Edge trem problem

[guitarist321]

Hello, I'm a new member and would like to say that I'm glad I found this forum with so many great topics for guitar.

I bought a used edge trem off **** and it will not return to pitch after dive or a pull up on my RG. I've installed many floyd units that work fine on Kramers, so I do know about the basic installation rules.
Right now, the edge is parallel to the body, has 3 springs and the claw seems to be the correct distance from the front of the cavity. It does seem quite stiff as compared to my friends rg, where the trem has a nice gargle sound and is quite easy to push or pull.

I read the tech section about sharpening the square knife edge...
The 47mm and 52mm springs,
And the new V shaped posts,

Any help would be appreciated
thx, Lou

[jaxadam]

What gauge strings, and what are you tuning to?

Are you stretching the strings out?

Are you going flat after dives?

[reguv760]

have ya tried intonating the saddles first? also, how old are the springs? maybe replacing a shorter spring (47mm) in the middle would make the Edge less "stiff"...
let's not forget, did you lock the studs in the trem post?

Reg

[guitarist321]

I'm using 009's in standard tuning, going flat after dives, sharp after pull ups. Kinda have to reposition the trem by guesswork.

This **** trem came with 3 spring & have no idea how old they are. i will try locking down the studs again. Changing the middle spring is a good shot too.
thx, Lou

[Jaden]

check your nut... make sure its tight.

[albee1952]

Also, could be worn knife edges or bad studs. Check out the proper section at Rich's site
http://www.ibanezrules.com/tech/setu..._stability.htm

[jb4674]

Have you tried the chapstick mod?

Jimmy

[guitarist321]

Thanks all...so far I've done chap stick thing. the posts & inserts were bought new from Rich. i have not done and sharpening to the knifes, but I will as a last resort. The main issue that puzzles me is why the trem feels so tight compared to my other guitars that have original floyds. I know the spring config and claw distance is correct as I asked my friend for measurements on his jem.
Ideas?
thx, Lou

[jb4674]

If you don't know the age of the springs, I'd say buy a new set just to be on the safe side and that might solve the stiffness problem.

As far as the "claw distance" is concerned, you should not go by someone else's claw distance measurements. Every guitar is different and the claw distance will change from one guitar to another, regardless of whether they are the same brand or not.

Jimmy

[heffergm]

The claw measurement is completely useless. All you need to make sure you're doing is adjusting the claw so that the trem knife edges are parallel to the guitar body when you're tuned to pitch.

The only thing that affects the "stiffness" or lack thereof is the spring tension. So either you've got the wrong springs or the original Floyd you're comparing it to either have worn springs (less tension) or just use lower tension springs.

As for not returning to pitch:

- aside from the chapstick mod, one thing that often gets overlooked is making sure both sides of the trem have the same amount of tension. This is adjusted via the claw screws, but don't bother measuring from the claw to the body. If you're returning sharp on the high side and flat on the low side for example, you'd want to either loosen the high side screw a bit or tighten the low side. You need to balance both sides to ensure equal return.