How do I adjust this bridge?

[shihan]

I’m not great on guitar set up, but can do some basic stuff. I’m used to Gibson style TOM bridges; turn the wheel one way, it goes up, turn it the other way, it goes down. This Guild TOM style (on a NS X-175) has the thumb wheels and 2 sets of set screws.
I’d be grateful of a quick explanation of what to do to adjust this.

 

[GAD]

The set screws on the side keep it from moving. The screw on the top is the same piece as the wheel.

 

[shihan]

Thanks, I know it’s simple, but I’ve broken simple looking things before...

 

[davismanLV]

I still don't understand. I wish there was a diagram. I don't see a screw on top. Just on the sides. There must be a diagram.....

 

[GAD]

I still don't understand. I wish there was a diagram. I don't see a screw on top. Just on the sides. There must be a diagram.....

I'm too tired to draw a diagram. The "screw" I referred to is a hex socket on the shaft that is the center of the thumbwheels You can see it peeking up in the hole on the right side.

 

[davismanLV]

And that adjusts the height?

 

[SFIV1967]

And that adjusts the height?

Yes Tom, specifically the action of the guitar.

EDITED based on posts '13 and #14 below:

The stud (3) with the internal Allen head is screwed into the Rosewood base of the bridge. Hence you don't adjust anything on it other than to make sure it is screwed all the way in and not loose.

By turning the thumbwheel (2) on the now fixed stud (3) you adjust the action of the guitar, means the height of the bridge.

The small lateral locking screw (1) keeps the bridge connected to the thumbwheel assembly and somehow locks the thumbwheel in place. So before turning (2) you have to loosen (1) and after you found the perfect action you tighten that little locking screw (1) again. That way also the thumbwheel is somehow locked in place.

Ralf

 

[davismanLV]

Golly, thanks Ralf!!! And then I'm gonna guess that the adjustment screw under the lowest string there is how you adjust intonation, moving the breakover forward or back?? This is all new territory to me...... I'm grateful for the lesson!!!

 

[SFIV1967]

And then I'm gonna guess that the adjustment screw under the lowest string there is how you adjust intonation, moving the breakover forward or back??

That is correct. In the case of the Newark St. guitars the rosewood base of the bridge is fixed to the top with two little invisible pins, so adjusting intonation with the individual bridge pieces of that Tune-O-Matic (or TOM) bridge is the way to go. On "normal" archtop guitars the rosewood bridge base is sitting lose on the top (just kept in place by the downward force of the strings), so when you have a rosewood or ebony saddle you can only adjust intonation by moving the base a little bit forward or backward.

Something to read here: https://www.thomann.de/blog/en/tune-o-matic-the-lord-of-guitar-bridges/

Ralf

 

[davismanLV]

When Don got that D'Angelico archtop with the rosewood bridge we spent hours trying to set the intonation of that thing with the use of every video we could get our hands on. Could never make it sound right and he ended up returning it. It may have been a lost cause, but we should have taken it to someone for the first time and maybe gotten a lesson in person. It certainly isn't a difficult concept, and we understood what we were trying to do, but just couldn't make it sound right. Thanks for the link!!

 

[GAD]

Yay Ralf for making a diagram!

Tom, as I like to say, "It's easy when you know how." The problem in life is that everyone expects you to know how!

 

[Nuuska]

"It's easy when you know how."

Columbus egg ?

 

[shihan]

Yes Tom, specifically the action of the guitar. My understanding is that the thumbwheel (2) and the hex head stud (3) are hard connected together, so you can either use your hands to turn the thumbwheel (2) or a larger Allen wrench turning the hex head of the stud (3).
Now the small lateral locking screw (1) simply keeps the bridge connected to the thumbwheel assembly and avoids accidently changing the action while playing. So before turning (2) or (3) you have to loosen (1). If (1) is set tight you can't turn (2) or (3) unless using force...

Ralf

Hmmm... on this bridge, the thumb wheels are independent of the set screws on top. That’s what I don’t get; it seems redundant. I don’t see how they act in concert, unless the set screws raise/lower the bridge and the thumb wheels act as a lock once the hight is set, but that’s what the other set of set screws do.
Turning the top set screws seems to just move the screw up and down within the bridge without changing the height.
Turning the thumb wheels doesn’t do anything once they tighten up under the bridge.

 

[Nuuska]

So the top set screw goes through the hole in top-portion of bridge into lower-portion thread, where it is secured. Thus it should be left all way in.

But to adjust height of the bridge - you first loosen the sidescrew by one turn - to allow the top part of the bridge to move - then adjust with thumbwheels - and finally lock the top-piece onto the shaft/peg.

 

[SFIV1967]

Hmmm... on this bridge, the thumb wheels are independent of the set screws on top.

Ah! Well, that is how they are normally, I got confused by the internal Allen head and forgot that the stud has to be screwed into the Rosewood base. So Nuuska had the solution!

So the top set screw goes through the hole in top-portion of bridge into lower-portion thread, where it is secured. Thus it should be left all way in.
But to adjust height of the bridge - you first loosen the sidescrew by one turn - to allow the top part of the bridge to move - then adjust with thumbwheels - and finally lock the top-piece onto the shaft/peg.

Bingo! Thanks for solving this! I edited my post #7 accordingly and added two little pictures.

Ralf

 

[shihan]

Thanks, guys for taking the time to puzzle this out. This guitar is set up OK, but I think it can be an excellent player with a few adjustments.
Ive had this NS X-175 for a while now; I continue to be impressed. A lot of guitar for the money.