strats with a Floyd rose....

[kbraker]

The local g.c has one used for a good price. I'm thinking if picking it up. Any advice regards quality of the trem or set up difficulties.? I never owned a f.r before....

[Bulldog87]

My first electric was a strat w/ a Floyd Rose. I love the guitar, but I never play it because the setup was a pain in the behind.

My local GC will not even service it. Frankly, because they don't have any techs that are competent w/ the Floyd Rose. At least they were honest and didn't mess up my guitar.

Some people seem to like them. I just think they are annoying because I've now found that I really like the telecaster non-trem bridge and even the standard Fender trems.

I'm sure more people will chime in with better info, but that is my experience. Best of luck!

[Axis29]

I had a Floyd Rose series Strat and hated it. New strings were a total nightmare... And strings left alone for a couple of days were a nightmare. The biggest issue was probably the locking nut. If tuning a string required more movement than was available in the fine tuning screws on the trem itself, each time you locked/unlocked the nut it cranked the other strings outta tune.

Gimme a vintage tuner, bone nut and split tuners any day!

[dog fart]

+1 on axis' post. Floyd Rose trems are a nightmare. I remember a friend putting one on his strat back in the '80s. It killed the strats voice, it didn't even sound like a strat to me. On a personal note I owned a Krammer with a FR. Nothing but aggravation, I couldn't get rid of it soon enough. Never again!

Give me a vintage trem, bone nut and split tuners any day = Gospel truth

[TeleAnon]

I am CONSTANTLY shocked at how much of a hard time people have with Floyd Rose trems and locking nuts.

SHOCKED. Floyd Rose trems are EASIER to set up PROPERLY than a standard floating trem. And, easier to keep in tune. But you have to learn how to do it (which does take 45 minutes to learn, and then maybe 10 minutes to set up when restringing)(Oh noes).

The only explanation I can think of for people having a hard time setting them up... they never bothered learning how. It's not intuitive or self-explanatory. It can be done incorrectly (leaving it hard to maintain). But if you learn how... it's EASY to maintain. Really.

They are obviously not for everyone. And if you're not a heavy trem user, you certainly don't NEED one.

[The Quasar-Kid]

I have a Strat with a Kahler system on there and it's pretty cool
Comes in handy on occasion
Play that guitar and if you like it, buy it... A guy always needs a guitar he can whammy in his arsenal

[jc93230]

I guess I will be the dissenter here. If you are wanting a floating bridge guitar, then. FR ( preferably an original) with a locking nut is a great choice. If you understand the balance between strings and springs,and the need for a parallel bridge plate, a FR will not give you grief.

If an out of balance/tune FR equipped guitar is going to cause a trip to your tech, then maybe it is not worth it for you. I have a 92' American made Classic Floyd Rose Strat,and it is a great guitar and stays in tune. I do my own set ups and floyds are not difficult if you have done it a few times.

And now for some gratuitous FRstrat porn!
album

[TeleAnon]

If this video had been widely available since the 80's, no one would be frustrated by Floyd Rose systems:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RQQT9-Y0R9A

[grapenehi]

I have a pre fine tuner version of the Floyd... Hardly use it anymore, but remembered dreading changing strings... But the thing did its job well while in use...

[fieroturbo]

Incase you're unaware, there is now a Blacktop Strat with a Floyd Rose bridge:

http://www.fender.com/products/black...prodNo=1148100

GC doesn't carry it, but Sweetwater and SamAsh do. Sweetwater has it for $500, which is $50 cheaper than SamAsh.

I own a non-Floyd HH Blacktop Strat and the fixed-bridge FSR cousin to the HSH Blacktop Strat. In my experience with them, I found that Blacktops may not be masterpieces from the factory, but Fender gives you one hell of a canvas to work with, so check out the Floyd Rose version if you can find one.

[DrewB]

Originally Posted by TeleAnon

I am CONSTANTLY shocked at how much of a hard time people have with Floyd Rose trems and locking nuts.

SHOCKED. Floyd Rose trems are EASIER to set up PROPERLY than a standard floating trem. And, easier to keep in tune. But you have to learn how to do it (which does take 45 minutes to learn, and then maybe 10 minutes to set up when restringing)

+1,000,000! If you don't want or need it, fine, but they are not a flaming nuisance to deal with, set up, or restring for those who can make use of such an apparatus. I'm certain the biggest gripes against them come from those who have no interest in using them but tried out a guitar with one and didn't get it. That's fine, too, but don't categorically write them off as crap, fercryinoutloud!

[buddastrat]

They are simple to setup , but takes more time. I guess tedious is the word to use. Not hard at all. It's just usually a floating trem that clamps the strings down. But you can set it up flush or however you like. If you know how to use an allen key and how to setup a regular trem, it's NOT hard.

[ronkmd]

Built a parts-Strat back in the 80's and had a FR professionally installed. Not rocket science to restring/set up but some extra steps (cut off ball ends, lock in @ bridge, lock nut, etc.). So you need a wire cutter and Allen wrench. Didn't use the FR that much but I've taken it out after sitting for a couple of years, and still in tune. I think they made a finger-tightening cam lock which might make retuning a little easier.
Just don't break a string in the middle of a song!😨

[DrewB]

Originally Posted by ronkmd

Just don't break a string in the middle of a song!

That goes for any floating fulcrum bridge.

[fieroturbo]

Originally Posted by ronkmd

Just don't break a string in the middle of a song!😨

Originally Posted by DrewB

That goes for any floating fulcrum bridge.

The Ibanez ZR bridge supposedly overcomes a loss of tuning when a string break occurs, and word is that one of the Dragonforce guitarists gave it a trial by fire (pun intended) and it passed with flying colors.

[RevMike]

Originally Posted by fieroturbo

Incase you're unaware, there is now a Blacktop Strat with a Floyd Rose bridge:

http://www.fender.com/products/black...prodNo=1148100

GC doesn't carry it, but Sweetwater and SamAsh do. Sweetwater has it for $500, which is $50 cheaper than SamAsh.

I own a non-Floyd HH Blacktop Strat and the fixed-bridge FSR cousin to the HSH Blacktop Strat. In my experience with them, I found that Blacktops may not be masterpieces from the factory, but Fender gives you one hell of a canvas to work with, so check out the Floyd Rose version if you can find one.

I found one in the <$400 at J&R (love J&R...no affiliation) range and snagged it. I had an ibanez with a floyd a few years ago but didn't like it. This guitar blows it away. Nicest strat I ever owned. The dude at J&R popped it up on the counter and gave me a 5 minute "quick and dirty" on how to set them up and .....no issue whatsoever.

[thelowerlip]

I don't find a FR to be so difficult. It makes doublestop string bends go out of tune but all trems do that. Get a backbox to throw in there if you get it.

[e-merlin]

The Floyd Rose Trem is not any more difficult to set up than a vintage Strat trem. In fact, I set up a Floyd exactly the same as I set up a vintage Strat trem. Lots of folk freak out because of the locking mechanisms.

[Worn]

I recently bought a '92 Japanese Strat with an original Floyd Rose trem. Sat down and figured out how to set it up, now it stays in tune, returns to pitch, no problems. I've had "licensed" fast load Floyd Rose trems before and they're nothing like setting up the "real" thing. Stringing seems a pain at first but it's really not a big deal, but I have found the intonation is a pain to set up. If the problem is getting them to float, you can buy trem stops etc to make it dive only and eliminate the floating.
I've given up on setting up Fender vintage trems to float and "deck" them down on the body, and rarely use them because they eventually go noticeably out of tune, unlike a real Floyd Rose.
If you have another guitar to play, then you can take your time learning how to set up the FR trem, and avoid the frustration until you get the hang of it.

[buddastrat]

If you understand how to operate a screwdriver, you can setup a Floyd, it just takes a bit of time. Like I said, it's just tedious, or annyoying, all the little steps, just to string and tune.

BUT, playing it, there's no skill or special talent in keeping a guitar in tune with one. It's locked down and the equivalient of training wheels on a bike. I've always admired the guys who came in the shop and go crazy with the vintage style bridge and know how to use them and keep their guitar sounding 'in". That's much more skill, imo. So I sat and figured out how to keep a vintage trem in tune all gig, and dumped the Floyd about two decades ago. never missed it.