EVH Floyd Rose Adjustment

[Plek]

Hello everyone!

I haven't played my EVH since years and today I went to my guitar shop to replace the strings and to start playing again today.

The shopman told me that the distance between the strings and the fretboard is very uncomfortable / to high.

He suggested me to try to turn down the Floyd Rose. But then the last Humbucker would be to close to the strings, so I would also need to turn down the Humbucker. But I seems not to be possible...Humbucker cannot be turned down just with a turnscrew. He told me we have dismount the humbucker, perhaps there is something like a rubber/plastic that can be removed to get lower with the humbucker.

Has someone similar experiences or any idea how I can solve this.....on the other hand in the past it did not disturbed me...but perhaps I would like to sell it in the future and then I would like to get no problems with the high strings.

Hopefully you understand what I am mean cause I am not a native english speaker....therefore I added some pics to give you an impression!

Thanks for support!

 

[sixstrings]

How about trying this first?

What is the best way to adjust the action on my Music Man guitar?

Works like a charm on all ebmm guitars.

 

[DrKev]

It is impossible for me to tell from these photos. Judging by eye can be tricky. Photographs present too many optical illusions from depth of field, and lighting angle and viewing angle. Especially when it's not a guitar that is in front of me on a work bench. I would break out the engineers rule and feeler gauges and properly measure the string height over the 12th fret and the neck relief and then I would know exactly how to proceed. But a good guitar tech should be able to fix any of these problems very easily and get the guitar back to factory specification, or whatever string height is most comfortable to you, very easily.

Of course, if the guitar plays well and is comfortable for you to play and you are happy, then you have nothing to worry about.

 

[lessthanone]

Going by those photos you're bridge looks to be in the perfect place, on those it should be resting on the body and the baseplate should be parallel with the body. You probably just need a shim,or bigger shim, at the back of the neck pocket. Any competent tech should have been able to tell you that.

 

[Plek]

It is impossible for me to tell from these photos. Judging by eye can be tricky. Photographs present too many optical illusions from depth of field, and lighting angle and viewing angle. Especially when it's not a guitar that is in front of me on a work bench. I would break out the engineers rule and feeler gauges and properly measure the string height over the 12th fret and the neck relief and then I would know exactly how to proceed. But a good guitar tech should be able to fix any of these problems very easily and get the guitar back to factory specification, or whatever string height is most comfortable to you, very easily.

Of course, if the guitar plays well and is comfortable for you to play and you are happy, then you have nothing to worry about.

I measured the height over the 12th and 22nd fret. Over the 12th i have 4,5mm and over the 22nd I have 5mm.

I have read on a Music man page and here in the forum that the first try for a lower Action stöhle be to turn the truss rod....do you think it will help? http://forums.ernieball.com/music-man-basses/20368-ok-im-idiot-truss-rod-adjustment-3.html

Thanks again....

 

[DrKev]

4.5 mm at the 12th fret? That's VERY high. More than twice what you need and not something a truss rod adjustment alone can ever solve. Lessthenone is correct, your bridge does not look too high, and so the neck angle may need adjusting.

This is an easy job for people with experience. But if you have not done this kind of thing before then you need to find an experienced guitar tech or luthier take care of it for you.

 

[Plek]

What do you mean by neck angle adjusting? Shimming?

 

[DrKev]

Yes. The guitar needs a full and complete setup. Everything should be look at. Neck angle, neck relief, bridge saddles, pickups, nut, the whole lot. What part of the world are you in, Plek?

 

[Plek]

That sounds not good and expansive and shimming seams to reduce the Connection between the neck and the Body...! I am living in Germany ... no other idea? Can I make something wrong if I try at first to adjust the truss rod at Maximum? How to I recognize that I am at maximum.

Or can I sell the guitar in this shape?

 

[DrKev]

The truss rod will not change the action by more than ~0.6mm. You need 2.5mm difference. The problem lies elsewhere. Your guitar needs a full set up. It will cost you between €50 and €80, which is less than the amount the price will drop if you try to sell it as it is now. Until it is fixed, nobody can be sure that the neck has no serious issues that could cost more.

 

[lessthanone]

That sounds not good and expansive and shimming seams to reduce the Connection between the neck and the Body...! I am living in Germany ... no other idea? Can I make something wrong if I try at first to adjust the truss rod at Maximum? How to I recognize that I am at maximum.

Or can I sell the guitar in this shape?

most bolt on neck guitars with floyd rose systems need to be shimmed. Almost all the evh/axis Ive had have been shimmed from the factory. Thats just the design of this particular guitar. Unless you have robot ears, you'd never be able to tell a guitar has a shim.
Also, don't start cranking on the truss rod if you have no idea what you are doing, like Drkev said, its not going to give you anywhere near what you need. Spend a little money and have a pro setup done and you will be surprised at how much better that sweet evh will play