How to Make a Stratocaster Bridge Flat

A tilted bridge makes the strings slope.

The Stratocaster is an iconic guitar most closely associated with the Fender brand. Although Leo Fender designed the Stratocaster, there are multiple "Stratocaster-type" guitars which have similar features. A Stratocaster typically has a tremolo-type bridge that enables you to move the bridge-position with a tremolo arm. The bridge should naturally sit flat against the body of the guitar. If it does not this puts the strings at an awkward playing angle. You can fix this by adjusting the tension of the bridge springs in the rear of the guitar.

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Guitar tuner
1/4-inch jack cable
Phillips screwdriver

Instructions

- 1
  
  Connect the Stratocaster to an electric tuner. Tune each string in the standard fashion, tightening the tuning machine to correct flat strings and loosening it to correct sharp notes. You must have a perfectly tuned guitar before adjusting the bridge. The tension of the strings influences the angle of the bridge relative to the body. The springs in the bridge cavity compensate for this tension and, when set correctly, they keep the bridge flat against the body. If you adjust these springs before tuning the strings, the increased tension from tuning the strings later on can cause the bridge to slip out of place again.
- 2
  
  Remove the tremolo arm from the bridge. Typical stratocaster bridges have a screw-in tremolo arm. If your arm appears not to be unscrewing, try pulling it out. If your Stratocaster has a Floyd Rose bridge, the arm is probably of the pull-out variety. Removing the arm enables you to lay the guitar flat, face-down.
- 3
  
  This Stratocaster has a Floyd Rose bridge.
  
  Lay the guitar face-down.
- 4
  
  Unscrew the rear panel with a Phillips screwdriver to expose the tremolo cavity. Inside this cavity you will see the back end of the bridge. It is connected to the cavity wall by an array of springs. The springs are fixed in place on a mounting-plate. You can adjust this mounting-plate to increase or decrease the tension of these springs. The tension of the springs governs the angle of the bridge.
- 5
  
  Tighten the screws attached to the spring mounting-plate so they go further into the cavity wall. There are typically two, depending on the make and model of Stratocaster. The screws are deliberately left with one inch worth of thread on the outside of the cavity. This gives you scope to screw them further into the wall should you require. The tighter you make the screws, the closer the spring mounting-plate sits to the wall. The closer the spring mounting-plate is to the cavity wall, the more tension the springs apply to the inertia block, pulling the back of the tremolo down against the body of the guitar.
- 6
  
  Check the clearance between the front edge of the tremolo and the body. If there is still a gap, tighten the spring mounting-plate some more. If the back of the bridge is tilted upward, loosen the screws to reduce the tension applied to the bridge by the springs.