Help! Sterling S.U.B. AX40 Tremolo Help!

[JDeluxe73]

Hi board, I just bought a Sterling S.U.B. AX4 at guitar center today and took the tremolo off so that I could see if I could put on a big brass block that I had left over from other guitar projects.

It turns out it didn't fit. But, in my stupidness, I started turning the mounting screws where the tremolo's knife edges fit.

As a result, I'm confused as to how to position the tremolo bridge. I thought that the tremolo bridge needed to rest on the body with the plate parallel to the body, so before putting the springs on, I lowered the mounting screws. However, when I insert the bridge and get the springs on, the tremolo is now angled and the knife edges are pulled up higher than where they are supposed to rest.

Will this be straightened out when I string up the guitar? I tried to find documentation on the guitar and proper setup instructions with pictures, but I can't find anything. Maybe the guitar is too new for documentation to be out there.

Can anyone help?

 

[1neeto]

Yes the string tension should level the bridge if you left the claw screws alone. But since you messed with the pivot bolts, now you have to set the action. Now this can be tricky because adjusting the action with full tension on the tremolo can damage the knife edges (although I have adjusted the action on Floyd Rose trems with full tension on the trem and didn't damage the knife edges). Do you have a general idea how much did you back those pivot screws?

 

[JDeluxe73]

Yeah, I must've raised them one to two full turns. So I lowered them to where I thought I remembered them.

As I was string it up, though, I noticed that the knife points where still a bit too high from how I thought that the bridge needs to sit (basing this off of other Sterlings, Music Mans, Peavey and EVH Wolfgangs.

So, I:
1. Loosened the strings and springs;
2. Lowered the screws flush and placed the tremolo in place and raised the posts until the knife edges were sitting at the base of the angled post head;
3. Then I tightened the springs a bit more so the bridge had some stability.

I'm in the process of tuning the strings and stretching them all while paying attention to the tremolo and where it's sitting so that I can intonate it.

I've had to tighten the springs a bit so that the tremolo plate still sits on the body (as well as parallel with it).

So, far it looks good. However any thoughts you might have on how I went about this is appreciated.

 

[JDeluxe73]

Forgot to add that once I'm done with the intonation, I'll play it and measure the action to see if any further adjustments are necessary.

 

[1neeto]

Seems like you're doing it right. Since "good action" varies from player to player, then the only way to test the action is by playing it. Just have patience, once you tune to pitch, you'll notice that you'll have to play some more with the claw screws and keep on tuning until the bridge is level.

 

[JDeluxe73]

Thanks for your thoughts and time, neeto! I greatly appreciate it!

 

[1neeto]

Thanks for your thoughts and time, neeto! I greatly appreciate it!

No problem man. Setting up a floating trem will test anyone's patience lol! But you'll get it.