Axis setup question

[GoKart Mozart]

In an ongoing effort to get all of my guitars playing roughly the same, I've run into something small that's puzzling me. Right now, I'm trying to get my three Wolfgangs and Axis in sync as far as the setup goes. I've pretty much nailed the action and neck relief on all of thembut the string tension on my Axis is a little bit stronger than the Wolfgangs. For example, bends past the 12th fret on the Axis take noticeably stronger effort than on the Peaveys, especially those 22 fret whole step bends. Just to see what would happen, I turned the trem claw screws back some, and that helped a little, but afterward any bends would cause the trem to pull off the body too much. Anything that I'm missing that might help solve this?

 

[hbucker]

This type of thing is one of the great mysteries of guitars IMO. Both have the same scale and if the strings are tuned to pitch, they should have the same tension. But frequently they don't.

I wish someone could explain it to me.

By the way, why do you want all your guitars, especially those of different brands, to feel the same?

 

[GoKart Mozart]

By the way, why do you want all your guitars, especially those of different brands, to feel the same?

Not all of them, just these 4 (all EVH) models. I don't know really, I just like to pick one up and it play the same as the others. That way I don't really get a favorite and that way all of them get equal playing time.

 

[Jimi D]

In an ongoing effort to get all of my guitars playing roughly the same, I've run into something small that's puzzling me...
{snip}
...the string tension on my Axis is a little bit stronger than the Wolfgangs. For example, bends past the 12th fret on the Axis take noticeably stronger effort than on the Peaveys, especially those 22 fret whole step bends. Just to see what would happen, I turned the trem claw screws back some, and that helped a little, but afterward any bends would cause the trem to pull off the body too much. Anything that I'm missing that might help solve this?

This is pretty much par for the course, I believe - the Wolfgang has a 15" fretboard radius and the Axis has a 10" radius, which means the Axis is going to fight harder against the bends, especially when you're going for the whole enchalada! You think the Axis fights back? Try a '52 RI Tele with it's 7.5" radius! Woah!

 

[jongitarz]

Once again JimiD is spot on...Canadians...Is there anything they DON'T know??

 

[milky]

hey jimi D you're so right!!!!

bending my strato reissue '57 vith 10/46 and blocked bridge sometimes make me think to sell it...

my luke is extremely mild....

Milky

 

[Jimi D]

Once again JimiD is spot on...Canadians...Is there anything they DON'T know??

Ya, we don't know enough to move somewhere warm!

 

[nobozos]

Try different springs on the trem. Check the number of springs on the Wolfgang compared to the Axis. If the number of springs is the same, try removing one spring and tightening the spring claw so that the trem is in the correct position.

There are different types of trem springs out there with different tensions. Experiment with the springs.

One thing you might try is swapping out the trem springs on the Axis with one of your Wolfgangs and see what happens. You may notice that the problem you had with the Axis transfers to the Wolfgang. If it does, try to get some Wolfgang springs for your Axis.