In this article we will demonstrate how to disassemble a JCustom S-Trem. The JCustom is very similar to the original, so these instructions will largely overlap with the original Steinberger units as well.
Lock the bridge in place
Use the lever adjacent to the master tuning knob to lock the bridge into position.
Remove the strings from the guitar
Remove the saddles from the bridge
Using a 1.5 mm hex wrench, loosen the saddle locking set screw by turning the set screw counterclockwise. Remove the saddles. There is a plastic insert that the set screw holds in by tension. This is easily lost, so be careful!
Loosen the master tuning knob
Turn the knob counterclockwise until it doesn’t turn. This releases tension on the bridge.
Remove the bridge from the guitar body
Carefully remove the six screws or bolts that hold the bridge to the body. Wooden body instruments will use wood screws, carbon fiber epoxy bodies use hex drive machine screws.
Remove the tuning rods and jaws from the bridge
Rotate the tuning knobs counterclockwise until the rod comes completely free from the bridge. Remove the jaw from the other side of the bridge. We recommend that you screw the threaded rod back into the jaw so that the parts like the friction washers don’t get lost.
Unbolt the bridge sides
These sides hold the upper block and saddles. Remove these by flipping the bridge over and removing the six machine screws with a 3 mm hex wrench.
Remove the upper (pivoting) portion of the tremolo
You can now flip the upper block of the bridge up and free it from the base.
From here, you can replace the spring, bearings, upper, or lower blocks of the bridge as needed. Re-assembly is as simple as performing these instructions in the opposite order.