The Song Fight Bulletin Board

I feel kind of noobish about this... Can someone tell me how I managed to make the bridge stick out like that, and how to fix it? Thanks.

uh, not if you post a broken link
-bill

Try bashing it back in? Did you put too much tension on the strings to make it pop out? Is it a cheap guitar? Try loosening the strings(as if you were going to change them), and then try wiggling it about. Is it just popped or is something more serious going on there?

Just some thoughts.

Is that a trem I see before me? If so, more (or stronger) springs may be the ticket.

And so begins the sidetracking of the thread toward changing strings on guitars with whammy bars ,heh.

/draws deep breath

There are a few things that could be happening here. Required tools: screwdriver (phillips)

First one that beginners often do is say 'well the guitar's in tune,' but not to standard 'guitar' tuning. So, make sure your guitar is properly in tune like a normal guitar. Having it tuned too high equals more string tension, which would be pulling your bridge up like that.

Next, did you just change the strings? If so, did you switch up to a heavier gauge set? If you ever change your string gauges, you're generally gonna have to reset your tremolo (your bridge).

Next, it appears you've got a satin black mexican fat strat. Those are pretty new, so there's probably no weird 'vintage' problems going on with the setup. Even so, open up the back of the guitar by unscrewing the six screws holding the plastic backplate on. How many springs do you see? 1-5 are possible, 2-4 are reasonable, but most players are fine with 3. If one has popped off, that's your obvious problem there. Hook it back on to the back of the bridgepeice. Since that's probably not the case, we'll move on. The number or strength of springs affects the feel and response of the tremolo, and it shouldn't be seen as a means of correcting tremolo height. In general.

Assuming you have 3 springs, which is how that guitar ships from Fender, the easiest way to fix your problem without making a trip to your music store to get another spring is to adjust the anchors. wtf does that mean? I'll tell you. There should be two screws drilled right into the wood of the guitar, pointing towards the headstock. These screws will be holding a metal peice with five little extensions, which is where your springs are anchored. You need to screw those two screws in further into the guitar. Be very careful, as they're generally really hard to tighten, and if you slip and scratch the guitar, you're screwed, because that satin finish is irrepairable. Anyways, screw them both in a little at a time, keeping them even. After each little tweak, tune the guitar up again, and see where the bridge is sitting. Tweak to taste. Screw is about as versatile as fuck. Screw it.

There really is no 'correct' way to set your tremolo point, but most people like it to where it's barely floating above the flat point, so that there's lots of room to bend down, and very slight room to bend up. This is how modern Fender factory setups are done. Originally (fifties), factory setups had the tremolo all the way down, sitting flat on the body, so you could only bend down. People started changing the setup so much that Fender changed their factory setup to accommodate.

If your guitar is a Fender copy, rather than a real Fender, everything should still apply, except for the history lesson.

Once you think you've got it all set, play it a while. Don't put the back plate back on. In fact, put that bitch in a drawer, life is easier without it on there. Hell, the Eric Johnson strat doesn't even ship with one, nor does it have holes drilled to put one on.

So there you go. You could have payed some guy 50 to do that for you. Don't you feel better? Let me know how that turns out. I'll post a picture of my strat's bridge, and maybe some step-by-step setup pics if I can find my camera.

/gasp

The way it's set up, I can divebomb pretty hard, and I can pull up exactly one half-step.

No setup pictures tonight.

thanks! turns out it was those screws, they were really really really far out. the action still seems a little higher than on other guitars, but the bridge is lower than it was before, so i guess i'll live. thanks for the help.