[Naren]

So, this will be my third hatred towards tremolos thread since joining this forum (about 4-6 months between threads). Right now I feel like killing the inventor of the tremolo.

So I quit my band. In that band I was tuning to one step down because the other band members were. So, yesterday, I thought "I want to tune back into standard." So I tried tuning back into standard. I tried 6 times before I gave up. Every time I tried, the bridge kept raising several inches off the ground. So, I'd loosen all the strings until the tremolo bridge sank into the cavity and then try again. No luck. I could usually get 4-5 strings perfectly in tune before the thing was too high to do anything. So, I gave up and left my guitar in some crazy tuning. Today I tried again about 5 times before I thought, "Whenever I put on new strings, I never have ANY trouble getting it into the tuning with the bridge flat." So I start putting on new strings. Things seem to be going really well until I get to the last 2 strings. After trying to tune them, the bridge is too high again. Every time, I go back the strings are almost perfectly one step below where I want them to be (as if they're too used to my old tuning). I tried a few methods that seemed to work, but when I tuned reversed and got to the low B, it was exactly a B, but it was ONE OCTAVE below where it should be. And, tuning just that string alone up to where it should be pulled the bridge up way too high.

I've been trying to get this fucking guitar in tune for the last 3 hours and I feel like throwing it out the window and just using my hardtail six-strings from now on...

Any advice? Any way to keep that bridge from moving at all? I have read about 15 tutorials on the internet on how to tune guitars with tremolos over the past year, but none of them are helping me now. This is the most trouble I have ever had tuning a guitar. On my hardtails, AT THE MOST, 5 minutes. Changing strings and tuning the guitar? AT THE MOST, 10 minutes. I can't understand why 80% of Ibanez's sevens have tremolos... Help, anyone?

[Toshiro]

You need to take off the back-plate and *tighten" the claw screws a little at a time while tuning the guitar up untill you can get all the strings in tune and the bridge is still level.

[noodles]

Have you tried tightening the springs? I'm sure they're currently set for less tension.

[metalfiend666]

It's a floating trem, so balance is the key. If you reduce the tension on the strings by detuning you have to reduce the tension on the springs by the same amount buy unscrewing the trem claw screws a little. In your case you need to screw the trem claw in a bit to balance out the increase in tension you need to bring your strings up to regular tuning.

[giannifive]

+1 on what everyone else has said. You need the springs to balance out the string tension.

If you're way off on the floating trem, I find that this is the simplest thing to do:

1) block the trem (between trem sustain block and strap pin end of the body) so that the knife edges are perpendicular to the studs

2) remove trem springs

3) string guitar, tune to pitch, stretch strings, re-tune to pitch

4) re-install springs and unblock trem

5) tighten or loosen claw screws until guitar comes back into tune (you should be able to get it nearly back into perfect tune)

6) re-tune if necessary, lock down, and fine tune

[Naren]

Originally Posted by noodles

Have you tried tightening the springs? I'm sure they're currently set for less tension.

They are in as far as they'll go. I can't screw the in any further. I wish I had another spring...

One thing that's really annoying is that, while most strings are about 1 step down when I start over, the low E is ALWAYS around a B.

[giannifive]

Originally Posted by Naren

They are in as far as they'll go. I can't screw the in any further. I wish I had another spring...

You'll either need another spring or lighter guage strings, then...

[keithb]

When changing tunings I always block the trem first, retune, then adjust the springs until I can feel the trem just barely coming away from the block.

If you like the guitar but don't like the trem, you might want to look into permanently blocking the trem.

[Naren]

Originally Posted by giannifive

You'll either need another spring or lighter guage strings, then...

Lighter gauge strings will make my B sound floppy.

Where can I buy another spring? Are they at most guitar shops? Like, I've never seen one before, but I'd assume Ishibashi would have some. If I can find a place that has them, I'll buy 2 or 3 more to make sure this fucker never moves again.

Originally Posted by keithb

If you like the guitar but don't like the trem, you might want to look into permanently blocking the trem.

How do I block it from going up? I have some chop sticks jammed in there so it doesn't go down, but I can't think of a way to block upwards.

[2powern]

9v battery in the back, it should fit snugly enough to keep the block in place, best to wrap it in tape as well.

BTW, it's a "vibrato", "tremolo" refers to a change in volume, not pitch.