Help! Silhouette tremolo issue

[Rhetro]

Hello.

Newbie here.

I just purchased a Silhouette with the standard Music Man tremolo. I love this guitar!!! I love the bridge. It has a great feel with a tight response.

However, I'm still having issues with it when I bend strings -the G primarily. I have lubed all the contact points with Big Bends Nut Sauce. It still didn't correct the string going flat after bending. I have to thump the bridge to get it to reset to tuned pitch.

I have other guitars with the original Floyd Rose, which I love, and have been using for years.

Are there any tips that you may know of to get the Music man tremolo to stay in tune? Right now I'm using 4 springs in the back (the middle spring # 5) has been removed.

What about using a replacement bridge, like the one used in the Petrucci model -a Wilkenson I believe.

If I can't find something to resolve this, then I will probably have a Floyd Rose original installed. i'd like to avoid this if possible, because I really do like the bridge I have, but it does me no good if I can't get it to stay in tune. I also like to avoid routing the guitar to have a Floyd put in.

Any thoughts?

thanks in advance!

Rhetro

 

[slukather]

Please contact customer support

E-mail: [email protected]
Phone No. 866-823-2255

 

[BobMac]

Def go to customer service and they will sort you out.


....but


I know we are not supposed to give advice, but Ive had a similar problem and was able to figure it out.

do you have your trem set to float a small bit?

What I found was ,if it's set to float just a little bit that that this can result in an unstable g string.

loosen the springs alot and get a good amount of float going (then set up the guitar again)

I.e. try get at least a good tone increase when you pull up. This solved the issue for me.

So (with my guitar anyway) have it floating alot or have it flush and you shouldnt have any tunning issues . Mine is ROCK solid fwiw.

Sorry if ive annoyed anyone by giving advice.

 

[guertzi]

It's the same vibrato as on my LukeII.
When I purchased my Luke new I had the same issue and customer service helped me out in no time and I've been a happy camper ever since!

No biggie at all, don't worry -you will not need to install a FR on your Silo!
Just contact EBMM customer service!

 

[leftyguitarblue]

Welcome to the forums, CS will square you away. check the signature.

 

[Rhetro]

Thanks guys!

This is comforting news. Again, I love the the tremolo on my silo (i like this contraction) and would rather resolve the issue than carve into the body. I'd hate to change it's tone by routing out material. It just sounds so good.

So. I'm waiting to hear back from customer service. There's someone there named Dan that I'm hoping can help me.

But i don't want to get anyone in trouble either. Perhaps I should have read the provisions of the agreement a little further (I was being lazy). But...

How come advice isn't allowed? I thought the purpose of these forums was to share information? I guess customer service should be approached first before anything else.

So I can try and float the bridge a little more? I suppose I could remove one of the springs and bring it down to 3 instead of four? I'll keep that in mind. While waiting to hear back from Customer service.

Thanks again gentlemen.

Rhetro

 

[beej]

Rhetro-

Generally advice is ok, but when there's a customer service issue it's best for you and MM to have the pros look at it rather than take advice from us armchair repair guys. Could be something simple, could be something more involved.

Keep in mind EBMM is on pacific time. Those guys will totally take care of you when they can, just sit tight.

 

[Rhetro]

I appreciate it Beej!

I'm actually in Newport Beach at the moment.

How far is that from where you are?

 

[paranoid70]

Hey Rhetro, we are practically neighbors.

I have also had some repair work done by EBMM and they did a top notch job. Being in Southern California means shipping isn't as much as the rest of the suckers... er I mean folks from other states.

There is also a guitar shop in Long Beach, World of String, that also does really excellent repair work on guitars and string instruments.

 

[Rhetro]

Thanks Paranoid70.

I'm actually only here in Newport for about another 2 hours, and then back home to San Antonio. If I would have known, I would have brought it with me, but I don't have enough time on this trip.

I did however, speak with Dan at EBMM customer Svc. He gave me some recommendations that I could try. If they don't work, send the guitar to EBMM to have a factory setup done. I bought the gtr. used, so who knows what was tweaked that shouldn't have been. Might not be a bad idea to have them go over it with a fine-toothed comb.

I have 4 springs on it now. One of the recommendations is to remove one and use 3.

Let's see what that does.

cheers

 

[NorM]

Dan is the man.

 

[Rhetro]

Ok.

Spoke with AJ as well. Very informative.

I really like these EBMM people. Kind, and really into solving your problem!!! They don't like the notion that you're not satisfied with a predicament, and want to actually help you through it!

What I did was tighten the two screws on the spring claw of the tremolo. From what I can tell, this seems to be working. I even tried adding the 5th spring and it totally messed it up. My guitar does NOT like 5 springs!!

So far so good. I'm going to put it through the paces for the next week or so and see what happens. I noticed a bit more buzzing, but perhaps this is because the added tension of the tighter springs has caused the bridge to flatten out, i.e. lower the action.

any feedback is appreciated -no pun intended.

rhetro

 

[paranoid70]

5 posts and still no pic of this alleged Silhouette.

Just kidding. Stick around and post some pictures, we never get tired of them.

 

[Rhetro]

ok! Good idea.

Pics coming!!!

Rhetro

a

 

[Big Poppa]

Rhetro

I pay these customer service guys to help people with problems out. I think these guys would do it for free thats how much they like the stuff
I have to explain this way too many times but here it is...

WOuld you post a medical condition on a forum and ask strangers for treatment ideas and diagnosis? Especially without xrays or mri's

The problem is that anybody can call themselves a tech and most of our work is really easy if it isnt compounded with about ten different internet fixes

THe idea is that the forum would also just become tech problems and we would lose what vibe we have here

Bottom line you cvan take advice from total strangers or you can let your new best friends Dan and AJ fix it quickly

 

[robelinda2]

Trems, bah. Be a man and get a hardtail. As Brad Paisley says - tremolo bars are for sissies.

EBMM customer service always saves the day!