Shawn Lane Signature - Tremolo setup - Help Needed

[yuri1973]

Hello,
I want to optimize my tremolo settings on my Shawn Lane Excalibur, as I believe mine hasn't the best setup at the moment (keep reading, more below)
Before making some adjustments, I'd really like other member's feedback, to be more certain I move in the right direction.
What I notice on my guitar is that:
1) Tremolo height looks very low (to the extent that I cannot insert an allen key into the "retainer bolt" to unblock the height adjustment bolt)... the pickguard blocks the way into the bolt, is this normal?
2) Saddles height look too high
As a result, the string action is just a bit higher than I wished, not too high though, but this guitar is supposed to do much better
 
So, what I'm thinking on doing is:
1) Lowering the saddle heights
2) Raising the tremolo (less amount than the lowering of the saddles, so net result is lower action)
 
Any feedback anybody?
Can anyone share some pictures showing from the side what your saddle and tremolo height is on a Shawn Lane, so I have a reference?
I can share pics of mine later this afternoon/evening when I get home.
P.S. BTW, I have the trem laying on the body (no floating, so no pull up possible, just dives).

[yuri1973]

here the pics
 
aren't those saddles too high ?
 

 
 
 
 
 

 
 regards!

[Baptiste]

 
Hy Yuri1973,
 
 
Thanks for your pictures wich shows us your actual settings for your sadles.
 
 
As we can see, your saddles are really to high. In this situation, the best way is to entrust your guitar to a specialist if you want to have the best results.
 
 
A luthier will give you the exactness required : a lot of factors are engaged to achieve the finest settings, particularly fot the Excalibur Shaun Lane due to its flat radius, if you want to recover the finest settings.
 
 
You will find on this page all the documentations for your guitar : http://www.vigier.fr/page/fiche_produit.php?id_prod=233&onglet=pdf
 
 
Best regards
Baptiste
 

[yuri1973]

Thanks a lot for your feedback Baptiste.
Nevertheless, I'm hesitant to take it to a luthier for this.
Vigier guitars aren't so common and I don't want the luthier to "learn the Vigier way" with my guitar, even if this is not a complex setting.
In other words, to do this simple setting I'm not trusting more a regular luthier than myself, I have plenty of experience setting Floyds and the like, and as I'm not in a hurry, I just would like to see how the "factory settings" look like on the Shawn Lane, to discard I'm being "too picky".
Do you have a Shawn Lane at hand you could take a photo of?
Anyone out there?

[Baptiste]

Hello Yuri,
I understand your wish about doing your settings by yourself. Nevertheless it requires precisions and experience.
To achieve the best settings on the Shaun Lane, because of its infinite radius, the action must be at the 12th fret :
--> treble = 0.7 mm (.0275")
--> bass = 1mm (.0393")
It's a combination between the height of the baseplate of your tremolo and the saddles. The tremolo is adjustable with by the tension of the springs under the body of your guitar and the pivot screws : the baseplate will be at 3mm from the guitar top. The height and position of the saddles are adjustable with the allen screws on the top (for height) and the screw behind (for tune accuracy) of each saddle for each string.
 

[yuri1973]

Thanks for the info, I make a note of those 3mm bridge-baseplate-to-body distance as a reference. It may be that it's already in that range and I may end up lowering the saddles only.
The thing that made me think twice was what I commented on my first post: that the really small bolt to unblock the tremolo height nut, it's impossible to access it due to the pickup and pickguard placement .... unless you remove the pickguard, which is something I'd like to avoid if not needed.
Thanks again, I appreciate your feedback Baptiste!

[Nénel]

Hello
This is the original setting of my Shawn Lane Signature.
 

[yuri1973]

Thanks so much for the picture Nénel !!
That's indeed a huge difference compared to mine
May I ask if you are able to access those really small allen/hex bolts on the front of the ball bearing pivots? (without having to unmount the pickguard of course) ... as far as the manual says, those small micro-bolts should be loosened prior of changing the bridge height ... they are supposed to "block" the setting once you're done with the tremolo height adjustment.
Those mini-bolts are perpendicular to the height adjustment bolts, facing the bridge humbucker.
Merci !
 

[Nénel]

Hello.
Yes, I'm able to access the small allen/hex bolts on the front of the ball bearing pivots without having to unmount the pickguard.
For this, I use the allen key (I'm not sure of the translation) you can see on this picture.

[yuri1973]

thanks for clarifying!
that means then:
1) your bolt is higher than the pickguard (not in my case at the moment ... bridge too low)
2) the shorter than usual allen wrench (1cm) allows you to place it between pickup and the black pivot piece
right?

[Nénel]

1) Right !
2) Right !
This is a picture on which you can see the tremolo with the allen wrench

[yuri1973]

Merci Beaucoup !!
 
Perfect photo, I really appreciate your help !
 
Now all is clear and I will adjust properly (to my taste) the tremolo
 
If you ever come by Madrid, beers are on me !
 

[Nénel]

Hi!
Happy to help you.
 
Bye