Action won't low, help!

[Rachmaninoff]

The previous owner of my UV7BK had 10's, and the action was pretty high, he used 4 springs. Now I'm making the setup with 9's, and I can't low the action as much as I want. I guess the bridge is too raised, but I'm not sure. I tried all the spring configs, with 3 and 4 springs, and the best was the 3-spring in arrow. 4 springs gave me almost the same result, but the whammy bar was too hard to pull. The trem posts are at the minimum. And I can't tight the springs anymore, see the pics:





The first thing that comes to my mind is a truss rod adjustment, but I need a pipe-like wrench, which I don't have, and I could not find one yet here in Brazil (can you believe it?). I'm still searching BTW.

So, what could I do in order to have a better action, under those conditions?

[DarthLamer]

The bridge looks fine, maybe even set a bit too much into the body cavity. Depending on how much relief there already is, I'd suggest a truss rod adjustment as you had mentioned.

[bakerman]

If you give the neck a very slight amount of forward bow (or find it's already like that) and the action is still too high, you may want to consider placing a shim at the 24th-fret edge of the neck pocket. That would allow raising the posts and adjusting the bridge angle (for more pull-up range, as well as not being at the limit of claw movement with those 3 springs) while maintaining low action.

[JKD]

Won't forward bow raise the action slightly after you're done re-tuning/adjusting the trem claw to compensate?

[kspeed]

Originally Posted by JKD

Won't forward bow raise the action slightly after you're done re-tuning/adjusting the trem claw to compensate?

Yes, and without pictures or measurements it's impossible for us to tell if he's got too much or too little. A proper setup would include a very slight forward bow.

Does your nut have any shims under it? Some guitars are fine with none and others need a few. Each is a little different.

[Rachmaninoff]

I guess there is a shim under the nut:



Also, when I look through the holes of the nut (removing the screws), I don't see wood, I see white.
Should I umount the nut and remove this shim?
How's the process? Loose the 2 screws behind the neck with an allen wrench?

[Tubarão Guitars]

Rachman, learn about the locking studs.
Im pretty shure this is what making your bridge in a high but not right action:

Some portuguese tutorial:

O problema que vc está tendo com os pivots é algo bem simples, mas como eu falava com um usuário aqui da comunidade ontem mesmo, é uma situação que MUITO POUCA GENTE sabe lidar!!!

Bom, não parece, mas dentro do pivot existe um OUTRO parafuso, que é chamado em inglês de LOCKING STUD.
Veja aqui, nesta foto, 2 pivots.
O da esquerda tem o Locking stud pra cima, desparafusado.
O da direita está sem locking stud.


Então, além do parafuso grande que regula a altura dos pivots, existe um outro parafusinho interno, que é regulado com uma chave beeeeeeeeeeem pequenininha, naquele furico quase invisível no centro do pivot, pela parte de cima, conforme esta foto:

e essa:


Na foto do diagrama do manual da ponte Lo Pro Edge, segue as partes, e os studs:


[manage]
E, pra complementar, o ângulo correto de inclinação da ponte, como vc já deve saber, é esse:
http://www.jemsite.com/tech/img/trem_angle_ibzlopro.gif
http://www.jemsite.com/tech/img/t_trang1.jpg

Bela guitarra!

HAGO,
Tubarão

[Tubarão Guitars]

Sobre a chave de regulagem do tensor que vc perguntou, infelizmente é muito difícil de achar e no momento não possuo nenhuma sobrando.
Abraço,
Tubarão.



Sorry the mess, guys, let's get back into english, if anybody wants.

[TommyGuitar]

In my experience, you can make a truss rod wrench by taking a 7mm socket and grinding down the wider end of the socket if it doesn't fit in the truss rod hole (a lathe would be great, I used a bench grinder). Then you just drill a hole in the side of the socket and stick something in the to turn it. It's ugly but it will do.