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Old 04-01-2008, 10:17 AM   #1
Drew
Fear the Polo!
 
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Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Somerville, MA
Posts: 21,267

Real Name: Call me Ahab...
Main Seven: 1991 Ibanez UV7PWH
Main ERG: Sherman 5-string bass
Rig: Mesa Recto-verb 50

Thanked: 141

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Quick and dirty - swapping a LoPro Edge for an OFR7

Ok, so I didn't get a chance to upload the pics I took to my ftp, but I operated on my PWH last night. Some bullet-point notes:

-it 99.99% fit. I'm going to have to sand down the bar side of trem cavity's side wall by maybe a mm or so, because it JUST barely contacts the wood. Basswood is soft enough that it'll wear away anyway, but I'd rather do it right.

-I'm still using the Edge trem studs. I figure, they lock, which is awesome, and that there's no pressing need to make the switch. So, I didn't even try to put the new ones in.

-I'm also still using the black Edge nut. Again, I'm not sure if there's any quality reason why it'd make sense to switch, and my PWH's nut is routed out ever-so-slightly off center towards the bass side. I've been playing this guitar so long now that it doesn't bug me, however for some reason when I put on the OFR nut, it was actually slightly MORE off center. So I didn't even string it up and went back to the black one. If there's a reason why I'd want to use the Floyd one, someone let me know and I'll at least give it a shot.

-the string retainer did NOT fit. It's a bit wider than Ibanez's, and the holes are drilled maybe a mm or two further apart. I could have redrilled them or something, but I didn't bother.

-I don't get why you guys keep swapping the Edge arm holder for an OFR screw in arm holder. Already it's bugging me how I have to finger-tighten it a little bit every few minutes if I'm using the bar.

-the OFR was actually LIGHTER than the LoPro by about 30-40 grams, something like 441 to 418. Yes, I weighed.

-I think the radius is a little flatter on the OFR than the LoPro, but not enough (so far) to really bug me. I can look into shimming it, if it does get on my nerves.

-I pulled the tremol-no, since the trem block is a little thicker/further back in the cavity, and the plastic bushings kept hitting the back of the body. Not sure what I'm going to do here - the pin-type arm holder didn't work, and I've contemplated just trimming the bushings, but there's still the screw jutting out... And even then, the block might be contacting the back of the body. I might just route it out a little deeper - I've been meaning to buy a Dremel, anyway.

-tonally, this thing seems a tad brighter than the LoPro, though that could just be the fresh strings. The overtones also seem a little clearer, but part of me is wondering how much of that is really the OFR, and how much of it is the fact that I was playing a funky 17-year-old bridge with lots of wear and corrosion, including right where the strings contact the body.

The verdict's still out, in short. At the very least, it's better than the particular bridge that was in there before. However, I haven't decided if it's also better than a new LoPro would be, or more pertinantly if a new LoPro would be $100 better than an OFR. I like it so far, but I need to log some serious playtime first.

"...and everything under the sun is in tune, but the sun is eclipsed by the moon."
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