Maybe not designed for Dive Bombs, but I use my Jag-Stang and my 66' Fender Mustang's vibrato to a level akin to Edward Van-Halen almost every day, every week.
Here's what I do, why this thing never gets mentioned except by me I never know...
viewtopic.php?f=1&t=14552&p=319631&hilit=whammy#p319631
The key parts in my new short version I'll post here...
- Stretching out the strings - don't want to do it too much or the strings will go sharp, but don't do it too little or they will go flat. This has got to be the most common mistake, overstretching will cause the string to retract when the bar is pushed down, causing the pitch to rise, under-stretching will cause the vibrato to stretch the string out more, causing hte strings to go flat.
- Make sure the nut is clean - debris, save for very very lubricants (if you so choose) will cause the strings to bind and go out of tune, as well as nut slots that are cut too small for the strings you use.
- Restringing makes a difference, neatly coiled strings will stay in tune better than if you have a scatter-wound set of strings on the tuning pegs. Kluson styles work great for this because you already have a nice little retainer hole in the middle of the shaft, and on the wound strings especially, this tight resistance against slippage keeps the guitar from going out of tune.
Sometimes, they can and do go out of tune, the trick is to learn how to un-noticeably slip the guitar back into tune on the offending string without anyone noticing. I know it's not common, if ever visible, in Alternative Rock circles to see this going on (as they don't use vibrato bars), but in heavy rock, especially metal, where whammy bars are commonplace, you may catch the guitar player tune up midway through.
