Conference napalm::guitar

    Hey Joe,
    
    Use D'addario stings and feed the strings in `backwards' through the
    tuning pegs.  I suggest D'addario becuase they wind their strings to
    the end of the metal core...others don't, and you end up cutting the
    core down to the windings regardless.  With the D'addario's you just
    slip em right into the locking bridge without hassle.
    
    There's a method to the madness of tuning with these things...ask Joe
    Minville (Jomama) if he still has the mail I sent him on it...tuning
    these monsters is a ritual that has to be understood to work.  I'll
    have to show you the logistics of it. 

    
    I've had a similar problem with my Ibanez (Floyd Rose tremolo).  I
    busted the high E string, and replaced it with a Dean Markley.  The
    replacement string sounds really dead compared to the others (which are
    the strings that came with the guitar).  Could be the string, could be
    the gauge, but could it be the way I replaced it?
    
    I happen to have a set of D'addarios waiting on the wing.....
    
    Dave

    I used GHS boomers on my Charvel's (except the last time I moooched
    a set of SIT's from Scary...).  Points of interest:
    
    a) It's imperative that the string be lined up in the center of the
    saddle before you crank the tailpiece lock.  It it's off to one
    side or the other, you get a dead weak sound.  You should also take
    care to bottom the string in the cavity on the tailpiece.  
    
    b) Don't be afraid to CRANK the snot out of the locks at both ends.
    You don't want anything to slip.  When I changed strings, the old
    ones are mushed flat.
    
    c) Lot's of good wraps (ala- Fender) around the tuning posts on
    the headstock will help you ruff-tune it before you lock 'em down.
    Buckleys' suggestion of reversing the string makes it easier to
    gauge how much slack you leave before winding.
    
    d) Adjust the spring tension in the back of your guitar so that
    when the guitar is in tune, the tailpiece is perfectly parallel
    to the body of your axe.  The tailpiece sits on a fulcrum, and
    deviations from this condition create inconsistancies in the relaxed
    posture of the tailpiece.  This is the hardest part.  There must
    be a happy marriage between the *string* tension and the *spring* 
    tension AND the intonation.  It's very painstaking.
    
    e) Once your happy with your set up, don't change string brands,
    or gauges or you'll have to start all over again.

    Once you've done all this, you'll be rewarded with good tone, sustain,
    progressive whammy action and a guitar that never go out of
    tune...Until you break a string...Then you grab your other axe !

    ;^)
    
    jc (who hopes this helps)

    I always wrap a LOT of string around the tuners in case I break
    a string.  Mine almost always break right in front of the tailpiece
    lock, so I can slide the string down a bit, cut it and restring.
    With a little practice (and I get plenty ...) this can be done much
    quicker than replacing a string on a non-Floyd system.
    
    
    
    				Scary
    

    Scary (Jerry) is a GOOD string changer... Taught me everything I
    know about stringing a FR !
    
    jc

    
    Here's something I found in GFTPM Feb 1989...
    
    By Barry Lipman...
    
    First, find or make a padded block that will fit under the back of
    the bridge to support it when you loosen the strings.  This will 
    eliminate most of the problems encountered tensioning the bridge 
    strings up from the slack.  Once you place the block under the 
    rear of the bridge, unclock the lock-nut and loosen and remove
    all your strings.  Reset the bridge fine tuners to about 80% as 
    high as they will go.  This will provide for about 20% loosening
    and about 80% tightening after you lock the nut-lock later on.  The
    new strings may go a hair sharp when first locked down, but normally
    you will need more room to tighten them, as they will tend to stretch
    a bit with use.  Rather than clip each new string twice, don't cut
    off the ball ends at all.  Try threading each string through its 
    tuning machine at the headstock, allowing the ball-end to come to 
    rest against the tuner's post.  When all six are strung through their
    tuners, pull them all down past he bridge and cut them all off at once
    at a point about even with the bridge's fine tuners.  Next, place each
    freshly cut string-end into its locking saddle and tighten it securely
    in.  Don't over-tighten the saddle, as this will only shorten the
    string's life and may well crack the saddle or the lock-block.  With
    the short end of your hex wrench inserted into the lock screw, grasp
    the long end and gently bounce off the flex of the wrench until the
    screw stops moving.  This will crush the string slightly and should
    be quite tight enough to hold well.
    	Tune up using the headstock tuning machines to tune up to pitch.
    Remove the block you placed under the rear of the bridge.  Stretch each
    string thoroughly and retune it until no matter how much you stretch a
    string it will not slip in pitch at all.  This stretching is a critical
    step if you wish to remain in tune after locking down the nut-lock. 
    Once your string are 100% stretched out and tuned to pitch, lock down
    the nut lock.  Tighten the three set-screws exactly as described above
    for the bridge-saddle lock screws.  Now you can begin to fine tune.
    Work your tremolo bar up and down as far as it will allow a few times
    and refine using the bridge fine-tuners.  Repeat this procedure until
    you can beat on hte bar and all your strings stay completely in tune.
    Your guitar is now ready to rock.
    

    
    
    	OK you American guys....maybe you can help me out.......
    
    
    	I have a Schaller Floyd-Rose trem on my Charvel and about 1 month
    	ago the locking bridge/saddle bit....(where you clamp the string)
    	shattered as I tightened up on the string, now I have changed my
    	strings lots of times and I am sure that I do not put undue
    	pressure on it....so I went to my local music store and the guy
    	said 'Oh yeh that happens a lot, I bet it was the high E' (it was)
    	so he ordered me a new one.....last night I came to change my
    	strings and guess what...the new saddle broke up on me, I guess it
    	was faulty from day one but I'm still rather pi**ed about it.....
    
    
    	Now the question, does anyone over there know of an outfit that do	
    	replacment saddles in steel as opposed to blinking naff zinc
    	die-castings? Surely somebody has got peeved enough to sort this
    	out?
    
    
    	J.

J.,

CALL (or write) Schaller and BITCH !  They'll probably send you a 
whole fist full of them....

jc

    
    	Anybody know Schaller's phone number or address?
    
    	Ta.
    
    	J (thanks Coop, Set mode/BITCH=ON)
    

Don't know the number, but the is a manufacturer info topic in here...

You're quite welcome - It worked for me once when I wrote to Sam Ash and
bitched about one of his products.  Hint - use lots of verbage like "I just 
didn't expect this kind of performance from a well known and popular 
company"...

Good luck, and let us know !

jc

    Finally after going through every trick in the book I got my Ibanez
    RG560 sounding good.  It had a couple of problems.  Bad intonation, a
    Floyd Rose bridge that wouldn't stay put, to name a few.
    
    The biggest problem was that when I played a first pos E chord, the low
    E actually detunned down.  You Ibanez owners can try it.  Hook up to a
    tuner and play just the low E while fingering the E chord.  The fix 
    was to file the nut with a jewelers file to lower the strings on the
    E,A, and D, going to heavier gauge strings (10 lights) and adding two
    springs to the vibrato in back to pull the bridge back down.  This
    makes the guitar play better as the hand vibrato is harder and stays
    in tune better. 
    
    I also set the truss and intonation.  This guitar has a much better
    sound.  Better sustain and feels like my old "63 Strat with a little
    skinny neck.
    
    Good playing,
    
    Mark

    
    You added springs??  Yike!!  
    
    I'm sure it's mentioned in here somewhere that the whole trick to 
    "The Edge" set up is that the tail piece be EXACTLY parallel to the
    body of the instrument...  I've got three springs in mine and my
    intonation and action is mint...   Feels like FIVE springs would give 
    that puppy a major heavy feel, and wouldn't be conducive to
    major whammy-nastics...
    :-)

    A friend of mine brought an Ibanez RG<mumble> over to my house and
    asked if it was be suitable for his 12 year old son to learn on. 
    After 45 minutes of messing with the whammy, I suggested he pass.
    I must admit I have very little experience, or patients for that
    matter, with locking nuts and floating trems. The guitar had a broken
    string and 1 screw was missing from one of the bridge saddles. I 
    found a screw that fit and installed it. I showed my friend what
    was required to "tune it up" and he was very quickly convinced that
    the guitar was not for his son. 
    
    I also HATED the wide-flat fingerboard, but that is another story
    altogether. 
    
    Mark
    

    I would agree with your assessment that a beginner shouldnt cut
    his teeth on a floyd type system...They are a PAIN to set up, but
    (I digress) once it's set, it's a snap.
    
    Beginners to me mean someone who needs to learn to tune a guitar,
    not how to set intonation.  :-)
    
    RE: wide-flat necks...
    
    Ibanez trade mark.  You forgot to mention skinny too.  Some people
    love 'em (myself included), but if it's not for you, it's not for 
    you.
    
    I will say that your average Gibson/Fender player will double-over
    in pain after a 30 minute flay-session...  ;-)

    Flat necks are a novelty that didn't take long for me to grow out of.
    I prefer the Strat-like necks.

    Rep to .12
    
    Yes,  You're right the proper edge set-up is parallel to body of the
    guitar and that is why I added the springs.  With the #10 strings the
    bridge was pulled about 30 degrees off level and the springs pulled it
    back to level.  The group I jam with tunes a half step down so the 10's
    have plenty of action.  The wammy bar still works the same it's just 
    stiffer.  I like this feature as before, the other strings would detune
    too much when smearing the G or D strings.  Now the other strings stay
    tuned and the only strings that change are the ones I'm smearing half
    way across the neck.  This is just one advantage.  The heavier strings
    have better sustain and ring better on the low end.
    
    I agree the neck takes some getting use to but like it for fast action
    and the change of feel it gives me from my telle, or gold top.  I get
    tired of the same thing all the time.  Something about variety....
    
    Mark