HELP! Just got setup and seems like somehting is wrong..

[Big Dainjerus]

Fellas, I got my axis checked out two days ago. Since I tune down a half step, me and the dude decided to throw on some 10s. Are they really that much of a bitch to play? I feel like I just went back 10 in time ten years! Do they loosen up or work in a bit, or am I just not built to use 10s??? It feels like the action is raised or something, is that how 10s feel or did the guy really raise the action? He took off the neck and did all types of stuff. Also, when I look at the trem and bridge from behind, looking down the neck towards the headstock, the part that rests on the body doesnt look even. On the left, where the low E and A is, it seems about a millimeter or two away from the body, whereas on the right side with the high E etc it is right on the body. Before I got it setup it was even. ANy suggestions as to what I should do? Are the 10s really throwing off my playing that much or is something now wrong with the set up?!?!

 

[Mick]

Was it a pro check or somebody who "knows guiatrs"?????
Just show it to a pro and he will tell ya.
There´s no need to take of the neck when changing gauges.

All the best

 

[SteveB]

Big...

Well, it *is* a bitch going back to 10's after playing 9's for a long time. Especially when you try to bend notes from the middle of the neck and beyond. You will adjust after a while.

But if your trem is not level and things are visibly out-of-whack, then I'd say you've got setup issues as well.

 

[Raz]

Fellas, I got my axis checked out two days ago. Since I tune down a half step, me and the dude decided to throw on some 10s. Are they really that much of a bitch to play? I feel like I just went back 10 in time ten years! Do they loosen up or work in a bit, or am I just not built to use 10s??? It feels like the action is raised or something, is that how 10s feel or did the guy really raise the action? He took off the neck and did all types of stuff. Also, when I look at the trem and bridge from behind, looking down the neck towards the headstock, the part that rests on the body doesnt look even. On the left, where the low E and A is, it seems about a millimeter or two away from the body, whereas on the right side with the high E etc it is right on the body. Before I got it setup it was even. ANy suggestions as to what I should do? Are the 10s really throwing off my playing that much or is something now wrong with the set up?!?!

First off the 10's will create more tension, and will probably cause you bridge to raise(the reason for the unbalance is there is a greater difference in tension between the lo E 42-46 than with the high E 9-10)..simply tighten the claw screws and re-tune...no problem there. As for the action, maybe he raised it a touch, since he felt putting on the 10's may buzz a bit more...from my experience, when I went from 9, to 10's I had no problem, and my action is really, really low..in fact I may go to 11's

 

[tommyindelaware]

Fellas, I got my axis checked out two days ago. Since I tune down a half step, me and the dude decided to throw on some 10s. Are they really that much of a bitch to play? I feel like I just went back 10 in time ten years! Do they loosen up or work in a bit, or am I just not built to use 10s??? It feels like the action is raised or something, is that how 10s feel or did the guy really raise the action? He took off the neck and did all types of stuff. Also, when I look at the trem and bridge from behind, looking down the neck towards the headstock, the part that rests on the body doesnt look even. On the left, where the low E and A is, it seems about a millimeter or two away from the body, whereas on the right side with the high E etc it is right on the body. Before I got it setup it was even. ANy suggestions as to what I should do? Are the 10s really throwing off my playing that much or is something now wrong with the set up?!?!

if he took the neck off........... i'm thinking a shim fell out.......

 

[jazzbo jim]

Big D:
Where are you located? You should probably do a little research..(talk to a couple pros) and soon it'll become clear who then comprises the tech "short list" in your 'hood.
Secondly, I find even going from D'Addario .0095's to EB .009's significant, so I would expect differences even in standard tuning.
If you were using .009's tuned down then going to 10's will be noticable.
As far as setup, do you know how to check relief-perhaps there's too much relief thus giving you a stifffer feel. The trem should be level and flush to the body. If it isn't then it needs adjusting.
You should either (work up the nerve and) go back and politely present your concerns and ask for it to be redone or take it to a new guy who comes highly recommended by the local pros.
YMMV
There are many knowledgeable folks on this board (including EB employees) who will likely pitch in some solid advice also.

 

[Dodgeball]

Sounds to me like you had the tech set it up for 9's and then decided to put 10's on it when you got it back.

 

[Jimi D]

Lots of good ideas here - lots of possibles... A good setup is a balance, and there are so many things you have to get just right, and the tolerances are so miniscule, that it can be a real challenge to tweak your axe to perfection... Ime, a .010 - .046 set tuned down to Eb shouldn't be that much harder than .009 - .042 set in E in terms of playability, but there will be a difference. Tommy's idea about a shim falling out is interesting, as that would significantly change the action, making it higher than it was. And - as others have mentioned - the bridge should be straight and true on your body, not angled (the saddles are height adjustable for setting string height off the bridge, so you don't have to jack the trem posts)... Basically, it doesn't sound like the guy that did the setup did a very good job, but I find it really hard to advise anyone on setup issues when the guitar is not in hand. As jazzbo jim noted, it's important to seperate the good techs from the hacks and wannabes (there's always more of the latter than the former in any 'burg) - once you find a good tech, the rest gets easy...

 

[Big Dainjerus]

thanks for the words guys. He came pretty highly reccomended over at the links. He seemed like he knew what he was doing, he had a shop etc. THe neck seemed off to begin with when I brought it to him, which is why he took it all apart and filed down the frets a bit etc. He also threw an extra spring in the back, is this to adjust the tension for 10s? And the trem is def not flush against the body when looking from behind, how can I fix this? He also took out a shim in the nut area, and he mentioned that he saw a shim in the neck but I didnt notice if he put it back in or not. Can I just mess with the truss rod to try and lower the action a bit and see if that works? Im really kind of bummed and humbled cause I feel like im 12 again trying to play! My hands arent particularly big or strong so maybe im just not made for 10s......I also spent about two hours in there with him and cost me 80 bucks. It seems he knew a lot and what he was doing but maybe with an Axis not all that applies, it seems like a diffferent animal to me. ALthough he was very fond of the craftmanship etc. And other suggestions?

 

[Jimi D]

And other suggestions?

Well, if I'd paid $80 for a setup, and I wasn't happy with the results, I'd march it back to the guy who did it for me, point out what I didn't like about it, and ask him to fix it - gratis, of course...

...but that's just me...

 

[beej]

Well, if I'd paid $80 for a setup, and I wasn't happy with the results, I'd march it back to the guy who did it for me, point out what I didn't like about it, and ask him to fix it - gratis, of course...

...but that's just me...

+1

 

[bearkat16]

The last tech that setup one of my guitars said that after I played it a couple of times to bring it back if I needed it tweaked a little more. Don't hesitate to take it back to him a explain your concerns. I think even he would much rather you do that than give him a bad name all over town. You never know, if you give him a chance to make it right he might end up being the best tech around.

 

[Big Dainjerus]

yeah he told me to bring it back if i had any problems etc, Im supposed to bring him in my ibanez to him as well. But I am just slightly worried that since things didnt work out the first time that maybe he just doesnt know how to deal with axis's's's. I am looking at the bridge now, and when looking form behind it slopes from left to right, and when looking at it normally it slopes from front to back as well. Maybe the trem posts are too high or something? it kind of feels more like a strat playability wise now than an Axis. I also cant bring it back into him until later next week when he gets back from some convention thing.

 

[jazzbo jim]

Big D,
where are you located?

 

[Raz]

yeah he told me to bring it back if i had any problems etc, Im supposed to bring him in my ibanez to him as well. But I am just slightly worried that since things didnt work out the first time that maybe he just doesnt know how to deal with axis's's's. I am looking at the bridge now, and when looking form behind it slopes from left to right, and when looking at it normally it slopes from front to back as well. Maybe the trem posts are too high or something? it kind of feels more like a strat playability wise now than an Axis. I also cant bring it back into him until later next week when he gets back from some convention thing.

Man that sucks, I fell for ya bro!

 

[jongitarz]

I fell for ya bro!

Raz is in love

 

[jazzbo jim]

Don't laugh! In another thread I mispelled "kick" when saying "he can kick my ass" (Just look at your keyboard!

 

[Raz]

Raz is in love

It's like you're waiting for us to make mistakes

 

[jongitarz]

 

[bearkat16]

Jon, I just noticed that you live in Repairadise,Ca. It got quite a chuckle out of me.