhere from $20-60. Or, if you know how to setup a guitar, you could do it yourself for free.

My problem is using a Strat vintage trem and being able to dive bomb and abuse the whammy with out a locking system. Then having a locking system and being able to tune standard and to drop D. Not during a song or anything, but play in standard, stop, d tune, play.

Reading about the Hipshot tremsetter no...thanks...

 

[Konfyouzd]

Well your Ibby DOES have a FR trem, right?

If you absolutely must keep the whammy active and you're not going to be switching tunings mid song you could always just put a D-tuning peg on the Ibanez (same as the D-tuna but it's for fixed trems and it's a replacemet tuning peg). This isn't very common at all but based on the parameters you've provided it would work.

I also thought maybe you could tune to drop D and Spider Capo your axe at the 2nd fret, but if you wanted to do runs all the way down to the first fret that wouldn't exactly be possible anymore...

Still... options...

But don't they also have some pretty good non locking systems that you can whammy pretty hard on? Have you checked the nut on that guitar? It may be holding the strings.

 

[ImBCRichBitch]

My problem is using a Strat vintage trem and being able to dive bomb and abuse the whammy with out a locking system. Then having a locking system and being able to tune standard and to drop D. Not during a song or anything, but play in standard, stop, d tune, play.

Reading about the Hipshot tremsetter no...thanks...

Then get the Super Vee. the prob your having is the trem going out of tune when you drop it right? then one of the two systems will help.

 

[Xoiijin]

Then get the Super Vee. the prob your having is the trem going out of tune when you drop it right? then one of the two systems will help.

Do you think I could run the Super Vee, the one with the fine tuners and no locking nut or locking tuners? I have seen some impressive videos of the Super Vee doing divebombs and no locking nut or tuners.

 

[Konfyouzd]

Well if you've seen it with your own eyes then the answer is probably yes. Be sure the strings aren't binding at the nut. That's the downfall of a lot of non locking trem systems.

 

[Xoiijin]

Well if you've seen it with your own eyes then the answer is probably yes. Be sure the strings aren't binding at the nut. That's the downfall of a lot of non locking trem systems.

I just got off the phone with Super Vee. The Super Vee fine tuners have enough range to do alternate tunings (and drop D). It is a bit pricey at $350, but it will cover everything. The rep said that if I wasn't going to be dumping the bar to the strings slack down the blade runner bridge is a better option. Proper nut and lubrication with their system doesn't require a locking nut or tuners. The video on their website shows a few guys using the blade runner like this, and looks to be working real well.

On the Super Vee, the strings will lock at the nut.

 

[rew]

Products
would this work on your strat? it would essentially be like flat mounting the trem, so you could easily drop to d at the tuner without unlocking anything.

Or why not just flat mount it against the body?

 

[Grand Moff Tim]

I don't quite get why you can't use the wammy when you're in drop D. I never chagned a single thing when going between drop D and E standard on my MIM strat, and it never caused me any problems.

If you think it's the quality of the bridge that's causing tuning problems when you're in drop-D, you could try something like using more or better springs, swapping the saddles out for String Savers, or getting an entire new drop-in replacement. You don't need something crazy like a Floyd if all you need is a higher quality version of the bridge you already have.

 

[Grand Moff Tim]

OH, also, make sure you know what size bridge/saddles you get if you take that route. The string spacing on import strat bridges is usually different from that of American models. I know my MIM Strat has the import spacing, so it's definitely worth checking.

 

[Riggy]

I don't quite get why you can't use the wammy when you're in drop D.

This.

My first strat constantly changed from E to drop D and back again - and could use the whammy.

 

[Xoiijin]

This.

My first strat constantly changed from E to drop D and back again - and could use the whammy.

Was your tremolo flat against the body?
Did you drop the tremolo to make the strings flop?

This is sounding more promising.

 

[-42-]

Flat mount to body first and foremost, tuning issues with my Squier (and my Charvel for that matter) decreased significantly after I set the bridge flush to the top of the guitar. Also, have you looked into roller nuts?

Or just get this and slap on your current pickguard.

 

[Xoiijin]

I did a search yesterday and saw those strats. Not many Floyd equipped Fenders.