JP Bridge springs

[meshuggah]

How do you guys have your springs? In an angle to the middle, from the middle? Just straight?

/ David

 

[TheShreddinHand]

How do you guys have your springs? In an angle to the middle, from the middle? Just straight?

/ David

Mine came straight on and every floyd guitar I've owned over the last 16 years I've kept the 3 springs straight. I never liked the /|\ shape on my springs. I found the bridge had a little looser feel to it which I didn't like.

 

[Spudmurphy]

How do you guys have your springs? In an angle to the middle, from the middle? Just straight?

/ David

3 straight.
If you were to angle them then you are putting more tension into the spring by lengthening it.

 

[ProtoChicken]

3 straight.
If you were to angle them then you are putting more tension into the spring by lengthening it.

Hey Spud, I always do mine 3 straight as well, but if you put them angled which obviously increases tension don't you in turn have to readjust the claw to keep the bridge level since the higher tension will be pulling the bridge into the cavity? I always figured there was no real difference in the end between straight and angled due to this, is my thinking off?

 

[bkrumme]

I do 3 straight, unless I'm using a weird string gauge.

I used to use the Hybrid Slinky strings and with 3 straight I'd have to add some tension to the low side to even up the float of the trem. It would look like this:

||\

And to answer you, Jonah, yes...you would have to readjust and the tension is actually different due to the elongated spring. So while the end result is the trem floating like normal, the feel will be different.

 

[ProtoChicken]

And to answer you, Jonah, yes...you would have to readjust and the tension is actually different due to the elongated spring. So while the end result is the trem floating like normal, the feel will be different.

Right, but wouldn't the feel be the same since you need to move the spring claw forward to release tension since using the elongated spring adds it, assuming you are trying to keep your bridge level?

If you have your bridge level and flush with the body, and then you change your two outer springs to the diagonal position the bridge will be pulled into the bridge cavity forcing you to bring the spring claw closer to the bridge to loosen the tension and maintain the bridge position you had with the springs straight.

I'm not trying to be argumentative I'm honestly asking since I never noticed a difference in feel.

 

[Spudmurphy]

Hey Spud, I always do mine 3 straight as well, but if you put them angled which obviously increases tension don't you in turn have to readjust the claw to keep the bridge level since the higher tension will be pulling the bridge into the cavity? I always figured there was no real difference in the end between straight and angled due to this, is my thinking off?

You are spot on correct. I was contemplating going into that level of detail - then chickened (no pun intended) out, realising that I just needed to reply to the question. So yup, floating trem is always gonna be a tug of war between spring,, string tension and where you have the claw set.

 

[bkrumme]

Right, but wouldn't the feel be the same since you need to move the spring claw forward to release tension since using the elongated spring adds it, assuming you are trying to keep your bridge level?

If you have your bridge level and flush with the body, and then you change your two outer springs to the diagonal position the bridge will be pulled into the bridge cavity forcing you to bring the spring claw closer to the bridge to loosen the tension and maintain the bridge position you had with the springs straight.

I'm not trying to be argumentative I'm honestly asking since I never noticed a difference in feel.

The feel phenomenon may be just my imagination as I have no way to measure the actual tension, but I swear with the springs diagonal it feels looser when tuned the same. Here's my logic:

I think it would have to do with the balance of tension. You would have to loosen the trem claw which would put less tension on all of the springs, including the one that's straight. Because that one is straight, there's less tension on it and more on the diagonal ones. So the diagonal ones hold all the load instead of 3 equal load-bearing springs. So the overall tension on the claw is the same, but the balance of tension is different, so the feel is different, in my experience looser.

 

[D.K.]

Have it diagonal on my JP7 and straight on JP6. JP6 feels much looser - but that's no surprise and has nothing to do with the spring arrangement. )

Other than that I always try to set the guitar up with the springs straght, since, if I remember physics correctly, a system like a floating trem would only profit from as direct (versus angled) distribution of force as possible.

 

[Spudmurphy]

Here's my logic:

I think it would have to do with the balance of tension. You would have to loosen the trem claw which would put less tension on all of the springs, including the one that's straight. Because that one is straight, there's less tension on it and more on the diagonal ones. So the diagonal ones hold all the load instead of 3 equal load-bearing springs. So the overall tension on the claw is the same, but the balance of tension is different, so the feel is different, in my experience looser.

Initially I thought "What???". But on reflection I can see where you are coming from. The overall tension would have to be the same (to achieve the same float and using the same strings) but the tension is un evenly distributed across the width of the trem block because of the / I \ config. mmmmmm - I'd need to experiment with that one, but have to rehearse too much at the mo. Need someone a lot brighter than myself to think this one through !!

 

[ProtoChicken]

The feel phenomenon may be just my imagination as I have no way to measure the actual tension, but I swear with the springs diagonal it feels looser when tuned the same. Here's my logic:

I think it would have to do with the balance of tension. You would have to loosen the trem claw which would put less tension on all of the springs, including the one that's straight. Because that one is straight, there's less tension on it and more on the diagonal ones. So the diagonal ones hold all the load instead of 3 equal load-bearing springs. So the overall tension on the claw is the same, but the balance of tension is different, so the feel is different, in my experience looser.

Ahhh. That's a great point, I hadn't considered the middle spring being looser in that scenario and the uneven distribution of tension.