sambarugh
Well-known member
Very cool, and I thought of Rich's cleaning/chap stick tutorial right before you said it!
- Thread starter cm_17
- Start date
lukather101
Well-known member
I got in a right mess when i took all the strings of my axis , the trem nearly killed the wife , nightmare to get it to stay in place while i restrung the thing as well .
Misses had to hold it in place while i did it , felt a right idiot
Misses had to hold it in place while i did it , felt a right idiot
douglasspears
Well-known member
I got in a right mess when i took all the strings of my axis , the trem nearly killed the wife , nightmare to get it to stay in place while i restrung the thing as well .
Misses had to hold it in place while i did it , felt a right idiot
Huh? How is that even possible?
Jack FFR1846
Well-known member
Really nice write up!
Since you had work to do that required removing the trem, it was the perfect opportunity to completely go through this. I tend to do a partial string removal, then wonder wipe and buff the fretboard and frets (high 3 strings) then string, then do the lower 3.
As much as I sort of agree on the hard tail, I find that my Axis stays in better tune than my hard tail guitars. The strings are kept in clamps at both ends, so there's no variability between the nut and tuners....or from the saddle and bridge.
That does eliminate the step I use for guitars with a traditional bridge and saddles, which is to use the graphite from a pencil to dry lube both.
Thanks for the work you did to help us all!
Since you had work to do that required removing the trem, it was the perfect opportunity to completely go through this. I tend to do a partial string removal, then wonder wipe and buff the fretboard and frets (high 3 strings) then string, then do the lower 3.
As much as I sort of agree on the hard tail, I find that my Axis stays in better tune than my hard tail guitars. The strings are kept in clamps at both ends, so there's no variability between the nut and tuners....or from the saddle and bridge.
That does eliminate the step I use for guitars with a traditional bridge and saddles, which is to use the graphite from a pencil to dry lube both.
Thanks for the work you did to help us all!
4Boogie
Well-known member
The bridge has tension on it from the springs in the back. When you remove all the string there's nothing holding the bridge to the body. Its really not attached to the body because it pivots on the on the allen screws in the front
douglasspears
Well-known member
The springs always have held my bridge in
place with no strings on many times, both on my evh w/ floyd, as well as my axis ss w/ vintage trem
place with no strings on many times, both on my evh w/ floyd, as well as my axis ss w/ vintage trem
lukather101
Well-known member
+1.
Has soon as I put a spring back on the trem it would slide away from the pivots.
The only thing I did different on a previous string change which went ok was put something under the back of the trem to angle it upwards .
cm_17
Well-known member
I thought that thread had disappeared into the void . Glad it's helpful.
The trem can indeed catapult off the guitar if it's not completely perpendicular to the trem posts, or if you tilt the guitar without strings on it. Makes for quite a special effect.
The Axis is quite a beast to set up - it's easy for basic things and makes for a great guitar for that, but slightly tricky if you want to do more sophisticated things, such as fundamental action height chances that go beyond truss rod adjustments. There's lots of little myths and legends about that around on the web. If I have time I'll type up some explanations about this sometime soon.
. Glad it's helpful.The trem can indeed catapult off the guitar if it's not completely perpendicular to the trem posts, or if you tilt the guitar without strings on it. Makes for quite a special effect.
The Axis is quite a beast to set up - it's easy for basic things and makes for a great guitar for that, but slightly tricky if you want to do more sophisticated things, such as fundamental action height chances that go beyond truss rod adjustments. There's lots of little myths and legends about that around on the web. If I have time I'll type up some explanations about this sometime soon.
lukather101
Well-known member
I payed £50 to a tech to make a right mess of setting mine up ,for some reason he decided to float the trem.
Within 5 min of bieng home i had the neck off it trying to get it right , it's ok now but i've got fret buzz on open strings , tried the truss rod but that didn't fix it , i think the action is to low .
What the quickest and easiest way to higher it ?
Within 5 min of bieng home i had the neck off it trying to get it right , it's ok now but i've got fret buzz on open strings , tried the truss rod but that didn't fix it , i think the action is to low .
What the quickest and easiest way to higher it ?
cm_17
Well-known member
Before we go for some adjustments, can you tell us the action height at the 22nd fret (string to top of the fret) on the high E and the low E?
4Boogie
Well-known member
It sounds like hes having the same issues I have. I like my action low so I have turned my neck adjustment clockwise to get the strings low enough. If I turn it back counter clockwise enough my buzzing goes away but the action is too high.
The issue is really the difference in the fetboard radius and the radius of the Floyd. Many years ago I had this problem with a Stratocaster. The local shop said "it was impossible to put that bridge on that guitar" after keeping my guitar for 3 days. A machineist/luthier friend of a friend had it on in 3 hours. He used tiny washers underneath the saddles to change the radius. Two washers stacked under the middle two, one under the A and B strings and none under the E's.
I called customer service to see if they had any washers small enough but they didnt. I couldnt find any at Lowes either. I took my whole guitar apart last week a couple of times playing around with shims Billy at CS sent me trying to get mine right. I came to the conclusion until I can adjust the saddles I wont be able to stop the buzzing and have low action too. The guitar plays and feels so good I dont care about buzz.
The mans name who fixed my guitar was Tony Questell. I dont have any contact info, hes moved from his old address. I will continue the search for him and the quest to modify Floyd saddle height and Axis action
The issue is really the difference in the fetboard radius and the radius of the Floyd. Many years ago I had this problem with a Stratocaster. The local shop said "it was impossible to put that bridge on that guitar" after keeping my guitar for 3 days. A machineist/luthier friend of a friend had it on in 3 hours. He used tiny washers underneath the saddles to change the radius. Two washers stacked under the middle two, one under the A and B strings and none under the E's.
I called customer service to see if they had any washers small enough but they didnt. I couldnt find any at Lowes either. I took my whole guitar apart last week a couple of times playing around with shims Billy at CS sent me trying to get mine right. I came to the conclusion until I can adjust the saddles I wont be able to stop the buzzing and have low action too. The guitar plays and feels so good I dont care about buzz.
The mans name who fixed my guitar was Tony Questell. I dont have any contact info, hes moved from his old address. I will continue the search for him and the quest to modify Floyd saddle height and Axis action
Chaka5150
Well-known member
this is a great post..wish i had seen it before I changed my pickups and took the strings off…I thought I royally buggered my guitar when the strings came off the floyd popped out of place…The tension had been relieved and the springs popped off the claw…just about had a coronaryforgot to put shim under bridge. anyway long story short, got everything back in place and set up reasonably well…but noticed my action is now sitting waaayyy to high for my liking. It doesn't matter how much I adjust the truss rod the action is just not as low as it was before. I should add that I put hybrid slinky's 10-46; change from 9's. It was mentioned that shimming the neck helps overall lowering of action…anyone have advice as to how to go about this? what kind of material for shim/tricks to know when taking off the neck etc...
forgot to put shim under bridge. anyway long story short, got everything back in place and set up reasonably well…but noticed my action is now sitting waaayyy to high for my liking. It doesn't matter how much I adjust the truss rod the action is just not as low as it was before. I should add that I put hybrid slinky's 10-46; change from 9's. It was mentioned that shimming the neck helps overall lowering of action…anyone have advice as to how to go about this? what kind of material for shim/tricks to know when taking off the neck etc...
4Boogie
Well-known member
Call EB customer service to get factory shims. If you look in the pic above your post you will see a factory shim "little yellow thing to left of the neck". Ask for a variety of shims they'll send you a few different thicknesses
straycat113
Well-known member
Really great job and, a very thorough one that will be pointed to many times. The only thing different I do when stretching out strings is sit with it a few minutes and do ver wide bends on the 4th 11th and 15 frets which seems to hit the whole string .
lukeuser78
Well-known member
Good work and pic's, i shy away from this normally but good tutorial!
Chaka5150
Well-known member
Ok in response to cm_17's question: (via private message I sent him) he asked me how high the action is at the last fret.(I have an Axis with floyd that only dives, not floating) Shall I use Metric or Imperial (for you americano's) actually I prefer the imperial system. so I am measuring from the top of the metal fret to the string and it sits around 1/8th an inch or so. It seems much higher than it was before I restrung and adjusted the springs on the back (the whole floyd was pulled off and put back--ever since then my action now sits much higher) the action was insanely low when I had a guitar tech set it up for me the last time...almost so low to the point of buzzing, but it played like buttah any suggestions other than asking CS for some factory shims. obviously the guitar tech was able to manage without shims in the neck pocket and I am trying to figure out his 'prestige'/trick.
) actually I prefer the imperial system. so I am measuring from the top of the metal fret to the string and it sits around 1/8th an inch or so. It seems much higher than it was before I restrung and adjusted the springs on the back (the whole floyd was pulled off and put back--ever since then my action now sits much higher) the action was insanely low when I had a guitar tech set it up for me the last time...almost so low to the point of buzzing, but it played like buttah any suggestions other than asking CS for some factory shims. obviously the guitar tech was able to manage without shims in the neck pocket and I am trying to figure out his 'prestige'/trick.
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Thanks - this is readlly helpful but ....
I bought a pretty beat up Axis from a young guy who had obviously been pretty reckless with it. When I got it there were a few small bits and pieces missing and there were no strings on it but nothing that appeared terrible. I have taken it apart a bit and cleaned it and up and so forth and tried to follow your instructions but I don't understand the notion that this guitar will only 'dive bomb' - when I put the bridge back in and put strings on, the bridge lifted up and suspended but it doesn't look right, the bridge plate is at about a 20 degree angle to the body which just looks to much .... I've attached a couple of photos .... can anyone advise if this is correct, or how to correct it if it not.
Thanks
I bought a pretty beat up Axis from a young guy who had obviously been pretty reckless with it. When I got it there were a few small bits and pieces missing and there were no strings on it but nothing that appeared terrible. I have taken it apart a bit and cleaned it and up and so forth and tried to follow your instructions but I don't understand the notion that this guitar will only 'dive bomb' - when I put the bridge back in and put strings on, the bridge lifted up and suspended but it doesn't look right, the bridge plate is at about a 20 degree angle to the body which just looks to much .... I've attached a couple of photos .... can anyone advise if this is correct, or how to correct it if it not.
Thanks
douglasspears
Well-known member
Dive means it was designed to sit flush against the body and only
Lower the pitch. It can float if you want it to also raise the pitch, but ti appears yours in angled forward too much.
Looks like you need to screw the trem claw in more, or add another spring to it. How many springs are there now?
Lower the pitch. It can float if you want it to also raise the pitch, but ti appears yours in angled forward too much.
Looks like you need to screw the trem claw in more, or add another spring to it. How many springs are there now?
Thanks Douglas .... I've got two springs, same as in the original photo set.
I knew what dive meant .... I just didn't understand it in the context of the guitar being designed to dive only ..... as I say I put the stings on and it 'suspended' all by itself So maybe I just need to screw in the trem claw more .... I'll try it and let you know.
I knew what dive meant .... I just didn't understand it in the context of the guitar being designed to dive only ..... as I say I put the stings on and it 'suspended' all by itself
So maybe I just need to screw in the trem claw more .... I'll try it and let you know.