Trem Bridge (509) cocked up.

[Shane Santora]

Help! I re strung my wood library 10 top 509 this afternoon and when I was done the back of the bridge was clocked up quite a bit. Anyone know how to lower the rear (screw side) of the bridge back down so that it is parallel to the body? I don’t want to mess with anything until I know exactly what to do. Thanks!

 

[Ovibos]

Help! I re strung my wood library 10 top 509 this afternoon and when I was done the back of the bridge was clocked up quite a bit. Anyone know how to lower the rear (screw side) of the bridge back down so that it is parallel to the body? I don’t want to mess with anything until I know exactly what to do. Thanks!

Did you go to lighter gauge strings?

 

[Shane Santora]

Did you go to lighter gauge strings?

well, a little bit of both. I went from NYXL Medium’s (11-49) to heavy bottoms (10-52).

 

[Ovibos]

well, a little bit of both. I went from NYXL Medium’s (11-49) to heavy bottoms (10-52).

So you changed the string tension and probably need to adjust the trem claw to pull the springs more, right?

 

[Shane Santora]

So you changed the string tension and probably need to adjust the trem claw to pull the springs more, right?

Correct. I need to get the rear end of the bridge back down to parallel without screwing up the knife edges.

 

[sergiodeblanc]

Might wanna massage the bass strings through the nut a bit too while you’re at it.

 

[Herr Squid]

Just tighten the big screws on the claw in the tremolo cavity in the back of the guitar about a half turn. The guitar will go sharp, so loosen the strings to bring it back in tune again. Then check the angle on the tremolo again. Tighten the screws to bring the back of the bridge down, or loosen them to raise it and retune. Repeat until it's where you want it. That's normal action on the knife edge, so it won't hurt it. Watch out for tightening it so much that you deck the bridge on the body.

 

[Shane Santora]

Just tighten the big screws on the claw in the tremolo cavity in the back of the guitar about a half turn. The guitar will go sharp, so loosen the strings to bring it back in tune again. Then check the angle on the tremolo again. Tighten the screws to bring the back of the bridge down, or loosen them to raise it and retune. Repeat until it's where you want it. That's normal action on the knife edge, so it won't hurt it. Watch out for tightening it so much that you deck the bridge on the body.

Pardon me if this is a dumb question, but is the guitar going to retain its intonation once I go through with this process? Never done this before, I’m trying to teach myself how to care for my guitar myself, or else I would pay for someone to do this.

 

[Ovibos]

Pardon me if this is a dumb question, but is the guitar going to retain its intonation once I go through with this process? Never done this before, I’m trying to teach myself how to care for my guitar myself, or else I would pay for someone to do this.

Yes, but also bc you change gauges.

This video is a good place to start:

 

[Shane Santora]

Yes, but also bc you change gauges.

This video is a good place to start:

Just finished, and your advice worked! Surprisingly, it is still perfectly intonated even after the gauge change and even after I lowered the bridge back down. My tuner read each string as perfectly in tune at the open fret and at the twelfth fret and beyond. I think I’m good to go!