Raising action on an OFR

[Grim]

Hey all,

Just sent my SL2H to a tech (usual tech is a buddy of mine who is out of town and sets up my guitars flawlessly) for a setup/tuning change. Had it in D std for a time and switched to Drop C -- Everything looks great except the action on the low strings (mainly low C and G) is too low - there's buzz on the C to the point where the tone sounds muffled.

I don't exactly want to take it back, as I'll be leaving town myself in a few days. Now I'm a bit of a tech tard (I setup my own TOM guitars & strats but the floyds are just too involved) - is raising the action an involved process? I gather I simply have to loosen the two hex screws on the front - Do I have to raise it evenly? (The problem is unilateral). Also is the whole "slack the strings or say goodbye to your knife edges" thing fact or simply guitar pseudoscience? Should I expect a drastic intonation change? Can anyone walk me through this?

Any help is much appreciated

G

[Grim]

Update : Gave it a measure; a canadian quarter (~1.58mm) fits snugly (Will not fall out when guitar is 90 degrees to ground) at the 12th when the guitar is fretted at the first and 24th (or 22nd)

[Force]

It is suggested by some to loosen strings but action isn't something you change very often & the amount of post turning you'll do shouldn't cause any issues to the knife edges.

[toejam]

It is suggested by some to loosen strings but action isn't something you change very often & the amount of post turning you'll do shouldn't cause any issues to the knife edges.

+1 I've never loosened strings when raising or lowering a Floyd. You just raise (clockwise) the post a little bit. You don't have to do the other side if you don't want to. Some people like to have things level, but you can get away with having the bass side a tiny bit higher than the treble side. Hell, you can even put shims under Floyd saddles to get more individual string height, if you want to.

[straycat]

It won't hurt anything to raise the bridge under tension.

[Grim]

Cool. I'll probably give it a go tonight. Thanks all

[84sups]

+1 I've never loosened strings when raising or lowering a Floyd. You just raise (clockwise) the post a little bit. You don't have to do the other side if you don't want to. Some people like to have things level, but you can get away with having the bass side a tiny bit higher than the treble side. Hell, you can even put shims under Floyd saddles to get more individual string height, if you want to.

It would be counter clockwise to raise the bridge. It would probably take a 1/2-1 turn to stop the buzz. You can turn it a little and see what it does and go more if necessary

[toejam]

Yeah, you're right, counterclockwise. I guess I had a brain fart and wrote too quick. Lol

[84sups]

I was like wait...ummm....what?

[Radiohead]

I have always loosed the string tension before raising or lowering. No need to remove the strings, just loosened of the tension. Friction will be reduced, may be unnecessary but its easy to do.

[straycat]

I have always loosed the string tension before raising or lowering. No need to remove the strings, just loosened of the tension. Friction will be reduced, may be unnecessary but its easy to do.

Makes no sense to do so because its already under tension.No you will not hurt the posts or the knife edges.

[metalhobo]

Loosen the strings? Too much work. Just use the vibrato arm to tilt the Floyd down while you're turning the posts if you're really worried about dulling the knife edges.

[j2379]

honestly I have never loosened the strings, a couple of years back i wa doing a setup for someone on a BCR with a cheap FR type. cracked the post almost immediately as i started to turn it....now the only time i loosen the string s bit is if its a setup on someone elses guitar.

[Newc]

Given that the knife edges are in their pivot points, there's no reason to believe that they'll go dull, unless you adjust them all day long for like 5 years straight. Bending the trem with the bar will be a bad idea; leave it straight under full tension.

[VitaminG]

I find that tone improves if you lower your body rather than raise your trem