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Setup for Great Action

Before you Start

Finally, I highly recommend changing the strings with new ones before passing judgement or making too many sweeping changes. Make sure that you understand the goal of each step before attempting any modifications. You should have at minimum each tool listed and be aware how to operate them all. All these tools like allen wrenches, screwdrivers and feeler gauges are available at hardware stores or superstores such as Home Depot, Sears, etc..

Ken Burtch of Generation Ibanez adds a helpful tip "I recommend that anyone who tries guitar repair read Dan Erlewine's Guitar Player Repair guide. In-depth descriptions of tools and practices are a must for anyone daring to set up their baby." Great advice Ken. We all have lots to learn yet about the art and science of guitar setup. Remember to be very patient & take it slow... good luck!

Document Quick Jump

 

Step 1: Bridge Floating Tremolo Angle

LoPro Edge


About NEUTRAL (courtesy of Ibanez booklet)



Lo-Pro Edge Tremolo example

 

Edge


almost NEUTRAL (courtesy of Ibanez booklet)


Reference Edge Tremolo Angle: Edge


Red line is neutral - Knife edge shown in black

The starting point for setup is in the DEAD NEUTRAL position. In this position the tremolo knife edge / pivot point will be at a right angle to the tremolo post. For the beginner, you should find dead neutral and start there. Play the guitar for a while letting it sit and stabilize for a few days. Generally speaking, this will give the best overall "neutral" float, tremolo range and tuning stability.

Slightly raised above neutral - I've noticed that as you keep the bridge floating just above neutral position, tremolo stiffness is slightly reduced. This increases the amount of pull-up a bit (at the expense of drop) but can cause string breakage upon severe/quick pullup due to the extra travel.

Slightly sunk below neutral - this will stiffen the tremolo and also jeopardize tremolo stability or the ability for the trem to return to the "zero" resting point.

If the bar bottoms out easily on pulling up, you probably have it set too far neutral (or the neck angle is setup improperly) so loosen the claw springs. If the rear of the tremolo sits way above the body with the fine tuners pointing up high, tighten the claw springs.

Step By Step: Bridge Floating Tremolo Angle

Picture

Tools Needed

  • Medium Phillips-head screwdriver - for tremolo cover screws
  • Med/Large Phillips-head screwdriver - for tremolo claw springs

Procedure

  1. Remove the rear tremolo cover by unscrewing the six rear tremolo cover screws with a hex head screwdriver.
  2. Adjust Bridge Angle - when adjusting the tremolo claw springs, turn each screw the same amount. Make small adjustments (maximum one complete turn) and retune to pitch to check angle
    • Too little rear clearance (tremolo too flat) - loosen the tremolo claw screws adjustments and retune to pitch.... maximum of one complete turn.
    • Too much rear clearance (too much tremolo angle) - tighten the tremolo claw screws
  3. When finished screw the tremolo cover back on

Reference

  • see above photos

Summary - Step 1
Before going any further in regard to setting up a JEM/UV, ensure that the tremolo angle is near perfect. Only when the tremolo angle is approximately correct can we work on action. Remember as you change the tremolo angle, the guitar's action and intonation will change significantly. Do not continue until the tremolo angle is correct. That said, the tremolo angle might have to be tweaked again after Step-2 after the bridge height is adjusted. As with all setup, trail and error rules ;-)

Step 2: Tremolo Bridge Height

Once you have the tremolo angle set you can start to nail down the action of frets 10-24 via the bridge height. The bridge height is not changed by the neck bow, but if you don't have enough bow, you'll really have to raise the bridge to avoid buzzing at the lower frets 5-10. Personally I don't measure clearance because I've done enough to eyeball and go by feel. If you just bought a JEM or used JEM that buzzes or seems setup wrong, I recommend that at first you immediately change strings and then simply raise the bridge high enough to eliminate all serious buzzing. There may be a slight buzz at a few spots and this is unavoidable in my experience.

Below are the measurements on a few of my JEMs in regard to action. All measurements are taken with a feeler gauge measuring the clearance between the bottom of the string to the top of the fret. You can drop the tremolo until buzzing occurs at the upper frets then simply raise the bridge by a half turn on the bridge stud.

Step By Step: Tremolo Bridge Height Adjustment

Picture

Tools Needed

  • 1.5 mm Allen wrench - for bridge stud set screw
  • 4 mm Allen wrench - for bridge studs

Procedure

  1. Loosen the bridge stud set screw on each stud a few complete turns counterclockwise with a 1.5 mm allen wrench
    • note - often the set screw is not properly fastened and the set screw can be is difficult to find.
    • In this case insert the long edge of the allen wrench and turn clockwise to tighten the set screw. Once tightened you can proceed to loosen it a few turns.
  2. Adjust the bridge height. Use a 11 mm allen wrench to lower or raise the bridge studs
    • Lower the action - lower the bridge by turning each stud clockwise 1/2 to 1 turn
    • Raise the action - raised the bridge by turning each stud counterclockwise 1/2 to 1 turn
  3. When finished, snug the bridge stud set screws clockwise

Reference

  • 1.6 mm (1/16 inch) minimum open string clearance at fret-24

Procedure Notes:

There is often discussion on never having the tremolo intact when setting the stud height. The thought is to not have pivot point contact as it can cause wear on the posts or knive edge contact. If you want to adjust the tremolo height with 100% security, quickly pop off the tremolo (w/ strings attached), adjust the tremolo posts as above, install, retune & retest.

To be honest, given a good knife edge and post, I personally cheat a bit and find this overkill. I remove the pressure off the post being adusted however. This is done by simply pulling & twisting the bridge using the other post as a lever. Do this to take pressure off the post you're adjusting to not wear the knife edge. Then repeat for the other post. I've never had a problem doing this and many have never experienced adjusting the studs at standard tuning. I can relate to those wanting the bridge removed, and also those adjusting with the guitar in full tune. Real-life experience has proven neither to be much different. Your mileage & setup may vary.

Summary - Step 2
Setup the tremolo bridge height to get action low while eliminating fret buzz from frets 10-24. Due to the nature of the floating tremolo it is best to not set the action ultra-low. If you want 1/64th inch clearance at the 24th fret I think you are playing the wrong guitar.

Step 3: Neck Bow - Truss Rod adjustment

Buzzing above the 10-12th fret is likely due to the bridge being too low. Buzzing from frets 2-7 is usually from truss rod maladjustment - the neck does not have enough bow. Likewise poor action can be enhanced by increased neck bow. If your neck is well warn have a tech examine it for defects or problems that may need to be corrected in addition to the truss rod adjustment. Ken points out that buzzing above frets 10-12 can in some instanced be caused by "fretboard tongue warpage, low or high frets, or frets coming out of the slot." These are major repair items that a tech would need to tackle.

I honestly don't go crazy with exact trussrod measurements/adjustments because the neck bow on all guitars can change slightly with the seasons. What I do is make sure I have enough neck bow to eliminate buzzing from fret 2-7. Of the reference measurement, I set my guitars up for the maximum bow tolerance. A guitar string, when depressed at fret 1 & 24, is a quick and accurate straight edge. Use the string as a straight edge to visualize and measure neck bow. When the string is used as a straight edge you should see a subtle space between the bottom of the string and top of fret 7.

Step By Step: Neck Bow - Truss Rod Adjustment

Tools Needed

  • Small Phillips-head screwdriver - for trussrod cover
  • Supplied Ibanez tool - for truss rod nut (7mm thin wall socket)

Procedure

  1. Remove the trussrod cover by unscrewing the three cover screws.
  2. Hold the low-E string on fret 1 and 24. (You can use a capo, extra set of hands, rubber bands, etc..)
  3. Now check the measurement at Fret 7
  4. Adjust the neck "relief" - make one small change (1/4 to 1/3 turn) at a time
    • More neck bow needed (not enough clearance) - loosen trussrod
    • Less neck bow needed (too much clearance) - tighten trussrod
  5. Retune the guitar
  6. Let the guitar settle for 15-60 minutes while playing or hanging/standing
  7. Recheck the measurement and repeat as necessary
  8. When finished, reinstall the truss rod cover

Reference

  • 0.178 to 0.432 mm (0.007 - 0.017 inches) at fret 7

Summary - Step 3
Proper neck bow adjustment is critical for good action with no buzzing. Too little neck bow will cause buzzing on frets 2-7, whereas too much neck bow will cause higher than necessary action at the lower frets. Neck bow requires time for the neck to settle, so make a change, retune then recheck the measurements again after several minutes.

Step 4: Nut Height

In all honesty, if action is still high at this point, the nut is probably shimmed too high.

Most JEM guitars have the nut shimmed too high from the factory. On a few of my JEMs I removed the nut shim (brass piece under the nut above the wood that can be seen if you look carefully) because the clearance between the open note and fret 1 was too high. Remember the nut only effects the clearance/sound of the open strings but can greatly raise action of the entire fretboard. The nut has to be just high enough to let all the open strings ring without buzzing from touching fret-1. Once you depress fret-2 or higher, the nut height is irrelevant.

Look at the clearance at fret-1 of an open string like the low-E to see how much clearance is there. Watch the low-E note vibrate and see how much clearance remains at fret 1. Now compare this to the fretted F-note... hold fret-1 and let the string ring while visualizing or measuring how much clearance is at fret-2. If the clearance at fret-2 is much less than the first measurement (open string over fret-1) then the nut can be lowered.

Basically the nut can be lowered as far as possible as long as there is no buzz when each open string is let ring. Lower the nut too far and open strings will buzz. If you're not sure about this, I'd hold off and let a competant tech perform the mod. If the truss rod adjustment and bridge height is off then you can screw up the nut height badly. Then again, if you simply remove the shim, you can reinsert it with minimal fuss or put a thinner one in. Ibanez sells three shim sizes and other vendors probably do as well. The shims will fit most locking tremolo nuts.

Sometimes Ibanez will use half shims to compensate for an unlevel nut cut. The idea is to get the nut level so you can use two shims, half shims, etc. to achieve this goal. Half shims are used to raise one side of the fretboard, for example to use under the low-E, A & D strings to get that side of the nut higher. Ken warns us to take caution and pay attention to which side the shim is placed under if a half shim is used. Putting it back on the wrong side would not be helpful in obtaining good action.

Step By Step: Nut Height Adjustment

Picture

Tools Needed

  • 2.5 mm Allen wrench - for rear nut attachment screw
  • 3.0 mm Allen wrench - for locking nut
  • Small Phillips-head screwdriver - for truss rod & tremolo lock down screw
  • Needle nose pliers - to remove the tremolo claw springs.

Procedure

  1. Loosen the three locking nut bolts
  2. Remove the trussrod cover by removing the three screws holding the cover with the small Philips-head screwdriver
  3. Remove the two bolts and washers from behind the locking nut
  4. Remove the tremolo bridge from the studs
    • Insert a shop rag under the tremolo to protect the tremolo cavity paint
    • Turn the guitar upside down & remove the rear tremolo cover by unscrewing the six rear tremolo cover screws
    • Remove the lock down bar by removing the two tremolo lock down screws
    • Carefully remove the three tremolo claw springs
    • Turn the guitar right side up
    • Remove the tremolo off the posts - gently pull the tremolo away from the neck and thus the tremolo off the studs. Place the tremolo on the workbench (bed, etc..) off to the side
  5. Remove the brass shim from under the locking nut
  6. Reattach the locking nut without the shim. Use care to set the nut in the center of the fretboard, not towards the low or high E-string
  7. Reattach the tremolo on the posts
  8. Flip the guitar and attach the tremolo springs
  9. Check the nut height before continuing - retune and test the clearance of the open strings over fret-1
    • If nut action is too low, insert a thinner shim
    • If nut action is OK, reinstall the components (lock down bar and tremolo cover)

Reference

  • Ibanez Nut Shim Part #
    • 0.1 mm Nut Shim - 2TL2-6T01
    • 0.3 mm Nut Shim - 2TL2-6T03
    • 0.5 mm Nut Shim - 2TL2-6T05

If the nut is still too high you need to file the wood at the nut down with a fine grade flat file that is the width of the nut. Use extreme caution, as removing too much wood can ruin the nut cutout and require extra shims. I advise to let a competant tech perform this mod if you are uncertain how to proceed. At minimum, have extra shims handy in case they are needed, and proceed slowly. File the wood under the nut minimally, then recheck. Repeat as necessary.

Summary - Step 4
Quickly assess nut height by looking at the string height at the bridge with an open string compared to the same string depressed at fret-1. If the action is significantly improved when fretting the note, the nut is likely to high. Too high a nut will negatively impact action along the entire fretboard. Too low a nut will cause open notes to buzz on fret-1.

Step 5: Pickup Height

Pickup height is something that varies widely between guitarists. Overall you want to get the pickup as close to the string as possible without causing a lack of clarity and excess magnetic pull on the string. Too far away and the pickup will lose it's high output. I don't think many JEM users want low output pickups. Too close to the strings and the sound will lose clarity and the guitar can lose sustain, as the magnetic pull from the pickups slows the vibrating string. Loss of note clarity can be enhanced by low action due to slight buzzing but since you've all followed the above steps, this is not likely.

I always measure string clearance height off the pickup when the string is fretted at the 24th fret. This is so you can visualize clearance of the string when it's being played or fretted. I have all my JEMs set different in regard to pickup height, sometimes you can go strictly by ear, but should never be too close. The Evolution pickups are high output, so you can lower them a bit for sure and still get lots of crunch.

Pickup height is for much more than just getting high output. It is very useful for balancing the volume levels between the low wound strings and the plain steel strings high strings. Also you can get a more balanced 5-way sound by lowering the neck and middle pickups and raising the middle pickup to keep volume levels consistent between all pickup configurations. I don't do this however, as I prefer a slight volume drop in positions 2-3-4.

Step By Step: Tremolo Bridge Height Adjustment

Tools Needed

  • Small Flathead screwdriver for neck/bridge pickups
  • Small Phillips-head screwdriver for middle pickup

Procedure

  1. Adjust the pickup height as necessary
    • Lower the pickups - loosen the pickup attachment screws by turning each screw counterclockwise
    • Raise the pickups - tighten the pickup attachment screws by turning each screw clockwise
  2. When finished jam out on your guitar!!!

Reference

  • Neck pickup - 1.6 to 2.0 mm minimum clearance between the string and pickup when the string is depressed at fret 24
  • Middle pickup - 1.6 to 2.0 mm minimum clearance when fret 24 is depressed
  • Bridge pickup: - 1.6 to 2.0 mm minimum clearance when fret 24 is depressed

Summary - Step 5
Setup the pickups to your personal preference. I like to use it to balance volume between low and high strings in addition t volume levels between different pickup combos on the 5-way switch. It is probably a good idea to not get them any closer to the strings than the reference measurements, but it's your guitar. Unless you're real anal and have loads of free time, don't bother with adjusting the individual pole pieces. Go by your ears.

Step 6: Intonation Adjustment

Proper Intonation Adjustement is critical for your guitar to be in-tune at all parts of the neck. You can setup your intonation with a digital tuner and patience. I highy recommend Ibanez' or Stuart MacDonalds intonation tools for the JEMs as the locking tremolos make is more difficult to setup than with a fixed bridge.

The fretboard should be in-tune with itself at all parts of the neck. Play some open chords then play them an octave up the neck. Both chords should be in tune.

2. Stuart Macdonald's Guitar Shop - part# "3095

Step By Step: Intonation Adjustment

Picture

Tools Needed

  • Intonation tools:
    • Ibanez "EDGEADJUST1" for original Edge (unavailable from Ibanez but available from Stu Macs set listed below.
    • Ibanez "EDGEADJUST3" for Lo-Pro Edge. Available from Ibanez directly for $20 + S/H. Phone 215-638-8670.
    • Stuart Macdonald's Guitar Shop - part# "3095 - The Key" $49.95. Phone 800-848-2273. Set of three intonation tools for Edge, Lo-Pro Edge and Original Floyd rose.
  • 2.0 mm Allen wrench - for the intonation lock screw
  • 3.0 mm Allen wrench - for locking nut

Procedure

  1. Tune the guitar and unlock the nut
  2. Check the intonation of each string starting with the low-E
    • 12th fret open harmonic on the low-E and ensure it is tuned to pitch.
    • Fret the 12th fret (on the low-E string) with normal finger pressure and compare the tuning.
    • If the notes of the open note vs the natural harmonic are different you need to adjust the saddle position
  3. Adjust the saddle position as necessary.
    • Install the intonation tool on the low-E string
      • Pay attention to the approximate position of the saddle. If you don't have the intonation screw you might want to mark the position with a pencil and loosen the string a few winds at the headstock before loosening the screw
    • Loosen the saddle intonation lock screw after the saddle has been secured by the intonatin tool. Since the pull on the saddle is tremendous loosening the screw will pull the saddle forward unless the intonation tool holds the counterpressure from the string
    • Move the saddle toward the correct direction
      • If the fretted note is SHARP, move the saddle AWAY from the neck
      • If the fretted note is FLAT, move the saddle TOWARDS from the neck
        • You might have to move the saddle quite a bit to realize changes. You can get it really far back, past the bolt's head or washer in fact.
        • There are two bolt positions for adjustments so if there is not enough adjustment in the saddle move saddle further and use the next hole for the intonation lock down screw
  4. Tighten the intonation lock screw firmly taking care not to strip the screw
  5. Retune the string and retest fret-12 fretted to the fret-12 natural harmonic
  6. Repeat the saddle adjustment as necessary. It is trial and error so it may take a few tries
  7. Repeat for all strings

Reference

  • The notes at the 12th fret open note vs 12 fret natural harmonic should be in tune with themselves

The intonator tool available from Ibanez or Stuart Macdonalds pays dividends. It maintains string counter pressure, then you can dial it in the saddle adjustment with a thumbscrew, check tuning, readjust, then tighten the saddle intonation lock screw. On some of my JEM/UVs the saddle is far back, to the point where the front of the saddle is at the bolt or partially behind the washer.

Ensure that the saddle is not sliding forward when you play. It is a good idea to have a few replacement saddle intonation screws in case you strip one of these by overtightening or if your allen wrench is worn. I had to replace several of these bolts on a used JEM cause they wouldn't tighten and the saddles slid forward little by little.

Summary - Step 6
Ensure that your guitar is intonated correctly. This will allow the guitar to be "in-tune" at all positions of the fretboard. If in doubt let a competant tech setup the intonation.

Step 7: String Retaining Bar

The string retaining bar is a mandatory feature for a locking nut guitar. The idea to the string retainer is to lower the strings behind the locking nut so that when the nut is both unlocked and locked the string position is the same at the rear of the nut.

Look carefully at the back headstock side of the locking nut string grooves. When the nut is unlocked, the strings should be sitting all the way down in the "V" grooves of the nut. The string retaining bar allows you to set this. If the strings do not sit at the bottom of the grooves, the strings will be pulled sharp when you lock the nut.

Step By Step: String Retaining Bar Adjustment

Picture

Tools Needed

  • 3 mm Allen wrench - for locking nut
  • Small Phillips-head screwdriver - for string retainer screws
  • Med/Large Phillips-head screwdriver - for tremolo claw springs

Procedure

  1. Unlock the three locking nut bolts
  2. Visualize the low-E string as it sits in the "V" shaped slot behind the nut (see arrow in picture) on the headstock side of the nut
  3. Adjust the retaining bar height to have the low-E string sit at the very bottom of the groove
    • Lower the retaining bar - tighten the retaining bar screw clockwise on the low-E side if the string is not at the bottom
    • Raise the retaining bar - loosen the retaining bar screw counterclockwise on the low-E side if the string is bottomed out on the cover
    • Don't lower the retaining bar too much - Leave enough clearance for the strings to pass over the trussrod cover
  4. Repeat on the high-E side
  5. Lock the nut and verify that the open notes do not sharpen

Reference

  • With the locking nut unlocked, all the strings sit at the bottom of the "V" groove behind the locking nut.

Summary - Step 7
Setup the retaining bar correctly to allow the strings to maintain their pitch when the locking nut is clamped down. If the retaining bar is setup too high when you lock the nut the open notes will be pulled sharp. Having the retaining bar too low will not allow the strings to pass under the bar as the trussrod cover will be in the way.

 

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