Well, 9s are too light. I want to get a set of elixir 10s, but I know I'll have to change the whole setup. I've never really done a great setup on a guitar before, just rough intonation/action type stuff, fiddling around till it seemed OK. I'm sure there's a proper way to go about this. I have just a few issues:
1. The bridge is held in place with springs (as are most tremelos... this one is pretty standard). The string tension will be a lot higher with all the heavier strings, so I'm assuming I'll have to either add springs (the guitar isn't in front of me, I believe it has 3 springs at the moment but has tabs for 5) or twist the existing ones so they're tighter. How is this usually done?
2. What about blocking off the trem? I NEVER use it (well ok, occasionally when I'm playing in my drunk joke band Sajak's Super-Sonic Soul Force Symphony and rocking out in a metal solo i'll grab the bridge without the whammy bar on it and flop around to drop pitch... but I'm prepared to lose that ability ;) ). Soo... how is that done right? I once jigged a tremelo on a cheap guitar to be "locked" but that involved using a bolt and cap nut that I could put between the metal and the wood of the guitar and expand until the bridge stopped moving, but that made the top part of the bridge permanently angled.
3. And how about individual string height? Should I just try to get the arc of the strings to somewhat match the radius of the fretboard? I'm guessing this is more of a personal preference kind of thing.
I'll get the overall height of the bridge as low as possible with minimal string buzz and I don't plan on messing with the truss rod.
Any other tips would be great.
Thanks in advance!