I just got a new set of strings yesterday for my Ibanez GSA60. I was half asleep when I bought the things and got a 0.009-0.046 guage instead of 9-42. When I put the strings on everything went perfect...I even managed not to break the high E which I tend to do quite often. I stretched and tuned the strings and left it for a while. After about an hour I came back, tuned it again, plugged in, hung in over my shoulder and started playing. Then, I wanted to palm mute and noticed the friggin' bridge was pulled out of angle (lowered towards the headstock). Now I know I could tighten the springs in the back to pull it into place (reminds of braces but anyway) but what if I just get the 3 bass strings in the correct guage and put those on while the others are still practically brand new? (The bridge put me off from playing...thats how much its annoying me) Would that allow the bridge to go back into place?
cheers!
Anything that is too stupid to be spoken is sung
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if the string tension is the only thing doing it, the right gauge lower strings will fix it.
aah, this is why i got a hard-tail :D
Never call a shovel "an ingenious hole-digging instrument"
Before changing strings on a floating trem, lightly wedge blocks (wood, toothbrush, scrap plastic) under the rear of the bridge plate or both sides of the inertia block (from rear cavity) to lock the trem while holding the bridge plate at the correct angle. Changes strings, stretch and tune, make intonation adjustments, retune and finally adjust the tension of the trem springs so the blocks slide out easily and leave the bridge still in correct position. If the final step is done correctly, the bridge plate will have maintained correct position and the strings will still be in tune.
-=tension & release=-
Adjusting the bridge takes a little work but is easy to do.
Located under the bridge and is accessed from the cover on the back called a trim plate. When the trim plate is removed you'll see the springs. Their pull counteracts the pull of the strings. The tremolo springs are attached at one end to the spring claw (which is screwed into the body). If you turn the screws in it will lower the bridge. Turn them in a little then re-tune. Check it, if you need to down a little repeat the process until the bridge is level with the body.
When you change back to the other strings you'll have to readjust the bridge again.
Joe
The method I suggested eliminates the "repeat the process" part and replaces it with a once-through procedure.
-=tension & release=-
Changing the strings one at at time, and tuning and stretching them back up one at a time can often eliminate or at least mitigate this situation. I took all my strings off my floyd at the time time EXACTLY once, dealth with what you're dealing with and never did it again.
I still change strings one at a time on all guitars, it eliminates a lot of hassles: neck rebowing, tailpiece falling off on a tune-o-matic/stopbar system, FR stays in check, etc.
So you replace one, tune, stretch, tune stretch, tune stretch, tune stretch, NEXT. Takes a while, but when you're done, you're really done, pretty much finished stretching, everything is in tune, if you were intonated before you're probably still damn close, etc.
Do something you love and you'll never work a day in your life...
In the original post he mentions inadvertently changing gauges -- that's the reason I mentioned intonation, as well as the spring tension adjustments. Same gauge should be a piece of cake, if done as 'cat describes.
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I always change them one at a time and I just got the same guage strings again and it fixed the problem. They never took that long to stretch out and everything was perfect.
Anything that is too stupid to be spoken is sung
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Read this: https://www.guitarnoise.com/article.php?id=103
The block wedges? Aughhhh. Always keeping the same gauge strings will ensure proper adjustment. The moment you change gauges, you have to readjust the whole thing.
Keep the same gauge 'cause one is fears to adjust the trem and bridge? I hope you are kidding. This stuff only looks complicated. The guy you "ran" from didn't know what he was doing. Correctly blocked, adjusted and unblocked, this operation much easier than iterative adjustments during a reset or gauge change.
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At first they only seem complected, like other things in life. It becomes a learning experience when the time comes for adjusting and only as hard as you make it. Later on that night when you have the audience screaming for more makes all worth while.
Joe
i changed string gauges (from 9s to 11s) but also changed tunings (from standard to whole step down) so my intonation is gonna be off that much? pain in the arse. intonation is the one thing on a floyd that makes me wanna get a stopbar-style bridge. i can set the strings level with the body no problem, but intonation is so touchy!!!!! id rather adjust a truss rod. :shock:
