Help with USA Charvel Floyd height

[pianoguyy]

it is parallel with the body, but seriously it is sky high. It is enough to be really concerning.

is the bridge base plate parallel to the strings?

I wanted to scream when Ibanez made the trem that the base plate was not flat. It was thicker on one end.
They wanted the bottom of the base plate to be running parallel with the body. But the damn thing was recessed. How exactly are you seeing the bottom of the trem.

[Looking4gain]

I am probably wording it wrong hence pics are going to be a great help. (My fiancé says I don’t explain enough, idk I wasn’t paying attention lol) but the bottom of the bridge plate is past the humbucker ring. I’ve never seen that before, in ANY of my Charvel/Jackson’s I’ve owned. The posts are really high and I really am not liking it to that height. The bridge itself is very comfy, and the actual setup as well, but that bridge height! I was told that a reverse shim would lower the bridge and still have amazing action, but that’s ONE luthier. The other one was keen on routing the neck pocket out, which I am not comfortable with hacking up that guitar.
The pic I had at a angle so it looks like the bridge is kinda at a angle, the studs/bridge is from the body

[pianoguyy]

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

As long as there is enough post inside the body, I can't see any reason for damage to happen.
But if the posts are short and you are riding near the end - they could come out of the body. lean forward from pressure. or whatever.

[pianoguyy]

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

to lower the bridge, you have to lower the neck
removing the shim or a backwards shim could help

[Looking4gain]

There isn’t a shim. I know some had them and some didn’t. The original luthier was gabbing on how the neck pocket was cut for that angle, and the other luthier was saying “to correct it alittle he would need to shim it backwards”. But I’ve never seen one this high before! The posts are from the Original Guitar(Floyd posts) and I’m not sure how many thread turns are left in the bushings, but yeah I’m not comfortable on the height. Other than that, the bridge is comfy and the action is great, like how I remembered.

[pianoguyy]

Without pulling it out to get a picture, I seem to think my Frankenstein is higher than these two, but maybe not as high as the one toejam posted
* but it is also hard to really judge, considering that toejam's image shows a reflection. as well as my Frankenstein having larger pickup rings.


Here are a Model 6 and a Strat
They are both 1988/89 (exact years forgotten). It is hard to see because the pictures weren't taken today for this purpose, therefore they don't match, but you can see that the imported neck thru is much closer to the body then the American bolt on

[Looking4gain]

Yes. Mine is a lot higher, I wish mine was that low. I thought I was able to post pics on the last page, did it not show the pics? I thought it was able to upload.

[Looking4gain]

I think my pic should be on here on page one now and it shows how high it is.
so should someone try a shim backwards?

[toejam]

The shim should probably help then, might be your best bet if you're not comfortable with it being so high.

[metalhobo]

yeah I think shims are the only real solution if it's as high as the picture toejam first posted. I'd be very interested in seeing what the actual neck pocket angle would be in degrees for it to be that bad.

are you able to measure the action at the 12th fret and at the 22nd fret? I'm also wondering if too much neck relief could be a culprit. but I doubt it would be that bad.

[diablomozart]

I wanted to scream when Ibanez made the trem that the base plate was not flat. It was thicker on one end.
They wanted the bottom of the base plate to be running parallel with the body. But the damn thing was recessed. How exactly are you seeing the bottom of the trem.

look at the side of the trem where the knife edges show through...they usually sit right at body height...look like little rectangles...d.m.

[Looking4gain]

? ??????? ? I’ll try to add another pic.

[Looking4gain]

Are my pics showing up by any chance? It seems like they are on my side but I’m just checking.

Yeah I remember looking that the neck pocket and not seeing a shim, just the dates stamped in there. I returned it to the guy, and kinda stayed my point and used the other luthier as a reference saying that a shim needs to be put in there, and even received the same response on the forum. So he claims he is going to measure the angle and get a correct shim. I’ll get every single spec from him. Hopefully he didn’t screw it up(not to be rude but his attitude kinda left a bad taste in my mouth). I’m not doubting his skills but when I specifically told him I like my bridges LOWER on the body, and gave me a “viaduct” bridge I kinda was upset. Then for him to argue and tell me “well it is because of the neck pocket/I’ve been doing this for 20 years it’s about physics” when another luthier who has more experience said “all THATS needed is a shim backwards”
I understand the concept. I’m 46,,, I started playing when I turned 14 and have modded out stuff since I was 15(it all started with a Yamaha RGX110), I’m not a professional but I do understand. With these two guitars I’d rather take it so someone to do truss rods/setup since you have to take the neck off.
The guy could’ve called me and told me that the bridge was high, here are your options or see if you can locate a fine tuner OFR and see what happens (I don’t there isn’t much difference on the plates in that spec) but well will see. Like I said. With the old bridge it wasn’t that high. Maybe it had a shim in it, but at that time I sold the bridge, and took it apart when I was going thru a divorce and I know stuff got misplaced.

[john.w.lawson]

I've become so lost in this. 1. a larger block wouldn't make the top high, it would stick out the back 2. USA pro Mod's didn't stick up as high as a model series does.
I live in a land of confusion anyway....3. of course a recessed floyd will not be sticking up as high, but Pro Mods didn't have a recessed floyd.

I suggest you pm someone to email them a picture of exactly wtf is going on with your bridge.

heard the old saying a picture is worth a thousand words

Just to add reasons a bridge would be high 1. the saddles are not in the proper order 2. you have a back bow of the neck 3. the nut is not the right height. Since it was okay before, maybe the saddles are not arranged properly

Thats just MO

[Number Of The Priest]

My 2009 So-Cal (top half of first image) has its 1000 Series Floyd bridge at a height very slightly higher than the height seen in the two photos that pianoguyy showed.

My 1998 Shannon Soloist (bottom half of first image, and second image) has its OFR bridge at a height similar to the photo that toejam showed.