restringing a strat with a heavier gauge

[WhatNeedsMustBe]

okay so this is my first post and i need some help pleaseee

 

i have an 07 american deluxe strat and have always strung it up with 10s

 

however i recently put 11's on it and despite being screwed down further the bridge is being pulled up and im afraid too much pressure is being placed on the neck right now

 

what should i do? truss rod adjustment? bridge? or get the strings off?

 

thanks guys i appreciate it

[DonK]

You have to consider several things. The bridge is pulling up because of the increased tension. If you prefer it flush with the body, you'll need to tighten the screw that holds the claw and/or add more springs (I always use 5 springs rather than the usual 3). That'll bring the bridge back down. 11's aren't going to kill the neck, but you'll need to adjust the trust rod (tighten it by turning the nut clockwise). It would have been better had you checked the relief before changing strings, so you'd know how much relief to shoot for to get back to where you were. In any event, the trick is to go slowly. Turn the truss rod a maximum of a quarter-turn, then let the neck settle overnight. Capo the first fret, and then while holding down the low E at the body fret, check the relief at the 7th fret - factory standard is .010", so that's good target to start with. If the relief is greater, give it another 1/4 twist (if you're close to .010", then only go an 1/8th turn) and let it settle again.

 

Finally, American Strats typically come from the factory with .009's, which means the nut slots will have been cut for that gauge. Moving up to .010's generally isn't a problem, but going to .011's may require the nut slots to be enlarged slightly to let the strings rest properly in the slots, and to avoid them binding when doing bends.

[WhatNeedsMustBe]

thanks for all the info!

[DonK]

thanks for all the info!

 

 

You're welcome. One thing I meant to add: if you go to adjust the trem claw or add springs, loosen the strings first to decrease the tension. At regular string tension, the claw screw can be hard to turn, making it easy for the screwdriver to slip and leave a nice gouge on the back.