I have Ibanez JEM 7v and I wanted to adjust the action by adjusting the screws on which the knife edges pivot
I wanted to know the precautions and steps required to do the same and also which allen wrench to use
Most important:
slack the strings first. Turning the stud with full tension is bad for the knife edge and groove.
Second most important: Figure out if you have locking studs!
Try gently to raise the bridge by backing the post out a bit(one full turn is enough and makes it easy to restore). The reason for this is because IF the studs have locking screws, and they are tight, trying to go lower will probably snap the post top. I'm not sure on sizes, but the locking screw(if used) will be small(like what fits the saddles on a Fender Strat). With the stud able to turn without force, you know the locking screw is not locked(bottomed out) so you can stick in the tiny allen wrench and back the locking screw out a few turns. Once those are backed out, then you can do the height adjustment(I think that's a 4mm). Once you get the height set, then tighten those locking screws in till they hit the bottom of the insert.
I say "if" because some years have the locking screws and some don't. To be really certain, next time you change strings, with everything loose, its easy to back out one or both studs and look at the bottom(the locking screw is hard to miss). If you want to see what I am talking about, here's a pic. http://www.ibanezrules.com/images/parts/2LE2B.jpg note the tiny screw protruding from the threaded end. The non-locking is just solid.
Hey, I am really sorry for replying late. I was not around my JEM for a couple of days
I have figured out that my guitar has locking studs.
When I slack my strings the springs at the back pull the bridge back and the studs dont move because they are tight
Can you help me with this.
How to unlock the studs and lock them back in position?
You don't have to slack the strings with an Edge, the knife edges are quality enough that they can handle the height being adjusted under tension. The advise to slack the strings on a lower quality bridge is sound, but a bit overkill with a good quality bridge
Yeah
Thanks for letting me know that i dont need to slack the strings(saves a lot of effort)
But the thing is whenever i put the allen wrench inside the locking stud, it doesn't move
It doesn't go either up or down
I am using a 2mm wrench.
I want to know if there is a way to unlock it first so that it moves up or down.
It feels like they are stuck there.
They only move when I remove the whole bridge out but when I but the whole bridge back in position,
the position of the screws gets ****ed up.
Is there a way to move the height screws with the bridge in position or do I have to remove the bridge every time, because removing the bridge is a tedious thing.
Interesting thread as this is something I’ve been adjusting on my new early 2019 Jem 7v. I think my studs might be the non-locking variety as I was easily able to adjust bridge height with a 4mm key (without using a 1.5 first) from day 1. I haven't backed a stud out completely to check but when I pass a 1.5mm key down it doesn’t seem to mate with anything at the bottom of the stud. Mabye Ibanez have stopped using locking studs on these?
I can't explain why some people have so much trouble seating an allen wrench into the set screw. Possibly because after you do you'd have to spin it so many times to hit lock you don't think it's seated anyway. Try unwinding it, it's much closer to fully unlocked and will stop at fully unlocked letting you know, the wrench is seated.
Bit the bullet and removed bridge and studs to check. They are indeed locking screws and the 1.5mm key works. I think it's because the tiny size key gives less tactile feedback and as you say it takes so many turns to tighten.
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