There are a few secrets to keeping your Strat with a traditional bridge (and twin pivot bridges) in tune and I'm going to pass these along to you here (some aspects also apply to Telecasters). Many players blame the bridge for failure to return to pitch when actually it's more likely to be the fingerboard nut to blame. When you bend notes or use the Vibrato bridge the strings must be able to slide freely through the 6 little grooves in the nut. If there is any friction in those grooves then there is a strong likelihood they won't return to the correct pitch when you have finished the bend or Vibrato. Same applies to the String guide (or string tree). The properties of the material itself is the primary cause but tight grooves can also contribute to the problem. Also, the modern roller and ball bearing nuts are just as troublesome as the old plastic (bone) ones. The rollers or balls seize and stop rolling causing string drag.
To prove the point with conventional nuts melt a little bit of candle wax into the grooves with the strings pulled to one side. For a good job use a soldering iron (not very hot) to make sure it has penetrated into the grooves thoroughly. Re-tune your guitar and try bending or Vibratos again. If the pitch return is better then you have the answer. Unfortunately candle wax is only a temporary solution.
For a permanent fix I favor the use of Nylatron (A tough plastic that is used as an engineering bearing material in Industrial applications - Nylatron 1/8" GS cut strip) because it lasts practically forever BUT is difficult to fashion nuts and string guides from. In America Nylatron (Natural color) can be obtained from http://www.interstateplastics.com/ >materials >Nylatron GS > scroll down to Order Form and Select Qty: 1, Thickness: .125", Sheet size: 12 x 12 In, Type: Natural. Cost is $8.30 (US Dollars).
Alternatively Graphtech make nuts and string guides that work quite well but are very soft and will not last such a long time.
Remember that the nut grooves will be optimized for a specific string gauge so if you decide later to go to a heavier gauge then the grooves may have to be widened. Also keep in mind that excessive angle of strings as they pass over the nut causes inherent friction so keep the angle to a minimum with the string tree.
Next is the way the strings are terminated around the tuner shafts. Basically you need to keep the turns around the shafts to a minimum. In 1984 I developed a way of limiting this to half a turn and with no slippage, provided you have the split shaft tuners such as Klusons or Gotoh (my favorites because the split in the shaft allows you to lock the string on with an absolute minimum of turns). Many players believe that wrapping all of the excess string around the tuner shafts will prevent slippage but actually the reverse is true. All those overlapping turns provide a lot of scope for slippage and sudden re-seating. Same goes for tying strings onto the tuner shaft.
First step, cut the E & A strings 25mm (1") past the corresponding shaft and poke the end into the hole at the bottom of the split. Then, after bending the string sharply out of the slot and with the string pulled tight with your fingers (see daig 3 and 4 below), wind the string around the shaft and up to pitch.
Second step, cut the D, G, B & E strings cut 40mm (1 -5/8") past the respective shafts (shown in diagram 1 below). Poke the end into the hole and wind tightly around the shaft for 1/2 turn, then lead it back through the slot again (for a second time) and continue winding up to pitch. Take care to ensure that on the second pass through the slot that the string exits the slot underneath the first loop of string, not on top of it (see diag 2 below). This helps to maintain more break angle over the nut by providing a steeper exit angle behind the nut.
Diag 1.
Diag 2.
Diag 3.
Keep the string taut during terminating and winding the string.
Diag 4.
Keep the string taut AND angled down while winding.
If your guitar is fitted with Gotoh heads you will now have about 1/2 turn of string around the shaft at concert pitch. If you have Klusons you will have about 1 complete turn. Either is satisfactory for the purpose. Don't be alarmed, this is a tried and tested method and I have recommended it with great success on my Blueprint series guitars since 1984.
Lastly the bridge itself. As long as it pivots freely on the 6 mounting screws without any binding or friction then it is best adjusted so that it floats off the body by about 3mm (1/8") at the rear of the bridge plate. This is the ideal position to allow Vibrato and facilitate returning to pitch since it reduces saddle-top friction by lessening the string break angle over the saddle. A floating bridge will return the strings to pitch better than if it is flat on the body. If it binds on the screws then obviously there is a problem that needs to be remedied by a good quality guitar repairer (see Links page) who should be aware of the next section dealing with bridge installation.
Finally a few words about managing the system. Tune up to pitch string by string. Stretch new strings a little bit by gently pulling them sideways at mid point along their length. Repeat tuning until all strings are stabilized. (Stretching is important each time you restring as new unstretched strings have different intonation settings) Push the vibrato arm down almost to the body and let return. Check the tuning again and if any strings are sharp simple detune to pitch, do not go below pitch and then tune back up (this defeats the purpose) If any strings are flat then tune up to pitch, do not over shoot the mark. If you accidentally do overshoot and find the pitch is too high start the process over. It's important to sneak the string directly to pitch from either the sharp or flat positions. Overshooting is a No No. Now you'll see why I like Gotoh tuners.
Having accomplished that step press the vibrato arm again as before and repeat the string tuning process. This may have to be done up to 3 times. If it takes more than 4 times to stabilize then there is something wrong in the system, perhaps a tight nut groove. When it's stabilized you should be able to deck the arm and have the strings return to pitch satisfactorily.
Now when bending strings, particularly the plain G, they will return flat, but don't panic. Simple press the vibrato arm again, as you did before, and presto the G will pop back into tune as if by magic. So you have to remember that when bending the G (and to a lesser extent the B & E) it will always return flat so just remember to press the arm and continue playing. The severity of the push is dependent on the severity of the bend. This method works on practically all Strats irrespective of whether Traditional bridge or a modern Twin Pivot bridge is fitted.
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