Sos

[cbpmmjp05]

Hey guys. I wanted to drop by to see if maybe Jon, Pete, or any of the other techies could offer me up a little help? Six months later and still loving the hell out of my Pet. That being said, I have noticed some fluctuations in my action, and slight tuning instability. Anyway, I think I have nailed down the problem. If I remember correctly, it has been said here that the bridge should be flush with the body? Well, mine no longer is. Upon close inspection last night, I noticed that the bridge is slightly uneven and raised above the body on the low E side. If anyone could give some suggestions on how to take care of this it would be much appreciated! My band has a fairly big show coming up this weekend and I don't want to go into the show without my Pet. Thank you in advance to Jon, Pete, or anyone else who can help me get this taken care of.

Thank you,
Steve

 

[Warg Master]

Personally, before you do anything, I'd de-tune the strings before you tighten anything so the tension on the neck doesn't get too extreeme. Then flip over the guitar and remove the trem cavity cover. You'll need to tighten some screws... after a few full turns of the screws, tune the guitar to pritch and tighten as needed. You may need to adjust the trussrod as well, check out the FAQ for the best tips on that.

 

[PeteDuBaldo]

The bridge should not necessarily be flush with the body, but close to it. The saddles adjust the final height / action of the strings.

However,
The bridge should be parallel to the body, both front to back and side to side.

Issue:
The bridge is not parallel front to back, say the rear of the tremolo dips in a bit towards the body
Solution:
Remove the rear cover and slightly loosen the spring claw - I would start with 1/8-1/4 turn for each screw. Small steps, like with the truss rod (you would tighten the screws if the bridge is angled "up" in the rear)
Retune, check, repeat if necessary.


Issue
The bridge is not parallel from side to side
Solution
Check which side is higher or lower - typically the surface of the tremolo should be at or just above the face of the guitar - then adjust the height posts for the tremolo to level the tremolo out.
Retune, check, repeat if necessary. You may find that after retuning you need to adjust the spring tension, so be prepared for that, too!

Once the tremolo is level/square on all angles, you will be set

 

[cbpmmjp05]

Thanks guys! Thank you for the in depth description, Pete. I really do appreciate it. Looks like I have a project for tomorrow.

 

[PeteDuBaldo]

No problem, be patient and it will turn out just fine