Congrats! It's always a great feeling when you do something never have... AND get it right. :-)

warrenpridgeon Congrats! It's always a great feeling when you do something never have... AND get it right. :-)

So right! Especially when it's something that's completely blocking you. I've been really stressed lately and not being able to play guitar was NOT helping!

Huge relief to be able to play again ?

NorioDS, Yes, you are on the right road now! I have become a firm believer of mastering basic guitar setup skills. I encourage all to do so. You have experienced a good reason to be able to spanner your own guitar, and now, as you go along, you will eventually get to the point where you can optimize that lovely guitar for yourself. As well as work through seasonal changes, and such stuff. Dress the frets, properly clean them, trying different dips vs. action vs. whatever.

It has taken me a long time to become my own "tech". If I had to rely on getting my guitars to a shop for tuning, I would never play.

And the golden rule when changing strings now - block the trem, so it sits in the position it is in now, when you take off and put on strings. Saves a lot of time tuning up again. Only fine adjustments required when getting to tuned condition. In fact, when you get there the block should drop out? Let it flop loose, and you will tune - set - tune forever. Feels like it, anyway.

Well done, enjoy!

modulator And the golden rule when changing strings now - block the trem, so it sits in the position it is in now, when you take off and put on strings. Saves a lot of time tuning up again.

I've known about that for a while but never knew how to do it. I suppose you just make a block of wood that fits "right"? Is that how you do it?

I've never had an issue changing strings though. I stick to the same brand and guage and it goes pretty quickly. Changing string guages would probably cause me grief though.

Depends on the trem design, but you need to insert something somewhere in between the trem/trem block and the body, so the springs keep it in place. On my Jem Jr a rubber-wrapped bar fits in the bear claw grooves, on the Strat-alike a thin block of wood fits between the trem block and the body. The strat-style is not much of a hassle, but the Edge/Floyd thingies like to fall off the knife edges, and if ignorant of that, well, the owner might try to adjust springs to find nothing works anyway (do not ask). I tend to fit something that will "clamp" as soon as I slacken the strings a bit, and fall out when I am close to correct string tension.

Your JS, what model? I would love to feel one of those someday, seeing as I enjoy the Strat-alike neck so much. Might also be more comfortable to play, for me, than the Jem. When I grow up, I am going to buy three real guitars.

modulator When I grow up, I am going to buy three real guitars.

Why wait?

:insert evil chuckle emoji:

I wouldn't mind a JS series myself, or one of Guido's super strat shredder's - neither would require me growing up, just regressing to learning slayer riffs again like it was 1989 :grinning;

Floating bridges are for noobs! ?

My first real guitar was one with a floating bridge and lock nuts. Unlike other guitars you tighten it at the top and you screw it at the bottom. I still have it, but a friend is borrowing it, dropped it and cracked the neck. Friends.....

modulator Your JS, what model? I would love to feel one of those someday, seeing as I enjoy the Strat-alike neck so much.

It's just the JS-100 (entry level) but it plays great. You're welcome to play it at a Garage Days? Where are you based?

No Garage days, out in the boondocks, far, far away. Enjoy.

NorioDS
Ah, your recent Black Friday insanity now forces you to improve these guitar tuning skills to make that new baby sing instead of cry.