Vibrato Tuning Stability - New S-500 Tribute

[Reg Leisure]

Hi,
In Feb 2020 I purchased online a G&L S-500 Tribute Guitar (Made In Indonesia). The shop put new 09-46 strings on it as per my request. When I received the guitar it was unplayable and unable to be tuned. I am guessing it had heavier strings on it before they put the 09-46 strings on because the bridge plate was leaning back hard up against the body of the guitar digging into the wood. It appears that when they changed the strings they didn’t adjust the vibrato spring screws.
I then followed Craig’s excellent instructions for setting up guitars here:
http://www.guitarsbyleo.com/FORUM/viewt ... 2ATech+nut
And here:
http://www.guitarsbyleo.com/FORUM/viewt ... =13&t=3371
I replaced the plastic nut and string tree with a Graphtech Tusq nut and string tree. Wow! This improved the tuning and playability significantly. It is a must do.
I also replaced the tuners with locking tuners, CLT6C, that were a direct replacement and dropped straight into the S-500 Tribute.
https://www.kieselguitars.com/products/CLT6C
The guitar now plays easily and has incredible tuning stability except for when you pull or bump the vibrato arm away from the guitar. All the strings go sharp and stay sharp until you push the vibrato arm back towards the guitar. Wiggling the vibrato arm in and out also returns the strings to correct pitch too. There are no tuning problems pushing the vibrato arm towards the guitar or wiggling it in and out or doing massive string bends. From what I’ve read on this forum I think there might be a problem with the knifes edge of the pivot holes in the bridge.
Is it safe to unscrew the post screws to liberate the bridge in order to see if the pivot holes are ok?
I don’t want to take the guitar back to where I bought it because it is in Canberra, around 200miles from myself in Sydney, Australia.
Any advice on this would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.



http://www.guitarsbyleo.com/GALLERY2/ma ... alNumber=3

[Danley]

My caveat is I’ve specifically never taken apart a DFV, but I have worked on other trems like the Floyd and two-point Fender that operate by the same principle (out of three G&Ls only one of mine has a DFV and I’ve never had a need to disassemble it.) That said, if you do disassemble it I would be sure not to turn the pivot post Allen screws while the guitar is tuned up; in fact I would also remove the rear springs before touching the pivot posts. From there, you may be able to fix the problem with something as small as a bit of white lithium grease on the pivots if they are worn. Then continue to make sure not to turn the pivots under string tension when you reassemble. This can be tedious, but it applies to many two point trem designs and it’s not over-cautious in my experience.

[Craig]

The Tribute and US S-500 models come from the factory with string set of 10s.
I suggest you remove the middle trem spring and see if that changes or eliminates the trem return problem.
Also check the trem block to see if it is rubbing or binding in the trem cavity. Another place to check: look to see
that the bridge plate is not rubbing against the pickguard when operating the trem bar.

Just my $0.02.

Hope this helps.

[Reg Leisure]

Hi Danley and Craig
Thank you for your quick responses!
1. Removing middle trem spring caused the spring screws to be almost completely screwed in to get a parallel bridge plate. Stability was now both sharp and flat depending on trem action.
2. Trem block not rubbing or binding in the trem cavity.
3. No rubbing on pick guard.
4. SOLUTION. Undid strings and disconnected trem springs. This allowed bridge to sit on guitar body exposing the posts. Cleaned black "film" off posts and added white grease. Adjusted bottom post height (vibrato arm post) to same height as top post. It was about .060 inch (1.5mm) lower than top post. After these 2 actions the problem was fixed.

Thank you to both of you for your help with this.
This site really adds value to G & L guitars.

[Craig]

Hi Danley and Craig
Thank you for your quick responses!
1. Removing middle trem spring caused the spring screws to be almost completely screwed in to get a parallel bridge plate. Stability was now both sharp and flat depending on trem action.
2. Trem block not rubbing or binding in the trem cavity.
3. No rubbing on pick guard.
4. SOLUTION. Undid strings and disconnected trem springs. This allowed bridge to sit on guitar body exposing the posts. Cleaned black "film" off posts and added white grease. Adjusted bottom post height (vibrato arm post) to same height as top post. It was about .060 inch (1.5mm) lower than top post. After these 2 actions the problem was fixed.

Thank you to both of you for your help with this.
This site really adds value to G & L guitars.

Excellent! Now we have another item to add to our checklist:
Measure both sides of the bridge plate to make sure it is parallel and, if not, adjust the trem posts to the same height.