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  • Tuning instability

    I just picked up a Fusion deluxe yesterday. Brought it home and slapped some new strings on (9-42's), adjusted the trem tension springs, etc. Well, I get it tuned up, lock down the nut, play a few minutes, recheck the tuning, and - WOW, way out of tune. Unlock the nut, retune, lock the nut, jam a few more minutes... This went on for a while, so I let the guitar sit for a few hours, hoping the strings just needed to stretch out or something. Went back and did the whole retuning thing several times. Looks like the culprit is the trem, which doesn't seem to want to return to the same position every time.

    Now, the guitar had been hanging on the pawn shop wall for probably 3 years. Oddly enough, it wasn't badly corroded or anything, however, I could imagine that the knife edges might not be real clean. Would the tension springs be part of the problem? I think the guitar was set up with 10's or maybe 11's before - are 9's to light for that 24-3/4" scale?

    Any thoughts?
    Thanks
    Jason

  • #2
    Re: Tuning instability

    First try stretching the strings by hand-garab them at about the twelfth fret and pull them up off the fretboard a few inches, repeat a few times. Then tune up again. Make sure the trem is level with the body. Then lock it down and try again. It would be odd for the springs to be shot unless the trem was heavily abused, in which case the knife edges could also be worn too.

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    • #3
      Re: Tuning instability

      you can buy new knifed edges for the schaller trem those came with. If you do that, get new posts while you're at it and viola, a new trem!!

      But yeah, stretch, stretch, stretch the strings.

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      • #4
        Re: Tuning instability

        Originally posted by Genebaby:
        you can buy new knifed edges for the schaller trem those came with. If you do that, get new posts while you're at it and viola, a new trem!!
        <font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Really! Where might one find replacement parts for Schallers?

        I had the exact same trem on my 375 Deluxe, and that one never gave me any tuning problems.

        One last thing - how crucial is it that the bridge plate be perfectly parallel to the body? After adjusting the spring tension, it looks as though I may have released a little too much tension, so the back of the bridge is just slightly higher than the front. Would a little difference like that cause this kind of problem...seems like the trem should be more stable than that?

        Thanks for the help,
        Jason

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        • #5
          Re: Tuning instability

          http://www.stew-mac.com. I'm pretty sure they have Schaller parts.

          ***EDIT*** I just checked and they don't list them. I would try calling them though.

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          • #6
            Re: Tuning instability

            Most places that sell good Schaller gear should be able to get them. My local guitar guy ordered them in for me and put the new knife edges in, something I didn't want to do.

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            • #7
              Re: Tuning instability

              Is the trem pulling up when you re-tune it? Making the base plate no longer parallel to the body? Or only when you use the trem? Try turning the posts a bit and cleaning the pivot points on both the trem and posts. If it's been hanging in the pawn shop for three years it's likely the tension of the strings and the springs etching a a groove in the posts. Not letting the trem return to zero.
              Try turning the posts around. It will sacrifice playablity briefly but will also let you know if its the posts or not.
              Cleaning the posts and the trem will remove any schmunda that is keeping it from returning to zero. Ive never had a problem with any of my Schalleer trems. ( at least the ones on guitars I bought new or wearn't abused); My 14 yar old Stealth with a Schaller is still as goosd as it was the day i bought it.
              A little TLC will probably help diagnose the issue.
              Gil

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              • #8
                Re: Tuning instability

                Well, just ordered up a Hipshot Trem-Setter - we'll see if that takes care of it. I suppose new edges and posts would probably still be in order, but hopefully the Trem-Setter will get the job done.

                Jason

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                • #9
                  Re: Tuning instability

                  The Tremsetter came in yesterday and I installed it last night. Despite being interrupted about a dozen times by the kids, I had it in and set up in about an hour.

                  I had a really hard time finding anyone that could get me the pivot edges for the Schaller trem, so I gave up on the idea of fixing the problem properly [img]images/icons/smile.gif[/img] When I had the bridge apart to install the Tremsetter, I examined the posts and pivot edges. One of the pivot edges was visibly worn, and both posts were looking pretty shotty. I may still replace the posts at some point, but for now I don't think its necessary.

                  Setting up the Tremsetter was actually fairly simple. Getting it installed was more of a pain. Still, it all went together (eventually) and works great. The trem has a totally different feel now. I'm not a big whammy bar guy anyway, so I really don't mind. It's a lot stiffer, and there's a definite "stop" at the zero/rest position. Hipshot's descriptions of the sonic advantages are pretty much all true as well. The trem is considerably more solid, and the attack and sustain are both increased considerably. Bending one string doesn't affect the others, and I'm pretty sure you could do drop-D tuning without throwing everything out of tune. I didn't have enough travel on my fine tuners to get all the way to D, but I got down to a flat D# and all of the other strings stayed in tune. I have the Tremsetter set pretty stiff with 9's, so if you wanted a little smoother trem action and were using heavier strings, the drop-D tuning might not work...

                  After getting the thing set up last night, I spent hours just playing that Fusion. I'll be a little bold here and say that I think that's maybe the best playing guitar I've ever had in my hands. It pains me to say that, as my main axe is a gorgeous Carvin. Something about the neck profile of the Fusion just fits my hand perfectly. The electronics - while nothing revolutionary - seem adequately versatile. In the end, it winds up being a great axe for the $180 or so I have in it.

                  Jason

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                  • #10
                    Re: Tuning instability

                    SULLY!

                    Trying not to be an egocentric ass here, but i just remembered my old review about the Hipshot Tremsetter. You really outta make that a sticky, Sully... I can touch up on it if necessary.

                    I've installed several Tremsetters since then and i receive pure accolades every time. No one i helped, knew anything about the Tremsetter before hand. That's a shame.

                    And Jason, the other strings will *not* move an inch even at full drop-D, if you set it up a bit stiff.

                    /Henrik
                    Henrik
                    AUDIOZONE.DK - a guitar site for the Jackson and Charvel fan

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