Help! Setup question - Drop C on JP13

[RJH25]

I'm looking for advice on the setup for drop C on the jp guitars.

Some of the questions I'm wondering:
1) I'm looking to use 10-52s. Will the 52 fit in the nut?
2) I currently have 2 springs in my trem and am assuming I will need a third. Will any spring work or does it have to be specific to the EBMM JP
3) I've really only changed strings on my guitar with the floating bridge and haven't changed tuning much except from standard to drop D. Would this type of change (standard to drop C) require me to mess around with action or intonation?

Thanks so much in advance. My local guitar shop charges a lot for this sort of thing and I'm looking to see if I can do it on my own.

 

[NickNihil]

In my experience using 12-52's with St Vincents and Albert Lee's, the nut slot is not cut wide enough to accommodate a 52 on the low E. I had to widen it a bit in every case (now I use 11-49 anyway). Others here have said once you go above 11-48, you have to widen the slots.

 

[Mace13]

As far as the other questions:

2) Any old spring will work as long as it is the same size (diameter, length and wire thickness). Probably best to just get a few from EBMM or your local guitar shop.

3) You shouldn't have to mess with action, unless you end up with looser string tension and more buzz (strings may have more amplitude when plucked). The different tension may require a tweak to the truss rod so that the neck bow is where you want it. Intonation may change a wee bit also and should be checked after you get the new strings on, tuned, stretched and the bridge leveled up.

From a "good enough for rock and roll" standpoint the main thing is to get the bridge leveled up (adjust spring tension) and then just let 'er rip! All the other stuff is just fine tuning.

 

[Warmart]

And check your case, you should have extra springs in it.

 

[racerx]

Also see: FAQ

Section "How do I setup my John Petrucci guitar?" for the factory specs/recommendation.

If staying in C is your primary tuning, then you should have a qualified tech make you a new nut (its a tough DIY project if you've never done it before). You can always replace the old nut if you want to go back. If tuning to C is an experimental, maybe consider trying it out with existing strings (albeit with suboptimal tension) and/or on a more inexpensive backup guitar if you have one.

 

[Ishmun]

I've used heavier strings on my JP6 - but yes, the nut needs a bit more room to fit the bigger strings (i used to use a 60 on the bottom). There is a video out there (by a famous guitar tech) that a good technique is to push and pull (horizontally, not vertically) the new string thru the nut slot slowly to increase the room. Sorry I can't remember which vid it is now.

The bigger issue I found was that the Schaller M6 sometimes struggles to fit large gauge strings thru its hole...but with a 52, you shouldn't have an issue.

 

[tekwerk]

This might help you out a bit:

You can do this yourself. Be patient and go slow. There are adjustments you will need to make along the way.