I got my AVRI 57 yesterday. I put .09 gauge strings on it. It felt like maybe it had .10's on it. The guitar is brand new in case that makes a difference. But anyways I put .09"s on it and now the back of the bridge is almost touching the body. There's no room for pulling up on the tremelo bar. Should I take a spring out of the back? Does it hurt anything to use just two springs? There is three on it and it came with two extra ones.

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"Damn Right I Got the Blues"

With a floating trem changing from .010s to .009s will require a good set-up. Instead of just removing a spring I would suggest adjusting the claw to get the trem to float again unless you want the trem to be really soft feeling. You might also need a truss rod adjstment to get the action where you want.

+1

According to several luthiers I've spoken with (including my own) a precision set-up's viability is contingent upon continuous use of the specific gauge of string, even a specific brand, as requested by the client when the set-up is initially performed. This is especially critical with a trem-equipped Strat -- whether a 2-point, six-screw vintage, Kahler, Floyd, or System One type. Thus, I never change gauge or brand once my guitars leave my luthier's shop.

HTH

Arjay

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"Here's why reliability is job one: A great sounding amp that breaks down goes from being a favorite piece of gear to a useless piece of crap in less time than it takes to read this sentence." -- BRUCE ZINKY

Hi. Only use 10s on a vintage strat otherwise it will sound like a banjo.Set the claw so the bass side is a good half an inch slacker than the treble side,use 4 springs. set up so you can get a credit card under the block to allow a little upward movement then fine tune to taste. It works perfect for me. "he was a drinking man with a guitar problem" Cheers!

If you like the sound and feel of the 9's, keep them on there, but simply loosen the claw plate screws (the plate the trem springs attach to) until your bridge goes back to the proper height. Do not remove a spring, because then you will have to really crank the claw plate screws in, and with 2 springs, your trem action will be VERY loose feeling and flimsy, not to mention that 2 springs will do nothing to keep the guitar from pulling WAY out of tune on the other strings when bending notes.

Wo

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"Damn Right I Got the Blues"