Kahler tremolo tuning question

[Rockin Mike]

I have a Kahler tremolo and when I pull up to raise the pitch and return to neutral position, my tuning is a bit flat.

I don't think this is a friction issue, I think friction would cause the strings to be sharp after the bar is back to neutral (i.e. not all the added tension was released). I have followed all the rules I know about for tremolo string setup:
string paths are straight from yoke to tuning peg
strings wind up, not down on the peg so they don't angle down over the nut
ball end is seated straight in the yoke

I think this is due to the (fairly new) strings stretching out and that my setup is ok friction-wise.

Anyone agree or disagree?

[amimbari]

is it a 3 spring 7410 or a 2 spring 2410?

no way to know unless you unscrew it.

the strings over the nut or angles up to the tuners may have a problem if they are at an angle on certain units. also, the strings must not bind at the nut.

mine is the 3spring version and I actually took a spring off to make it easier to push the bar, and my string angle off the nut is extreme and I have never had that issue. I also had a black version of this same bass with the old 2 spring unit and never had an issue.

there's a site dedicated to the trem called basstremolofanatics.com that has a lot of info.

[Rockin Mike]

Mine is a 3-spring 7415, the saddle rearward design.

I had to tighten my spring tension adjustment to keep the strings from rotating the cam too far forward which made the whammy bar touch the front of the guitar.
I wonder how it would work if I took a spring off. It's worth a try assuming I could get the spring back on there if I didn't like it.

Hm, maybe it is binding. I pulled the bar up, increasing tension, which would have pulled a tiny bit of string from the headstock through the nut toward the bridge, so when I returned the bar to neutral that tiny bit would have to pass back from the fretboard over the nut to the headstock to equalize tension back to normal. If it didn't equalize fully, the length of string between nut and bridge would be a tiny bit too long, so the strings would be flat.

It's a stock Ibanez SR305 (cheap) nut. Sounds like time for a Graphtech nut...

[amimbari]

it probably came with the short arm as well, not bent properly for you to do what you were saying about the bar hitting with the cam rotated. and for some reason I always forget about 5stringers and always say 2410/7410


SR's have very straight strings off the nut but not this one:


I have a friend with a Jackson Kelly bass who started with a plastic changed to a graphite nut and it took away a lot of his out of tune ness after a few divebombs.
springs come out easily since there is no tension on them if you wanna experiment.

.