shortening trem studs

[lcsdds]

Hi all,
I am currently putting together a custom guitar and I need to shorten the trem studs. Anyone know how to go about doing this. I am mounting a ZR trem on a custom RG that I had built and I need to lower the trem to get the action lower but the studs bottom out in the inserts. I probably need to shorten them about 1/4". Any ideas? Thanks

[john1880]

are you sure the bottom of the studs are bottoming out or are you running out of thread?
well, if you want to shorten them, you would need a grinder or sander. or maybe even a hacksaw...just be careful not to mess up the remaining threads. other than that, a lathe or milling machine would do, but i doubt you have access to one of those.

[albee1952]

The anchors for the ZR trem are open at the bottom like the new Edge Pro anchors. If you are using older anchors, I would replace with the newer(also deeper) anchors. Maybe shim the neck a little bit and you could set the bridge a little higher? T cut the studs, you need to thread on a thread chaser before you cut the length. Its tough to find a regular hex nut in that fine metric thread.

[Racerx2k]

He can get a couplf of 6mm nuts at the local shop, and screw them on the stud-length, prior to trimming them down. I do this, all the time, at work, without problems. Just run them up, out of the way, first. Sometimes, I use a couple as saw-guides, and cut the extra off, with a hacksaw, and my work clamped in a vice. Just did that to cut the bolthead of a 6mm bolt, the other day. Clean it up on a grinder or beltsander, then, run the nuts past the cutting point, and you're done.