I have a question I'm ashamed to ask. How do I go about changing strings on my strat? I've played for years but this is my first strat and I'm unfamilar with it. I do not have a manual and couldn't find the answer on Google.
It's an American Deluxe. Here is what the bridge looks like.
Turn it over. See the 6 holes on the back plate? Loosen the string you're about to change at the tuning peg, then completely unwind it from the tuner (or snip it near the tuner) and feed it down into the saddles shown in your picture. You should see it begin to pop out from the hole on the back plate.
Make sure your bridge is pretty flat when you're doing this, and ONLY CHANGE ONE AT A TIME. Otherwise, your bridge (tremelo block) will drift so that the holes in it no longer line up with the holes in the back plate, making life difficult unless you unscrew the back plate. :)
Now feed the new string up through the hole in the back plate, and it should pop up through the correct saddle. Then proceed as normal by attaching the string to the tuner and tuning to pitch in whatever way you normally use.
Hope that helps.
Hmm... don't the American Deluxes have locking tuners? Does that complicate the setup? (I have a Standard, so I honestly don't know here.)
naaaaaaaaaaaa........i think that's different.
you have to UN-LOCK the bridge saddles somehow....i think the strings lock-in with the allen wrench screw in the back of each saddle....loosen that and i think the string will slip thru like pc said.
[consider tagline!]
Imanidiot.
Complicate? No. Say what you want about tone, feel, etc., but one thing they definitely do is make string change easier. Unscrew the knob under the tuner about a half turn to free the string, pull it out, put the new one in almost taut, tighten the knob, hand-tune to pitch.
Doh, my back plate does no have holes. I guess I'll have to remove it every time I need to restring......
....Unless!
Nevermind, I can't find my drill bits.
No hole???? WTF?
I had an Am Dlx in '01 and it had holes. I've had 2 Strats since then too--both had holes, as do my two old Strats. That is the dumbest thing I've ever heard. Sorry man!
Hang on, let me be clear--I said "holes" in an earlier post--it's really just a slot. "Hole" would have been more accurate. "Slot" is more accurate still.
It's a slot that lines up exactly with the holes in the bottom of the trem block.
BTW--Frank might be right about the allen wrench thing, but on my Am Dlx Strat they were just Fender/Schaller locking tuners. The one in your picture appears (to me) to be the newer "fat" American Deluxe, which uses the tuners I described.
EDIT--I just checked Fender's parts list, which quite clearly shows the slot under the trem block for stringing. Not sure what you're looking at.
That's what I'm looking at.
And yes, it's a HSS deluxe with locking tuners and roller nut.
Whoa man, that's weird.
Here's the pic of the Am Deluxe HSS on their site--note the bridge is WAY different than yours.
And, again, their parts list shows a slotted back plate. Sorry. I'm out of ideas.
Originally Posted by Peavey
That's what I'm looking at.
And yes, it's a HSS deluxe with locking tuners and roller nut.
BWAHAHAHA......
I think i had a jackson w/ the locked-in strings/bridge like i mentioned
..i'm tellin ya, it was funky....and i was PISSED knowing i'd have to do it this way forever......guess where it is now?....SOLD.
Imanidiot.
Nope... never mind... I'm wrong. SORRY!!!!
Is yours an older model? Fender does list an American Deluxe Fat Stratocaster with "Deluxe" locking tremelo, and the parts list describes EXACTLY what you have.
You have to loosen those screws that go into the bridge (facing away from the pickups) and the string will come out. They seem to be held in place by those. Once removed you lay the new string in there (you may have to snip the ball-end off the strings) a little ways, then tighten that screw back up to lock the string into the bridge.
My bad--I was looking at the current models Fender offers (and also remembering that my AmDx had the slot, but it didn't have a "deluxe" trem system).
Yep, you were right Frank. I thought you meant using an allen wrench to unlock the strings at the tuner--I didn't realize you meant the bridge. But yup, you're right on. :)
How do you set the intonation on a bridge like that?
Yup, just loosen the screw, pull old strings out and pop new sting in. There is a tiny cylinder that is pushed against the string by the screw to hold it in place. It will take awhile to get use to because if you loosen the screw too much the little cylinder can fall out if you tip the bridge face down towards the floor. Pretty crazy if you ask me but seems to work.
Intonation is adjusted from the underside I beleve - behind the back plate. There are 2 screws under each saddle. I guess one is string height and the other intonation? I beleve my brother-in-law said something like that.
Well... at least you should feel better that there was no need to feel ashamed about asking the question. It has nothing to do with owning your first Strat, it's just plain goofy.
Good luck with all that. It's still a gorgeous guitar though. Congrats on the score. :yay
Peavey, I'm glad things worked out. For some reason, when I first saw the back cover I couldn't stop laughing. Cool thread, just learned something new.
:)
This thread may have finally convinced me not to get a Am. Deluxe Strat. Too complicated for this. Think I'll stick with the basic American Series when I get another Strat.
It's not complicated once you figure out how it works (didn't take much longer than a les paul style bridge after I got the hang of it).. It was well worth the work IMO as this is one of the best guitars I've played. It has totally converted me to Fender.
Thanks for all the help and for not laughing too hard at this poor noob! ;)
I just didn't want to screw anything up as this is the first guitar that I ever bought brand new.
Think this style bridge will be as good as other bridges? I feel kind of lonely becuase it seems like few others has this type of bridge.
Last edited by Peavey; 11-19-2005 at 09:28 PM.
Neither could I. It's like a cruel joke.
Sorry I couldn't help with the string change.
Several guitars in different colors
Things to make them fuzzy
Things to make them louder
orange picks
I think PC touched upon this topic further up, but here's some helpful advice that Photoweborama originally posted here a while back. When replacing strings, replace the low E first, then the high E, then the A, then the B, and the D and G strings finally. This keeps the bridge balanced and stable, preventing tuning problems :)
i bet this really annoy's you if your a grammar freak.
When I first saw that back trem cover I thought it had been photoshopped.
First one I have ever seen with no holes slots or access at all.
Man, that makes me feel better that you others haven't seen one like that either--especially our Fender product-line guru Marcondo.
That is one f-d up trem cover. :lol
Well, THAT'S a good reason not to buy onee with the locking trem. I had an AD with a standard trem, strings were changed in the traditional manner.
A friend in need is a good reason to screen your calls.
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