SBMM JP150 Trem Issue - Advice Please?

[Jock2]

Morning Folks, (Well at least it is here in the UK)

I'm new to both the forum and Ernie Ball/Sterling instruments, and I'm glad I found this forum in the hope of obtaining some advice.

I've just taken delivery of a JP15O in Teal. Beautiful guitar and finish, it was purchased NOS having been a display item.

I'm sure it needs a set up but out of the box there was an issue I noticed straight away and wondered if anyone had encountered it before.

When the push/push boost is in the raised position, the trem arm (which hangs quite loose) collides with the control knob.

I watched a significant number of you tube reviews of the JP150 model before I committed to a purchase, and I never saw one that mentioned the issue I've encountered.

If anyone here has encountered the same issue I am experiencing, I'll be very grateful if they can advise on how it was resolved.

Many thanks in advance for any assistance or advice which will be appreciated.

 

[DrKev]

Welcome to the forum Jock!

Any Sterling owners know if this is normal?

 

[racerx]

Could you post some photos? Namely of the bridge and the trem arm near the pot when its engaged?

I'm not familiar with the SBMM bridge, but I imagine there is an adjustment screw to adjust the tension of the arm to stop it from swinging as freely?

 

[beej]

On my MMs, the only way I can see that happening is if the bridge is floating at too much of an angle, causing the bar to aim downward towards the body. So a picture would certainly help.

 

[jayjayjay]

On my MMs, the only way I can see that happening is if the bridge is floating at too much of an angle, causing the bar to aim downward towards the body. So a picture would certainly help.

My thought as well. Or, possibly, the bar itself could be bent at too much of an angle, for some reason.

Maybe also include a picture of the bar by itself?

 

[jayjayjay]

I'm not familiar with the SBMM bridge, but I imagine there is an adjustment screw to adjust the tension of the arm to stop it from swinging as freely?

On my two SbMM Axis (Axes?), no, there isn't a screw - the trem arm screws in progressively, and gets (somewhat) tight near the bottom of its travel. In point of fact, I wind up wrapping the threads with pipe tape to create more friction and mostly reduce slop. If I had one complaint about my SbMM instruments, that would be it.

However, from what I've read, more expensive SbMM models have a push-in style arm, like EBMM instruments, and also have a set screw. I don't know whether the JP150 has that style trem, though.

 

[MajesticDream]

I'm not very sure about SBMM, but I'm sure JP EBMM models have a set screw on the bottom of the bridge to set the height of the trem arm (you can access that when you remove the back plate on the back of the guitar), maybe if you tighten that screw with an allen key it can move the trem arm a little higher and stop it from colliding with the knobs.

 

[Jock2]

Thank you all for your replies and comments which are appreciated.

I can't add photos as the guitar is now in the hands of a local tech to get it set up and address the issues I've outlined.

The trem bridge appeared to be level. Aside from the arm being loose, it looked fine. The set screw adjustment was a suggestion I found in another post on the forum so that might solve the issue with the lack of tension.

If the bridge was indeed level, then as suggested, the trem bar may have been bent which was not immediately apparent.

To try and offer a better description of the problem, when the push/push boost on the volume knob was in the raised position, the trem arm was pushed into its socket to the fullest extent. When I let go of the trem arm, it collided with the top of the volume knob.

I'm hoping the the tech will report back and advise on the issues I've made him aware of.

Thanks again for all the replies and suggestions. Once I get the guitar back, I'll post an update on what the tech said and the remedies.

I was surprised to find the issues I did, given that the guitar, while built in Indonesia, was subject to quality control in the States. To be fair, it was sold as NOS so I have no idea how it may have been used or abused in the store.

 

[Jock2]

Thankfully my problems have been solved and without a significant cost outlay.

The tech I found has set the guitar up. That's all that was required. He said at some point heavier gauge strings had been fitted and a lighter set may have been replaced before shipping, this caused the bridge to release tension when I loosened the strings, the bridge reclined. No set up performed prior to shipping in his opinion.

The trem arm issue has already been identified by other members on the forum and is commented upon elsewhere. The set screw needed adjusting and the arm no longer sits into the socket to its fullest extent. This means that the new height adjustment prevents the arm from colliding with the top of the volume knob when the push/push db boost is engaged.

I'm very happy with the purchase. My untrained eye and lack of knowledge with trem bridges probably led me to see or perceive problems that were not too difficult to resolve.

The guitar plays beautifully now, I'm no John Petrucci but I think this will be a keeper. The pickups will be replaced at some point in the future when my budget allows.

Thanks to everyone who replied and for their suggestions/comments. Very much appreciated.

 

[Jock2]

Here's a couple of images of my Sterling JP150 with the DiMarzio Crunch Lab and Liquifire pick ups fitted.

These have transformed the guitar by some considerable margin. Clean tones are very crisp whereas before with the stock pick ups, they were slightly muddy. Add some gain or distortion and the sound is just sublime. The stock pick ups lost some definition in my view, but with the DiMarzio upgrades, each note articulates well.

Definitely a keeper. My thanks to everyone who helped me on this thread and a corresponding one, where I submitted a query about the pick ups.

 

[Century_road]

Here's a couple of images of my Sterling JP150 with the DiMarzio Crunch Lab and Liquifire pick ups fitted.

These have transformed the guitar by some considerable margin. Clean tones are very crisp whereas before with the stock pick ups, they were slightly muddy. Add some gain or distortion and the sound is just sublime. The stock pick ups lost some definition in my view, but with the DiMarzio upgrades, each note articulates well.

Definitely a keeper. My thanks to everyone who helped me on this thread and a corresponding one, where I submitted a query about the pick ups.

View attachment 39734

View attachment 39735

Looks great!!! I have the JP100D, JP150D, Majesty, plus an AX40. Love all of them!

 

[Jock2]

Looks great!!! I have the JP100D, JP150D, Majesty, plus an AX40. Love all of them!

Now that is quite a collection. I was looking for a Sterling JP60 with the Floyd Rose trem but they seem to be quite hard to find so I bought an Ibanez JS140 instead. Good guitar but I think perhaps I should have waited to see if a JP60 was available somewhere, or got a Majesty. Oh well, lessons learned.

 

[Century_road]

Now that is quite a collection. I was looking for a Sterling JP60 with the Floyd Rose trem but they seem to be quite hard to find so I bought an Ibanez JS140 instead. Good guitar but I think perhaps I should have waited to see if a JP60 was available somewhere, or got a Majesty. Oh well, lessons learned.

Yeah I like the JP160 as well. Currently there is a light blue one on Reverb for $700. Sterling by Music Man JP160 J - Toluca Lake Blue | Reverb

 

[Jock2]

Thanks for the heads up which is appreciated. Sadly with the shipping cost and tax of 20% being added on here when a guitar arrives in the UK, that will become a very expensive purchase. Good to know they are out there though, I'll keep looking.