I seriously screwed up. Need help.

Re: I seriously screwed up. Need help.

OK So slight update

I got ahold of schaller, they didn't seem very keen on replacing it for free but they did say their current baseplate will fit my 25 year old tremolo.

the cost to get it shipped to my door is 160$ Canadian. It seems like a bit of a waste since I really don't need the high quality parts (i don't care if the tremolo stays in tune or not - i have the block bolted to the body, it can't move)

Seriously thought about just buying a JT580LP to replace it, since it'd be cheaper and I actually like the feel of low profile tremolos more. but there simply aren't any available for purchase anywhere.

so i guess I'm out the 160. My girlfriend is a welder actually but she won't have any access to her equipment for at least another few months.

The only other option is to steal the JT580LP off another guitar I have and use that until I can find a way to fix the problem. gotta do something thouogh, as the Kelly is my best-playing guitar currently, and I need to get some recordings done asap.

good to know it is a problem they were notorious for, I was thinking I just overtightened it like a dumbass and stripped it that way. hopefully the new baseplate would be of better quality and not strip so easily
 
Last edited:
Re: I seriously screwed up. Need help.

BeKindRewind said:
so i guess I'm out the 160. My girlfriend is a welder actually but she won't have any access to her equipment for at least another few months.
Click to expand...

There is doing it cheaper and then there's doing it proper. It's expensive but worth it in my view. Apart from that initial blunder, Schaller baseplates are solid and will last a long time. It should give you the best fit, peace of mind and bringing your guitar to top shape before recording is best practice. I don't think you could fix that by welding anyway.
 
Re: I seriously screwed up. Need help.

Hey OP, I've had the exact same problem with the same Schaller Floyd and there are a few traps you should avoid that I fell into - provided you haven't already purchased the parts. Busy atm but I'll chime back in tonight.
 
Re: I seriously screwed up. Need help.

Coma said:
Hey OP, I've had the exact same problem with the same Schaller Floyd and there are a few traps you should avoid that I fell into - provided you haven't already purchased the parts. Busy atm but I'll chime back in tonight.
Click to expand...
I already bought the part, what did you have in mind ? 200 freakin bucks later.

I have it installed and just have to do the intonation now. What an expensive repair! I'm being insanely careful with the intonation screws now....

72161195208d561218bb07591d010d96.jpg


Sent from my SM-G965W using Tapatalk
 
Re: I seriously screwed up. Need help.

What happened is I have a late 80's guitar with a Schaller Floyd on it, the version with the thick baseplate, non-reinforced inserts. One day I overtighten the inconation screws and threads go-bye-bye, just like they did on yours. I thought I'd save some money and just get a new baseplate, but I opted for the thinner "Lockmeister" one, as it's the exact same plate used in the OFR and the price difference from the cheaper baseplate is negligable.

First problem I run into is that the locking screws aren't the same type or dimension, so I have to buy a new set of those.
Second problem, turns out the saddles aren't the same dimension either, because they've changed the design of those, so I need to buy new saddles as well.
Third problem, with lower tuning (that particular guitar is tuned to C standard) the new the saddles have to move so far back they hit the end of the baseplate. This wasn't an issue with the old ones since they were shorter. I get around this by taking a diamond file to the slope of the low E saddle, removing material until correct intonation is possible. At this point I have spent so much money buying the separate parts that I could've just bought a whole new unit, complete with block, saddles, springs, claw, nut etc.

Finally get the whole thing set up and now... damn thing won't stay in tune. Had zero stability issues with the old bridge but now it just doesn't work right. Tried setting it up myself, tried having a techie spend days on it, still won't stay in tune.

So yeah, if you're gonna replace the basplate and the old guitar has the thicker type, just buy that same one. You'll probably save yourself both headaches, frustration and lots of lost time.
 
Re: I seriously screwed up. Need help.

Wow thankful I didn't fall into that trap. I saw the lockmeisters on the website but wasn't sure what they were for, so I went with the original one and everything fit fine. It's staying in tune great so far too. I hadn't ever used the tremelo system on this guitar before. The previous owner had drilled a hole through the friggin sustain block and had it bolted into the body! But I'm gonna leave it set up as floating for now. I used to do almost all my vibrato with the trem arm, it's something that kinda faded out of my playing but it's back again like an old friend
 
Re: I seriously screwed up. Need help.

It's funny how the guitar seems to have MORE sustain and tone now with the tremelo all freed up . It's almost like all that blockage was actually stifling the vibration or something , because now I can feel notes vibrating in the back of the neck, the headstock and even the whammy bar, it feels noticeably more alive, I can't be imagining this. In any case it's playing great now .

For anyone wondering the base plate ended up being about $200 , all said and done. They hit me with about $40 of duty fees, mostly because they use UPS and UPS loves slamming you with overpriced brokerage fees. It's a very high quality replacement part but damn. I just didn't like the idea of trying the tap and die, failing , and having to buy the part anyway, so I just decided to buy the part and be done with it. It does feel higher quality than the original one though, for one the intonation screws feel much more solid and the fine tuners feel a lot nicer and seem to have a larger range.

Sent from my SM-G965W using Tapatalk
 
Last edited:
Re: I seriously screwed up. Need help.

All is good then! Also, while in my experience the JT580LP bridges are great units, the saddles are potmetal, only the baseplate is steel and most probably they wont fit in the OFR routing. Actually, they wouldnt even fit in the low profile OG Floyd route, because the JT baseplate has a slanted "shoulder" while the Floyd is square. A low profile Floyd fits in the JT580LP route (if you don't mind the "swimming pool" around it), but I'm pretty confident that its a no-go the other way around.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

S
Severly Stripped Strap Hole...HELP PLEASE!
Replies
15
Views
1K
strat_master
S
Back
Top