Petrucci trem: mysterious set screw?

[darren]

Hi, all.

I'm in the process of installing a Tremol-No with an adaptor plate that Kevan Geier has devised to allow it to clamp more securely to the angled bottom end of the Music Man trem block. It makes use of the threaded hole in the bottom of the block, beneath the arm socket. to secure the plate to the bottom of the block.

On Kevan's JP6, this hole is empty. On mine, it is not. There appears to be a set screw in mine (see attached pic) which i cannot get out. I've tried my metric and imperial hex keys and neither seems to fit... 1.5mm is too small and doesn't seem to "bite", though it feels like the socket is hex-shaped, and 2mm is too big.

So my questions are:

What's the screw for?
Why do some JPs have it and some not?
How do i get it out?

Thanks,


darren.

 

[tommyindelaware]

i would think that set screw adjust the whammy bar's tension .......so u can control how easily the bar swings around......

 

[Kevan]

i would think that set screw adjust the whammy bar's tension .......so u can control how easily the bar swings around......

Nope. The "spin adjustment" screw is at the top side of the block. Dive your trem and look at the back face of the block. You'll see it there just beneath the trem plate on the left side.

Plus, if it was the spin adjustment, when you spun your bar forward, it would unscrew.

 

[tommyindelaware]

Nope. The "spin adjustment" screw is at the top side of the block. Dive your trem and look at the back face of the block. You'll see it there just beneath the trem plate on the left side.

Plus, if it was the spin adjustment, when you spun your bar forward, it would unscrew.

i was guessing...i've never had a pet.
sorry...
then what is it then ??????

 

[darren]

That's what i'm asking!

Thanks for guessing, but i can do that myself.

 

[lenny]

That's what i'm asking!

Thanks for guessing, but i can do that myself.

And an attitude like that is why u have 103 views and no replys!

 

[Roubster]

Just SCREW IT, and play! lol PLus you got the tremol-no on that one anyway, hahaha!!! How's that workin out?

 

[Dcareaga]

It is the Tension Adjustment for the Bar. There is one on the Luke 2 Trem as well.
You can tigthen it so the Bar will barely move or swing loosely or anywhere inbetween.



DC

 

[darren]

The "bar tension" adjustment was my first theory as well, but as Kevan pointed out, it's not likely. This set screw is maybe 1.5 mm or 2 mm long at the most, so i don't think it's there to push up against the bar.

They really should ship a manual with these things! (Or at least make a manual or at the very least an exploded view of the parts available so DIY guitar techs like me can figure these things out!)

To the others who think i have an "attitude", allow me to clarify since i'm new here:

If people don't know the answer to a question, i'm quite happy if they don't reply. I'm just glad that over a hundred people read the post and that i may not be the only one who was stumped by that little set screw.

I post questions on public forums after i've done all the guesswork and research i can possibly do on my own and still haven't come up with the answer. Somebody taking another wild guess generally doesn't help much.

It frustrates me greatly when people try to answer questions they don't know the answers to, because a) they think the person asking the question is stupid or lazy and doesn't know/care enough to try and find the answer on their own before asking in a public forum; b) they think they're actually helping by taking a wild, flailing stab in the dark; or c) they like to see their words up on the screen.

I'm not saying this was anyone's intent here at all, just making a generalization based on behaviours i've seen on other forums.

When threads get populated by people talking out of their ass, the signal-to-noise ratio goes way down, and the value of the forum to its members follows suit. I've seen a few really good forums go into the crapper because of this.

That's my opinion. And you know what they say about those.

At any rate, this is all now academic because i was able to successufully remove it.

Now i'll just shut up and play my guitar.

 

[Kevan]

Dan: I did a quick one for you and the others out there.

A= Trem Bar Tension Adjustment (spin control)
B= Bar Spring Mounting Screw.
C= Bar Spring (this is what the notch in your trem bar hits to keep it in the trem)

For those with piezo, your piezo junction board is mounted on the opposite side.

 

[jaxadam]

The "bar tension" adjustment was my first theory as well, but as Kevan pointed out, it's not likely. This set screw is maybe 1.5 mm or 2 mm long at the most, so i don't think it's there to push up against the bar.

They really should ship a maual with these things! (Or at least make a manual or at the very least an exploded view of the parts available so DIY guitar techs like me can figure these things out!)

To the others who think i have an "attitude", allow me to clarify since i'm new here:

If people don't know the answer to a question, i'm quite happy if they don't reply. I'm just glad that over a hundred people read the post and that i may not be the only one who was stumped by that little set screw.

I post questions on public forums after i've done all the guesswork and research i can possibly do on my own and still haven't come up with the answer. Somebody taking another wild guess generally doesn't help much.

It frustrates me greatly when people try to answer questions they don't know the answers to, because a) they think the person asking the question is stupid or lazy and doesn't know/care enough to try and find the answer on their own before asking in a public forum; b) they think they're actually helping by taking a wild, flailing stab in the dark; or c) they like to see their words up on the screen.

I'm not saying this was anyone's intent here at all, just making a generalization based on behaviours i've seen on other forums.

When threads get populated by people talking out of their ass, the signal-to-noise ratio goes way down, and the value of the forum to its members follows suit. I've seen a few really good forums go into the crapper because of this.

That's my opinion. And you know what they say about those.

At any rate, this is all now academic because i was able to successufully remove it.

Now i'll just shut up and play my guitar.

+1!

I hope you get everything sorted out and get your tremol-no on there.

When you do, let us know what you think! I'm gonna get a few for my guitars, and I'd love some input!

 

[darren]

I did get it installed, but haven't had a chance to do a full review yet.

 

[Dcareaga]

Dan: I did a quick one for you and the others out there.

A= Trem Bar Tension Adjustment (spin control)
B= Bar Spring Mounting Screw.
C= Bar Spring (this is what the notch in your trem bar hits to keep it in the trem)

For those with piezo, your piezo junction board is mounted on the opposite side.

Wow!! Thats Great!! Thanks So Much!!


DC

 

[thindave]

Maybe you should just call customer service. I'll let you do your research to find the number.

Other than that - welcome to the board, you seem like a great fella...

The "bar tension" adjustment was my first theory as well, but as Kevan pointed out, it's not likely. This set screw is maybe 1.5 mm or 2 mm long at the most, so i don't think it's there to push up against the bar.

They really should ship a manual with these things! (Or at least make a manual or at the very least an exploded view of the parts available so DIY guitar techs like me can figure these things out!)

To the others who think i have an "attitude", allow me to clarify since i'm new here:

If people don't know the answer to a question, i'm quite happy if they don't reply. I'm just glad that over a hundred people read the post and that i may not be the only one who was stumped by that little set screw.

I post questions on public forums after i've done all the guesswork and research i can possibly do on my own and still haven't come up with the answer. Somebody taking another wild guess generally doesn't help much.

It frustrates me greatly when people try to answer questions they don't know the answers to, because a) they think the person asking the question is stupid or lazy and doesn't know/care enough to try and find the answer on their own before asking in a public forum; b) they think they're actually helping by taking a wild, flailing stab in the dark; or c) they like to see their words up on the screen.

I'm not saying this was anyone's intent here at all, just making a generalization based on behaviours i've seen on other forums.

When threads get populated by people talking out of their ass, the signal-to-noise ratio goes way down, and the value of the forum to its members follows suit. I've seen a few really good forums go into the crapper because of this.

That's my opinion. And you know what they say about those.

At any rate, this is all now academic because i was able to successufully remove it.

Now i'll just shut up and play my guitar.

 

[Lou]

I couln't figure out why the little screw was in there either. It was so hard to tell it was even there. I kept trying to screw the adaptor onto the block and couldn't figure out why the screw wouldn't bite.

 

[SteveB]

Darren,

I'm feeling the need to defend ol' Tommy here...

First, he's a pretty qualified guy... fixes and playes guitars for a living.. has been a guitar tech for 'somewhat capable' players like Steve Morse..
and he did quilify his initial post with the words "I would think.."

Secondly, this forum is not 'officially' for support from EBMM.. they always ask that folks call their Customer Service phone number rather than seek initial support here (because they pay people to answer the phones, but they aren't paying anyone to monitor this forum).

Also, I would like to think that not only you, but most people do indeed try to solve their issues other ways before putting the question to an online forum. I don't think Tommy's guess was so 'wild'.. there is indeed a set screw on the Petrucci trem block to adjust the arm's 'spin' tension, it's just not the one that you were talking about.

Anyway, I'm not trying to flame or be mean in any way. I just felt compelled to speak out for Tommy because he's been very helpful to many of us over the years. (And because he's such a humble guy that he wouldn't do it himself.)

 

[darren]

I definitely didn't mean to single anyone out. My apologies if i offended anyone.

 

[jazzbo jim]

I just felt compelled to speak out for Tommy because he's been very helpful to many of us over the years. (And because he's such a humble guy that he wouldn't do it himself.)

+1

 

[chrisallen]

Dan: I did a quick one for you and the others out there.

A= Trem Bar Tension Adjustment (spin control)
B= Bar Spring Mounting Screw.
C= Bar Spring (this is what the notch in your trem bar hits to keep it in the trem)

For those with piezo, your piezo junction board is mounted on the opposite side.

Kevan rules... tremol-no rules... nuff said!

anyways... i still don't think anyone answered the original question!

Look at the screws in the above picture... then look at the screw in that FIRST picture in the first post.

what does that screw do? if you tighten it too much, it falls through the front when you take out the bar... it doesn't seem to adjust anything for me, and taking it out doesn't seem to change anything either...

anyone? sorry to rehash an old thread, but i need to no! know! noh!

it's on the bottom right on the underside of the block (where you put the strings in) in the quoted picture.

 

[PeteDuBaldo]

I would think that it adjusts the depth of the trem bar to make sure it contacts the locking spring at the correct spot.

If you tighten it too far and it falls out the bar hole, that would make sense....