. case scenario, just restrung ready to tune: ..once I've trimmed the extended leads from the machine heads I push down on the tremolo and wind the top three strings release bottom three, to a degree then back to the top, push... until it is closely tuned then release and fine tune
manually takes forever and may stretch the lower strings
Oh interesting. Do you manually stretch the strings by hand on a restring? I’m used to doing this (quite intensely!) to make sure everything holds tune on string bends and the like.
It is best to begin with about four guitars at least three with a tremolo *yours is a hollowbody, yes? where it carries its acoustical value AND a tremolo very cool As I play they need tuning periodically Reference is paramount Different songs carry different tunings as Artists themselves...
..hadn't considered any prior stretching ..can say, when one string is broken Id rather change them all if they are old.
I always stretch a new set of strings hard once I put them on and tune roughly to pitch. I saw guitar techs doing this backstage when I was young and took it as a lesson. If you give them a real good stretch then tune back up to pitch, you can be confident it will hold tune much better!