Staytrem XII Bridge Set Up

[rank]

This is a Staytrem XII bridge & it appears to be backwards to me. My tech set it up & said he couldn't get the action any lower but it is still really high to me.
I'm guessing this is because the bridge is backwards. The Staytrem is obviously a set radius so if I swap it back around to the correct side, will it fix the high action, thoughts?

[andy_tchp]

No, that will make little to no difference at all.

Is it flush against the body? If not (it doesn't look to be but hard to tell from the pic), just lower the height adjustment posts, this is what they're there for.

[PixMix]

I just shimmed the neck on my 12 string Danelectro. I did all I could with adjusting the bridge. It's better now, but I could have gone for a hair thicker shim.

[Lost In Autumn]

Shim the neck. That will solve the problem.

[Jorix]

the intonation screws have to face the other way.

[rank]

No, that will make little to no difference at all.

Is it flush against the body? If not (it doesn't look to be but hard to tell from the pic), just lower the height adjustment posts, this is what they're there for.

It isn't flush against the body. He had said it was as low as he could get it but I don't really enjoy playing it because the action is so high. I've thought about just throwing on a Jazzmaster neck & being done with it but I really want an twelve string to use.

[Bradley-Jazz]

That would seem a shame - looks a very cool guitar!

Could your tech not lower the bridge any more because it won't go any lower (in which case, as above, shimming the neck should easily sort it), or because it buzzes too much if they did? If the latter, the neck relief and/or levelness of the frets needs looking at.

You can easily drop the bridge (if it is not bottoming out) with an Allen key down the post holes - if you remember how many turns you give it, you can put it straight back where it was, no problem, if that doesn't help.

Oh, and I didn't know Staytrem made XII bridges - must be pretty rare!

[rank]

Oh, and I didn't know Staytrem made XII bridges - must be pretty rare!

I have no idea how many he actually made. I bought it 2nd hand. From what I remember, he only made a couple.

[cestlamort]

Do the bridge and neck radius match? If the neck is 9.5” and the bridge 7.25”, for example, the edge strings will be closer to the fretboard than the middle strings.

Did it play okay with the original bridge?

[Lost In Autumn]

if the action is too high, shim the neck.

[dinosaurkale->]

staytrem xii bridge !?
when ?
where?

want

[fortytwo]

Oh, and I didn't know Staytrem made XII bridges - must be pretty rare!

I have no idea how many he actually made. I bought it 2nd hand. From what I remember, he only made a couple.

staytrem xii bridge !?
when ?
where?

want

He custom made them in the past, I have one on a JM 12 string I have.
I might put another bridge on there, and if I do, the Staytrem one is going in the classified's ;-)

[jorri]

Im guessing he means it was buzzing so couldnt be lowered. A shim would only help when the bridge cannot be lowered due to the plate touching the body so no further travel.

What kind of height is it? Can you measure? 12 strings can be difficult because of two things: you have to push down twice as much string so its difficult to play. And #2: you have to push down two so it can cause buzz and not just against the frets but their own unison!

Ive been using an acoustic 12 and definitely feel a lower action, string guage and also to carefully space the lower strings bit wider, higher ones a bit narrower.

I dont what to accuse the specific tech of knowing nothing but there are threads of that being the case on here. Could measure action, check the neck relief, and also the amount of "acceptable buzz" is subjective no guitar can really eliminate it.

[jorri]

*also maybe measure the nut string height.

That to me makes things hardest to play and feel like action should be lowered when its bottomed out. Especially like a barre chord on a 12= ow!

[alexpigment]

Do the bridge and neck radius match? If the neck is 9.5” and the bridge 7.25”, for example, the edge strings will be closer to the fretboard than the middle strings.

Did it play okay with the original bridge?

This is my thought as well. If Staytrem made these a while back, then most likely it would have been made for vintage XII models (i.e. 7.25"), as there weren't many (any?) XII reissues a few years ago. Judging by the pic at the top, this is a custom job, and the likelihood of a 9.5" or flatter radius is somewhat likely. A vintage radius Staytrem bridge would indeed make it so the middle strings are high when the outer strings are set up correctly.