MIM Fat Strat set up

[mrski]

Just picked it up brand new and cheap on ebay... I'm new at set up so I got a few questions.

The light (.10) bullets are lifting the bridge too high off the body, 3/16 or more... I tightened the spring tension screws a bit but don't want to over tighten. It has 3 tremelo springs and I was thinking of adding 1 or 2 more to draw the bridge closer (1/8) to the body. good or bad idea? are 3 springs better for extra light(.09) strings?

The single coil pickups are tilted and the poles are all different heights and it doesn't look intentional. How do I clean this situation up?

What type and size wrench for head stock truss rod adjustment. Is it 1/8th allen?

[David Schwab]

Just picked it up brand new and cheap on ebay... I'm new at set up so I got a few questions.

The light (.10) bullets are lifting the bridge too high off the body, 3/16 or more... I tightened the spring tension screws a bit but don't want to over tighten. It has 3 tremelo springs and I was thinking of adding 1 or 2 more to draw the bridge closer (1/8) to the body. good or bad idea? are 3 springs better for extra light(.09) strings?

Some people like the bridge to float a little for upbends, but with 9's and even 10's, three springs are fine. Just tighten them as much as you need to get the bridge where you want it. 9's might just do the trick without adjusting the springs. If you don't used the vibrato much, you can add another spring.

The single coil pickups are tilted and the poles are all different heights and it doesn't look intentional. How do I clean this situation up?

You want the bass side lower than the treble side, because those strings are louder, and if the pickup are too close the magnets can pull at the string and cause an out-of-tune warble known as Stratitus. The poles are vintage stagger, which was to balance them for the heavy strings used back in the 50's. A lot of people like them that way. I don't care for staggered magnets.

Just adjust the pickups so they sound even across the strings, and from pickup to pickup. The bridge pickup might need to be closer to the strings than the other two, with the neck being the loudest, so you want that farther away from the strings.

What type and size wrench for head stock truss rod adjustment. Is it 1/8th allen?

You'll have to try some out. I never remember which one they used.

[Paleo Pete]

Don't fool with the truss rod unless it's absolutely necessary. It's not difficult to break, which would probably cost almost as much as a new guitar to fix. I don't know what size it is either, don't have to do them often.

Look down the frets from the headstock. You should see a slight bend away from the strings in the middle. Straight is uncommon and usually won't cause much trouble, bowed toward the strings is more uncommon, but would need adjustment, it will cause fret buzz.

You can also capo the first fret and fret the 15th, or about where neck and body join, it should have enough clearance to fit a medium to thick guitar pick in the middle.

[mrski]

The neck got a just a hair of extra relief I could do without but it feels and plays great so I'll take the advice and stay. thanks

[mrski]

Thanks for all the attention... the floating bridge I thought to be up 3/16 is closer to the standard lift of 1/8 upon further review... another reason I could stand to lower the lift is to elongate the string... I'm maxed out on the intonation adjustment on the low E and I need a hair more string length. advice?