New MM Axis - Bridge tightness

[dixieranger]

I just my New MM Axis a few days ago. I got it from a store in another state as my local GC never semed to have any. I had never even played one until I received mine. Mine is the Tobacco Burst color, which I liked even better when I opened the case. The first thing that caught my attention was that the guitar was not light at all. I read many reviews where guys said how light it was. Light compared to what ? A Les Paul can't weigh a whole lot more, and this has a narrow maple neck. My strat seems a whole lot lighter. The guitar came almost perfectly in tune, so I hoped I did not need a set up. I was wrong. The strings had a lot of fret buzz and the bar was very had to press down. I took it to a guy who is best set-up man in town and he eliminated about 90% of the fret buzz and loosened up the bridge to where I like it. He did not remove any springs, so I assume he adjusted it another way. After I got it back home, I still noticed that if I do a strong full bend, I am picking up the bridge just a little. Would anyone here suggest that I tighten it to where I can't pick it up with any bend? or leave well enough alone?

After plaing it a couple of days, I really love the Axis.

Thanks,


Drew

 

[Jimmyb]

Hi Drew

Welcome to the forum, hope you enjoy it here.

As far as the setup and fret buzzing that you're talking about, sometimes atmospheric factors affect the wood in the neck. The guitar was put together in a warm part of the country, so it could be that different weather and humidity conditions will have had a minor effect. To be honest, the dealer is responsible for checking it when it arrives with them. All EBMM's leave the factory perfectly setup, so it's more than likely either transit or local weather conditions.

Fortunately, the truss rod adjustment is easy peasy to do and will fix virtually all neck relief problems that may occur.

I'm not sure what you mean about picking up the bridge when you bend, are you talking about the other strings decreasing in pitch? You may want to tighten the springs on the trem in that case. Ultimately, it's about making sure that the tension holding the bridge in place is greater than the tension that you exert on the strings when bending the note.

I think my Super Sport is much lighter than the old str4t I used to have. It balances in a different way, so you might find that you get used to it and prefer it. I know I do.

If you search through the FAQ's there's some really good information relating to setting up your guitar.

 

[dixieranger]

New MM Axis Bridge Tightness

Thanks Jimmie.

I think the brigge is just tight enough, as it does not effect the pitch any. You can notice it rise a bit in the back when a full bend is doen in some places.



Drew