fender stratocaster

[mrnoodle]

The string set you're using is kind of a faddish thing, imho. The nu-metal kids like it because they detune their low E string to D or even C# to make it sound all growly, and the heavier string helps with that.

For regular playing, 52 seems a bit on the heavy side. If you like the way it sounds or feels, though, by all means keep it. But you should let someone at the local shop set it up for you. They'll need to adjust the truss rod, the action, the intonation, all that happy crap. It wouldn't be a bad idea to let them do it even if you were using standard light gauge strings, but it's a necessity with the heavies - that's why your trem is riding so high.

One option you might consider: one of my strats had the most anal-retentive, picky, irritating tremolos in the world. It would NOT stay in tune, either. So I changed the spring configuration (added TWO - edit), and bolted the mother down. I've never regretted it. If I need to do whammy bar stuff, I have guitars that have floyd rose style trems on em. The strat (it's now my only strat, come to think of it) doesn't need the aggravation. Plus, I can bend like 3 tones up now because I don't have the annoying trem trying to collapse on me.