Question: Drop D...

[YtseJam92]

Hi, I'm new here.. I Just got my first Ball a few weeks ago and a question has arisen.

Q: Can I drop the E to a D without causing all the strings to go out of tune? I don't want to tune all 6 down, just the E. Is this safe to do without having to adjust any of the springs in the back?

Thanks!

[Ahess86]

Congrats on the new guitar! The tremolo is floating on a JP6 (allowing it to be pulled up in addition to diving) so spring tension, string gauge, and tuning are all related and affect each other BUT...

If you are only tuning the 6th string down one step, you shouldn't have to make any notable adjustments. If you're planning on keeping the guitar in drop D permanently, I'd recommend adjusting the intonation on the low E (now D) string to accommodate the different tuning.

If you will be going back and forth between standard tuning and drop D, you shouldn't have to make any adjustments. When you drop the E down to a D, its possible that the remaining 5 strings will go slightly sharp and you'll have to re tune, but thats fairly standard with a floating tremelo guitar.

EDIT: If you need any further guidance it would be a great idea to contact customer service!

[leftyguitarblue]

or you could put a Tremol-NO on your guitar. I had one on my Luke and it enables you to "lock" the trem and tune down with no problems. Check it out...Tremol-No™

[edrod]

Hey Scott, you have any pics of the tremol-No in your Luke?

[edrod]

Never mind, I just some videos on youtube. That thing is incredible, can I install that on my JP (when i get it)?

[ivanmihaljevic]

or you could put a Tremol-NO on your guitar. I had one on my Luke and it enables you to "lock" the trem and tune down with no problems. Check it out...Tremol-No™

I installed a Tremol-No on my white JP and I have mixed feelings about it!
It's great for turning your guitar into a hardtail and for quickly dropping your 6th string into D without the need to retune the other 5 strings, but I don't like it in full floating mode. No matter how I set it up, it doesn't feel as smooth as it does without it...

[Warg Master]

I had one on my JP and I loved it. Especially when changing strings as I could lock the thing and remove ALL the strings and have an easy time cleaning and conditioning the fretboard and such. plus the modes were very convenient.

I don't like it in full floating mode. No matter how I set it up, it doesn't feel as smooth as it does without it...

They say that if this happens to you it is not installed properly...... That happened to me too, but after playing with it for a while (tooooo long), I got it perfect. Try removing and replacing the clamp at different angles. If you don't have the clamp on properly, it could be misaligned. It needs to be perpendicular to the claw…. A perfect 90 degree angle. The MM trems make ithis a little challenging as the bottom of the trem block has that angled cut.

Also, try adjusting the trem screws on the claw ever so slightly (I.E. 1/8 a turn at a time with the screw-driver). If the claw is not perfectly straight you WILL be able to feel the Tremol-no is there. Plus, you will defiantly want to lock down the claw when you’re finished adjusting the screws to prevent any accidental slipping while playing..

There are other factors, but those are the most common.

[edrod]

I would like to know what BP or somebody from customer service thinks about this.

[leftyguitarblue]

Never mind, I just some videos on youtube. That thing is incredible, can I install that on my JP (when i get it)?

I plan on installing it. It worked great on the Luke for me. Alignment is the key, if it is off, it will make the trem feel stiff.

[edrod]

If I want to use it for tunings, can I still you the whammy bar?

[ivanmihaljevic]

If I want to use it for tunings, can I still you the whammy bar?

While it's locked down? No.
but if you want to just tune down to drop D, you can go to dive only mode

[perlan]

If you block the bridge so it can't pull up you can use the EVH D-tuna.

[Kevan]

I would like to know what BP or somebody from customer service thinks about this.

Well, BP hasn't given me a swirlie yet.
Does that count for anything?

[MusicManJP6]

I've thought about installing a Tremel-NO in my Mystic Dream JP but I got some 'bad' reviews about it over at the JP forums. Mostly they were saying that it would start 'slipping' after it started to wear and would effect tuning stability...

here's the thread:

Tremol-no on a JP? thoughts please... - - John Petrucci Forums

I still may try one out to see for myself...

[Kevan]

I've thought about installing a Tremel-NO in my Mystic Dream JP but I got some 'bad' reviews about it over at the JP forums. Mostly they were saying that it would start 'slipping' after it started to wear and would effect tuning stability...

here's the thread:

Tremol-no on a JP? thoughts please... - - John Petrucci Forums

I still may try one out to see for myself...

Thanks for the link.
That guy who's pulling his T-No in favor of an Arming Adjuster is in for a big surprise (after he's drilled a bunch of holes in his guitar for the AA).
One guy threw his in a lake? Isn't that littering?

I'm sensing a few of those folks didn't take the time to setup their T-No properly, and then blame it for any issues. Kinda like driving around on a car with a flat tire and complaining about how the handling sucks.

The slipping thing is SUPPOSED to happen. That's a safety feature I built into the units to protect the trem block from damage, the claw screws from being ripped out of the body, and the snapping of trem arms.
If someone is continually using/abusing the safety, of course it's going to 'wear out'. They're slowly filing down the face of the thumbscrew with each attempt at moving the T-No while it's locked (the Shaft is stainless steel, so it's not "wearing out".)

The good news is that they don't have to throw it away. They can simply roughen up the faces of the thumbscrews (takes about 2 minutes) and they will begin to grip again. Or the thumbscrews can be replaced quickly, cheaply, and easily.
If they're using some crazyass string set (70-22?), then they can use the set screws (INCLUDED!) instead of the thumbscrews.

Short of installing it personally (which I would do if they asked), I'm not sure how else to help them out.


Oddly enough, I've never heard from ANY of those guys.
No email.
No post on the T-No forum.
No call.
Nothin'.