Can't set Floyd on San Dimas Soloist 86

[leo-666]

Just got 86 San Dimas Soloist with after market Original Floyd Rose tremolo system.
Just can't set the bridge low, in this case the strings are almost lie on the fretboard.
But when the bridge is high it feels totally uncomfortable for right hand to pick.
As I see the neck on this soloist is slightly curved down.
Is it possible to adjust the bridge low in my case ?
Or only authentic old bridge could be set low for this guitar.
Thanks...

[rjohnstone]

That guitar wasn't designed to have a recessed Floyd installation.
The neck angle is set for a top mount Floyd.
No way to fix it either.

If you raise the trem to match the neck angle, you're going to be putting a lot of stress on the trem posts as they will be extended higher than they were designed to be.

[DonP]

That guitar wasn't designed to have a recessed Floyd installation.
The neck angle is set for a top mount Floyd.
No way to fix it either.

If you raise the trem to match the neck angle, you're going to be putting a lot of stress on the trem posts as they will be extended higher than they were designed to be.

+1000

If you could find extra long bushings and posts it may work, but the wood on the top of the body by the bushings may give because of the stress, and start to crack. Depends on how high it needs to be.

[Ward]

I've got a 91 that is set up similarly, but without a full recess. It is a transitional route, but the bridge sits off the body about a 1/4" because of the neck angle.

It plays like a TOM because the bridge is so high off the guitar, but the posts and the wood are fine so far...

[leo-666]

Maybe the shimming of the nut and adjusting truss rod could help a little ?

[Ward]

When I got mine the nut was shimmed with a thin piece of metal, you could give it a shot if yours isn't already. Be careful adjusting the truss rod too much, you don't want to sacrifice playability just to lower a bridge to where the neck wasn't really built to have it placed.

I would suggest setting the guitar up so it plays the way you like it (not so you can make the bridge really low) and figure out where the bridge sits to make that work. Then play it like that for a while, and see if you get used to the higher bridge. Have you had any guitars with top mount Floyds or TOMs before?

Mine is about the height of a TOM bridge. It doesn't bother me because I have guitars with TOM bridges, so I am used to that height. But I agree, it does feel different.

[leo-666]

It's my first guitar with the floyd. It totally feels strange and different.
I had SG, Les Paul with tunomatics, Fender strats...
But their bridges were set pretty low in compare with this soloist.
So the problem is that I found some comfortable position with the bridge set pretty low, but not as low as on Gibson or Fender.
But if I place it as low as I want it, it interferes with the neck angle as I understand.
I totally can't imagine how top mounted floyd can fix this situation ? If set low, on the body, how can it interact with angle better than the recessed ?
Regards...

[Ward]

I don't think I understand what you're getting at there.

From what I can gather, you have a recess for a Floyd, but a neck angle that is for a top mount. A top mount Floyd wouldn't 'fix' the problem. A Floyd is a Floyd. If there is a route in the top of the guitar it is recessed. These guitars should have no neck angle. If there is no route on the top of the guitar it is a top mount. These guitars should have a neck angle that requires the bridge to be placed on the face of the guitar, or slightly above it. It sounds like your guitar has a recess and a neck angle, which is a strange combination to me.

As I said, mine is about TOM height, so it is fine for me. It has no recess at the posts, so it is different than yours. Don't know what to tell you if yours sits even higher than a TOM.

I'm out of my league on this one, sorry :dunno:

[DonP]

I've got a 91 that is set up similarly, but without a full recess. It is a transitional route, but the bridge sits off the body about a 1/4" because of the neck angle.

It plays like a TOM because the bridge is so high off the guitar, but the posts and the wood are fine so far...

The big difference here is your guitar was DESIGNED from the factory to be this way. The OP's guitar was MODIFIED when it should not have been.

OP,

It's not the floyd, it's that you bought a guitar that didn't have the floyd installed correctly. Don't let this scare you off.

[Ward]

The big difference here is your guitar was DESIGNED from the factory to be this way. The OP's guitar was MODIFIED when it should not have been.

Ah, didn't realize it was a modification, thought it was just the Floyd that was swapped for a different bridge.

Sorry for the misunderstanding.

[rjohnstone]

It's my first guitar with the floyd. It totally feels strange and different.
I had SG, Les Paul with tunomatics, Fender strats...
But their bridges were set pretty low in compare with this soloist.
So the problem is that I found some comfortable position with the bridge set pretty low, but not as low as on Gibson or Fender.
But if I place it as low as I want it, it interferes with the neck angle as I understand.
I totally can't imagine how top mounted floyd can fix this situation ? If set low, on the body, how can it interact with angle better than the recessed ?
Regards...

The issue is this guitar was never designed to have a recessed Floyd.
The person who routed the guitar for a recessed Floyd should be slapped and never be allowed to touch a guitar again.
Shimming the nut and tweaking the truss rod will not help.
If it were a bolt on, you could simply shim the neck heel, but this is a neck thru.

Your best solution... sell the guitar (with full disclosure about the Floyd) and buy one that has a proper Floyd setup.

[chuckbat]

Good answer. That stinks about your guitar though

[DonP]

Your best solution... sell the guitar (with full disclosure about the Floyd) and buy one that has a proper Floyd setup.

Or carefully fill the recess and have it re-done.

[warlok]

Ahhhh.. I was confused like Ward.. The transitional route has the bushings and studs on top like Wards (and my Model 6). Whereas the OP's has a full route and the bushings and studs are inside the route so way lower... Got it! And yes, that sux!. If it was me, I'd either fill the route and re-drill for the bushings (and repaint/refinish)... Or like my Model 6, route the whole top for a quilted cap and everything will be back in line.. But that's me.. I'm glutton for punishment!! lol