Tuning stability - VM Squier Jag w/AmPro bridge, Tusq nut

[VealCutlet]

I'm having issues with tuning stability with my VM Jaguar. Yes, a common issue, but I thought my current setup would have helped.

- 2017 VM Jaguar
- Tusq XL nut
- American Pro 9.5" radius bridge
- Fender MIJ Trem

It's been an effort to get this thing to remain stable, tuning wise. I've moved from the stock bridge, to a 7.5" Mustang style bridge - neither worked well (I shimmed the Mustang saddles to approximate the 9.5" radius, but there were lateral movement issues with the saddles).

I shimmed the neck and dressed the original nut slots. Still bad results.

I installed the American Pro bridge. With the neck shimming, the bridge was set pretty high, and did not visibly rock when the trem was actuated. I then replaced the nut with a Tusq XL, and re-shimmed the neck to reduce the break angle and downward pressure on the bridge, which can be seen to move slightly with the vibrato.

Stability is improved, but not what I would expect. Nearly any bend will send it out of tune. For comaprison, I have a VM Squier Jazzmaster with a Staytrem and US AVRI trem unit (and original Squier nut), and i can bend strings and hit the whammy hard and it stays in tune.

I'll pay a little more atention to the nut when I have a chance. I didn't feel any binding - the strings seemed to move freely through the Tusq. Is the Staytrem the magic element I'm missing? It seems some people have been happy with their Am Pro bridges. I'm pretty frustrated with this right now. Any suggestions would be helpful. Thanks!

[Danley]

So you’re still using the stock Squier vibrato? Apart from any other setup issue that may/may not exist, it seems people either get units that are fine, or garbage. It’s the first place I look, since all of mine have been garbage nd needed replacement.

You have an AVRI vibrato already you can swap on. What happens when you do that?

[alexpigment]

When you bend a string, do all the strings go out of tune, or just the one you're bending? If it's just the one you're bending, I'd look at the nut.

While Tusq nuts claim to be "self lubricating", I don't consider them to really be much better than the stock plastic ones in terms of being "ready to go" for whatever gauge of strings you're putting on the guitar. And of course, a "self lubricating" nut is nowhere as effective as actual lubrication (vaseline, nut sauce, etc). As I've said probably ad nauseum on this forum, press the string down between the nut and tuners and release it, then check the tuning of the string. If the string then goes sharp, the nut slots are binding. Hope this helps.