Posted: Tue Mar 29, 2005 5:32 am
Paul, Thank-you for the information on the strings. after reading your post, I'm glad I bought the RIC strings.
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Re-stringing
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Posted: Tue Mar 29, 2005 5:35 am
Joey, I'm reading the procedure on your website for the 3rd time just so I don't make a mistake. I will need to get a tuner though. And I may take you up on the offer of helping me re-string my guitar. I live in the South Bay.
Posted: Tue Mar 29, 2005 8:53 am
Dan, if you want, e-mail me off-Forum with your phone number, and I'll be glad to chat with you about tuners and intonation (all calls on my cell phone are 'local', so I don't pay any extra for long distance). If you do, let me know a good time-window for me to call.
I have two Seiko ST-7xx tuners. One is chromatic and one isn't; it's easier to tune and set the intonation with the one (I can't remember which is which) that reads half-steps (sharps and flats; G-G#-A-A#-B etc.) rather thatn the one that reads only the full notes (G-A-B etc.).
Jeff wrote:
I have two Seiko ST-7xx tuners. One is chromatic and one isn't; it's easier to tune and set the intonation with the one (I can't remember which is which) that reads half-steps (sharps and flats; G-G#-A-A#-B etc.) rather thatn the one that reads only the full notes (G-A-B etc.).
Jeff wrote:
I have an Ibanez someone gave me with a broken neck, and when I finally got around to changing strings on it after I glued the break (I had simlpy cut the strings off to do the work), I looked at the Floyd Rose and said to myself, "Yikes! This is going to take some time to do!"... just be glad you don't have a Floyd Rose tremelo to restring ...
Posted: Tue Mar 29, 2005 9:15 am
Gary, I will get a tuner this weekend. Most likely the Boss TU2. (I will try to remember to email you tonight)
Posted: Tue Mar 29, 2005 11:07 am
Cool, Dan!
Posted: Tue Mar 29, 2005 3:30 pm
Dan, it seems you'll have own restringing and intonation coaching staff. LOL 
Gary, I'd also be interested in your R tailpiece tricks. I wish I didn't sell my 330.
Gary, I'd also be interested in your R tailpiece tricks. I wish I didn't sell my 330.
Posted: Tue Mar 29, 2005 4:30 pm
Yes it looks that way thanks to the great people here.
Posted: Wed Mar 30, 2005 10:44 pm
Dan,
Check out these links for restringing:
http://www.cyberfret.com/gear-tech/changing-strings/index.php
http://www.cbguitars.com/restringing.htm
To get to "setting the intonation", you have to do the neck relief and string height. Here's a basic guideline (the orders are not to be altered). It's actually easier than what it reads like:
-----------------
Procedure of setup (the order of the steps can't be altered):
1-Neck relief check-up and adjustment: With yourself sitting down and with your guitar IN PLAYING POSITION (don't do it with the guitar lying flat on a table because gravity will pull the neck towards the floor and make the neck seem straight) , press your low E string at the 1st and last frets at the same time. (Using a capo on the 1st fret will make it easier for you.) There should be a .005"~.010" distance between the string and the 8th or 9th fret. In other words, the space there should only allow a very thin business card to slide through. If you can slide 2 or more business cards through there, then your neck has too much relief on the bass side. If the string is "kissing" the 8th or 9th fret, then your neck is too 'backbowed". Do the same to your high E string and make sure there's a .001"~.005" space (almost no "daylight") between it and the 8th fret. Don't just look at the neck from behind the bridge or above the headstock because "looking" is never precise enough.
The advantage of RIC's dual trus rods system is that, unlike a single truss rod system, it allows you to have propper relief on both sides of the fingerboard---less relief for the treble side as thinner strings have smaller vibration amplitude.
Beware that a neck that is backbowed or dead straight will have fret buzz on open string notes and notes at frets 1~5. A neck that has too much relief will have fret buzz on notes at the last frets (17~21 or 24).
If your guitar is a post-'84, then it's got the modern truss rod system which is easy to adjust. It's recommended to adjust the truss rods with the Xcelite L8 1/4" hex driver.
To decrease neck relief, loosen the strings and turn the truss rod(s) clockwise for a 1/4 turn at a time. If the relief is still too big, tighten the truss rods in a few hours or the next day until you get the proper relief/bow. Bear in mind that it may take a couple of hours or a day for the neck to settle into the new straightness, under string tension.
***Pre-'84 RIC guitars have the old truss rod system. You have to manually back-bend the neck while turning the rod nuts snug. It takes 2 people or one with a clamp to adjust it.
2-Adjust bridge height: Set the bridge/saddles low enough for you to feel comfortable playing the guitar with no fret buzz audible when amplified. Conventional standard is to adjust the bridge so that there is a 5/64" distance between the 1st string and the 17th fret, and 3/32" for the 6th string. Again, do the measurement with the guitar in playing position. Keep in mind that different players need different string action. A heavy plucker/picker should want a higher string action to avoid fret buzz. A player with light touch can go for the low "plays like buttuh" action. However, beware that a guitar or bass with too low an action doesn't yield nice, full resonance.
3-Check intonation: Tune up the strings with a tuner. If a certain string is sharp at the 12th fret while it's correct at the open string note, loosen that string and move its bridge saddle away from the neck. If it's flat , move the saddle towards the neck.
4-Check pickup height: With the strings pressed at the last fret (again, in playing position, not laid flat on a table), the distance between the pickups and strings should be no smaller than 1/8". However, RIC pickups could be brought closer than that to the strings without ill effects (magnetic pull on the strings causing false harmonics, incorrect intonation, lack of sustain, etc.) because the magnets are at the bottom, under the polepieces. The bridge pickup may be a little closer to the strings than the neck pickup as the amplitude of string vibration is greater near the neck's end. The rule of thumb is to get the pickups to be equally loud. If strings 1~3 sound louder than strings 4~6 through a pickup, raise the bass side of that pickup to gain equal volume for all strings.
I hope it helps.
Check out these links for restringing:
http://www.cyberfret.com/gear-tech/changing-strings/index.php
http://www.cbguitars.com/restringing.htm
To get to "setting the intonation", you have to do the neck relief and string height. Here's a basic guideline (the orders are not to be altered). It's actually easier than what it reads like:
-----------------
Procedure of setup (the order of the steps can't be altered):
1-Neck relief check-up and adjustment: With yourself sitting down and with your guitar IN PLAYING POSITION (don't do it with the guitar lying flat on a table because gravity will pull the neck towards the floor and make the neck seem straight) , press your low E string at the 1st and last frets at the same time. (Using a capo on the 1st fret will make it easier for you.) There should be a .005"~.010" distance between the string and the 8th or 9th fret. In other words, the space there should only allow a very thin business card to slide through. If you can slide 2 or more business cards through there, then your neck has too much relief on the bass side. If the string is "kissing" the 8th or 9th fret, then your neck is too 'backbowed". Do the same to your high E string and make sure there's a .001"~.005" space (almost no "daylight") between it and the 8th fret. Don't just look at the neck from behind the bridge or above the headstock because "looking" is never precise enough.
The advantage of RIC's dual trus rods system is that, unlike a single truss rod system, it allows you to have propper relief on both sides of the fingerboard---less relief for the treble side as thinner strings have smaller vibration amplitude.
Beware that a neck that is backbowed or dead straight will have fret buzz on open string notes and notes at frets 1~5. A neck that has too much relief will have fret buzz on notes at the last frets (17~21 or 24).
If your guitar is a post-'84, then it's got the modern truss rod system which is easy to adjust. It's recommended to adjust the truss rods with the Xcelite L8 1/4" hex driver.
To decrease neck relief, loosen the strings and turn the truss rod(s) clockwise for a 1/4 turn at a time. If the relief is still too big, tighten the truss rods in a few hours or the next day until you get the proper relief/bow. Bear in mind that it may take a couple of hours or a day for the neck to settle into the new straightness, under string tension.
***Pre-'84 RIC guitars have the old truss rod system. You have to manually back-bend the neck while turning the rod nuts snug. It takes 2 people or one with a clamp to adjust it.
2-Adjust bridge height: Set the bridge/saddles low enough for you to feel comfortable playing the guitar with no fret buzz audible when amplified. Conventional standard is to adjust the bridge so that there is a 5/64" distance between the 1st string and the 17th fret, and 3/32" for the 6th string. Again, do the measurement with the guitar in playing position. Keep in mind that different players need different string action. A heavy plucker/picker should want a higher string action to avoid fret buzz. A player with light touch can go for the low "plays like buttuh" action. However, beware that a guitar or bass with too low an action doesn't yield nice, full resonance.
3-Check intonation: Tune up the strings with a tuner. If a certain string is sharp at the 12th fret while it's correct at the open string note, loosen that string and move its bridge saddle away from the neck. If it's flat , move the saddle towards the neck.
4-Check pickup height: With the strings pressed at the last fret (again, in playing position, not laid flat on a table), the distance between the pickups and strings should be no smaller than 1/8". However, RIC pickups could be brought closer than that to the strings without ill effects (magnetic pull on the strings causing false harmonics, incorrect intonation, lack of sustain, etc.) because the magnets are at the bottom, under the polepieces. The bridge pickup may be a little closer to the strings than the neck pickup as the amplitude of string vibration is greater near the neck's end. The rule of thumb is to get the pickups to be equally loud. If strings 1~3 sound louder than strings 4~6 through a pickup, raise the bass side of that pickup to gain equal volume for all strings.
I hope it helps.
Posted: Thu Mar 31, 2005 6:49 am
Paul, that's a tremendous amount of information.
Thanks very much. It makes things clearer.
Thanks very much. It makes things clearer.
Posted: Thu Mar 31, 2005 11:00 am
Cool!
Good luck, Dan.
Good luck, Dan.
Posted: Sat May 28, 2005 3:57 pm
I managed to change strings on my 330 and should get better over time. I put on a standard set RIC 10s. The thing I need to get better at is how much string should I pull through the tuner hole before creasing the string? I had mixed results today from having 1.5 to 3 full revolutions wound around the peg. I'd like to be consistant next time with at least 2 full revolutions. Thank-you.