Got my first RG :> Needs a better manual though :P

[grim]

Hi everyone,
Names Dave, sending this message from down under Queensland

Just a few days ago, I bought my first Ibanez guitar (dollar isn't quite as good here )
Its a 2002 RG570GN.
I don't have any knowledge with Floyd Rose systems, and my only form of instruction was this crummy double page instruction manual. And that manual is designed for all Ibanez guitars! It doesn't even focus on the edge!!!!!

I've done my homework both before and after buying, and have looked over your website and forum for some very helpful answers. If you wouldn't mind assisting an RG and Edge beginner, it would be more than appreciated .

1. first few times I used the locking nut, I found I wasn't securing it tight enough, and pscho wammying (as well as the regular ) knocked the strings out of tune. Now I'm doing it so tight I'm afraid I'll snap the neck . Just how hard should the nut be tightened?

2. It is safe to go full blown with the wammy bar? Or will heavy use of fast up and down pulls damage the components. And if so, how long will the guitar last under extreme conditions?

3. I've heard that no matter how heavy you play, and with how much wammy and bending, with a locking nut, the guitar will remain in perfect tune. I find that hard to believe, is that true? And in accordance with that, how often will I need to retune (even with merely the fine tuners)? Once a day/week/month/decade?

Thanks for any help you can give me, I am.... how do you say... "s--t--o--k--e--d

thanks for all your help
Dave

[gtrcollectr]

The locking nut should bit tightened till snug, There is no need to crank on it as you described, merely lock the string in place and your done.
I have seen guys do some crazy things with the bar and stay in perfect tune assuming the strings are stretched and you have a good setup on your trem. And you done have to worry about it wearing out on you anytime soon. These things are relitively bullet-proof.

Todd

[wildealien]

i just recently bought myself a 2001 RG570RM!!!



if you need any tech advice/hints/explanations, there's an excellent tech section on Jemsite... which i just printed out, infact

http://jemsite.com/tech/t_1setup.htm

[Champagne Mist]

Yeah, i would say you should be able to find anything you need right here. When i got my RG a few years ago, jemsite's tech setup page hooked me up with everything i needed.

[MicJustMic]

You can get pretty violent (Vai-olent?) with an Edge trem, as long as the strings are stretched, everything is nice and tight (not "split the wood" tight, just "finger" tight) and, well, you have the desire to do so.

Sounds to me like your strings just were not stretched enough, no need to really over tighten the clamps on the nut, just enough to grip the strings.

Are they the original strings? If so; change them. You don't know how long they have been on there or if someone with root-beer on their hands was playing on them.

Just be sure to stretch the new ones out, one by one, over and over until they don't detune when you pull on them. That's KEY to keeping a FR style trem in tune.

After that, whammy away and you should stay (mostly) in tune. From time to time you'll have to fine tune, but for the most part it should stay good for days, if not weeks, at a time.

Mic

[sniperfrommars1]

it takes a good twenty minutes to change strings and tune up properly in my opinion. Then I dont have to tune but every other day or two at all, and since I started using dr strings, I havent had take up the nut until I have to change strings again. Make sure you have the trem post lock screw tightened, and your intonation screws. These are often never tight enough on a new guitar. Basically let me put it like this. If your guitar is going out of tune, and you have an edge tremolo, its probably something your not doing right

[Petie]

If you play a string and twiddle the tuning key and it doesn't change pitch, your locking nut is clamped down as tight as it needs to be :P

[grim]

Thanks for all your help guys, I appreciate it greatly. I've loosened the locking nut enough so that the guitar stays in tune..... and unwarped :P
I'm currently working through the series of setup instructions, the guitar is relatively accurate except the action is causing a little buzz.

Thankyou, I look forward to being a part of this forum..... and wasting your time with more beginner questions
jks, no worries.

[MicJustMic]

Bring on the questions. That's what we're here for.

We were all beginners once, you learn by asking questions.

I remember my first "real" guitar, it was a MIJ Fender Stratocaster with a Kahler Floyd Rose copy called a System 1.

I knew NOTHING about locking trems, or trems at all and was clueless about stretching strings. I brought the thing back the next day, "It won't stay in tune at all, I thought these things were supposed to stay in tune well?"

"Did you stretch the strings?"

"Did I do what now?"

"Stretch the strings, watch."

He unlocked the clamp behind the nut, stretched out the strings, locked the clamp again and showed me a bottom out dive, brought it back up and it was still in tune.

Didn't I feel like a dope!

This was 16 + years ago, so I didn't have the Internet to turn to with my questions and had to find other people in my area to show me these things.

It's all good though, again, ask away, we're glad to help and glad to have Jemsite's population growing. I myself am fairly new here, but I'm checking posts almost every day at this point, several times a day.

Mic

[aloymetal]

you are all... nice people!
I got a good info from this topic too.

[jammer]

Keep us posted and let us know how things work out. Good luck and don't give up. The 570 series is a great guitar and won't let you down.