action problem with jackson ke

[eiopago]

hi everyone,
thi is my 1st post here and i hope i can get some help...

i have 2 jacksons,
a japanese kv4 and a usa kelly, both with floyd rose,
a licenced one on the kv4 and an original on the usa ke.
both have 10-52 gauge d`addario strings ( xl 140 )...
on the 12th fret the string height on the kv4 is 1.5 mm, and i`m very happy with it, but on the ke is 2 mm, not great but good enough.
on both guitars i have the floyd rose sitting perfectly parallel to the body and on level...
when i turn the sping on the ke (the one for the low strings e/a/d) , even by less that 1/4 of a whole turn, i lose a lot of tone and the strings become loose making difficult to play...
on the kv4 it`s perfect, even at 1.5 mm on the 12th fret the bottom strings remain "hard enough", as i like them...
what do you think is the problem?
it`s 2 mm high?
and also, i`m curious to know your strings height,
just as a reference.

thanks in advance

[Nazgul]

I have 1 mm on the 12th fret on my MIJ RR and 1.5 mm at the 12th fret on my Ibanez. I hardly even play Ibanez cause the action is too high for me and can't get it any lower without losing tone.

You can start adjusting your string height on floyd with adjusting tremelo studs on floyd. Counter clockwise turn should get the strings lower

[Sunbane]

Good advice from Nazgul there. Like he stated, you adjust the string height on the tremolo posts, not the springs in the back (those only adjust tension).

To get the strings really low without losing tone, you will also need to know how to adjust the neck. You may have to adjust the truss rod to get the guitar playing just right, and that can be a little tricky if you haven't done it before. And if you have uneven frets on the guitar, you may get more problems still.

[eiopago]

well, what i meant was that i tried to lower the strings height adjusting the tremolo posts not the springs on the back of the guitar,
but again, i can`t even turn the tremolo posts by 1/4 without losing tone and if i do that the strings, especially the e/a/d become too soft...
i have noticed that my kv4 has a straight neck as opposed to the new ke that has it a bit curved...
so in this case i think i should flatten the neck a bit by turning the truss rod, i have never done that,
any suggestions before i attemp it, except from "take the guitar to an expert"???

thanks again

[Nazgul]

there are a lot of guides of how to adjust the truss rod. here's one I found with google:
http://www.fretnotguitarrepair.com/trussrods.htm

try searching with google for more .

[Sunbane]

there are a lot of guides of how to adjust the truss rod. here's one I found with google:
http://www.fretnotguitarrepair.com/trussrods.htm

try searching with google for more .

That's a good article on truss rod adjustment.

[eiopago]

thank you all,
i`ll go for the major operation on the rod as soon as i get home

[Dave-o]

I have 1 mm on the 12th fret on my MIJ RR and 1.5 mm at the 12th fret on my Ibanez. I hardly even play Ibanez cause the action is too high for me and can't get it any lower without losing tone.

You can start adjusting your string height on floyd with adjusting tremelo studs on floyd. Counter clockwise turn should get the strings lower

Great info...but when you take these measurements are you fretting the first fret, or no? (Just curious as I am in need of such measurements also)

The usual method of measurement is to fret the first fret and measure at the 17th fret.

[HoWheels]

well, what i meant was that i tried to lower the strings height adjusting the tremolo posts not the springs on the back of the guitar,
but again, i can`t even turn the tremolo posts by 1/4 without losing tone and if i do that the strings, especially the e/a/d become too soft...
i have noticed that my kv4 has a straight neck as opposed to the new ke that has it a bit curved...
so in this case i think i should flatten the neck a bit by turning the truss rod, i have never done that,
any suggestions before i attemp it, except from "take the guitar to an expert"???

thanks again

How close are the strings to the pickup? If the pickup is too close to the strings, the magnetic pull may be dampening the strings, causing you to 'lose tone'. If your tone seems to be "disappearing" from lowering the strings, try lowering the pickups.

-a

[Razor]

http://www.wizardsofaz.com/guitars/i...itar_Setup.pdf

I always have this sheet out when I set up my guitars. A capo and a set of feeler guages are a must investment before even thinking about adjusting the truss rod! I thought I could eyeball one and get it right. Then I went and played metaljunkie's Model 2, and was given a lesson on the merits of learning to adjust neck relief the right way.

[Nazgul]

Great info...but when you take these measurements are you fretting the first fret, or no? (Just curious as I am in need of such measurements also)

The usual method of measurement is to fret the first fret and measure at the 17th fret.

No, I'm not fretting anything. Just measure the action on 12th fret.