Floyd Rose Tremolo...

Droogie

Just wondering what the hassle is with Floyd Rose Tremolo's that people often talk about?

Are they awkward, and if so why?

Karl Hungus

They take longer to string and tune up than a fixed bridge.

Droogie

Anyone got a link to any sites with info on 'em to save you guys from having to explain it...?

feylya

This is discussed in the pinned Resources thread.

SirLemonhead

The hassle is all because floyd rose bridges are floating, (generally, some rest on the body) as in they can be pulled up or down.

When the strings are in tune, the floyd is set so that the strings are pulling the bridge, and the bridge springs at the back are also pulling equally so that the bridge is floating parallel to the body and not at an odd angle.

When changing strings, if you don't put something under the floyd bridge, the tension from the bridge springs will end up pulling the bridge down into the bridge cavity.

The floating aspect of the bridge means that it can take a while sometimes to tune the guitar...a tension change on one string affects the other strings so you can sometimes knock one string out of tuning changing another..

You need to wedge something like a 9v battery under the floyd rose bridge so it's resting in the mid position (somewhere near parallel) so that this holds the bridge up when the strings are taken off.

Also, you need to remove the balls (hehe) of the strings to use in a floyd, but I just end up stringing the strings backwards so the unballed ends go into the floyd, and the balled ends end up at the headstock where you can just cut them off. It doesn't make a difference really but it's just the way I do it.

Because there's no balls, if you happen to break the string near the bridge, you can loosen some slack from the tuning pegs and reseat the string in the bridge

I don't think floyds are hassle at all. They don't take much time to get used to and they have their advantages

68 lost souls

When you change the strings your only supposed to do it one string at a time, i.e. take one off then replace it then move on, this stops you having to put a block in the back or as you say a 9v battery.

Ravelleman

Floyds also cause you to lose a lot of sustain in comparison to other trems.

Doctor J

If Floyd Rose trems were such an inconvenience they wouldn't be as popular as they are. Having said that, I always preferred the Kahler design but I can't knock the Floyd licenced Ibanez Edge trem on my guitar.

jcoote

they are not as much hassle as everyone says i don't think its easier to string a fixed obviously but they aren't a total nightmare...i have one on myibanez rg and its fine ...great tool gives u some fredoom from effects to alter your sound

68 lost souls

Thats true most people prefer the Ibanez edge to an original floyd. THey have a better design, hareder to find without the guitar attached though.

Voodu Child

They can be a pain in the ass til you get used to them, ive been using floyd equipped guitars exclusively for years and still cant change a set of strings AND stretch them in properly (this is where most people go wrong with floyds) in less than half an hour, theres times it takes closer to an hour to do a proper job of it.

And of course, im sure we've all broken a high E, slapped a brand new set of strings on, spent ages stretching the strings, and then broken the high E again when stretching it for the last time... :mad: :mad:

Seriously though, at the end of the day, the choice is made for you by your playing style, all the hassle in the world wont matter if you NEED a floyd, and conversely, youd be stupid to even think of getting one if you never touch the trem.

Ravelleman

I'm a hard tail man myself. Never really got into the trem thing.