need advice on routing my Soloist trem cavity please

[jrock]

hi, i have an American soloist (the model with two humbuckers, forgot the model number but you guys know it). it's a few years old, with an original Floyd Rose.

the Floyd allows me to bend up about three semi-tones (an E to a G, for example).

i'd like to get some crazier up-bends with the whammy bar.

any advice on whether it's cool to get a pro to rout the trem cavity to help me to do this?

i'm basically looking to get some crazy Gary Holt (Exodus) style up bends.

good idea or bad to get a pro shop to rout it out? will it compromise my guitar at all in playability or sound?

thanks.

[neilli]

First off, it's your guitar so you can do what you want. BUT, if it's a USA guitar with no trem recess, it's either a Custom, a Shannon Soloist from the late 90's or it's an original 80's guitar. In which case it'd be a real shame to rout it out, and would devalue the guitar (unless it's already beat to shit!).

I'd strongly suggest you look at selling / trading the guitar for an SL1 or SL2H which already has a route.

[Spivonious]

I'd be too afraid to bend up more than three semitones. I wouldn't want to break the strings.

[jrock]

hi, thanks for the quick replies.

i wasn't clear. my guitar IS a SL2H. it DOES have a routed trem cavity.

my issue is that i can only bend up 3 semitones. i've read numerous times about Floyds that can bend up 5 or more semitones.

so, i want to rout it MORE so i can bend up more, at least 5 semitones (E to an A).

i know other guitars can do this and i want my Jackson to. i'm not really concerned about resale value; i just don't want to mess up the intonation or playability or anything.

i thought routing it deeper will do this. i think someone on a different forum said that's what i'd have to do. i talked to a guy at a local music store and he said he didn't have the tools to rout anymore but that it was entirely doable. i just wanted to talk to Jackson soloist owners.

how do you get a whammy bar bend up 5 semitones is my basic question? if you google it (or wiki) lots of guys can do this. or more.

thanks.

[Tommie]

Rather than start routing, try loosening the trem springs first, tune up to pitch again and bring the action down to where it was before. The bridge will have tipped forward a little bit in the process - don't go mad, just small changes at a time.

If you want to take a short cut, undo the lock nut, tighten all the springs, pull the bar all the way back and tune the G to the max pitch you want it to go to. Let the bridge come forward again until your G drops to a proper G, and the bridge should be at the angle you need it to bend upwards (NB once you also lock up the nut there'll actually be a little more upbend available). Stick some beer mats or something either side of the block to keep it in place and tune to pitch across all 6 strings, then adjust the springs until the beermats aren't needed any more. Then you can go to work on the action.

You should be able to achieve some more upwards range that way, at no cost.

[metalchurch79]

That makes alot of sense and it's a nice/cheap alternative to see if he likes it for now.

It might take a little bit to get it set-up but I dont see a problem with the trem being angled forward a tad. But there is a fine line there, otherwise your action and string height will be compromised, and your intonation/scale length.

[Dreamland_Rebel]

take into consideration that no matter how far back you CAN pull the bar... the string will eventually touch the bridge pickup. this is as far back as you'll ever be able to pull. you could lower the pickup but doing so will change your sound.

the higher the action the farther you can pull back successfully. the lower the action the sooner you'll fret out or hit the pickup with the string.

[metalchurch79]

True.
Good point Dreamland.

[KBRR]

string tension could also be an issue if you're using a heavy gauge like 12's the tension alone might be stoping you from bending up the 5 semi tones you want to go, i suggest you try out all the options about if everything looks good and you still can't get up to the 5 semi tones , then go ahead and check out getting it routed .. it can't be that hard.

[Vass]

Which other guitars can do it? I'm curious, want to see how different the route is from a recessed Jackson.

Hmmmm what's hitting, the locking screws? Couldn't you use a Schaller Floyd in the big OFR route & pull back quite a bit more, if that's what is hanging you up? They're significantly shorter, so you'd probably be able to get your extra semi-tones that way.

Vass

[metalchurch79]

Thats an idea too.
Or a Lion's Claw route, that would be tits!

[Newc]

DR had it right - you'll need higher action regardless of the rear route, as you'll not only hit the pickup, but the frets as well, long before you reach your 4th semitone.

If you can live with the higher action, loosen the springs and retune as was suggested, raise the action, and pull back until your 12th fret open E harmonic goes to A (either string). Since these are closest to the board, they will be the first to hit if any will.

If you can get to the A without fretting out, lower the action until it does fret out, then raise it again until just before it frets out. This will be the lowest action you can have to do what you want.

You can also tweak the claw screws and tuning in small amounts to get it a tad lower but it probably won't be enough to improve playability.