My four string AB loves light strings. Payson set me up with a .090-.032 E-G. Nice thing about Payson and Dingwall strings is the taper at the ball end on the B and E, maybe even the A. The Dingwalls are way too heavy for my taste.
The saddle cap heads are just stainless metric cap head allen. Less than $1 each at my local Ace. I’ve replaced a few with shorter screws to get the action lower if I have untapered strings. If you, or someone else has screwed then all the way down, they can bind up in the bass plate. The screws will go all the way through the block and raise the block up until it binds in the slot, making it impossible to slide to intonate.
Watch for the block rising up as you try to lower the action. If that’s the case, you need shorter screws. Off to the hardware store you go. Take a screw with you and find the right screws and threads. You could grind off some of the length, but if that tiny screw goes shooting across the shop, it’s gone.
Also, you don’t need to overtighten the intonation block set screws, that can also raise the block off the baseplate. They just need to be snug, that block won’t slide around on its own.
The truss rod is the big concern, it needs to work perfectly. If there is more relief than you want, light strings could be the answer, but that is hardly an ideal fix. I’d smack the neck a few times with my palm and see if that breaks it loose. It could be bound up. And I’d be fairly aggressive with the adjustment, because it needs to work or it’s going back.
How much more adjustment does it need?
The saddle cap heads are just stainless metric cap head allen. Less than $1 each at my local Ace. I’ve replaced a few with shorter screws to get the action lower if I have untapered strings. If you, or someone else has screwed then all the way down, they can bind up in the bass plate. The screws will go all the way through the block and raise the block up until it binds in the slot, making it impossible to slide to intonate.
Watch for the block rising up as you try to lower the action. If that’s the case, you need shorter screws. Off to the hardware store you go. Take a screw with you and find the right screws and threads. You could grind off some of the length, but if that tiny screw goes shooting across the shop, it’s gone.
Also, you don’t need to overtighten the intonation block set screws, that can also raise the block off the baseplate. They just need to be snug, that block won’t slide around on its own.
The truss rod is the big concern, it needs to work perfectly. If there is more relief than you want, light strings could be the answer, but that is hardly an ideal fix. I’d smack the neck a few times with my palm and see if that breaks it loose. It could be bound up. And I’d be fairly aggressive with the adjustment, because it needs to work or it’s going back.
How much more adjustment does it need?
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