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Joined:
May 2004
Posts: 2850
Location: Midland, MI | Bru-
So, I'm looking at the following, once everything is cleaned up and put back together...
1) Install strings and bring up to pitch
2) Adjust action using bridge posts
3) Adjust relief using truss rod
4) Make bridge parallel to plane of strings
5) Adjust intonation using saddles
6) Check it all again and repeat 2)-5) until done
Sound right? No pun intended... |
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Joined:
May 2003
Posts: 4389
Location: Capital District, NY, USA Minor Outlying Islands | That's what I would do. Might have to spend time bouncing between step 2 and 3, until you get the string height just right. |
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Joined:
May 2004
Posts: 2850
Location: Midland, MI | Well, tonight is the night to Flitz and finish the bridge assy. I'm hoping to have it strung up tonight, but I don't know how long the setup is going to take...hopefully not *too* long. Thanks to everyone for your help along the way. I'll put some pics up in the gallery...
Edited to corect a speling eror. |
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Joined:
May 2004
Posts: 2850
Location: Midland, MI | And now I have another question for Viper owners...I put my bridge back together, but the saddles don't want to sit flat on the bridge. I thought maybe they'd settle down once I got it strung up...no such luck. And I notice that the gap between D and G (in the very middle) is wider over the saddles than it is over the nut...the spacing between strings is, of course, fairly consistent at the nut, and betwee 1-2, 2-3, 4-5, 5-6, but between 3-4 it's wider.
I put the saddles back in the way I took them out. I'll attempt some ASCII art:
/ /neck that way
/ /
[] [] [ ] [ ] [] [] <--- saddles
| | | | | | \___ saddle screws
| | | | | | /
end pin here
The widest two saddles in the middle, the taller of the narrow saddles next, the shorter of the narrow saddles on the outside.
Is this right? Why would the distance between 3-4 strings be so much greater at the bridge than the nut...unless something is amiss in my rebuild. I am not happy. |
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Joined:
January 2003
Posts: 1498
Location: San Bernardino, California | I usually do it 1,3,2,4,5,6. But no big deal.
I would lubricate the height adjustment screws before re-assembling. I use teflon gel, but anything that doesn't migrate will work. Also if you put some sponge-rubber under the back of the bridge it's less of a PITA to change strings (if you do all of them at once).
Usually before installing the strings, I set the height of the bridge so that the top of the plate is even with the top of the pickguard and eyeball the back screw for being parrallel. Most of the time that's is fairly close to the right height.
Also there should be a ground clip that goes on the parrallel screw. |
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Joined:
May 2004
Posts: 2850
Location: Midland, MI | Originally posted by BruDev:
I usually do it 1,3,2,4,5,6. But no big deal.
I would lubricate the height adjustment screws before re-assembling. I use teflon gel, but anything that doesn't migrate will work. Also if you put some sponge-rubber under the back of the bridge it's less of a PITA to change strings (if you do all of them at once).
Usually before installing the strings, I set the height of the bridge so that the top of the plate is even with the top of the pickguard and eyeball the back screw for being parrallel. Most of the time that's is fairly close to the right height.
Also there should be a ground clip that goes on the parrallel screw.
Check on the ground clip...the spring thing is nifty, noticed that when I did the tear down. :) I did the bridge height the same way you suggested. I was somewhat surprised that it didn't rotate forward much when the strings were brought up, but then again, that piece from the back isn't letting it go anywhere.
The big question is, do you mean:
1-3-2-4-5-6
as in skinny/low, fat, skinny/high, fat, skinny/high, skinny/low for the saddles? I didn't trim the strings down (they're just a set of D'Addario XLs I had laying around anyway, so they're not permanent) so I can pull them out and swap the saddles without problem. I think...
Thanks for the answers and help, though! |
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Joined:
January 2003
Posts: 1498
Location: San Bernardino, California | 1) tune to pitch
2) set relief
3) set action
4) set parralex
5) set intonation
6) repeat any and/or all steps as neccessary
Take two asprin and call me in the morning. |
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Joined:
May 2003
Posts: 4389
Location: Capital District, NY, USA Minor Outlying Islands | What I meant before was spending time setting steps 2 and 3 before moving on to the rest. It takes longer than you think to get the string height "just right". |
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Joined:
January 2003
Posts: 1498
Location: San Bernardino, California | Here's a couple of pictures of the bridge:
http://www.ovationfanclub.com/photos/BruDev_75460_viper%20bridge.jpg
http://www.ovationfanclub.com/photos/BruDev_75782_viper%20bridge%201.jpg |
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Joined:
May 2004
Posts: 2850
Location: Midland, MI | Bru, et al-
Thanks for all the help, suggestions, pictures, etc. I had a great time cleaning this thing up and getting it back together. Unfortunately, I've decided I need a Korg PXR4, and the boss lady says I have too much gear. =(
I've started bonding with the Viper, but last in, first out. It's actually really something different than any of my other gits...it'll go from a nice jazzy, mellow tone all the way to twangy telecaster, up to icepick in your ear Strat. I think it has the single most effective tone control I have ever seen/used. The suggestion to use Flitz was awesome...the frets are shiny and bright, the pickup rings are back to normal (for the most part) and the bridge is gunk-less again.
Thanks for all the help! |
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Joined:
May 2004
Posts: 2850
Location: Midland, MI | Question on original knobs: Project Viper has amber Gibson-style speed knobs (the smooth kind, not bell shaped). In all the pic's I've seen of other Vipers, they have bell style, black knobs. If I want to put mine back to 'original' (haha), would the Gibson-style, coarse knurled pot knobs fit? Were the originals just plastic ones, or did they have the metal piece in the top (with the 'tone' and 'volume' printed on them? |
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Joined:
August 2002
Posts: 8307
Location: Tennessee | Mine have the "tone" and "volume" imprinted. I assume you're using the term "metal" loosely ... it's actually plastic. ;) |
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