ZR-2 QUESTIONS

[FILTHnFEAR]

Just got my new Premium S920BK and am having trouble with tuning(I know, go figure). I like to go back and forth with different tunings alot, between standard and drop C and everywhere in between. I'm using Ernie Ball .11-.48's, so not too much thicker than what it came with. I have an older model Prestige and I remember the extreme frustration I had with changing strings/tunings before I had it blocked.

1. Ideally, i want to conquer this issue of changing strings/tuning without having to block the trem, as I feel ashamed to drop $1000 on a beautiful instrument and negate one of the coolest features that it comes equipped with. I've tried loosening one lock at a time, changing and tuning those 2 strings and locking them down, and moving on to the rest repeating the process and it is still not working. What am I doing wrong?

2. Is it possible to have a tremelno installed in this. From the looks of it, I don't think that there is room for it, but i'm not sure.

3. What about completely blocking the ZR from moving at all. One of the guys at GC told me that a friend of his got the same guitar and that its impossible. Is this true or false?

Some help please, I'm ready to get past this and start playing. Thanks.

[julzius]

If you want to do a whole bunch of tunings like this, you'll need a tremolo-no (or something equivilent). I just digged up an old thread i remembered about different ways to block a trem, and one of them was this (http://www.lonephantom.com/2012/02/t...emolo-stopper/), which i thought was really clever!

I don't see why you can't block the trem, there's a space underneath the trem where i'm sure you could wedge something (well there is under my ZR1), this will still allow you to dive down too!

Other than these solutions, the only other one I can think of is to get good at inverting chords. This is what I do, I only tune in standard and play many tunes that are supposed to be in drop tunings. Most of the time i find that I can get away with it and I reckon it sounds clearer and I don't waste time on stage tuning up.

Toodles, Julz.

[silverctr]

That's why you have multiple guitars for different tunings.

[FILTHnFEAR]

Originally Posted by silverctr

That's why you have multiple guitars for different tunings.

Well yea, the most obvious fix I guess. Now if only $1000 Ibanez fell outta my ass.

[Wayde_Rafnel]

I've got an S770 with that ZR-2. I personally love it.

For me, and Ill agree with the above poster...it's a really good idea to have a separate guitar for different tunings with floating trems. Just my opinion.

Gives you a better shot to really dial in each guitar, intonation, trem angle, all the goods.

My best advice for string changes is to go one at a time. I personally start with the high E. Stretch EACH string after it's put on, one at a time.

I don't know how everyone else feels either but I prefer putting the ball end of the string at the headstock. Makes things a bit quicker. Rich's guides on IbanezRules are gnarly too.

When I got my first RG back 9 years ago I had NO clue about how to work a floating trem, I just knew I wanted one. That site saved my life. Everytime I was frustrated and ready to sell the guitar I turned to Rich's site. It's saved my life.

[Philboski]

Originally Posted by FILTHnFEAR

Just got my new Premium S920BK and am having trouble with tuning(I know, go figure). I like to go back and forth with different tunings alot, between standard and drop C and everywhere in between. I'm using Ernie Ball .11-.48's, so not too much thicker than what it came with. I have an older model Prestige and I remember the extreme frustration I had with changing strings/tunings before I had it blocked.

1. Ideally, i want to conquer this issue of changing strings/tuning without having to block the trem, as I feel ashamed to drop $1000 on a beautiful instrument and negate one of the coolest features that it comes equipped with. I've tried loosening one lock at a time, changing and tuning those 2 strings and locking them down, and moving on to the rest repeating the process and it is still not working. What am I doing wrong?

2. Is it possible to have a tremelno installed in this. From the looks of it, I don't think that there is room for it, but i'm not sure.

3. What about completely blocking the ZR from moving at all. One of the guys at GC told me that a friend of his got the same guitar and that its impossible. Is this true or false?

Some help please, I'm ready to get past this and start playing. Thanks.

Agreed with others that multiple guitars is the way to go here.

To answer your questions as best I can in order:

1) Getting the trem set up is essentially setting a balance between the spring and the strings: if you change one, you need to make adjustments to bring it into balance. As such, changing tunings, even one string at a time, throws things out of balance.

I used to use the fine tuners on my Edge to get a drop D. I would tune things up with the fine tuner in 90 percent of the way. Then, when I wanted drop D, I would drop the loe E using the fine tuner. I would have to adjust all of the other strings as well due to the Balance issue though.

2) Can't tell you about the Tremol-no.

3) It's always possible, depending on how far you want to go to get the result you want. A couple of well placed pieces of wood wedged around the trem block should keep the bridge from moving, but you (obviously) would lose all tremolo function.

If you decide to get a backup for changing tunings, my suggestion is a used Ibanez RG321MH. They can be had for fairly cheap, and they're solid guitars. They have a fixed bridge.