Explain to me the Floyd Rose

[AwakenTheSkies]

You haven't asked, but here are two questions you will eventually come across, or wonder yourself:

A) Does the bass side of the base plate need to be the same height as the treble side? Typically, lower strings need more action, so you have the choice of either: 1) Using a taller saddle there (saddles come in 3 different heights), 2) Shim those saddles, 3) Raise the bass side of the base plate. This one (#3) is one that always gets me paranoid, because if you do it TOO much, the fulcrum isn't even enough to work super well, and over time. So I usually shim.

B) Can I adjust the height of the base plate (via the stud screws) with the strings/springs at tension, or do I need to make everything slack first? There is a LOT of talk about how this will screw up the knife edges, but Floyd Rose himself (aka the company on their pages) and Rich from Ibanez Rules (who is generally my go-to for tech stuff) says it absolutely will NOT harm the knife edges to adjust your action while everything is at tension. And that's what I've done since the mid 1800s, and I've been fine.

Wow, that's good to know! I was going to apply PRS trem logic to it. Which means both sides have to be even with the body and if you adjust one of the mounting screws with the strings tuned up well then goodbye tremolo!
Good to know the Floyd Rose is a bit more tolerant...

 

[Jamiecrain]

I've never had a guitar with a Floyd Rose. Only once a friend gave his cheap Ibanez with a Floyd Rose for a setup, and I managed well enough.

I do have a lot of experience with the PRS floating trem though, I adjusted it, swapped it for another trem, etc etc

I remember the intonation being really annoying, having to detune, unscrewing the saddle, adjusting, re-screwing and then tuning up again for every change. Is it like that on every Floyd Rose? Is there a way to do it more on the go like for example on a PRS trem or a tune o matic?

And also why to Floyd Rose players talk about changing the strings one by one? That's something I've never done. And if you take off all the strings at once it will throw off the setup? Is that true? Why?
If you're using the same gauge with the same tension shouldn't the setup remain the same once you re-tune?

I saw Floyd Rose has a website, there some manual books there that explains things a bit?

Don’t overthink it. Experiment with tunings annd knobs and stuff and you’ll work it out fairly quickly.

 

[eaeolian]

I do my own Floyd setups, and this is the greatest thing ever invented:

RED BISHOP High quality original guitar and bass parts

redbishop.jp

The Key was a decent idea, but I've worn out two of them. This actually attacks the problem.

 

[mastapimp]

I do my own Floyd setups, and this is the greatest thing ever invented:

RED BISHOP High quality original guitar and bass parts

redbishop.jp

The Key was a decent idea, but I've worn out two of them. This actually attacks the problem.

Yeah, I've found "the key" to just be okay and am probably going to buy one of these red bishop tools. Have you ever tried the orange "Skyscraper" tool?

 

[odibrom]

I used the "The Key" tools for a lot of years until Ibanez released their own tool, which I then bought and forgot the first ones. The "The Key" works ok-ish, but the thumb wheel/screw grip is awful and anoying.

The Red Bishop tool is just like the Ibanez's, but there are more variants for different Floyds.

 

[eaeolian]

Yeah, I've found "the key" to just be okay and am probably going to buy one of these red bishop tools. Have you ever tried the orange "Skyscraper" tool?

I have them both thanks to a shipping screw up. The Red Bishop is a superior product.

 

[eaeolian]

I used the "The Key" tools for a lot of years until Ibanez released their own tool, which I then bought and forgot the first ones. The "The Key" works ok-ish, but the thumb wheel/screw grip is awful and anoying.

The Red Bishop tool is just like the Ibanez's, but there are more variants for different Floyds.

The Red Bishop basically works with every Floyd variant because the fine tuner grip has variable geometry. The new Floyds with machined saddles definitely need the right angle because the clamp blocks aren't as far away from the saddle edge so the grip on the saddle is lessened at the wrong angle.

 

[SJShinn]

I do my own Floyd setups, and this is the greatest thing ever invented:

RED BISHOP High quality original guitar and bass parts

redbishop.jp

The Key was a decent idea, but I've worn out two of them. This actually attacks the problem.

Ohhhhh, it works with the Gotoh style angled fine tuners too. Gonna have to pick me up one. I only have one Floyd equipped guitar, but I rarely play it because I hate messing with them. This with help with that annoyance. Kick-ass.

 

[ctgblue]

One note, since most people with floyds aren't playing fancy open jazz chords clean, if you get them intonated with each other, you can fine tune flat or sharp with the back tension spring. It will change the angle of the baseplate slightly, but not enough to make a difference in playing. It will be in tune and fine with open chords and ringing bass strings.

I also load the strings through the tuning pegs cut end first and let the ball end rest against the peg, why cut both ends, it facilitates faster changes and you're clamping between anyway. I've been doing this for the 30 years I've had floyds, and my 'go to' 28 year old Jackson is still just fine. never had a ball end break at the peg, through scores of gigs.

I tune with the thumb screws a good full turn from the top, then clamp, they will go slightly sharp, but there's plenty of turn to loosen them. Then you have enough 'sharp tuning' left until pretty much it's time to change strings.

 

[ctgblue]

View attachment 144962

How does this work for you.
I have one and it will not work on the licensed Floyds I use for builds. Have not tried it on the specials yet, working on one now.

 

[ctgblue]

......

 

[odibrom]

How does this work for you.
I have one and it will not work on the licensed Floyds I use for builds. Have not tried it on the specials yet, working on one now.

There are 3 different variants on "The Key" tool, for the different variants of FRs. When I bought mine 20+ years ago, the package came with all 3, but now I think they're sold separately...


The bottom one is for the Ibanez LoPro Edge (doesn't seem to work with the EdgePro, it doesn't hook on the string lock screw as it does on the LoPro Edge), the top ones are for the OFR and Ibanez Original Edge, but I'm not sure which is for which.

These work fine in concept, but their thumb screw has no grip whatsoever and small diameter, which make these hard and annoying to use. The Ibanez and the Red Bishop intonation tools are WAY better.

(...)

1 - I also load the strings through the tuning pegs cut end first and let the ball end rest against the peg, why cut both ends, it facilitates faster changes and you're clamping between anyway. I've been doing this for the 30 years I've had floyds, and my 'go to' 28 year old Jackson is still just fine. never had a ball end break at the peg, through scores of gigs.

2 - I tune with the thumb screws a good full turn from the top, then clamp, they will go slightly sharp, but there's plenty of turn to loosen them. Then you have enough 'sharp tuning' left until pretty much it's time to change strings.

1 - I do this as well as long as I remember stringing my S540 way back in 1995.

2 - If there is a string bar behind the locking nut, one should lower it as much as possible, so the strings sit comfortably along whole the locking nut surface. There's also a slightly vertical twist of the locking pad when locking the down the strings at the nut, causing some strings to go slightly sharp or flat.

 

[wheresthefbomb]

it goes BWEEEEEOOOOWWWWOWOWOWOWOWOWOWOWWEEEEEEE

any other questions feel free to PM Me

 

[torchlord]

I do my own Floyd setups, and this is the greatest thing ever invented:

RED BISHOP High quality original guitar and bass parts

redbishop.jp

The Key was a decent idea, but I've worn out two of them. This actually attacks the problem.

I have the earlier saddle lock mentioned as well, and it slips out all the time so I also bought a Red Bishop for this task, and it is much better.

With regards to finding the floating point (this is not for blocking and changing the strings), get the multi stepped blocks from Skyscraper.com.

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[Captain Shoggoth]

If you want a good trem for dives and stuff but without headaches get an Ibanez with ZPS. It uses a counter tension spring system that you can dial in with a thumb wheel instead of fingerbanging your guitar with a screwdriver for 20 minutes just to dial in string tension at the claw. The tradeoff is the bar isn't as sensitive as a free floating Floyd.

IMO the Schaller Sure claw is a more elegant solution to this problem, is retrofittable to any floating system & has no bearing on the feel of the bar in use - only tradeoff is you're capped at 3 springs but I only use 2 anyway. I have them on all of my guitars with Floyds and wouldn't tour without one at this point.

 

[Neon_Knight_]

I've always done string changes on trems one-at-a-time, but it's mostly because I don't feel like fighting it. I don't see a problem with that method.

It makes guitar maintenance a PITA (cleaning / oiling the fretboard, polishing frets etc.).

 

[Neon_Knight_]

I only play Ibanez guitars, so not OFR. I use the Ibanez 'EJK1000' intonation tool for Edge, Lo-Pro Edge & Edge Pro, but the Edge Zero (not Edge Zero II) and ZR bridges come with an extremely convenient inbuilt intonation tool. I also prefer the 'collar' that the Edge Zero & ZR have for the tremolo arm, rather than silly plastic bushings.

 

[MaxOfMetal]

Trem setup and maintenance is usually a pretty reliable bellwether on how appropriate working on guitars is, in any fashion, for the given individual.

 

[eaeolian]

Trem setup and maintenance is usually a pretty reliable bellwether on how appropriate working on guitars is, in any fashion, for the given individual.

This. It's finicky and varies from instrument to instrument, just like actual repairs.

 

[TedEH]

It makes guitar maintenance a PITA (cleaning / oiling the fretboard, polishing frets etc.).

Wait, y'all clean your guitars? But you're removing all that fine seasoning. Contrary to popular belief, toan comes from the residual hand grime.