Adjusting action on a gibson wraparound

NelsonP

Do you need to take the tension off the strings before turning the bridge screws on a wraparound bridge?

Here are the factory gibson action and pickup heights btw

string height: treble side 3/64" = 1.19 mm

bass side 5/64" = 1.9843 mm

pickup height: 3/32" = 2.38125 mm on the neck pickup and 1/16" = 1.5875 mm on the bridge pickup; these heights are used for humbuckers, for P-90’s you need to keep 1-2 mm extra distance from the pickups due to more feedback issues.

Pickup Height - Measured from top of pickup to bottom of the string when string is depressed at the last fret.

guitars4you

Best to de-tune before making adjustments - seen many 'knackered' up slots on the height adjustment posts, due to tension and them feeling tight

Pick-up height is subjective - Your ear is the best judge - IMO if it is to close you get a 'nasty' distorted clank especially at the initial point of impact when the string vibration is at its greatest - Obviously to low away and you'll loose 'signal' and tonal character - Bridge pick-up is generally closer to the strings, plus a slight slant so treble side is closer than the bass side

ICBM

Yes, you must take the tension off almost completely. If you don’t you will probably chew up the posts - both the slots and the shafts where the intonation screws touch.

Don’t use a screwdriver - that will also damage the slots. The right tool is a coin! Really - they’re intentionally designed for this, if you look carefully you’ll see the bottoms of the slots are curved.

If you can’t easily turn them by hand with a coin, there’s still too much string tension on.

gringopig

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guitars4you

gringopig said:

and be wary of a Tonepros mishap! Check it isn't locked. 

valid point and you won't be the first to 'cock' this up - I did once