You can fast forward to the specific task below: 1:00 Pre-Setup Steps 11:55 Truss Rod 21:00 Radius of Strings 31:58 Action of Strings 39:14 Nut Height 51:09 Intonation 1:04:26 Pickup Height
@music nomad equipment care: to setup a Floyd rose right your a fool if you're not a pro at it don't take what this guy says about it as golden first of all what he is telling us to do it is about ten times harder than what it should be
The nut sanding demonstration was illuminating. I once bought a new guitar that I was not bonding. I took to a tech to get it set up. He told me he lowered the nut and that most guitar companies have their nuts sometimes well above spec. When I got it back, it played like a dream. It is my favorite guitar. On the opposite end, I had an Ibanez whose nut was not completely screwed down. They were hiding the fact that the nut was too low. It explained why it never stayed in tune. It really had to be shimed up to spec. This video is a great resource. Wish a demonstration of this existed decades ago.
Great tutorial overall. I learned a lot. I also noticed two things that were not addressed: if you lock down your nut and the strings go sharp, your string retainer needs to be tightened. If you use the whammy and the guitar goes out of pitch, that is not always an indicator or worn knife edges. The knife edges could just need a bit of lubrication where they meet the studs.
Yes I like to put the fine tuners in the middle position and the high E out a bit more since that string stretches the most n usually have to unlock it n give myself more but back the fine tuner out pretty far again
Geoff's Floyd Rose guide is the only one that mentions individual saddle height adjustment with shims. I watched a bunch of others that were severely lacking in general... The best Floyd Rose guide on RU-vid PERIOD! 🤘
Wow i was really surprised at how easy it was to get the lock nut height with that little bit of sanding! That was much faster and easier than i thought it would be. No reason at all to take wood off the neck nut route since it could possibly damage the neck. if you did mess up the lock nut you can get another for $10! Better than than ruining the neck!
Something to consider here, with string height at the bridge (on Floyd Rose systems, more, than about a year old) - where, in a case, where, one, or more strings is higher than the rest - it used to be a mystery to me.... look at the bottoms of the saddles; you'll notice some mold markings (circular, or, disc shaped - four, around the edges of each saddle section. Some are concave and some are convex. I've had problems with the convex mold artefacts causing one or more of my strings to sit up, higher, than it is supposed to be. In other words, the bottoms of the saddles are not uniformly flat. Typically, for each saddle pair (I, II, and III), there is a convex, and a concave individual. The discrepancy doesn't look like much, by, "eyeball-ing", it, but any deviation from a perfectly flat surface counts. Planing these mold artifacts down by, either, belt sanding, or filing, will level them. In fact, as of about a year ago, Floyd Rose has re-designed their saddle bottom surfaces so as not to include those deformities.
With regards to action, I've found that there's a sweet pot where the right relief and action yields an even string height from the 12th -17th fret. And whenever I achieve that balance the guitar plays the best. So I measure on 12th and 17th fret.
This tutorial was just what i needed, there is a lot of tutorials on youtube but most of them are all about action, i didnt even knew hot to call a "radius of strings" setup before this
Awesome video. I had a floyd back in the 90s and learned how to do my own setups after paying a few hundred more then the guitar cost after a few years. Good info and I am very happy you took the time to show the entire setup!
in the KISS setup process the bridge radius should make the fretboard radius for the guitar you are setting up, you can find what your specific guitar radius is by using the radius gauge measuring at the last fret with the strings off to confirm your radius
This was an awesome video and your tools are great! I completely fucked up mine by trying to adjust it for the wrong strings without the right tools or knowing what I was doing. After following this video it is set up better than ever has been since I've owned it!
One comment right at 4:35 : if you fnd the note goes sharp or flat, look at the string angle from the nut to the T bar over the strings. The angle should be the same from the end of the nut (so the fretboard side) to that bar. if the angle changes when it leaves the nut (look with nut clamped down obviously), screw that bar up or down to make it one line from the end of the nut to that bar. Some Floyd equipped guitars will not have this bar anymore though. Like the one in this video 😂
As much as we all love our floyd rose guitars, we don't really love them. We tolerate them. I've never had to watch an hour long tutorial until I got this beauty😁
Don't you have to loosen the tension on the strings and springs prior to adjusting the action height posts? I have a Gotoh 1996T and it says in the user manual not to adjust the posts under tension otherwise you can damage the knife edges and/or posts. Is this not true?
Regarding locking nut string height, Floyd Rose sells different models of locking nuts with varying widths and string heights. It's possible to purchase a locking nut model with a lower default string height and then just shim as necessary. Just make sure to get a locking nut with the otherwise correct dimensions for the guitar.
Ummm...just one, small, detail: in, "neck-relief" - you're measuring 'concavity' - not, 'convexity'. On a guitar that is flat on its back on, say, a table, you're adjusting a, 'concave', bow. Just remember: down = 'cave'. If the "hollow" ('trough'), in the neck, is in the direction of the floor - it's a, deep, 'concave', bow. If the reverse is true - the 'crest' of the bow is toward the ceiling - it's convexed. In other words, the less, shallow, the bow, the 'flatter', is the neck.
If you are watching this video, and you are like me and don't have a German made double locking tremolo, then DO NOT adjust action height... or adjust your tremolo posts "pivot studs" under string or spring tension... will mess up the posts everything. I actually damaged the knife edges and posts on a brand new floyd rose special following this video.. replaced the trem base plate and posts/studs and am now good. You you have to adjust the studs/posts... pull the springs from claw and you should have completely relieved tension on the pivot/contact points. And THAT is the main reason why people hate Floyd's, EVEN the "professionals" don't know what they are doing and mess it up.... mind you that I told a friend.. and he ironically had the same issue, except he kept going to techs and paying 75 to 100 dollars on 3 different occasions at different places without an end result.. I made my discovery.. we managed to just changed the posts on 1 of his but the other needed both. Everything else by this guy's is great, helped me set up my acoustic guitars and everything else... perfect. And I love music nomad products!!!
@Milan Kotevski did I say that he didn't? I was advising my experience, what are you bringing to the table.... hate? GTFOH. Your comment is counter productive. My comment was to advise to not adjust under spring or STRING tension. Maybe you didn't read my entire comment... or misunderstood something? What are you trying to accomplish with this comment, save to make yourself seem ignorant?
I used the steps to the letter but if I use the tremolo bar depends which way I go with the bar the string will go sharp or flat so have to pull or push the tremolo bar to get it back to perfect tune🤷🏽
This is fantastic, I can't thank you enough! I just bought more Music Nomad tools, so I start learning how to do these things myself. QUESTION. Should you discard the shim that fits between the sustain block and bridge? FU Tone recommends doing this when replacing the brass block. thx!
Hey, thanks for that great video! One question: Isn't that the Chris Broderick Jackson signature guitar that has a 12" radius neck? If yes why would you adjust it for 16"?
04/02/2023: Is it possible to take out of a Strat guitar with a floyd rose, and install a 2-point tremolo. If so, that would be great to see you teach how to do it.
Swapping out a bridge is a modification to the guitar. We do not have a video on this process, once you do your modification our KISS setup method will work perfectly to setup the instrument
Great Video.. QUESTION- I bought 2 relatively inexpensive tremelo bars that said were for Floyd Rose for my Custom made ESP (27 yrs old approximately) well the bars fit my ibanez fine but the Diameter of these bars are too big around and don't fit the bridge hole on the ESP Floyd, how do I know which bar to order or is there a serial # or marking on the particular Floyd i have? I went to Floyd Rose site and man the one that "looks" right is like 30$ just for the bar, I don't care if the metal is cheap or even if the thread barrel is different threads, I can make it work, I just need one that at least fits in bridge hole.I thought even knockoff Floyd's were the same specs for the most part.There's the old 80s German one, the 1000 etc but I thought the bar diameters were all pretty much the same.Like I said they fit my Ibanez- threads n all but their too thick to fit my ESP Floyd which i suspect is an authentic one and not sure which one I need without measuring with a micrometer I don't have etc..i think i bought these 2 cheap ones (their both the same bars 2 for 15$) from Amazon or Reverb I can't remember but the price was right .I just wish they fit what i really bought them for which was for my ESP custom I finally got back from a 10 year storage that somehow i lost the bar to.Thanks for any helpful ideas anyone can think of that might help clear this up 😊
For a compound radius you will with your strings off, you will still measure the fretboard radius at the last fret. You will then match your string radius to the fretboard radius.
This is an excellent video. Thank you so much. It helped me setup my Floyd. Everything went well but when I use the Floyd the strings just won’t stay in tune. It’s a brand new guitar so I’m stumped at this point. Any ideas on what it could be that’s causing it? Everything is tightened correctly and the bridge is level.
I have always owned a Westone spectrum LX & never had any issues! Now I purchased a Jackson from a local music store which was very noisy & crowded. As soon as I got home I drop tuned the guitar & everything went wrong! I am quickly realizing that I am ill informed on simple tremello set up & the tools to do so! Can I please purchase the KISS TOOLSET & IF SO, WHERE?
You can buy it online at Sweetwater, Amazon, Musicians Friend, Reverb and other. You can also purchase it on our website. If you are outside of the US you can find the distributor in your country that will help you find the products
My 1992 Korean made Hamer Slammer Series Centaura recently got last year my D string went out of tune and it popped off the bridge. I know it's floating bridge but because the strings touching the frets causing a buzz. This guitar is giving me nothing but trouble. What am I gonna do?????😭
Hi, great video. I just ordered some of the setup equipment from you guys. How does it work if I need to also change tuning from E standard to D standard with a different gauge of strings? What order is the process with this? Thanks!
Put on the new string gauge set and tune the instrument to the tuning you will use. The process/flow of the KISS setup method is the same to setup your guitar to the new string gauge and tuning.
Great resource, thank you. But please in the future either use better mic placement, more compression on the audio, or manual automation of volume level. I'm nearly unable to hear for a few seconds, so I turn the volume up only to be blasted as he talks more loudly or leans closer to the mic or whatever. Just some feedback! Thanks for the vid though :)
So Don't get me wrong as I love and have full understanding of the Floyd Rose locking trem system but If as you say here "The Floyd Rose Trem once set up properly will not go out of tune" Then why would you have a need for the fine tuners at the bridge? I know Floyd's are fantastic but not sure I'd agree with your statement I've got many Floyd equipped properly setup guitar that work excellent and they all need occasional ongoing tuning! If I were a nuby to guitar setups your statement would have me believing all of my guitars are possibly broken
The Floyd Rose system is designed to stay in tune when using the tremolo. This is what the Floyd Rose System achieves when setup properly. It is not implied that the guitar will never go out of tune and also explains how to setup the fine tuners to adjust tuning.
In this video Geoff explains that he needs to loosen the middle lock to be able to loosen and move the D & G strings to get the truss rod properly seated into the cavity to make the proper adjustment.
You will set your radius to 16, With your strings off, if you are not 100% sure what the radius is you will still measure the fretboard radius at the last fret. You will then match your string radius to the fretboard radius.
Hi, good tutorial. On my Ibanez RG550 (1989) I can't get the right relief because I can't loosen the truss rod any further (the bolt comes off). It doesn't even seem to do much of a difference if I tighten it. Also, I can't quite get to the low-med action because I've lowered the Floyd as much as I can (it won't go further down, I've reached the bottom). How do I address these problems? Thanks.
Hey hope you can reply, is it ideal to do this after restringing the guitar w/ brand new strings, or should I do this with stretched out strings already? ordering your tools online now i think its perfect
We recommend to follow the Pre Setup steps which include changing your strings checkout all the pre setup steps here www.musicnomadcare.com/How-To-Advice/Setup-Hub/The-Setup-Flow/
With your strings off, you measure the fretboard radius at the last fret. This should be the 16" radius. You will then match your string radius to the fretboard radius.
Since you can't change the radius at the nut and only at the bridge, does that mean that your nut radius will always be off? For example on a guitar like a ESP Ltd KH 602 with a 42mm nut width that normally comes with a 13.77 inch radius at fretboard, I would be able to set the floyd bridge to the right radius but the R2 nut that comes from the factory are build to a 10 inch radius according to the floyd spec sheet and that will be a bit off in comparison to the 13.77 inch fretboard radius that I need. Are there any solutions to this situation or do you just have to live with the radius being a bit off at the nut?
You will need to get your fretboard radius. With your strings off, you will measure the fretboard radius at the last fret using a radius gauge. Then match your bridge radius to the fretboard radius. If you a compound radius you still measure at the last fret and that will be the radius you will want to match for your bridge. You should reach out to the guitar manufacture regarding you nut any questions on the nut radius .
On a Floyd Rose there are no screws to adjust your string action and radius, you will need to add shims if you need to raise your action, you will remove existing shims if you want to lower your action. Make sure you order the proper Floyd Rose shims.
The bottom of the nut slot is the base of the locking nut clamp, so if you file it lower then the locking nut can no longer clamp it correctly. That’s why you have to do it from the bottom and not the top.
We believe your asking about springs not the strings but us know if we are wrong. It is a normal practice when you have too much vibration or noise to put tape around your springs to stop them for vibrating too much and making noise. This was done to the guitar prior to us doing the setup process if it is needed
We need some more clarification in regards of your saddle. Can you email our guitar tech at tech@musicnomad.com and he can get into the details with you
You will need to address your saddle to see if there is an adjustment/intonation you need to address to get intonated. You will want to make sure you followed the proper flow and perform all the setups in the KISS setup. If you have any further questions or needed on your setup email our guitar tech at Tech@musicnomad.com
@@MusicNomadCare Sounds good. Also my guitar was recently set up with a plek machine so it shouldn't be too far off. I'm still waiting on my strobe tuner to get delivered, but by ear I feel something is off. Maybe the hotter weather here, or strings stretching has me slightly out of tune.
You can buy it online at Sweetwater, Amazon, Musicians Friend, Reverb and other. You can also purchase it on our website. If you are outside of the US you can find the distributor in your country that will help you find the products
Next time use a guitar that’s not completely absolutely black so people watching can see what the heck you are doing- It’s all black with no differentiation between the different components
