New guy needing help with CV 70s strat hss

[santinosings]

Hi there!

I’m new and I should’ve done this a long time ago. I’ve been considering some upgrades to my Cv 70s strat for a while and would love some recommendations. All of my issues are intonation related. It’s clear the QC isn’t always the greatest with Squier, but you can’t beat the upside if you find a diamond in the literal rough.

So things I’m wondering:
1) Any suggestions on a locking tuners?

I figure that’s a good place to start. I bought some a few years back but they didn’t fit. Am I going to have to drill smaller holes to make them fit?

2) Should I upgrade the bridge?

Also seems to be a rational conclusion. The intonation on this thing SUCKS and it’s such a bummer.

3) Anything else you would recommend?


Thank you all for your help!

 

[Guitarmageddon]

Hi there!

I’m new and I should’ve done this a long time ago. I’ve been considering some upgrades to my Cv 70s strat for a while and would love some recommendations. All of my issues are intonation related. It’s clear the QC isn’t always the greatest with Squier, but you can’t beat the upside if you find a diamond in the literal rough.

So things I’m wondering:
1) Any suggestions on a locking tuners?

I figure that’s a good place to start. I bought some a few years back but they didn’t fit. Am I going to have to drill smaller holes to make them fit?

2) Should I upgrade the bridge?

Also seems to be a rational conclusion. The intonation on this thing SUCKS and it’s such a bummer.

3) Anything else you would recommend?


Thank you all for your help!

Welcome to the forum.....we'll be glad to help you fix this!

Locking tuners will not help tuning stability or intonation.....neither will a new bridge.....

Intonation sucks so you say....okay....have you adjusted it? Are your pickups too high? If they are they can throw it off....has the guitar had a full professional setup?

Changing parts won't fix your issue, it's a setup issue.....

The nut slots might be too high and need fixing by a pro tech too....

Can you show photos please? If we see how the tuners are strung up, your pickup heights, your bridge saddle positions, we could help diagnose what needs to change....

 

[TimTheViking]

Welcome to the forum. This ^^
Please clarify if your issue is tuning instability or intonation. Or both? Either could be an easy fix that you can do yourself.
With that said, I've found that locking tuners help with efficiency in string changes but not stability. If strings are properly installed, they are not going to slip. My preference are the slotted tuners which I think are on you 70s CV. They've always worked well for me.

 

[AxelMorisson]

Hello/welcome! For tuning instability as in "slipping open chord notes" in cheap instruments you get two usual suspects: bad/weak springs in the trem system and slipping tuning pegs/gears. For starters, ensure that the strings are well installed. What I mean is no 10000 turns on each peg, limit to three to four per peg max and try to make the "coils" as neat as possible -by gently pulling the string back while tightening until taut and then continue with balancing the strings- I mean : after the first tune-up, do it again immediately!
In reverse order- new strings stretch a bit and need to be "tightened" three or four times until they lay well.Some people will recommend to (manually) pinch the strings and lift them as much as you can (carefully!) and -gently and controlled-bring them back to where they were, re-tune, repeat two or three times to stretch them. After this- if the instrument is well set-up, it would remain in tune for at least a couple of songs... if not- check there are no weak springs in the trem system. I bought a hard tail bullet and it is very solid with no tuning issues whatsoever. Stronger springs- or more, like the full 5 complement- are better. If the problem persists, find a piece of wood of the right thickness and block the trem- that is, disable the string and pivoting action by jamming this solid piece of wood -something of the size of an eraser or a 9V battery or that of a lighter (no actual lighters please!) between the trem bloc and the edge of the trem system cavity.
Lube the nut! if you don't go for commercial products please use a soft 2B grade or softer pencil in the 0.5 mm variety- to gently smudge graphite in all the fret slots of the nut. This will help the strings not to bind when bending.
With all these tricks and a lot of practice- the tuning stability will improve. No guitar has perfect tuning stability- except sometimes some of the 8 strings or some basses that are somehow sturdier built. Changes in temperature and humidity can cause a neck to warp or bend- for bends w/o warping, most guitars today have a trussrod that you can adjust by tightening a nut - and thus curving up a metal bar that goes inside the neck of the guitar. It can be bent such as to counteract the bending from natural causes (*string pull mostly). After this is done, a setup for string height and intonation is in order. Most decently built guitars should be ok after all this. If not, then it's in need of some repair- have a specialist look it over.. Best of luck!

 

[Hal Nico]

Hi there!





Also seems to be a rational conclusion. The intonation on this thing SUCKS and it’s such a bummer.


Thank you all for your help!

How do you know the intonation SUCKS?

I have three budget Stratocasters including an ultra cheap Squier Bullet. All of them with floating Tremolos systems and no tuning or intonation problems. All of them have standard non-locking Machine-heads.

Bookmark this YT contributor and start to setup your guitars properly,

Bear in mind that no fretted instrument can ever be perfectly in tune. This is because of the laws of physics explained by, "Equal Temperament",

Read here,

http://www.guyguitars.com/eng/handbook/Tuning/tuning.html

and watch this video,

HTH

 

[AxelMorisson]

I wonder how many people just expect the instruments to be intonated from the factory.. or at least radius-adjusted .. and say they don't sound good. I also found some guitar "techs" that were weirdly ignorant of those little screws around the saddles..

 

[santinosings]

Welcome to the forum.....we'll be glad to help you fix this!

Locking tuners will not help tuning stability or intonation.....neither will a new bridge.....

Intonation sucks so you say....okay....have you adjusted it? Are your pickups too high? If they are they can throw it off....has the guitar had a full professional setup?

Changing parts won't fix your issue, it's a setup issue.....

The nut slots might be too high and need fixing by a pro tech too....

Can you show photos please? If we see how the tuners are strung up, your pickup heights, your bridge saddle positions, we could help diagnose what needs to change....

Welcome to the forum.....we'll be glad to help you fix this!

Locking tuners will not help tuning stability or intonation.....neither will a new bridge.....

Intonation sucks so you say....okay....have you adjusted it? Are your pickups too high? If they are they can throw it off....has the guitar had a full professional setup?

Changing parts won't fix your issue, it's a setup issue.....

The nut slots might be too high and need fixing by a pro tech too....

Can you show photos please? If we see how the tuners are strung up, your pickup heights, your bridge saddle positions, we could help diagnose what needs to change....

 

[santinosings]

I wonder how many people just expect the instruments to be intonated from the factory.. or at least radius-adjusted .. and say they don't sound good. I also found some guitar "techs" that were weirdly ignorant of those little screws around the saddles..

I’m fairly certain (it’s been a little while) I played a few gigs with it, realized it wasn’t good out of the box and took it to my guy who is incredible. Still proceeded to have issues. Not a little off tune every couple songs. Going flat mid song every song

 

[santinosings]

How do you know the intonation SUCKS?

I have three budget Stratocasters including an ultra cheap Squier Bullet. All of them with floating Tremolos systems and no tuning or intonation problems. All of them have standard non-locking Machine-heads.

Bookmark this YT contributor and start to setup your guitars properly,

Bear in mind that no fretted instrument can ever be perfectly in tune. This is because of the laws of physics explained by, "Equal Temperament",

Read here,

http://www.guyguitars.com/eng/handbook/Tuning/tuning.html

and watch this video,

HTH

I knew it sucked from playing gigs, trying to get it set up, and then proceeding to have the same issues.

I’m sure I have other issues due to inexperience. But my Squier tele has one of the same issues ‍

 

[santinosings]

Hello/welcome! For tuning instability as in "slipping open chord notes" in cheap instruments you get two usual suspects: bad/weak springs in the trem system and slipping tuning pegs/gears. For starters, ensure that the strings are well installed. What I mean is no 10000 turns on each peg, limit to three to four per peg max and try to make the "coils" as neat as possible -by gently pulling the string back while tightening until taut and then continue with balancing the strings- I mean : after the first tune-up, do it again immediately!
In reverse order- new strings stretch a bit and need to be "tightened" three or four times until they lay well.Some people will recommend to (manually) pinch the strings and lift them as much as you can (carefully!) and -gently and controlled-bring them back to where they were, re-tune, repeat two or three times to stretch them. After this- if the instrument is well set-up, it would remain in tune for at least a couple of songs... if not- check there are no weak springs in the trem system. I bought a hard tail bullet and it is very solid with no tuning issues whatsoever. Stronger springs- or more, like the full 5 complement- are better. If the problem persists, find a piece of wood of the right thickness and block the trem- that is, disable the string and pivoting action by jamming this solid piece of wood -something of the size of an eraser or a 9V battery or that of a lighter (no actual lighters please!) between the trem bloc and the edge of the trem system cavity.
Lube the nut! if you don't go for commercial products please use a soft 2B grade or softer pencil in the 0.5 mm variety- to gently smudge graphite in all the fret slots of the nut. This will help the strings not to bind when bending.
With all these tricks and a lot of practice- the tuning stability will improve. No guitar has perfect tuning stability- except sometimes some of the 8 strings or some basses that are somehow sturdier built. Changes in temperature and humidity can cause a neck to warp or bend- for bends w/o warping, most guitars today have a trussrod that you can adjust by tightening a nut - and thus curving up a metal bar that goes inside the neck of the guitar. It can be bent such as to counteract the bending from natural causes (*string pull mostly). After this is done, a setup for string height and intonation is in order. Most decently built guitars should be ok after all this. If not, then it's in need of some repair- have a specialist look it over.. Best of luck!

Wow, that’s a lot of info to check out. Thank you very much!

 

[santinosings]

Welcome to the forum. This ^^
Please clarify if your issue is tuning instability or intonation. Or both? Either could be an easy fix that you can do yourself.
With that said, I've found that locking tuners help with efficiency in string changes but not stability. If strings are properly installed, they are not going to slip. My preference are the slotted tuners which I think are on you 70s CV. They've always worked well for me.

Likely instability would be the more appropriate term

 

[Guitarmageddon]

Doesn't look like the intonation is set....the saddles look almost the same length, straight across....

Do you know how to check relief and nut height?

 

[Viking]

Strings being wound wrong on the tuner shafts probably don't help.

 

[Hal Nico]

I knew it sucked from playing gigs, trying to get it set up, and then proceeding to have the same issues.

I’m sure I have other issues due to inexperience. But my Squier tele has one of the same issues ‍

I use a PTFE spray lubricant on my Machine-heads/Top-Nut/ Bridge saddles and through body string break points. This prevents friction and the strings binding affecting tuning stability.

UK GT85 PTFE spray

USA PTFE Spray


You can use light machine oil or even waxy lip balm.

Always tune the strings from below the note never from above e.g if the note is sharp drop the note to well below the note and then take it up. This removes slack from string and system preventing note-slip.

 

[LittleGiant]

Welcome to ST.

 

[santinosings]

Doesn't look like the intonation is set....the saddles look almost the same length, straight across....

Do you know how to check relief and nut height?

i don’t think so, no

 

[santinosings]

I use a PTFE spray lubricant on my Machine-heads/Top-Nut/ Bridge saddles and through body string break points. This prevents friction and the strings binding affecting tuning stability.

UK GT85 PTFE spray

USA PTFE Spray


You can use light machine oil or even waxy lip balm.

Always tune the strings from below the note never from above e.g if the note is sharp drop the note to well below the note and then take it up. This removes slack from string and system preventing note-slip.

thank you!

 

[santinosings]

Welcome to ST.

thank you very much

 

[Beagle]

I’m fairly certain (it’s been a little while) I played a few gigs with it, realized it wasn’t good out of the box and took it to my guy who is incredible. Still proceeded to have issues. Not a little off tune every couple songs. Going flat mid song every song

You need to get a new guy. He's not incredible at all.

 

[Guitarmageddon]

i don’t think so, no

THIS is why you're having problems, the guitar has never had a professional full setup - you also have your tuners wrapped the wrong way, the saddles are NOT intonated, the pickups are too high. You should find a good guitar tech and pay to have a pro setup done.

EDIT - if somebody already looked at this, they are NOT incredible, they are terrible at guitar setups....

Going flat all the time is due to the tuners being strung the wrong way, improper forces at the nut, the strings not being fully stretched, the setup not being done, and the bridge float or decking not being properly done.