String gauge and trem (locking) seating/intonation

[michaelomiya]

I'm changing the strings on my long scale guitars from 9's to 10's.

With trem bridge (e.g. floyd) guitars, if you change string gauge, what is typically the impact to intonation and set-up?

For (floating) trem bridges, does the claw tension typically require adjustment? For example, going from 10's to 9's - will the trem's fine tuners are sit too far back into the cavity (no longer perpendicular)? And vice versa going from 10's to 11's? Is the solution to adjust the claw screws (or add/subtract the springs)?

I've always experienced that going up or down one string gauge should not pose an intonation problem. What's the impact with floating bridges?
thanks.
m.

[Pietro]

I've done this.

On one occasion, my PRS, I tightened the springs and was fine.

ON other occasions, I needed to do a whole new intonation set on almost all the strings. But I'm pretty comfortable doing this, so it was cool...

[bruce]

Mike,

You will need to adjust the claw with a string gauge change. Going from 9's to 10's will result in a bridge pulling forward situation when tuned to pitch. To correct this, start screwing "in" (clockwise) the 2 trem claw screws in half a turn increments, and then re-tune up to pitch and see where the bridge now lays. You will have to repeat and fine tune this a few times to perfection. The bridge base plate wants to lay parallel with the plane of the body top (say looking at it from low E to high E) when tuned to pitch.

Before intonation I want to say there might be a need to tighten the truss rod after the string gauge change.. some necks more than others... remember, you ARE altering the overall tension.

Now intonation... if this is a temporary string gauge change, meaning you want to just give the new gauge a test drive, then don't worry about adjusting intonation since you may want to go back to the old gauge...(then you can reverse the steps I just explained above). BUT, if you are going to keep the new string gauge, then it does ultimately want to be "set up" for the new string gauge.

Hope this works out.

[michaelomiya]

Mike,

You will need to adjust the claw with a string gauge change. Going from 9's to 10's will result in a bridge pulling forward situation when tuned to pitch. To correct this, start screwing "in" (clockwise) the 2 trem claw screws in half a turn increments, and then re-tune up to pitch and see where the bridge now lays. You will have to repeat and fine tune this a few times to perfection. The bridge base plate wants to lay parallel with the plane of the body top (say looking at it from low E to high E) when tuned to pitch.

Before intonation I want to say there might be a need to tighten the truss rod after the string gauge change.. some necks more than others... remember, you ARE altering the overall tension.

Now intonation... if this is a temporary string gauge change, meaning you want to just give the new gauge a test drive, then don't worry about adjusting intonation since you may want to go back to the old gauge...(then you can reverse the steps I just explained above). BUT, if you are going to keep the new string gauge, then it does ultimately want to be "set up" for the new string gauge.

Hope this works out.

Bruce, are you going to be "in town" for the next few weeks?:D
If so.....:D ;)

[bruce]

Mike,

I won't be available until mid-March. Please call me if you can hold out until then.

[guitarzan]

The fun fact that I use is that going up one gauge of strings adds roughly 70lbs of tension to the overall pull. Please don't tell me I'm wrong, I'll have thousands of letters of apology to write... :)

[tom]

maybe 7 lbs? the whole set is under 100.

[guitarzan]

great googly moogly.

If anyone needs me, I'll be writing cards until March...

[tom]

for a while dadario had string tensions on their website . don't know if it's still there or not. maybe you should check. i could be wrong and it could save you some writing.

[guitarzan]

yup, it looks like it's roughly a lb. or two on each string if you go from 10's to 11's. I'm assuming the same would hold from 9's to 10's.

For anyone else, the pdf is here.
http://www.daddario.com/Resources/JDCDAD/images/tension_chart.pdf

Dangit. And that used to be one of the things I'd say at clinics that would make them ooh and aahh. Now I've gotta find new material. Or at least try to make "7 lbs." sound really exciting. "...sseevveenn POOUUUNNDDSS!!!!".

[michaelomiya]

Corey, glad to have been able to (indirectly) point out the error of your ways!:p

And BTW, your reference to Maggie and the Ferocious Beast did not go unnoticed by me!:p ;)

[tom]

you could say it's like adding the weight of a bowling ball(almost).

[michaelomiya]

Mike,

I won't be available until mid-March. Please call me if you can hold out until then.

Thx Bruce! Will do.:cool: :cool:

[guitarzan]

great, Tom! I'll send you residual quarterly checks for your contribution to my success!