string height in a 7 string with FR
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tedtan
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elkoki
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Does the trem look really sunken in ? Probably doesn’t matter as long as it works fine
Glad you got it sorted. Anyway, if you don't have a qualified tech around you next time you have a serious issue, you might consider shipping the guitar to one. Shipping back and forth won't be cheap, but if completely necessary it's still worth it. I had a friend from Almería who shipped a guitar to a well known luthier around here to have it routed for EMGs, and he was very happy with the result.
Not so much, it was completely body level before I lowered and now is a bit sunken but not a big deal I think. Maybe I might go a bit further and be more "ambitious" with the string height in order to gain more comfortability... dunno.
I may consider it for another guitar, I have a Lag Arkane 1000 with EMGs and messed around with the wirings resulting in the neck not sounding anymore. EMGs are not my favourites, but now I hate that guitar and didn't sell it because I can't get a good price of a half-ok axe, so I don't play it although in the back of my head I feel I should fix that instrument somehow and put it back to life... lazyness, insecurity on a good tech and don't want to spend much money as I think the frets might need a closer look too...
Changing the subject:
I'm trying to lower the string height in my other Ran Crusher, this one has a fixed hipshot, I think I need the smallest allen tool, but even with that I can't seem to hold the bolt, am I doing something wrong? (pic following)
elkoki
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s
Is it the right size ?
I guess, since it is the smallest in 3 sets of tools I have
elkoki
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Should be pretty straight forward , insert the allen key & turn .. if the saddle isn’t moving the key is too small or too big .. my guess is it’s too big ? can’t really tell well from my phone but it does look a tad too big . Did it come with your guitar ?
Saddle height screws are teeeeeny tiny - I can only adjust the saddle height screws with the hex wrench that came with my guitar, which I believe is 0.050". Quite a bit smaller than the smallest hex wrench in my imperial and metric sets. Hipshot might be the same.
odibrom
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You are probably using a wrong allen key, it should be an IMPERIAL allen key, not METRRIC.
Winspear
Tom Winspear
That allen key looks too big to me. They are real skinny stick ones. .05" or ~1.2,1.3mm is the size you want. That looks like a 2mm or 1.5mm at smallest in your photo. You should see it clearly sink into the hole
Thanks, mates! That's right, now I have to find a 1,2mm key, I've been to a big hardware shop this morning and they have nothing smaller than 1,5mm (which is the same in my pic, too big for it) or I need to buy a whole set for 30€... come on!
elkoki
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Based on the hipshot website you need a .50” hex key . These should work. Only $4.50 with free delivery.
Fender Saddle Height Adjustment Wrench (.050 Hex) Guitar Tools (0018531049) https://a.co/d/hfpMtOy
odibrom
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THIS, again, it's IMPERIAL measurements, not METRIC...!!!!
Well, in my other guitar I was able to lower the action down to 2,2 for the 7th string and 1,75 for the first one (measuring in the 14th fret) but it took me to virtually make the bolts out of the fixed hipshot bridge, is that even normal? pics following:
elkoki
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It’s literally the same thing I already replied to you about earlier . The truss rod has to be set well , if it has too much relief your action will be high . I’ve seen this in some used guitars I bought before , the previous owner bottomed out the saddles to lower the action which was obviously the wrong decision because they’d have massive amounts of relief on the neck . IF your truss rod is set well and the action is still too high , and you’re lowering the heck out of the saddles like you’re showing, it’s a matter of shimming your neck . If you shimmed it , you would have to raise the saddles and those bolts wouldn’t be popping out . All these things are the reason your Floyd Rose is too low too .
What you can also do , is buy shorter hex screws ,( ofc you can only do this for your fixed bridge guitars and not the Floyd)You probably don’t want to shim your guitars , Porque eres un pinche burro . From the looks of it some of your saddles are literally all the way at the bottom , your action shouldn’t be that high with a saddle all the way lowered
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odibrom
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Looks like the bridge's baseplate is too thick for that guitar, you're running out of saddle movement range (saddles decked the bridge baseplate) and those height screws shouldn't be so out.
In order to use THAT bridge and to get a functional guitar, the neck should be shimmed. If the guitars is Set Neck or Neck Through, then a new bridge is mandatory.
It looks like a Hipshot bridge and they do have different thicknesses with their bridges' baseplates, so you should choose the thinnest and do a direct swap.
The way it looks is just wrong, maybe it's the photos, maybe it's really wrong.
elkoki
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Didn’t notice the thickness of that bridge plate , that’s definitely not helping . I think the cheapest option and probably the best for the OP would be to shim it , that way he can keep the guitar stock and not have to go through the hassle of finding another bridge that’ll fit , installing it etc .
nah, I finally lowered the screws and the floyd rose in either of my guitars till the original position and turned a few times the truss rod screw, straightening the neck and now the action is way lower, having the guitars hanged in wall mounts unplayed for a while should bend them, I guess. There's a general lack of humidity where I live but the temperature oscilation is over 40ºC from summer to winter, so that might have something to do, anyway, the guitars are already fine, so I'm happy with it, thanks everybody here for the help!
