OT: Floating bridges

[zener]

Ok, really OT but I know all many of you guys are nice and very knowledgeable so here it is:

Can someone give me, or better yet, point me to a thorough analysis of the anatomy of Floyd Rose bridge? How does it work, things to give a careful look, etc.

I really don't care whether it's an imitation Floyd or the real one. I just want to know the ins and outs of this highly coveted bridge system for guitar especially the locking system, often I read "double-locking".

I would love to see a pic underneath the cavity where all these metal springs are attached. My axe has a cheap Floyd Rose-type of bridge and I want to compare it to a more real one (if not the real one itself) and see if my bridge has enough guts to pull out what the usual Floyd was set to do, which is maintaining the guitar in tune with all those nasty divebombs and fast wiggling of the whammy bar.

Thanks for any help. :wink:

[Somicide]

Personally, I play a non-locking wilkinson trem bridge, but i know about floyds.  Double locking refers to the fact that the nut on the guitar has clamps to hold down the strings so they wont slip, and they lock at the bridge as well.  The ins of this system is the fact that you can go crazy with vibrato on em, good fun.  The problem lies in that you need to clip the ball end off your strings to install them, and you need allen wrenches to change strings (unless its one of the new speed loaders, those are nice.)  Its a trade off for ease of use for playability.  Personally, I prefer Tune-O-Matic Bridges, stable tuning.  Peace n Love,

Jeff

[Samuel]

Is it really that coveted? I don't think they're worth it. My guitar has one, but I'm looking to get a solid bridge guitar soon. Having to tune your guitar 12 times in a row to bring all the strings up to proper tension = infuriating. Break a string in the middle of a song? Yr screwed...

[zener]

I use to think that the double-locking stuff is something else beneath the bridge that holds down the bridge as you tune every string of the guitar.



My cheap Floyd Rose-like bridge doesn't require to cut the end balls of the strings. In fact, the end balls don't have to go beneath the bridge. The balls are just clamped by the tightened long screws (dunno what's the term) at the very tail of the whole bridge. When I first opened the bridge cavity, all I found out is the bridge's bottom plate that is being holded by two horizontal metal springs which ends are hooked each to 2 long screws mounted on the wood.

Yes, it is indeed a pain in the ass changing strings with a Floyd Rose. You cut just the first string and the others go off too. The process of tuning and leveling the bridge are the main considerations. In the two times that I changed strings, first I had to loosend the metal spring screws. I had to put a 9v behind the bottom plate of the bridge just to prevent it being pulled by the strings as they were individually tuned. Then I had to provide a bit of slack for the strings to be clamped by the locking nut as it it will add a "pull" to the strings thus, higher tuning. Then after that, you have to readjust the metal springs screws to let the 9V loose. Then,  I had to pray I had done everything nice and tuned. Thank God, I did

It seems that I answered my own query there :roll: :mrgreen: Actually, all I want to know is the double-locking stuff they say off a "real" Floyd. That made me think that there's something in the Floyd that my pseudo-Floyd doesn't have.

My "Floyd" seems to stay tuned after all the abuse it took from me and my guitar-ignorant classmates who fancied the whammy bar. But I may be wrong, I'm no expert and I was only able to hold few guitars (the others are only the guitars I tried before I bought the one in the pic  :cry: )

[David]

Floyd Rose bridges?  :evil:  :evil:  :evil:  :evil:  :evil:  :evil:

I'll never have another as long as I live!

[Fret Wire]

http://www.blues4kids.com/special_promotions/jackson%20page/jackson_floyd_howto.htm

[Paul Marossy]

I love my Floyd Rose style tremolos. I wouldn't be able to do a good many things that I do without one...

[sir_modulus]

interesting. Depends really on the quality of the bridge. I would have to say yours look and sounds (from what you tell us) like a cheapie. Don't divebomb, as cheapies can't handle it usually. Either they'll break or bend, or their structural integrity will decrease. Get a real floydrose for divebombs, or like a two point trem (like on my Jagmaster, or on some strats), and put less springs to DB somewhat.

[RDV]

I like the 'idea' of a floating bridge. I like to waver whole chords, and I enjoy doing the chirps and wobbles as much as the next guy. Heck, I'll even dive bomb that sucker now and again(given the option). I, however use a ton of multi-string bends and double stops that can absolutely not be executed in tune on any floating bridge. I'll use a floyd alright(don't have one now, but I've had a couple), but that sucker's got to be flat to the body.

RDV

[Paul Marossy]

RDV,

I do the same thing with my Floyd Rose, wavering chords. I really like that effect. It would be awful hard to do that without a Floyd Rose. I also use it to get and maintain an almost endless controlled feedback from my amp. I can do it with my fingers, but it works a lot better with a floating trem.

[zener]

Hey Fret Wire, nice link there. Thanks a lot.

Replacing a string is just I hate about a Floyd (real or imitation). But to me, the reward of being able to wiggle your whammy and do those divebombs are enough for the time and sweat :wink:

And the tech site even said that everything is simple, huh?. Yeah simple, if you have time and patience :roll: .

[zener]

interesting. Depends really on the quality of the bridge. I would have to say yours look and sounds (from what you tell us) like a cheapie. Don't divebomb, as cheapies can't handle it usually. Either they'll break or bend, or their structural integrity will decrease. Get a real floydrose for divebombs, or like a two point trem (like on my Jagmaster, or on some strats), and put less springs to DB somewhat.

Yeah, actually, I often kept the whammy bar in my guitar bag and play without it now. My Floyd is really a cheapie one.

Get an original Floyd... :roll: ...  :?  I don't think so.

Aside from having no money at the moment until a year from now, the price of Floyd is enough (or more than enough) to get a Ibanez 24-fret dual hb axe.

[The Tone God]

My first guitar had a floyd rose-like system on it. It didn't lock at the bridge or need to have the ball end cut off. It worked well enough. Now most of my guitars have Bigsbys. I don't miss the floyd. Yeah I can't do the extreme stuff but with the mods I make to my Bigsbys I can do almost all of it without the Bigsby going out of tune. More useful range as well.

Andrew

[Danny G]

My first guitar had a Kahler system.  Blech.  Give me a tune-o-matic anyday, but there was an advantage that I'll get to...

You don't necessarily have to cut the ball ends off the strings.  I found it better to wind the strings in backwards (ball ends at the tuning keys).  The only advantage I found to the tremolo was that even though a broken string meant the WHOLE GUITAR went out of tune, when a string broke, I'd ulock the locking nut and feed some more string to the bridge.  I got pretty good at it and could recover from a broken string in less than 30 seconds.  That was pretty cool.  Still sucked losing the whole guitar on account of a single broken string.

[bwanasonic]

I, however use a ton of multi-string bends and double stops that can absolutely not be executed in tune on any floating bridge.

I have had pretty good luck using the Hipshot Trem-setter with my Ibanez Edge II (floating). It helps a bit with multi-string bends.  I look at my *floyd* style equipped guitars as almost a different instrument though, and reserve them for the styles that require them. If I'm attempting my Albert Lee impersonation, I'll grab a fixed bridge guitar. Keeping a floating bridge guitar setup properly is a never-ending struggle. I went the trem-setter route, but this does change the feel a bit. I still use my Ibanez *whammy* guitar, but I'm real glad I have guitars with fixed bridges too.

Kerry M

[Paul Marossy]

I dunno, I can do multi-string bends alright. I guess it helps that I have exclusively been playing "tremolo" equipped guitars for the last 16 years or so...

Like anything else, there are pros and cons to a Floyd Rose type floater.

[RDV]

You're not doing them in tune unless you pull up on the bar at the same time, or at least resting your palm quite heavily on it. I could never get used to the sound of the held stings dropping in pitch as the bent strings go up. I can hear it even from guys like Joe Satriani & Steve Vai. I'm a tuning nut. I'm all over the other guitarist in my band to get in tune, especially his acoustic. Nothing worse to me than an out of tune acoustic that's blasting.

RDV

[Paul Marossy]

Well RDV, you have a really good ear.  
I know some cats here where I live that have incredible ears and hear the tiniest nuances and tones (or out-of-tunes)
Maybe I'm just so used to it that I don't notice it all anymore...
The only thing that I don't like is that when bending strings, the sustain drops off pretty quick with a floating trem vs. a fixed bridge.

[RDV]

I played a certain amount of country music back in AR. That's where the bends come from, you're always trying to sound like the steel guitar. I don't really play any country here in FL, but that influence is still in my playing. If you use an extra-light string with a Floyd, the tuning thing is much less noticeable. With regular lights or mediums, you're fighting a losing battle. I think the tuning thing is why Van Halen kept his Floyd bolted down, and maybe the sustain thing. I always thought FR equipped guitars had plenty of sustain though.

RDV

[Lonestarjohnny]

Thats why I'm a Bigsby Man, I  can't do those 1 handed guitar danglin dive bombs that Steve Vai or Eddy Van can, but what I do got stays in tune, and speaking of ear's, does it bother you when you play in a band with a Keyboard and you realize your guitar will not tune up full scale, well I cured that to, my guitars all tuneup properly now and I can play note for note with the keyboard and i'm in tune, it's called a Buzz Feiten tuning system, I swear by it. got it on all my guitars but 1 and it'll soon have it too !
JD