One Stop Shop

[Don Corleone]

Not sure how to set up your axe the just the way you want it? Or have ran into a spot of trouble and need some advise? If so then you've come to the right place.

[DrClayForrester]

A great idea, Don. I'll be checking back here regularly...

DCF

[Don Corleone]

Thanks Doc.

[Frankenstraat]

whats up doc?

[Hardrock69]

Great idea!!!

[JBall008]

This is great! Thanks for getting this going....

[Nitro Express]

Setup can be a nightmare on an EVH type guitar because the pickup is screwed to the wood and the Floyd Rose bridge is flush down on the body as well. This usually results in the bridge being too low for the neck. It's obviouse Eddie had the same problems on his Frankenstrat because he used a quarter as a shim for the bridge.

The only way to fix this problem is to route the neck pocket a little deeper to lowere the neck. Also the nut can be a big problem if you are installing a Floyd. If it's too low you can shim it up, if it's too high, you are going to have to mill some wood.

These type of guitars require precision milling or the action will suck donkey balls.

A set of dial calibers, some feeler guages, and a good router with the right templates is a big plus. You can install a Floyd nut with a Dremel tool using a special jig available from a luthier supply. Also knowing how to level and profile frets is a big help. You will need some special files and tools to do a good job. Fretwork and installing a Floyd Rose can be challenging even for an experienced luthier. You can ruin things by mismeasuring.

Setup can actaully be the most complicated part of building a guitar. It's all precise measurement. To be honest, it's usually cheaper to buy a guitar from someone who already has the tools and knowhow. Doing the guitar right is going to involve an investment in special files, jigs, and other specialized tools. They aren't inexpensive either. They will start to pay for themselves if you make more guitars.

[jason stone]

Dude, thanks for great information!!! I did not know Ed used a quarter under the bridge. I jave a cheap striker I am trying make into a playable Frankenstrat, not going to good. I have a floyd rose II tremolo. High action! I think I gotta tweak the truss rod and get some shims under the nut. But, I bought this thing to learn on! Thanks for the info.

[Don Corleone]

This needs bumping

[halenfan83]

I'm about to put a seymour duncan JB trembucker in a kramer focus 6000 that I have. I want to mount the pickups directly to the body to get as much tone and sustain as I can. I've heard in order to do this you would want to take a strip of wood that's long enough to stretch to both screw clips on the side of the pickup but just only as wide as those clips so that the wood doesn't obstruct the pole pieces sticking out the bottom of the pickup. Do I have the right idea here, or would it be wiser to just use two smaller pieces of wood: one at either end of the pickup for the mounting screws to go through before they go into the body?
Another idea that I've heard is to not have the mounting screws go through the wood spacer but rather to just have the mounting screws going from the pickup directly into the body with the wood spacer there to merely have the correct spacing from the strings.
It seems like having the strip of wood rather than having two small pieces would allow more vibrations to pass into the pickups.

Sorry to be so long winded here, but having looked at your site I know you guys are the ones to ask a question like this.

[GAR]

Originally posted by Nitro Express
It's obviouse Eddie had the same problems on his Frankenstrat because he used a quarter as a shim for the bridge.

The quarter was removed in 83 and the hole filled with fiberglas resin, which held the wood together that had splintered making intonation at the fulcrum screw impossible.

[Don Corleone]

Originally posted by GAR
The quarter was removed in 83 and the hole filled with fiberglas resin, which held the wood together that had splintered making intonation at the fulcrum screw impossible.

Thats maybe correct, or it may not be. However you will find that the quarter (if it was removed) is back. I've got a 2005 pic of the Franky somewhere (I'll dig it up), and the quarter is clearly there.

[GAR]

Originally posted by Don Corleone
I've got a 2005 pic of the Franky somewhere (I'll dig it up), and the quarter is clearly there.

Can we see it please?

[Don Corleone]

bump

[BlimpyCHIMP™]

BIAAZUMP

[Nitro Express]

Originally posted by GAR
The quarter was removed in 83 and the hole filled with fiberglas resin, which held the wood together that had splintered making intonation at the fulcrum screw impossible.

Apparently Ed had a proffessional route the neck pocket and install a different neck.

[WARF]

lala