Tuning an Ibanez SV5470F

[PaulyWally]

Hi. My 15 yr old son just purchased an Ibanez SV5470F - his 4th quitar but the first with the Ibanez SynchroniZR bridge with ZPS-FX spring system. It came configured with the FX thumbwheel (the smaller one, under the spring cover) screwed up against the sustain block.
In this configuration the trem is limited to dive only whammability. If the screw is backed away from the sustain block there is full up-and-down whammability.

There appears to be very little information on the web regarding this rather unique bridge and spring system and the manual that came with the guitar, frankly, sucks.

Our question is: what is the best way to tune this guitar? Should it always be tuned with the FX thumbscrew backed away from the sustain block or should it simply be tuned in whatever configuration you plan to use it in next? As well, when replacing and tuning a string we noticed that other strings kept changing pitch. Is this because the tension in the vibrato's spring was not in balance with the tension in the strings as this one string was being tuned?
If so, what is the best way to deal with this?

As well, if you have any interesting links to resources related to this guitar please post them in your replies.

Thanks
(PS - this guitar is awesome.)

[bdk]

That guitar can't be tuned. It's a manufacturing error by Ibanez. I'll give you $100 for that guitar.

Sorry I couldn't be of more help. Never dealt with the zero trem.

[PaulyWally]

Got the following answer (from Ouija) on another forum:

If your gonna be playing in 'full floating' mode, you'll need to tune it in that mode. And yes, it's quite natural for the other strings to go out of tune when you adjust the tension of one. Think about it, if you detune one string slightly, you've lowered the overall tension that the strings are applying to the springs, so the springs pull the bridge back a little, causing the other five string to be pulled slightly tighter (it's a tug of war). The reverse happens when you tighten a string. There are techniques to tuning a floating trem, you'll find guides to doing it here and at Jemsite and Ibanezrules tech sections.

The general rule here is, that as you tighten the strings on the top side a little, you need to tighten the springs on the bottom side a little (with the big thumbwheel) to keep the tension on both sides the same and the trem level. Likewise, if your lowering the pitch of the strings topside, you need to lower the tension of the springs bottomside, to keep everything floating at the right angle.

Personally. I would put the ZPS-FX thing up against the sustain block, with the block at the correct angle (vertical), screw the big thumb wheel in the "+" direction until the trem was being pulled against the ZPS-FX quite hard, then tune the strings to whatever i wanted, slowly turn the big thumbwheel in the "-" direction until the sustain block started to move away from the ZPS-FX and the strings start to go flat. Then i'd unscrew the ZPS-FX so that it was retracted and out of the way before slowing getting the guitar back in tune by tightening the big thumbwheel in the "+" direction. When it pulls the block back to the same position it was in when the ZPS-FX was there, your strings will be back in tune.