I changed the strings on my Jackson Dinky JS11. Normally I use light gauge, but this time I went with medium. After tuning it and noticing the difference in thickness, the bridge is on a sharp angle, and the whammy bar couldn't even swivel past the volume knob.
I tried loosening the two bridge screws which helped a bit and raised it to be less sharp of an angle, but it also raised the action considerably. At least the whammy bar can swivel freely. But the amount I can "wham" seems less than before, too. (Pictures are after this adjustment)
Is there a way to get the back end of the bridge downward so it is more "even"? That would reduce some of the action and give me more whammy room?
I'd recommend going back to the previous gauge or getting it set up at a shop then. I don't feel comfortable recommending you cranking on the string retainer screws any more if you're not comfortable with it.
I've tightened them to the point they're practically flush so I can't go further. And yeah, tight springs are scary to begin with.