Aristides Guitars

[Alberto7]

Do you guys have any experience doing a full set up on your H/08 hardtails?

It kind of frustrates me that Aristides has all of these proprietary guitars without their official guide to care and set up featured on their site.
Regardless, though, I think I need to dial my H/08 in to bring it back to being as good as it can be. That will include action and intonation adjustments.
Any tips or procedural instructions on doing that would be much appreciated!

I speak partially out of ignorance since I have never owned an Aristides nor have I played one of their headless models, but shouldn't it be the same as any other guitar? The basic design isn't any different from a traditional guitar. If you're looking at headless hardware specific questions, it doesn't look very different at all from the hardware in, say, a strandberg or a headless Kiesel, or something similar.

 

[ikarus]

Do you guys have any experience doing a full set up on your H/08 hardtails?

It kind of frustrates me that Aristides has all of these proprietary guitars without their official guide to care and set up featured on their site.
Regardless, though, I think I need to dial my H/08 in to bring it back to being as good as it can be. That will include action and intonation adjustments.
Any tips or procedural instructions on doing that would be much appreciated!

If you need an official setup guide, you better bring the guitar to a tech.

 

[jephjacques]

I speak partially out of ignorance since I have never owned an Aristides nor have I played one of their headless models, but shouldn't it be the same as any other guitar? The basic design isn't any different from a traditional guitar. If you're looking at headless hardware specific questions, it doesn't look very different at all from the hardware in, say, a strandberg or a headless Kiesel, or something similar.

the headless tuning machines are more complicated than adjusting your standard bridge, but it's still not crazy difficult if you're patient. Personally I'd rather just take it to a tech if I didn't feel comfortable doing it.

 

[SalsaWood]

IIRC they offer the 8 string with a bridge that sets the action height by rotating the saddle and the intonation by sliding the saddle. It's not very intuitive, but pretty straightforward.

 

[nightsprinter]

IIRC they offer the 8 string with a bridge that sets the action height by rotating the saddle and the intonation by sliding the saddle. It's not very intuitive, but pretty straightforward.

View attachment 141665

Holy shit I want that synthwave machine

 

[jephjacques]

Yeah that's one of the few graphic finishes I've seen that I actually like. Whoever specced that out is my kind of nerd

 

[bigswifty]

If you need an official setup guide, you better bring the guitar to a tech.

I know how to set up a guitar. I'd also like to gather information before messing with proprietary hardware on a $5000 instrument.

the headless tuning machines are more complicated than adjusting your standard bridge, but it's still not crazy difficult if you're patient. Personally I'd rather just take it to a tech if I didn't feel comfortable doing it.

The small screw on the front on the saddle - facing the bridge pickup. Does that need to be loose to allow the saddle to lower or raise?

 

[Alberto7]

the headless tuning machines are more complicated than adjusting your standard bridge, but it's still not crazy difficult if you're patient. Personally I'd rather just take it to a tech if I didn't feel comfortable doing it.

They are, but the basic functioning is the same as something like a strandberg.

I know how to set up a guitar. I'd also like to gather information before messing with proprietary hardware on a $5000 instrument.



The small screw on the front on the saddle - facing the bridge pickup. Does that need to be loose to allow the saddle to lower or raise?

I do agree that for that price they should really have at least a care guide available. Pretty sure that it needs to be loose since it appears to just be the set screw that holds the saddle height adjustment screw in place so the saddle doesn't move under tension. However, full disclaimer again that I do not have actual experience with these guitars. Wait for someone with actual experience to chime in if you'd prefer, but I'm happy to help either way.

 

[ZeroS1gnol]

I know how to set up a guitar. I'd also like to gather information before messing with proprietary hardware on a $5000 instrument.



The small screw on the front on the saddle - facing the bridge pickup. Does that need to be loose to allow the saddle to lower or raise?

They are, but the basic functioning is the same as something like a strandberg.


I do agree that for that price they should really have at least a care guide available. Pretty sure that it needs to be loose since it appears to just be the set screw that holds the saddle height adjustment screw in place so the saddle doesn't move under tension. However, full disclaimer again that I do not have actual experience with these guitars. Wait for someone with actual experience to chime in if you'd prefer, but I'm happy to help either way.

I did a action adjustment on my H/08 last week. You loosen the screw that faces your bridge pickup. It does indeed lock down the saddle. The screw in the saddle, turn it to adjust height. And with saddle, I mean the moving part where the string rests on, not the entire 'tuner'. It's really simple. You need some tiny hex keys As for intonation, it's really no different than intonating a floyd.

 

[bigswifty]

I do agree that for that price they should really have at least a care guide available. Pretty sure that it needs to be loose since it appears to just be the set screw that holds the saddle height adjustment screw in place so the saddle doesn't move under tension. However, full disclaimer again that I do not have actual experience with these guitars. Wait for someone with actual experience to chime in if you'd prefer, but I'm happy to help either way.

I did a action adjustment on my H/08 last week. You loosen the screw that faces your bridge pickup. It does indeed lock down the saddle. The screw in the saddle, turn it to adjust height. And with saddle, I mean the moving part where the string rests on, not the entire 'tuner'. It's really simple. You need some tiny hex keys As for intonation, it's really no different than intonating a floyd.

Thank you, sirs. This is exactly what I was looking for. It's as I had imagined, but I wanted to confirm.
Hope the new adjustment has levelled up your instruments!

 

[Stephenar19]

While we're on the topic of adjusting the H/0 bridges/saddles, does anyone know if it's alright to adjust the floating trem posts while the guitar is strung up?

I know Floyds and edge pros can be adjusted strung, but I wasn't sure if the Hantug trems could be susceptible to damaging the knife edges that way. I've heard that some floating trems shouldn't be adjusted unless all tension is relieved off of them.

 

[MaxOfMetal]

While we're on the topic of adjusting the H/0 bridges/saddles, does anyone know if it's alright to adjust the floating trem posts while the guitar is strung up?

I know Floyds and edge pros can be adjusted strung, but I wasn't sure if the Hantug trems could be susceptible to damaging the knife edges that way. I've heard that some floating trems shouldn't be adjusted unless all tension is relieved off of them.

Nah, old wives' tale. Adjust with tension.

 

[Stephenar19]

Nah, old wives' tale. Adjust with tension.

And my life just got a little easier. Thank you sir

 

[Ben Pinkus]

^ I talked to Aristides directly on this recently, and their tech for 'best practice' would reduce tension before changing the trem posts, but said its mostly fine to do it with tension iirc

 

[AltecGreen]

Puma received his Aristides.

 

[nightsprinter]

^ I talked to Aristides directly on this recently, and their tech for 'best practice' would reduce tension before changing the trem posts, but said its mostly fine to do it with tension iirc

So a dive bomb, then?

 

[ZeroS1gnol]

So a dive bomb, then?

I know you are being funny, but the pedantic person in me can't refrain himself to comment about the tension on the spring side of the trem in a dive bomb. Really sorry about that! Carry on...

 

[profwoot]

Anyone know the angles of passive bridge and neck pickups in a H/06? Just scooped one up with bkp stormy mondays in it which are PAF-like so I assume I'll eventually swap em out.

 

[Crash Dandicoot]

^ I talked to Aristides directly on this recently, and their tech for 'best practice' would reduce tension before changing the trem posts, but said its mostly fine to do it with tension iirc

Dan Erlewine discusses this in one of his books, I believe he spoke to some senior Ibanez personnel back in the day and they exclusively adjust at tension.

Max is right - it's old wive's tale. Unless the alloy for the studs / knife edges is complete dogshit, there's no issues. I'm fairly confident uber-cheap, licensed pot metal trems from back in the day contributed to that concept's proliferation.

 

[Hollowway]

Dan Erlewine discusses this in one of his books, I believe he spoke to some senior Ibanez personnel back in the day and they exclusively adjust at tension.

Max is right - it's old wive's tale. Unless the alloy for the studs / knife edges is complete dogshit, there's no issues. I'm fairly confident uber-cheap, licensed pot metal trems from back in the day contributed to that concept's proliferation.

I just can’t figure out how people adjust the action by removing tension first. That’s gotta take all day. Unless there some sort of math that tells you how many turns is how many fractions of a mm, I’d how no idea how much to turn the screws without having to do trial and error. Which would be a LOT of returning, returning, etc. I always adjust at tension.