Help! Quick Question for Morse Owners (standard)

[PugNinjas]

When adjusting the bridge height, is there any way to get at the thumbscrews without removing the pickguard?

 

[fsmith]

Rich,
Would the bridge jack work? I'm not sure how much room you have to work with...

STEWMAC.COM : Pictures of Tune-o-Medic Bridge and Tailpiece Tools

fred

 

[Headstock]

Can you take off all the strings then pull off the bridge piece to adjust the remaining thumb wheels ? I'd assume you would not be able to adjust bridge thumb wheels under string tension, though I have not tried myself.

 

[beej]

Yeah, I always loosen the string tension before I do it. Then get the thumbwheel moving a bit with a small screwdriver. I'd wait for Tommy to chime in ... he's the expert.

 

[banjoplayer]

Normally it works if you just loosen the string tension. Then it should be easy to adjust the thumb wheels without removing the pickguard by using a small screwdriver. I don´t think you need a special tool for it.

Didnt´t try a "bridge jack" so far but it looks interesting. It´s hard to say if there´s enough room. it may be very simple to build a tool like this that fits on the Morse on your own. So you would not need to loosen the string tension

 

[PeteDuBaldo]

Yeah, I always loosen the string tension before I do it. Then get the thumbwheel moving a bit with a small screwdriver. I'd wait for Tommy to chime in ... he's the expert.

I do it the same way

 

[PugNinjas]

Thanks for the tips, I was thinking the same thing about using a small screwdriver because of the spacing between the pickguard and bridge. I am in no hurry so I hope to hear what Tommy says.........

 

[kbaim]

i remember the time i tried adjusting the truss rod on my blue dawn luke with a screw driver that didn't fit in the hole. Didn't have an allen wrench that fit at that particular moment.

Long story short, the screw driver slipped and took a hunk of paint off between neck and neck pickup. Sent it to eb for surgery.

BE CAREFUL!!!!

 

[PugNinjas]

Keith,

That sucks, but I bet the repair came out beautiful

 

[tommyindelaware]

its easy.....but difficult to explain. on other peoples guitars i use a wooden dowel. i press the tip of the dowel against the knurls in the wheel, then spin the dowel to turn the wheel.....or push the wheel w/ the tip of the dowel if it is too stiff to spin. this way i dont scratch the wheel, or the body if i slip. on my guitars i just use a small phillips head driver to reach in and spin the wheels as needed using the tip and the knurls. i usually dont have to loosen the strings in either case....

 

[beej]

Huh- that's a great idea with the dowels. I don't care if I scratch the wheel, but that's actually be a much better solution.

 

[PugNinjas]

Thanks Tommy, that dowel idea is great!!

 

[Spudmurphy]

That is a great tip from Tommy.
In my experience on my Les Paul - it was never a problem to spin the wheel even under tension.
Rich, PLEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEZE don't use a screwdriver on the wheel unless you don't mind distressed guitars!!!

 

[PugNinjas]

Rich, PLEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEZE don't use a screwdriver on the wheel unless you don't mind distressed guitars!!!

I wasn't about to use a screwdriver because I could imagine the slightest slip leaving a nasty scratch across the front of the guitar.

The dowel tip is the option I will be using

.....I just realized that I've had this Morse for almost two years