Its a really nicely made guitar BUT the trem is not working properly.
Since I am not aware of if there is a correct terminology I will use the following:
- base plate = the big plate that screws onto the body
- knife plate = the pivoting bent plate, to which the strings are attached
- fulcrum plate = the angled plate fastened by three screws on the under side of the base plate.
The problem is that the knife plate "slides down" causing the strings to emerge just above the base plate, with the E-strings rubbing against the outer two fulcrum plate screws. This also causes the trem not to function properly as the knife plate touches the front edge of the slot in the base plate making the trem action very stiff.
Today I proceeded to flatten out what I call the "fulcrum plate" by first unscrewing the trem, unscrewing the fulcrum plate itself, fastening the two knife edges in a vise and bending the plate so that the angle became less acute.
It took two iterations (and maybee one more wouldn't have gone amiss...) to get the trem in working order. I did get the predicted effect of shifting the knife plate back- and upwards.
It is possible that I should have gone the other way by increasing the angle (I know of one person who did exactly that) but I was more uncertain about that course of action...
...and while I was at it I bent the short paart of the tremolo arm so that it stopped wiggling around in the socket/collet (whatever).
So now I have a very smooth trem instead of the previous stiff action and clunking arm....
I feeling pretty happy with the guitar (and myself) right now
.Harald