RS335 with a Quan 'Badass' - need som...

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Author Message   Stankfloyd Username: Stankfloyd Registered: 04-2006 Posted on Friday, April 14, 2006 - 1:48 pm:    Hey all, I'm new but I've been checking out your board for a while now. Great info. I bought a black Roadstar 335 ($185+shipping) and from the pictures never noticed that the bridge was not the Hard Rocker tremelo. When it arrived I was quick to discover that the bridge is in fact a Leo Quan 'Badass' with fine tuners. It seems to work fine. However when in tune and tension on the strings it is pulled up, and sits at about a 10 degree angle because the bridge is not snug in the mounting bolts. Is this normal? Should I put some shims in or get new mounting bolts? OR would the best option be to just forget the Badass and swap it for the original Rocker trem? I have no experience with the Leo Quan bridge so I'd really appreciate some feedback. I'll throw some pics online later today.   Stankfloyd Username: Stankfloyd Registered: 04-2006 Posted on Friday, April 14, 2006 - 3:02 pm:    I decided to adjust the bridge so see if moving it closer to the bridge pickup would make a diff. and found out that one of the screws was broken. The inside threading is pretty beat up, completely stripped in one area. I'm going to buy a new bridge. The guitar has been fitted for a wrap-around, would it be in my best interest to stay with this style or is it possible to go backwards and install a Hard Rocker?   Ibanezfreak1960 Username: Ibanezfreak1960 Registered: 03-2004 Posted on Friday, April 14, 2006 - 10:48 pm:    Stank can you post soem pics of the badass?   Stankfloyd Username: Stankfloyd Registered: 04-2006 Posted on Saturday, April 15, 2006 - 1:35 am:    I'll take some right now - hopefully I can find a free image host. I wish I had taken some prior to busting the screw.. I'll do a little mock up to give you an idea of what I mean but the bridge sitting funny when everything is setup and tuned. I contacted Dave here at ICW (he has two HardRockers left) - would it be in my best interest (tone/sound) to switch back? Buying another used Leo Quan would be about $50 cheaper..   Stankfloyd Username: Stankfloyd Registered: 04-2006 Posted on Saturday, April 15, 2006 - 2:46 am:    Here are the links} - wasn't quite sure how to just post the pics. Not familiar with this board. http://img133.imageshack.us/img133/5224/00010yy.jpg http://img85.imageshack.us/img85/723/00025aq.jpg http://img85.imageshack.us/img85/4726/00032tb.jpg http://img133.imageshack.us/img133/2489/00046lp.jpg http://img85.imageshack.us/img85/3851/00057qu.jpg   Stankfloyd Username: Stankfloyd Registered: 04-2006 Posted on Saturday, April 15, 2006 - 3:03 am:    if you open the last two links, resize the windows and put them side by side, you can see what I mean by the bridge sitting with a tilt. I would not care about this if I were to use the bridge as a wrap around, but with the fine tuners the strings anchor almost level with the saddles. I couldn't get the tuners to stay on the bridge - the one "good" screw won't go back in because the threading on both the bridge and screw is beat to hell. You'll have to envision that part - it extends straight back from the bridge. The finish is chipping away around the stud bushings, but there is no damage to the wood. So if there was any modifcation it was only to enlarge the holes so the Badass bushings would fit. Which may have caused the chipped finish.   Ibanezfreak1960 Username: Ibanezfreak1960 Registered: 03-2004 Posted on Saturday, April 15, 2006 - 2:31 pm:    stank it looks like the fine tuners are an add on to the badass. I may be wrong here but is the chrome piece with the saddle eqipped with holes to string it as a wrap around bridge?   Stankfloyd Username: Stankfloyd Registered: 04-2006 Posted on Saturday, April 15, 2006 - 3:27 pm:    Yes, you're absolutely right. But the wraparound bridge is the problem, not the fine tuners. There is one broken screw seized in the bridge, the other screw's hole - in the bridge - is stripped of its threading. You can not mount the bridge onto the studs properly, and you can not mount the fine tuners onto the bridge. Which leaves me with one option and that is to replace the bridge. My question is should I simply replace the Badass-style bridge, or can I put a Hardrocker tremolo back on and would the Hardrocker even be worth it? Another option would be to sell the Fine Tuners, and buy a Wilkinson wraparound - but I kind of like the fine tuners.   Ibanezfreak1960 Username: Ibanezfreak1960 Registered: 03-2004 Posted on Saturday, April 15, 2006 - 5:48 pm:    It looks like the broken screw is far enough through to thread it out the other side.   Ibanezfreak1960 Username: Ibanezfreak1960 Registered: 03-2004 Posted on Saturday, April 15, 2006 - 5:49 pm:    Then you can get a new one at a hardware shop.   Stankfloyd Username: Stankfloyd Registered: 04-2006 Posted on Saturday, April 15, 2006 - 8:26 pm:    You don't understand. It is seized in place. It ain't coming out - it snapped the 3 times I tired to unscrew it (screwdriver and vicegrips). The screw is weak, must be made of crap like zinc and not steel. I'm just going to sell the fine tuners and buy a Schaller 456 bridge. Unless someone here thinks putting a Hardrocker back on would be a better idea.   Ibanezfreak1960 Username: Ibanezfreak1960 Registered: 03-2004 Posted on Saturday, April 15, 2006 - 11:47 pm:    There is always drill and retap!   Dave_g Username: Dave_g Registered: 01-2002 Posted on Sunday, April 16, 2006 - 12:07 am:    Liquid wrench penetrating oil ?   Stankfloyd Username: Stankfloyd Registered: 04-2006 Posted on Sunday, April 16, 2006 - 1:54 am:    I gave some thought to redrilling it, but truth be told the saddles should all be replaced - they were never groved properly to begin with (some with 2 grooves), and the B string's saddle adjustment screw has its head busted off. It's in pretty rough shape. I do not have the equipment to drill out the screw and rethread both holes. I'd have to get some replacement parts - buying the new parts and having someone service the bridge would probably cost me as much or close to buying a new bridge altogether. There are a couple at good prices on eBay that I have my eye on - both in never-used condition. But, that is good advice Ibanezfreak and Dave. I do appreciate it. Both of the bridges I'm looking at come with their own set of studs & bushings so that might also solve the rocking bridge issue as well. Dave: on the Hardrocker itself, are the center of the mounting holes 82mm (or 8.2cm) apart by any chance? You can eye-ball it no problem if you have a metric ruler handy. If it is then the Hardrocker uses the same stud position as all replacement wraparound bridges designed for Gibson SG, Jr and Melody Makers. That should mean 83 Roadstars can use those bridges as well - without any modification to the guitar body. If you can find out, that would answer the question I asked in an ealier email, and might help someone else searching for that info down the road. Thanks for the help guys. Finally having a roadstar and not being able to play it is painful!

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