[coldethyl]

I've heard that trying to change strings on a guitar that has a floating tremolo is a nightmare. Is this true?

I'm thinking of getting Joe Satriani's signature guitar (JS 1200) and I was just wondering how I would go changing the strings on it, since it has what I believe is called the Edge Pro bridge. Isn't that similar to the floating tremolo?

Anyhow, I just thought for those out there that already have guitars fitted with this, that they may have some good tips.

Neil

[nocat]

If you replace the stings with the same gauge there should be no problem...!!!
If , however you decide to go to a lighter or heavier gauge, then additional adjustments
have to be made because of the string tension difference... Possibly a truss rod adjustment
or a spring tension adjustment or both...!!!
The action might also have to be adjusted...

PS. This applies to most guitars, not just the floating tremolo type.

Cheers
Ben

[Ultimate Garage Band]

Yeah, if you change the string gauge you'll probably have to re-intonate the guitar and re-adjust the spring tension in the trem system.

The issue with changing strings on a floating trem system is that properly set up, the trem is perfectly balanced between the strings pulling on one side and the springs pulling on the other. Too much spring tension and the back of the bridge 'sinks' down into the top of the guitar. Too much string tension and the back of the bridge pulls up away from the body of the guitar. The bridge should be level and parallel to the body of the guitar.

When you remove all the strings from a floating bridge to change the strings, the springs have zero tension to fight against so they automatically pull the back end of the bridge down into the body. So, you put a string on the guitar and tune it to pitch, then another, and another, etc. Soon you'll have all the strings on and in tune but the bridge is still sloping down into the body. 'Aha!!' you say, 'UGB said that the tension must be the same for the bridge to be level so I need to back the screws out that anchor the springs to relieve spring tension!!' When you do that, the guitar is no longer in tune and when you retune it you might discover that now your bridge is actually up off the body with too much string tension. You've now begun the multi hour cycle of trying to balance the two and what's frustrating is that it was fine before you ever took the first string off. The key point here is, IT WAS OK BEFORE YOU STARTED. So, with that in mind I do the following when I have to remove all the strings, I get them all on and tune up. The bridge is sunk down into the body. I depress the trem bar raising the bridge out of the body a bit and while holding it there, tighten the tension on the strings. I'm shooting for a visual, ultimately, that gets me a level bridge while in tune. So, I might have to go one or two or more times of depressing the trem bar, tightening/tuning all 6 strings, and then doing it again until the trem is level.

The easiest way to avoid this is to replace each string individually, but sometimes you just have to take them all off to clean, paint, repair, whatever.

[Ultimate Garage Band]

Some people also use a shim or a block to keep the trem in place while they re-string it.