All you ever wanted to know about the Floyd Rose.

[Prages]

There seem to be a whole lot of people who think you have to have a degree in rocket science to figure out a Floyd Rose tremolo system. I say if you can understand the principles behind a Strat tremolo, then you can understand a Floyd Rose and see the benefits it offers over a traditional tremolo.

I'm going to try my best to guide you through the setup of a floating Floyd Rose tremolo. I've never been a teacher, so I may not be good at explaining things, but I'll give it a shot.

I started by completely disassembing the licensed Floyd Rose on my Fernandes Revolver Pro. Yeah, this might look a little intimidating, but I bet a Strat tremolo would look almost the same.

The only tools it took to disassemble were the phillips screwdriver and 2 hex wrenches shown.

From left to right you have:

Locking nut housing
Locking nut blocks and bolts
Brass tremolo block
Spring for the fine tuners
Spacer and pivots
Baseplate and bar collar
Saddles
Saddle blocks and locking bolts

Not pictured are the springs and the spring claw. I'll get to those later.

Now, to reassemble, first you have to determine which way the block should be installed. Many people probably don't realize that the block has to go a certain direction. The holes for the springs are angled. Even though you can screw it on facing either direction, if you get it backward, the springs will pop out every time you move the tremolo. That's if you can get them to stay put to begin with.

I've stuck a small hex wrench into one of the spring holes to show the angle.

This is the baseplate. You'll soon see what each of the holes is for. I didn't take the fine tuners off because they have a divot pounded into the bottom of the threads so you won't accidentally back them out too far and lose them. You can get them off, but unless it is stripped, it's best to just leave them alone.

So, from the bottom up, you want the brass block, the spacer, the fine tuner spring, and the baseplate.

Make sure you have the block facing in the right direction. The holes should angle out toward the back of the tremolo.

Next, we'll attach the bar collar. This is a screw in arm type. Some Floyds have different type of bar attachments, but they all mount to the block basically the same.

For this type of attachment, you want the nylon bushings to be touching the baseplate.

You can tighten this up as much or as little as you want. If you like your bar to stay put when you let go of it, then hand tighten it pretty tight. If you like your bar to dangle when not in use, hand tighten it just enough to feel a tiny bit of resistance. You can also leave it loose enough that the bar will have a little bit of play in it, so you can grab the bar and continue to pick notes without affecting the pitch. I generally like to put mine just loose enough that it'll drop out of my way when not in use. Not lose enough to have a lot of play in the bar.

Now that the block, spacer, fine tuner spring, and bar collar are attached to the baseplate, you can move on to attaching the saddles.

Floyd Rose saddles are not height adjustable. Instead, each saddle is a specific thickness to match the radius of the fretboard. You can determine which order the saddles go in by looking at the bottom (or you can lay them on a flat surface and actually compare the height of each saddle. The taller saddles should go in the middle and they should get progressively smaller as you move out toward the E strings.

Here you can see the markings on the bottoms of the saddles.

The ones labelled A3 are the tallest, and should go on the D and G strings. A2 goes on the B and A strings, and A1 goes on the E strings. Some Floyds have different markings. I think OFRs and Schallers both use Roman numerals, but the same principal applies. If you're unsure, just lay them on a flat surface and compare the heights and put them in the appropriate place.

The saddles are held to the baseplate with small hex bolts. The baseplate has 3 threaded holes for each saddle. These three holes give you a pretty wide range of intonation adjustment. You can usually use the middle hole for all strings, but many times you'll have to use the rear hole for the G string and possibly the front hole for the high E string. We'll get to that when we set the intonation. For now, I'm just putting all the saddles except the G string in the middle hole.

Continue installing the saddles. Once they are all on, then you can run the long locking bolts between the fine tuner screws (still attached to the baseplate) and the fine tuner spring. These bolts screw into a threaded hole on the back of each saddle.

These are the bolts and lock blocks.

Once you get the bolts started in the threads, you can drop the lock blocks into place.

The lock blocks are just tiny little steel blocks. They have a hole bored into them so the bolts will fit into them and secure them.

Install them so the hole is facing the back of the tremolo, and is toward the bottom of the hole.

Once you've installed all the lock blocks, you can hand tighten the locking bolts so the blocks won't fall out.

Now your Floyd Rose is reassembled.

Next, I'll get into mounting the Floyd back on the guitar, installing the springs, setting the bridge height, levelling the tremolo, tuning, and intonating the strings.

 

[Prages]

Now we need to put this thing back on the guitar. It's held onto the guitar by three things.

1. The pivot posts
2. The springs
3. The strings

First, we'll talk about the pivot posts. They determine the height of the bridge, and as such, your action.

Most Floyds have machine screw posts that screw into bushings that are pressed into the body. Some have posts that are nothing more than wood screws. The wood screw type had a tendency to strip and waller out the holes in the body, so most companies have gone to the bushing/machine screw type, like this Fernandes.

Once you screw in both posts to roughly the same height, you can sit the bridge on the posts, then holding the bridge with one hand, flip the guitar upside down. Now you'll see the spring cavity and spring claw.

Notice the wire running to the claw? That's your ground wire. Don't remove that.

Now, here's where it gets tricky...and this isn't just a Floyd Rose problem...it's the same with all floating tremolo systems. You have to keep the bridge in place while you stretch the springs from the bridge to the claw. I usually do it with my bare hands, but it can be tough. If you back the screws holding the claw out until they are almost out of the wood, you won't have to stretch the springs as far. Sometimes you still need more help though. You can buy a string stretcher, which is a screwdriver-like device with a hook on the end. I don't have one though.

So, get your springs on there however you can.

I've gone with three springs. This will give the bridge a little stiffer feel, but since I'm using 10 gauge strings, I might not be able to get it set up correctly with only 2 springs. I always run my springs in a V pattern if using 2 springs, and then put one down the center if using 3. You can play around with spring placement to get the exact feel you want.

After the springs are installed, you can start putting the strings on. I start with the low E string. I also typically run the strings backward, so the ball is at the tuner. You have to cut the strings to length anyway. You can do it either way though.

Now loosen the locking bolt enough so the lock block is loose, then stick the string between the front of the hole in the saddle and the lock block, and tighten the bolt.

I usually do both E strings first, then eyeball the string height for those strings. If the action is too high, you can adjust it by tightening the pivot posts. If the action is too low, loosen the pivot posts. You don't want to do this with all 6 strings tuned to pitch because it will flatten out the edges where the baseplate meets the pivot posts and you'll ever stay in tune.

Once the string height looks and feels right, go ahead and install the other strings. You don't need to worry about tuning them at this point. Just get them on and locked down at the bridge with a winding or two around the tuner.

 

[JModius1972]

I'm diggin' this. 'Specially the assemblage at the beginning. Now I want a floyd. Is it tough to retro-fit one to a Strat?

 

[Prages]

Now that you've got all the strings on, it's time to level the bridge.

Many people have cursed Floyd Rose specifically during this step, but the process is the same no matter what kind of floating bridge you're using. And it doesn't have to be that hard.

What you want to do is temporarily block the bridge so that the base plate sits parallel to the strings. You can block it with anything you have handy. You can block it from the trem cavity, you can block it from the top. Just make sure if you block it from the top that what you use to block it won't marr the finish of the guitar. I had a rubber backing from an effect pedal laying in front of me, so I doubled it over and used that to block it from the top.

Once the block is in place, turn the guitar over and tighten the screws holding the claw. You probably don't have to tighten them all the way, but crank them in so that there's a good amount of pressure on the springs.

Adjust the fine tuners until they are at about the middle of their range. Now tune the guitar to pitch. If the baseplate raises up off of your block, tighten the claw some more until it goes back down to level. You want to be able to get the guitar in tune without the bridge raising up off of the block.

In this pic, I've got the guitar in tune, and the bridge has raised slightly in the back. This is because I didn't tighten the claw quite enough. Not the end of the world. Just tighten the claw a little more and retune. If the bridge doesn't raise in the back this time, then go ahead and remove the block.

Now your bridge may drop drop down in the back. If it does, simply loosen the claw until the bridge is level again. At this point, you should be fairly close to being in tune. You probably won't be perfectly in tune, but you'll be really close. Go ahead and tune the guitar as well as you can after you've removed the block and reset the baseplate to level. You may have to go through the tuning a few times to keep it in tune because as you raise the tension of one string, the bridge will tip forward slightly and lower the tension of the other strings. It shouldn't be too far off though, and you should have all the strings in tune within a couple of passes.

Once it's all in tune, it's time to set the intonation.

You'll need a really accurate tuner. Get the open string perfectly in tune. Now fret the string at the 12th fret. If the 12th fret is sharp, the string is too short, so you need to move the saddle back. Unfortunately, the only easy way to do this with a Floyd Rose is to buy 'The Key' from someplace like Stew-Mac.

http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Tools/Special_tools_for:_Bridges/The_Key.html

I don't have one of these either. What I have to do is detune the string, loosen the intonation screw, and move the saddle back with my finger, holding it in place while I tighten the bolt.

It takes a little trial and error, but you'll get it eventually. Do that for all six strings.

Here's what the saddles look like after I've intonated them.

The final step is to lock the nut. Since I took the nut off the guitar, I first have to install it with the two wood screws that hold it on. I just realized that I did the reinstall of the nut a few steps back, so the strings aren't on in the pics.

Once the nut is reinstalled, put the locks on it and tighten them hand tight, then use a hex wrench to tighten them another 1/8 turn or so. Don't overtighten anything. If you strip something out, it's a pain to fix, and it'll cost you money.

Once the nut is locked down, you can use the fine tuners on the bridge to get it perfectly in tune. The strings will probably stretch a little over the next day or two, but you can simply unlock the nut, tune with the tuners, re-lock the nut, then use the fine tuners to get the guitar perfectly in tune. Once the strings are stretched, you probably won't have to unlock the nut until the next time you change strings.

Also, once you get the Floyd set up, the next time you change strings, just change them one at a time. Change one, tune it, then move on to the next string. As long as you are using the same brand and gauge of strings, you shouldn't have to set anything up again.

 

[Prages]

I'm diggin' this. 'Specially the assemblage at the beginning. Now I want a floyd. Is it tough to retro-fit one to a Strat?

I've never done it, but the posts won't line up, and unless you want it mounted flush to the body, you'll have to do some major routing. Even with a flush mounted one, you'd have to drill new holes for the pivot posts and fill the old holes somehow.

It's probably easier to just buy a body and neck already routed for a Floyd...or better yet, buy a guitar that already has one.

 

[Mark Wein]

Brilliant! This is really good....lots of stuff I didn't know.

I haven't owned a guitar with a Floyd in over 20 years, and part of it is that it always seemed like a giant PITA to maintain...this makes it look a little easier with everything laid out like this....

 

[JModius1972]

I've never done it, but the posts won't line up, and unless you want it mounted flush to the body, you'll have to do some major routing. Even with a flush mounted one, you'd have to drill new holes for the pivot posts and fill the old holes somehow.

It's probably easier to just buy a body and neck already routed for a Floyd...or better yet, buy a guitar that already has one.

This is my dilemma...the wife would probably shoot me if I added another. I figured I'd have to get the body routed some and there'd be the 6 holes from the strat trem. You make a good case, though. I'll have to see if I can get my hands on an inexpensive floyded Strat. I'd build one but I'm just not that handy with electronics.

 

[JModius1972]

Just cruising through Warmoth thinking about building a Strat with a Floyd and I found this neck. Specs look like something that would really interest me but man they had to ruin it with abalone.

http://www.warmoth.com/Showcase/ShowcaseNeck.aspx?Body=1&Path=Neck&nWood=1&fWood=1&nOrientation=1&backCont=13&i=SN6514

 

[Help!I'maRock!]

excellent tutorial, Prages. the only thing i have to add is that when restringing, i take the cardboard D'Addario pack and use that to block off the floyd from falling in. doesn't take much, and they're free with every set of strings.

 

[Prages]

excellent tutorial, Prages. the only thing i have to add is that when restringing, i take the cardboard D'Addario pack and use that to block off the floyd from falling in. doesn't take much, and they're free with every set of strings.

Yeah, you can do that if you're wanting to clean the fretboard so you can take all the strings off at once. I just used the rubber backing from an effet pedal to block it in the tutorial because there was one laying in front of me at the time, but anything that's about that thickness and won't mar the finish works fine.

I also realize that I may not have explained some things as well as I could have, so if anybody has any other questions or comments, post them and either me or Howie, or anybody else, can ellaborate.

 

[Prages]

I just added a line of text about tuning.

Before you start tuning, adjust the fine tuners so they are at about the middle of their range. That way you'll have plenty of room for fine tuning the string whether it's sharp or flat.

 

[FMC+]

That's very well done. Thanks for the effort and contribution.

 

[telecaster911]

The only thing that I would add is that you will want to wipe the knife edges and the pivots to remove the gunk, then lube with a little vaseline or chap stick. Clean and lube this every re-string for the best return to tune after string bending or whammy use. Also, if you break a string, it is usually at the bridge where it is clamped. Just unwind a little off of the peg and re-clamp into the saddle. Quick and dirty and can be done on a break.

 

[baimun]

Is it tough to retro-fit one to a Strat?

I've done it lots of times... it's not too bad if you have a drill press and a dremmel.

The front edge of the floyd will cover the six small holes underneath, the posts will drill out to the sides. You need to dremmel out to the treble side a few millimeters because the floyd arm is out to the side instead of into the tone block.

Retrofitting a Floyd is similar to Prage's setup. I usually take two strings and use a marker to indicate the scale from nut to saddle... then mount the highest and lowest string.

If the body is painted, then I put painters tape around the rout to keep the floyd tuner clips from scratching the paint.

With the strings pulled taught, position the trem so that the strings run properly along the edges of the neck. then mark where the two knife edge contours are. You then have to look at your pivot bolts and see how much they are out from their center, and mark two small dots where the posts will be drilled.

I usually drill the holes just a hair smaller than the grommets... so if they need to adjust one direction or the other, I can just sand a bit with a scrap of sandpaper rolled in a tube.

From there, you tap in the grommets, set up the trem like Prages showed, hook up some loose springs then check to see that everything has clearance (the springs, the arm post, the fine tuners, etc.)

Once I hear back from J-Bird, I'll likely be installing a trem in that Warmoth body I have.... I'll try to remember to take pics.

 

[baimun]

I don't remember seeing this thread.... but I'd like to add in this info that I did a long time ago regarding the differences between REAL Floyd Rose Trems and the Imports:

Back when I used to have a ton of Floyd Rose equipped guitars, I did the following post. For the Record, my favorite floyd I currently use is an ORIGINAL original floyd rose.... Pre-Fine-Tuners. I use it in conjunction with a graphite nut and schaller locking tuners. It may not hold as well as one with a lock nut, but I love the simplicity and the feel.



For your viewing and educational pleasure, may I present four assorted members of the Floyd Rose, double locking tremolo Family:

The first one is an older, original Floyd rose...

The black example is a made in Germany Schaller Floyd...

Our satin example is basically a Floyd Rose Pro from a Jackson...

and our last example is your typical "Licensed by" floyd.


Before I get into the similarities and differences, I'd like to look at a component that is often overlooked, but contributes to much of the tone and tuning stability of the better Floyd trems.

Early floyds used a knife edge wood screw, but often the holes would wear and they'd get loose. Eventually a replaceable grommet was put in that could adjust the bridge height. The earliest Floyds used very long screws with very fine threads. IMO, these are the most solid and stable.

Better versions also use the fine tuning threads, but often have smaller grommets and/or shorter pivot bolts.

Most of the import floyd copies use coarser threads which often wobble, causing a loss in sustain, inconsistancy in action, and less subtle adjustment.

Since the German made Schaller is the closest to the original, I'll compare them first.

They both have steel base plates and steel tone blocks. The original has a larger, longer tone block because it was designed to sit up above a non-recessed strat body and usually rest against it's surface. Usually a3 degree neck angle is needed for proper string action.

The schaller one has similar tone and quality, but is a bit more compact and low profile. Earlier trems had thread in or pop in arms. Most of the mid to later models have the drop-in arms with threaded collars.

The Floyd Pros were also low profile, but made some interesting changes. The saddle locking screw is directly behind the saddle instead of on the tail end of the bridge, and the fine tuners are moved further out to the end to prevent accidental bumping.

Originally the straight locking pin out the back of the saddle was pressed up and down by the fine tuner screw, tipping the saddle back for fine-tune adjustment. The Pro uses an angled arm that is beneath the main plate but requires a recessed tremolo route to allow room for the saddles to move.

With the generic "Licensed by" trem, it LOOKS like it's built the same, but it's made of lighter metals including a pot metal tone block. The lack of mass is detrimental to sustain and doesn't transfer nearly the tone to the body. The softer metals often have the screws strip out, and the fine tuners do not fit nearly as well.



Bottom Line: Not all Floyds are created equally. Regardless of if your tremolo is an Original Floyd, a Schaller made, Ibanez, or some other... look for the quality parts. The pivot bolts should NOT BE LOOSE. Finer threads will hold their action better and ultimately have less play and wobble. the better materials that are used, the better sustain and tone... so do not judge all Floyd tremolos based on a "Licensed By" on a $400 instrument.

 

[Mark Wein]

Very cool!

 

[Prages]

I also did a Floyd Rose comparison thread once, comparing an original Floyd Rose to the Licensed Floyd on a USA Peavey Wolfgang.

Original Floyd on left, Peavey on right:

Now original Floyd on right, Peavey on left:

Peavey left, Original right:

 

[Kerouac]

This thread should be stickied.

I'm down to one guitar with a Floyd these days and normally I just take it to the shop because I don't feel like fucking with it, plus the shop gives me a good discount on it since I send them a lot of business. But the next time it's due for a string change I'll come lookin' for this thread.

 

[Prages]

This thread should be stickied.

I'm down to one guitar with a Floyd these days and normally I just take it to the shop because I don't feel like fucking with it, plus the shop gives me a good discount on it since I send them a lot of business. But the next time it's due for a string change I'll come lookin' for this thread.

Mark linked it in the Important Thread Index or whatever it's called that is stickied in the Lounge.

 

[Kerouac]

Mark linked it in the Important Thread Index or whatever it's called that is stickied in the Lounge.