| Author |
 Topic  |
|
Dr. Bob
Moderator
Australia
6593 Posts |
 Posted - 11/02/2009 : 11:13:18
|
Hi Guys
In a nutshell I bought myself a project guitar yesterday.
It's my first Spank Plank.
It's fitted with a licensed Floyd Rose.
I need some ideas & guidelines for setting up one of these Trem's.
Basic setup tips.
Intermediate setup tips.
Advanced setup tips.
Basically anything you have used & have found useful,
PDF's whatever.
I'm about to put her all back together probably tomorrow, as it's a public holiday here in OZ.
(Melbourne Cup Day - The horse race that stops a nation, & now the world.)
Initially I just need to do a rough floating setup.
I typically play 10-42's or 10-46's.
It came with 3 springs - so I'll be starting from there I guess.
And there are no shops open tomorrow.
I want to dive bomb with the best of them 
- all my other guitars are setup as hard-tails and or blocked.
Thanks in advance guys.
Regards Dr. Bob  |
|
|
messiah666
Copper Member
United Kingdom
18 Posts |
|
|
FRANZONI
Double Platinum Member
Ireland
3543 Posts |
Posted - 11/02/2009 : 12:28:28
|
Congrats..... .i had a Jackson/Charvel once with a floyd on it ...great fun.....one thing i used to hate was,i had it set up to 'float' and if you broke a string it would go out of tune i wish i had known about these things...
http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Bridges,_tailpieces/Electric_guitar_tremolo_parts/Hipshot_Trem-Setter.html
i have also seen another device like a clip for the tremolo arm that keeps it locked when you don't want it giving you a hardtail type option....sorry i can't remember the name of it maybe some of our Floyd Rose whammy diving brethren might know what it's called...
have fun Doc.... .......... |
 |
|
|
Goran
Double Platinum Member
Sweden
2203 Posts |
Posted - 11/02/2009 : 13:36:04
|
I have not much experience of Floyds, I have owned a couple of guitars with this type of trem but I never liked them.
They are foolproof when set up right and I suppose you just Google and see what you find.
|
|
|
|
Laurie
Double Platinum Member
Canada
4854 Posts |
Posted - 11/02/2009 : 16:30:44
|
Hi Dr.Bob! I have had a Floyd Rose for years on my HM series strat. Basically, treat it like any other floating bridge when setting it up. Set the spring tension for it to fully float, set the bridge height and saddle height to taste, and that's pretty much it. Not really any harder than a standard Strat bridge.
One thing to look out for... on the 1990's model one that I have if the string "grabber" (not sure of the technical term) has been over-tightened at some point there can be a groove in the metal from the string. If that groove is too deep, the string will pull out. Only option is to carefully resurface the faces of the "grabber" with a small file.
|
|
|
|
verivorax
Platinum Member
Canada
1185 Posts |
Posted - 11/02/2009 : 17:00:29
|
Intonation is the most annoying part - aside from breaking a string..
there's also this:
http://www.tremol-no.com/
but the ones I've seen had little nylon/orsomething pins to insert into the block. I don't like plastic load-bearing parts.
|
|
|
|
claskowski
Copper Member
USA
24 Posts |
Posted - 11/03/2009 : 14:21:51
|
I have a little trick that I read about a few years back (if I could remember - I would note credit). I own seven guitars with Floyds and have installed over two dozen of these buggers.
I use a small piece of wood - sanded to a wedge shape. With the strings off the guitar, wedge the wood between the tremolo block and the body (side opposite the springs) to desired 'float'. String and tune the guitar. Adjust the springs until the block slips/falls out under its own weight. Retune the guitar and lock the nut.
This has cut stringing time by over 30 minutes. |
|
|
|
claskowski
Copper Member
USA
24 Posts |
Posted - 11/03/2009 : 14:27:13
|
Two things I forgot - when REstringing a Floyd - only do one string at a time and tune it before moving to the next. For Kahler tremolos, a couple of popsicle sticks glued together and sanded to a wedge - inserted right behind the fine tuners will work similar to the Floyd ("locks" the tremolo in place).
More hints - on standard Strat tremolos, the hole under the saddle is usually at a right angle - I have a couple of these - with the sharp portion filed down (Dremel works nice for this). Cuts down string breakage dramatically. Or - use the SRV method - slide a piece of wire insulation over the string and rest it at this sharp point. |
Edited by - claskowski on 11/03/2009 14:28:10 |
|
|
|
kelmaur
Gold Member
USA
505 Posts |
Posted - 11/04/2009 : 10:46:36
|
i use an eraser (one like you used to use in grade school) to block the trem from burying itself into the routed cavity..it is soft and pliable and wont sratch up anything
i have Ibanezes (Edge's, which are their version of the FR)
while i dont take all 6 strings off at one time, i change them one at a time...to keep some tension at all times..
your shooting for the bridge to be as parallel as you can get it to the body and be in tune
|
Edited by - kelmaur on 11/04/2009 10:47:08 |
|
|
|
zerksies
Double Platinum Member
USA
3406 Posts |
Posted - 11/04/2009 : 14:56:43
|
| i don't miss setting them up |
|
|
|
FRANZONI
Double Platinum Member
Ireland
3543 Posts |
|
|
zerksies
Double Platinum Member
USA
3406 Posts |
Posted - 11/04/2009 : 16:27:31
|
quote:
Originally posted by FRANZONI
Congrats......i had a Jackson/Charvel once with a floyd on it ...great fun.....one thing i used to hate was,i had it set up to 'float' and if you broke a string it would go out of tune i wish i had known about these things...
http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Bridges,_tailpieces/Electric_guitar_tremolo_parts/Hipshot_Trem-Setter.html
i have also seen another device like a clip for the tremolo arm that keeps it locked when you don't want it giving you a hardtail type option....sorry i can't remember the name of it maybe some of our Floyd Rose whammy diving brethren might know what it's called...
have fun Doc..............
I love the trem setter i use it on all of my guitars. work great returns the guitar back to pitch and has no tremlo flutter.
http://www.tremolno.com/
one problem is if you break a string with both systems is it all goes out of tune. |
|
|
|
FRANZONI
Double Platinum Member
Ireland
3543 Posts |
Posted - 11/05/2009 : 00:35:40
|
| There was another device i remember for floating tremolo units...it went on the body of the guitar behind the tremolo,basically a small clamp for the whammy bar and if up broke a string you just pushed the tremolo arm into it and it kept the 'float ' in place or if you were doing country style bends and didn't want the other strings going out of tune..basically it gave you the option of having a hardtail setup or a floating one...but for the life of me i can't remember what it was called but i thought it was quite clever at the time... |
|
|
|
chrissydamage
Silver Member
United Kingdom
180 Posts |
Posted - 11/05/2009 : 02:05:37
|
Ah nice..... a very wise purchase Dr Bob ;)
I've always used floyds of some description, they rule!
They do require a bit more care and attention (especially the licensed ones), but its well worth the extra effort IMO
When setting it up you are inevitably going to have to make a few adjustments- start but fitting all the strings one by one cos the 10s are quite heavy and the guitars probably set up for 9s as standard-
First you will probably have to reposition some of the springs in the cavity to give you a bit more pull from the trem to compensate for the strings
Using the blocking method as outlined above you can then tune the guitar and make adjustments to the action and fine adjustments to the screws on the spring plate
The fist time you tune it it will take ages, a good way is to tune opposing strings like E, E, A, B, D, G as that keeps the tension on the neck quite consistent and less likely for the other strings to detune while you tighten
Some of the licenced bridges are quite unstable though, I find on my Jackson the only way is to tune like this>
E, A,
E, A, D,
E, A, D, G etc work all the way up- takes ages but if you tune E-E as normal you will be there even longer!
Resist the immediate urge to put the clamp on, let the guitar hold its tune for a while and 'settle in'- if you put the clamp on and have to undo it later the high 'e' string will invariably break.
Maybe even clamp just the lower strings and leave B and E to start with until its settled down a bit ;)
With everything set up you will find after a few days of being left the bridge will probably either 'rise' or 'fall' unless you are extremely lucky, at this stage you will need to probably adjust the truss rod slightly (I guess probably tighten slightly in this case due to the strings)
Its a balancing act which takes a while to perfect but the benefits are huge and your persistence will ultimately be rewarded :)
The Floyd can be improved upon too- you can block the trem from inside the cavity to stop it being able to bend up and this will increase the tuning stability significantly :)
Eddie Van Halen used to do that, I'm sure I read that somewhere- also he invented this:
http://www.dtuna.com/
Drop D at the touch of a button, now thats cool :)
Got one awaiting installation at present........
|
|
|
|
Dr. Bob
Moderator
Australia
6593 Posts |
Posted - 11/06/2009 : 17:44:40
|
Hi chrissydamage - Guys
I managed to get a set of 9's as most people here suggested.
Am I assuming correctly I gather that these were/are typically strung with 9's from the factory?
The guitar came with 3 springs in the cavity
Do you think that this will be enough springs,
As I was going to attempt to put her all back together now that
it's the weekend.
Thanks to everyone who contributed & gave me their words of wisdom
on setting these up.
When she's all back together, I will post a pic.
It looks heaps better in pictures than in real life - so camera's do lie...
At least mine does.
When I picked this guitar up, someone, I'm guessing the guys at the S/H store,
tried to restring the guitar, by running the strings INTO the back of the hollow string-lock screws & up and over the saddles...
Another question:
How do you guys clean, or keep the surface rust off the all black hardware on these units?
Short of stripping it completely down, & cleaning each individual part.
As my guitar as a slight amount of very light surface rust on all the black hardware, inc the M/Heads.
But from what I've see - this seems a common problem.
Thanks again to everyone.
Regards Dr. Bob |
|
|
|
zerksies
Double Platinum Member
USA
3406 Posts |
Posted - 11/06/2009 : 18:15:26
|
| 3 springs is more then enough for 9's, you really don't need a 4th string till you put 12's on,cause of the uneven tension i would put all 5 springs in on 12's |
|
|
|
Topic |
|
Setting up a Floyd Rose
.....
.....