Need help tuning/setting up vibrola tailpiece

axescent · Joined: 01 Aug 2008 Posts: 4

I have a question about the maestro vibrola type bridge...
Does anyone have a problem when stringing/tuning it up? I use heavy gauge strings and just installed the vibrola bridge on my firebird and for the life of me I can't string it up, then tune it properly without the bar subsequently being pulled down almost against the body.

So I can't use it and it's made the piece pointless, plus it looks really weird being all pulled up like that...

I'm not used to using anything with a vibrato on it so I'm new to this. Is there a special way to string/tune these things up?

Can anyone help me with this? Should I take the piece off and then bend it back with pilers to compensate or something or is there a special way to string/tune these?

Thanks so much.

lee_UK · Posted: Sat Aug 02, 2008 10:06 pm Post subject:

Ive installed one of these on my prized SG standard, drilled the holes and set it up, it is a Allparts maestro the long type, in order to help i need to see some pictures of your bridge, what you describe is most unusual, you are doing something very wrong.
Post up some pics if you want the help.

axescent · Joined: 01 Aug 2008 Posts: 4

here are some pics of the way the bridge looks when the guitar is tuned to 440 pitch. It may be hard to see but the bar is almost touching the pickguard on the guitar it floats maybe 1/4" and that's it.

I'm probably stringing it up in a wrong order or something... I appreciate the help. I'll also mention I use heavy gauge strings but I don't think that'll make that much of a difference.

Thanks very much

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http://s26.photobucket.com/albums/c128/axescent/Vibrola%20Tremolo/

Thanks again.

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lee_UK · Posted: Sun Aug 03, 2008 10:16 pm Post subject:

Can you give a measurement? (arm from body) when i get access to my SG i'll measure it up for you.

And what make is the unit? is it a Gibson?

axescent · Joined: 01 Aug 2008 Posts: 4

I just measured it and it's exactly 4mm (aprox 1/8") above the pickguard.
This trem, like yours was ordered from Allparts.
I'm not looking to do any kind of dive bombs or crazy stuff, I know the amount of movement I'll get from it is minimal. However I didn't expect it to be that minimal haha.

Please let me where your trem arm sits, and if the piece (where the strings are hooked in) sits fairly level or if it's angled towards the nut or the body. Cause mine as you can see in the pics is pulled up/forward a lot.

lee_UK · Posted: Mon Aug 04, 2008 12:17 am Post subject:

I think mine is more like 30mm above the scratch plate, definatly something wrong with yours, on the Firebird you have that raised centre part in the middle of the guitar, i bet if that wern't there it would be flat on the guitar, yours looks a little different from mine too..
Anyway i will post up some pics as soon as i get it.

axescent · Joined: 01 Aug 2008 Posts: 4

Yeah with the raised middle it should be even higher... maybe the heavier strings are just too much for the piece... I'll have to email them and see it maybe it's defective and I could get another one sent to me or something.

Any pics you've got would help me out.

Thanks a lot for the help so far!

lee_UK · Posted: Mon Aug 04, 2008 5:18 pm Post subject:

Here are my pictures, your bridge is pulling right forward like you are using 15 gauge strings 4 tones above concert pitch!!
Also mine is stringed from the top part of the bridge, yours seems to be strung from underneath.

Bit grubbier than yours but thats because it has been played to death!!
i love this guitar, it's been my gigging guitar for 5 years, i bought it new in 1999.

Anyway, back to your bridge, you can see where the problem is, yours seems to be under a lot of extra tension, or it has been bent forward when manufatured, if so send it back to Allparts, if you need any more pics i can post some more up.

Good luck, and the Lyre unit is well worth all the trouble, your Firebird looks so much better with it on too.

lee_UK · Posted: Fri Aug 08, 2008 11:32 pm Post subject:

Oh well.

on behalf of 'Axscent' i would like to thank myself for all the time and effort i spent taking pictures and posting them up with possible explainations.
Just an acknowledgment would have done. Evil or Very Mad

Tim · Posted: Sun Aug 10, 2008 8:57 pm Post subject:

School Jollys and all that, might be away somewhere...like our man in the costas...maybe...

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