Joey Posted May 7, 2004 Report Share Posted May 7, 2004 Does anyone know if its possible to string a FL bridge without having to cut the ball end off the string? I havent tried it, but it seems like if it were possible, it would give more stability maybe? I am just sick of the tediousness of re-stringing my guitar... I really want a tune-o-matic type brige... Any tips on how to reduce the pain of equalizing the tension on the bridge when you take strings off and such? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YDoesGodMockMeSo Posted May 7, 2004 Report Share Posted May 7, 2004 u can string the guitar w/ the ballend at the tuners.... as for removing strings, you can put something in the recess under the fine tuner area ..like an eraser...some playing cards....a 9V battery wrapped in electrical tape. anything will keep the spring tension there...while u restring and/or clean the fretboard and/or clean the bridge. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simo Posted May 7, 2004 Report Share Posted May 7, 2004 I don't think having ball ends would make them more stable, as for keeping the bridge level I use a cd case (the very slim single type) I find that keeps it pefectly level Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joey Posted May 7, 2004 Author Report Share Posted May 7, 2004 Thanks for the input... never thought of putting the ball ends by the tuners --- and I usually use a small size 2-1 input jack adaptor to hold the bridge in place, I just wondered if anyone had other ways of doing things easier - thanks again Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westhemann Posted May 7, 2004 Report Share Posted May 7, 2004 cut them off... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeB Posted May 7, 2004 Report Share Posted May 7, 2004 i use an eraser to hold my bridge up. tom morello has put his ball ends in at the tuners, i have pic of that. i tried that once, but its slower to do i find. Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joey Posted May 7, 2004 Author Report Share Posted May 7, 2004 cut them off... if you're talking about the ball on the end of the string... thats how its always done... but that may not be what you're talking about... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westhemann Posted May 7, 2004 Report Share Posted May 7, 2004 cut them off... if you're talking about the ball on the end of the string... thats how its always done... but that may not be what you're talking about... yes i know...i am saying that is always how it should be done...there really is no good shortcut...just do it. i always have my wirecutters right there with me so i can just nip them as i go. the reason it is the best way is because the ball ends have a tendancy to unravel,putting the strings out of tune Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westhemann Posted May 7, 2004 Report Share Posted May 7, 2004 by the way putting the ball ends at the tuner doesn't work on the wound ones,because of the overhang on the other end. there is a tutorial on changing a floyded guitar to a fixed bridge on the main site. or if you never use the floyd just block it from the back by wedgeng in the correct size wood shim,and tightening the tension screws down or wait and buy a tremel-no from kevan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
krazyderek Posted May 8, 2004 Report Share Posted May 8, 2004 by the way putting the ball ends at the tuner doesn't work on the wound ones,because of the overhang on the other end. there is a tutorial on changing a floyded guitar to a fixed bridge on the main site. or if you never use the floyd just block it from the back by wedgeng in the correct size wood shim,and tightening the tension screws down or wait and buy a tremel-no from kevan beat me too it wes.... you still end up cutting one end of the string... also on a big E string ( or low c in my case) the extra wrappings around the ball make it harder to get thru the post hole and properly wrapped around the peg/post. if you want quick access and change ability buy a speeloader .... or wait and buy a tremel-no from kevan lol it seems like every thread ends with "or just buy a tremol-no" lol... kev's gonna be rich! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kevan Posted May 8, 2004 Report Share Posted May 8, 2004 Yeah....so rich....right. I'm so in debt the Enron guys point and giggle when they see me. I string all of my guitars (except the Tele), backwards: ball end at the tuners/machine heads. No matter how you wind/tie/knot your strings at the tuner end, having the ball up there is more secure and reduces any (if not all) slippage. I'm careful when I cut the wound strings; I bend them slightly 'ahead' of the cut, so they don't unravel when I make the cut down at the trem end. I cut them at the near side of the fine tuner knobs of the trem. This gives me about 2 wraps of string on the tuners; enough for an emergency string repair. Yes- you *can* do this with 7-strings as well. If I remember correctly, I'm running a 53 on my CST and UV, backwards. If it's really crucial to run your 61, you can drill out the hole in the tuner.........or just stop screwing around with guitar and get a bass. LOL I've never understood the "all at once" method of changing strings with some Floyd users. You can really only do one at a time, which is how I do it. I start with High E and work my way down. I tune it to pitch, then do the next one. This really helps to pre-stretch the strings (let the springs in back do the work for you!). It also helps maintain the tension on the neck, and reduces the chance of cracking due to the quick lack of tension, then slow gain of tension. If you really have to have all 6 off to do some kind of fretwork or clean the board, just pull the springs in the back of the trem, and lift the trem out. Voila! All 6 at once! If you're really, really, really into doing all 6 at once, you can do the dead-9V-battery-wrapped-in-duct-tape or eraser block under the trem. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joey Posted May 8, 2004 Author Report Share Posted May 8, 2004 Yeah the last time I changed strings I had a complete brain fart and took them all off at once... I dont know why... Anyway Im having some crazy trouble with my bridge.... Somehow it has seemed to rotate clockwise about 2 millimeters... so the high E saddle is not pointing directly straight up the neck... its like ever so slightly to the right now, so the string vibrates against the side of the little groove its in and is causing some crazy trouble (buzzing) for that string. I HAVE NO IDEA HOW THIS HAPPENED since the bridge is just unmovable like that... the 2 poles that hold the bridge in place (that you can turn to raise/lower the bridge) are unmovable... so I dont know how in the hell the bridge rotated. The other strings seem to be unaffected, but the damn high E is killin me. And there is no obvious solution that jumps out at me. Any help would be appreciated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joey Posted May 8, 2004 Author Report Share Posted May 8, 2004 :Update: Well I just moved the string over a bit in the saddle and that seemed to remedy the problem... FL's are so damn tedious... gah.. Right when I FINALLY got it all in tune (still cant get the intonation right... im beyond frustrated) I pull a little bend on the high E and the string breaks at the saddle (for the 3rd or so time tonight). I GIVE UP. Im probably going to take a bat to this floyd rose sonofa b and put a tune-o-matic in somehow well not really... but it would be nice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westhemann Posted May 8, 2004 Report Share Posted May 8, 2004 i always take all six off so i can clean the fretboard while they are off. but it only takes a couple of minutes once strung for me to tune it to pitch...sometimes i block the trem...sometimes i don't. i stretch the strings after installation and before tuning by pulling up on the bar... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westhemann Posted May 8, 2004 Report Share Posted May 8, 2004 joey,make sure the bridge has it's knife edges exactly where they are supposed to be on the inserts.it sounds like you tried to adjust the action while it was strung to pitch...this can (and will most times)cut a groove on the posts and on occasion that groove will run "up" the posts,causing the whole thing to be out of wack. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reaper Posted May 8, 2004 Report Share Posted May 8, 2004 Wes, if you really need to clean the fretboard, I usually find that simply popping the trem out is far easier than trying to restring one... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westhemann Posted May 8, 2004 Report Share Posted May 8, 2004 Wes, if you really need to clean the fretboard, I usually find that simply popping the trem out is far easier than trying to restring one... i do it all at the same time...it is really no trouble to me.i do a better cleaning job without the strings on...i polish the body at the same time it is amusing to me in a way that everyone wants shortcuts to stringing a floyd,as if it is so tough.i understand the begginer frustration because i was there once too,but after the learning curve is over it really is no big deal. once you get the intonation set the first time you may never have to do it again...just keep using the same gauge strings and keep it at the proper level...it really is quite stable once you get it set Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joey Posted May 8, 2004 Author Report Share Posted May 8, 2004 wait, you have to loosen the strings before you can adjust the action from the bridge????? Thats a pain in the butt.... Ive never had any of this problem before.. and ive changed the strings quite a few times. I dont know why the intonation went out of whack... its still not right.. I think im gonna take it to a shop to have the saddles checked out.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westhemann Posted May 8, 2004 Report Share Posted May 8, 2004 wait, you have to loosen the strings before you can adjust the action from the bridge????? yes...the thing about a floyd is that you set it once,keep it tuned to pitch,and you hardly ever have to touch it again... it seems like a pain in the butt at first,but once you learn how to use a trem,it is worth it also...some lower end guitars have REALLY poor floyd copies Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westhemann Posted May 8, 2004 Report Share Posted May 8, 2004 by the way,what type of guitar is it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joey Posted May 8, 2004 Author Report Share Posted May 8, 2004 Its an RG 320 dx... so im pretty sure it has one of the infamous crap floyds... But I do have to say that overall I am VERY pleased with the guitar... it plays super smooth and with the new pickup it just sounds great.. Its been working well for me up until these problems... but Im gonna take it to this shop I know of and have the guy just set it all up from scratch and have a good look at it. (On a side note, apparently this guy Ted that owns this shop I speak of went to school with John Pretrucci and knew him a little bit.) Im tired of messing with it. Although, working on it so much these past few days has really helped me understand how it works and how to set it up, which is pretty cool. Thanks for all your input, Wes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BLS Posted May 9, 2004 Report Share Posted May 9, 2004 Yep that has a TRS, those arent very good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westhemann Posted May 9, 2004 Report Share Posted May 9, 2004 mine has a trs...it is decent,but i hear they wear down fast Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kevan Posted May 9, 2004 Report Share Posted May 9, 2004 Joey- are you in the NYC/Long Island area? I know a few fantastic techs in the area that are "Ibanez friendly". Let me know. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joey Posted May 9, 2004 Author Report Share Posted May 9, 2004 Joey- are you in the NYC/Long Island area? I know a few fantastic techs in the area that are "Ibanez friendly". Let me know. Nope, I'm in the northern outskirts of Atlanta, Ga. Thanks anyway! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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