Bridge Problems- HELP PLEASE

Fez_BR · #1 10-25-2009, 09:13 PM

Ok so I will try to sum it up in a few words for you guys. About a year ago I bought and 6-string Ibanez SR706. Beautiful bass, sounds and play amazing but it only has one deadly problem... the bridge. I usually play a lot during the week (5 times) and most of them are either rehearsals or performance. Every time I play I my strings tend to move closer to the neck (the saddles move down) and sometimes it even gets to the point where it touches the frets and produces no sound at all in the middle of the song.
I have talked with many musicians and they all look very surprise when I explain what it happening. I even tried to put some lock tight on it which was a huge fail.... My last attempt was buy a new bridge hoping it was a problem with the old one but now I got even worse. Do you guys have any idea for why this is happening? Any clue on what to do to make the strings stay in place??
Thanks for the help

walterw · #2 10-25-2009, 09:21 PM

why did the loctite fail? that's the right stuff for your problem.

dmusic148 · #3 10-25-2009, 09:29 PM

Try RTV (silicone sealant, clear). Remove each screw(one at a time), apply RTV to the threads, and also a little into it's threaded hole, with a toothpick. Re-install screw, move to the next. Do them all and let sit for half a day or so.
Once cured, the RTV turns into a rubbery material. It will allow adjustment when desired, but won't let the screws slip.

yellofury · #4 10-25-2009, 10:22 PM

bump for a friend

Fez_BR · #5 10-26-2009, 03:32 PM

With the loctite I did just like the guy at guitar center told me too and once I went to adjust the height the screws wouldn't even move anymore, no matter how much pressure I put on it.

grifff · #6 10-26-2009, 03:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fez_BR

With the loctite I did just like the guy at guitar center told me too and once I went to adjust the height the screws wouldn't even move anymore, no matter how much pressure I put on it.

They didn't move because you put Loctite on it. That's the purpose of the stuff.

Pilgrim · #7 10-26-2009, 03:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fez_BR

With the loctite I did just like the guy at guitar center told me too and once I went to adjust the height the screws wouldn't even move anymore, no matter how much pressure I put on it.

What kind of Loctite? It comes in three grades. Blue (middle) grade is appropriate for this use. Red is permanent and must be heated before it will come loose. if you used Red, then you will have to use a soldering iron on the screws to get them to release.

If blue Loctite let go, my experience tells me that it was applied incorrectly. But it sounds like it held just fine - the set screws don't move. The strings cannot "tend to move closer to the neck (the saddles move down)" if the set screws aren't moving.

Your statements seem to contradict each other - can you clarify?

Fez_BR · #8 10-28-2009, 09:24 PM

Now that I am thinking better about it, it was probably my own fault. The guy at guitar center told me to raise the saddles put some loctite on and bring them to the desired height but as soon as I put it on they locked. Idk if it was the strength from the glue that was too much or I just waited too long.

73jbass · #9 10-29-2009, 06:40 AM

Are you saying that after you put another bridge on it you had the same problem?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fez_BR

Ok so I will try to sum it up in a few words for you guys. About a year ago I bought and 6-string Ibanez SR706. Beautiful bass, sounds and play amazing but it only has one deadly problem... the bridge. I usually play a lot during the week (5 times) and most of them are either rehearsals or performance. Every time I play I my strings tend to move closer to the neck (the saddles move down) and sometimes it even gets to the point where it touches the frets and produces no sound at all in the middle of the song.
I have talked with many musicians and they all look very surprise when I explain what it happening. I even tried to put some lock tight on it which was a huge fail.... My last attempt was buy a new bridge hoping it was a problem with the old one but now I got even worse. Do you guys have any idea for why this is happening? Any clue on what to do to make the strings stay in place??
Thanks for the help

JFace · #10 10-29-2009, 06:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fez_BR

Now that I am thinking better about it, it was probably my own fault. The guy at guitar center told me to raise the saddles put some loctite on and bring them to the desired height but as soon as I put it on they locked. Idk if it was the strength from the glue that was too much or I just waited too long.

You probably waited too long. The loctite dries pretty quickly. I would set the strings at the desired height, and one at a time, apply the glue to the hole. As soon as you apply the glue, you can use an Allan wrench and turn the screw a half turn clockwise to raise the saddle a bit, and then turn it immediately back. This will allow the glue to seap into the threads a bit. As long as your strings are at the right height, you're golden. You'll have to repeat this any time you need a new setup.

Fez_BR · #11 10-29-2009, 07:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 73jbass

Are you saying that after you put another bridge on it you had the same problem?

Yep I have the exact same problem... Could it possibly be the setup of the bass?? Like the neck or anything like that?

Pilgrim · #12 10-29-2009, 10:03 AM

Don't take this as an insult, but if it has happened with two different bridges, it sounds like operator error - something that's being done incorrectly. Perhaps paying a luthier to do the job and asking to watch would be a good idea.

Fez_BR · #13 10-29-2009, 10:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pilgrim

Don't take this as an insult, but if it has happened with two different bridges, it sounds like operator error - something that's being done incorrectly. Perhaps paying a luthier to do the job and asking to watch would be a good idea.

Don't worry about it bro, I really appreciate the input. I had the Luthier setting it up once and the problem persisted. But I will try to send it in again tomorrow for a last try.

JLS · #14 10-29-2009, 11:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pilgrim

Don't take this as an insult, but if it has happened with two different bridges, it sounds like operator error - something that's being done incorrectly. Perhaps paying a luthier to do the job and asking to watch would be a good idea.

I was going to say much the same thing.