Help with USA Charvel Floyd height

[Looking4gain]

Hi! Very longtime visitor, and longtime Charvel/Jackson fan. I have a few Model series in the past, and along time ago was a member for awhile but I stopped coming here because divorce/life/work and I “had to sell” most of my guitars/setup, but secretly kept a couple. I have two USA made Promods from back in 2008.
The first, She is a case queen. Black SoCal, and still has the plastic pick guard protector on it. Barely played it. Bought new in 2008
the second one which is the Tele Style 2, is my player. All 100% correct except the Non fine tuner Floyd. I took it apart along time ago and well, had a luthier put it back but with a new non fine tuner Floyd. I got it back Sunday and OMG that bridge you could swan dive off of! I had two other techs look at it and both said it is setup right(and I have zero complaints of the action) but that bridge is so sky high. They even agreed it seems high. My other Charvel isn’t even close! Even other pics I’ve looked at it is way lower. Can that non fine tuner Floyd be slightly different than an OFR? I wouldn’t think so. One luthier said to use a reverse shim to try to correct this. Has ANYONE ran into any issues of a sky high bridge? I can send pics to anyone to help me with this since I’m not allowed to post pics yet. I mean you can see the block clear as day. I’ve been arguing with this luthier and he thinks he should route the pocket, and I’m not to keen on routing it. Another luthier suggested put in a shim reversed but he wants to charge $100 to install and reset up, when I just paid this other luthier $150 to setup/rewrite. I know. I know. But I feel that the first one should correct it. The one who did the work is kinda arguing about shimming the neck(idk if he thought about reversing the shims angle) I’ve done a lot of searches but seemed I couldn’t find a direct answer. Do these come stock with a shim? I remember back then some do and some don’t. My other one doesn’t seem to have one. Again I can’t post pics but would be glad to send them. Tia!

[Looking4gain]

I tried to upload and don’t have permission yet. And I should say I just want the Floyd to be parallel but still be very low, like almost touching the body, like my other one and most of the ones I’ve saw. I don’t do any pullbacks and I RARLEY use a tremolo. I don’t remember being this high And I’ve seen others that do not float as high and my other Charvel isn’t as high either. I measured it and it is roughly over 1/4 inch from the top of the both to the bottom of the base of the Floyd. I don’t really want anything like a tremolo-no or a stopper since I’m not keen on hacking up those ones (I have a MIC Jackson for that THATS been modded out a bit ?)

[JJ119]

You need to use a Host to post pics.
For example, something like Imgur.

[pianoguyy]

I remember the first time I played a (found out much later what it was) "low profile" floyd with a recessed top cavity
my hand was flying all over the place because there was nothing there to stop me. Nothing to brace it on. I even asked the clerk what was different about the guitar that was so awkward for me.
Of course, he was a Guitar Center employee who was like "uh, I don't know, man. Maybe you could check the internet. I am busy restocking strings."


This story means nothing to you. But I felt like sharing since it is quasi-related.

[metalhobo]

is the bridge base plate parallel to the strings?

[Looking4gain]

No I get it on some people not wanting to help. I rarely go to G.C. Since they’re too busy gawking at the soccer mom looking for a guitar for their kid or boyfriend.
it is parallel with the body, but seriously it is sky high. It is enough to be really concerning.
and hmmm. I didn’t know that you have to use a host imaging site, I remember years ago you could post a pic (back in the day) and since I am a newbie again I figured I could just send a pic to someone to post the pic.

[toejam]

If it's a non-recessed Floyd, it's supposed to be sitting higher above the body than if it were recessed (plus the neck angle is tilted back more).

And what size is your trem block? That could also be a factor. 32mm would be for recessed, 37mm or 42mm would be for non-recessed.

[Looking4gain]

Hi! I remember chatting with you back in the day! It is a 37 mm block. My other USA ProMod Charvel isn’t as bad, as other ones I’ve seen pics of. Ugh I wish I could put a pic up, I mean even the other luthiers were kinda like “that seems kinda higher”. But they’re not that familiar with these. And I don’t remember it being this high along time ago on this guitar either.

[Looking4gain]

Since I couldn’t post a pic (I don’t have imagur or anything) I put the pic of the super high bridge as my avatar. Hey. Good thinking! (If you can see it) if it will show up ok.

[toejam]

Upload to a host like imgur.com and then you can link your pics here.

Do you have the original Floyd that came on it that you can put back on? If so, I'd swap them out and see if anything changes. Maybe the blocks are different sizes? I wouldn't bother with a luthier at this point since it's pretty easy to swap them back and forth, plus you can look up Floyd setups on youtube that'll also help.

Or maybe the luthier put in a shim or took out a shim that he shouldn't have touched? It might just be the way it is since it's non-recessed, as I've seen some Floyds that have thicker bodies or necks tilted back farther that had the Floyd higher off the body (but those usually are the 42mm blocks).
About 1/4" seems approximately right for 37mm block. Though, you could also lower the trem a little and maybe try shimming the Floyd saddles up (they sell metal saddle shims just for Floyds).

[Looking4gain]

I may have to go with imagur. I sold the original FR1000 along time ago, so I don’t have anything to revert to. AFAIK those original bridges were 37mm blocks, so I made sure the Non fine tuner Floyd was 37mm. The original guy who worked on it stated there wasn’t a shim(I had it apart years ago and survived a move but I kept everything except the Floyd) and I know he didn’t put one in there because he was talking about how the neck pocket was routed out from the factory. The posts are really really high. One of the other luthiers said he can put a shim in backwards to make the neck slightly forward to get the bridge closer to the body and lower those posts. I mean the action is what I remembered and like my other one. Super duper low , but again. The height!!!! ? One reference point is can give a idea is that the bottom of the bridge easily is higher than the pickup ring.

[toejam]

Well, if the action is fine, then I wouldn't really be bothered too much about the trem being high. If you need it lower to the body, then a different shim or no shim would probably help.

Here's a pic I found of someone with an old Model 6 that has its trem higher than the pickup ring. I had a Model 6 and Model 5A years ago, and I do remember them being off the body a bit, but not so sure it was this high.

[Looking4gain]

Yes. Mine is slightly higher than that! I don’t mind it floating, like my other one, but what I have is, just like that, is way too high. I remember my 3DR, and my Model 2 wasn’t as bad (my Model 4 had a Kahler so that is exempt

Would a bridge being that high cause damage long term? Like the height of the bridge/pressure being higher than ideal,etc.

so to drop that bridge, would you recommend putting a shim backwards in her?

[Looking4gain]

Let’s try to load a pic

[Looking4gain]

Try again