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boogieslide

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Joined
Oct 11, 2005
Messages
68
I have a few questions for those familiar with the EBMM Axis hardware.

First, are you able to pull up on the whammy and hear any upward pitch shift? With the nonfloating trem I figured pulling up would not do anything, but I do which makes me wonder if it should give a little or if it is not truely resting against the block.
Second, what is the block? Does the back of the trem actually come in contact and get stopped by the top of the guitar just under the trem?
Third, I seem to be having a hard time keeping the guitar in tune lately....perhaps because of issues related to my first two questions. Locked or un-locked nut and with no use of the bar, just normal playing with some bends on the strings it just doesn't hold tune like it should. Locked and using the bar it definitely goes out. The other Axis I had a few years ago never ever went out of tune.

Fourth and last, how the hell do you get to the nut under the trem for the whammy bar? I am happy with the bars movement and I know it is the allen wrench underneath that adjusts how loose or tight the bar is in its movement. But it seems like something else is loose....like it vibrates a bit in its seat.

I think she just needs some fine tuning and I would like to do it myself if possible.

Thanks!
 

mbgreene

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Joined
Sep 8, 2004
Messages
2,556
Location
Rockland County, NY
No up pull for factory set up

Trem sits flush and level on the body

Lube your nuts - (nut sauce, chapstick. pencil graphite) there have been several threads about lubrication, do a quick search

I believe you need to depress the bar and look at it from the rear to tighten the set screw.

Good Luck
 

Tim O'Sullivan

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Apr 22, 2003
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5,867
Location
Christiansburg, VA
You should not be able to pull up on the bar. Its supposed to rest on the body of the guitar. If its not doing this, you might need to adjuct your springs.
 

boogieslide

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Joined
Oct 11, 2005
Messages
68
Ok, I got just about everything straightened out.

I didn't have a socket deep enough to get to the whammy nut from inside. And I didn't have a wrench slim enough to get at it from the top with the whammy depressed. So I just took the trem off the guitar and tightened it up.

Before doing any work I had 2 springs in and the claw was screwed in pretty far. The trem would go back to resting on the body, but almost seemed like it wasn't flat all the way across so I was able to pull up on the bar and hear the slightest pitch change. I backed the claw out some and stuck a 3rd spring in. It is pulling the entire trem to the body now and is not allowing the bar to go up at all. Holds tune way better too!
But....the whammy action is pretty damn stiff now. This just doesn't seem right, but I can live with it to keep the guitar in tune. I don't use the whammy a lot, but when I do its gotta stay in tune.
 

TonyEVH5150

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Joined
Feb 6, 2006
Messages
1,558
Location
Nashville, TN
I had problems with the retainer/set screw for the trem bar being too loose. I had to take the trem off of the body to adjust the tension nut for the trem bar. A drop of Loc-tite helped keep it where it needed to be.

How old is your Axis? The trems/nuts have a life expectancy of around 4 years, and it could be that your tuning stability problems might be caused by that. Your springs may be up for replacing as well. After they're stretched out for a while, they lose some of their holding power.
 

boogieslide

Well-known member
Joined
Oct 11, 2005
Messages
68
I had problems with the retainer/set screw for the trem bar being too loose. I had to take the trem off of the body to adjust the tension nut for the trem bar. A drop of Loc-tite helped keep it where it needed to be.

How old is your Axis? The trems/nuts have a life expectancy of around 4 years, and it could be that your tuning stability problems might be caused by that. Your springs may be up for replacing as well. After they're stretched out for a while, they lose some of their holding power.

Yeah I could see needing some loc-tite for that nut. Mine is good for now since I just tightened it.

I bought the guitar used and I did check the SN for birth date when I got it. I don't remember exactly, but I am thinking it was said to be from '01. I do not believe the original owner played it much, and I have had it just shy of a year and it has seen moderate use.
I could also see the springs needing replacement after a while, but the entire trem and nut only last 4 years? I have never heard that before. What happens to them? Is it based on useage?
 

TonyEVH5150

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Joined
Feb 6, 2006
Messages
1,558
Location
Nashville, TN
It's mostly wear and tear from usage, string changes, friction.

I had similar problems with an Axis I used to own. a spring change and lubing of any critical string/metal contact points made a tremendous difference.
 
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