how to install a floyd rose locking nut on fender neck 

Loved the comments about doing certain things when Drunk. All been here, and I feel ya on that!

Sometimes we say stupid things when drunk, and sometimes we wake up paranoid we said or did something dumber than we actually did. Don’t sweat it, appreciate the content

Thank you Will, for passing on your knowledge. I'm sure it comes from the trial and error of doing it numerous times. Also, Passing it on for free is much appreciated because you have no obligation to do it. Very cool.

I dont know what up with u these days. Of course. But, i love your attitude. The bit where u were working and talking on a side note, about drinking the previous night. I was laughing my ass off. Love it man. You seem like you have found a little inner peace. For the now. Hopefully it lasts awhile or forever for you. It nevet lasts long enuff for me. Have a good one man.

This video answered one of the hardest things I've tried to research....what Floyd Rose nut fits a Fender 1.650 width neck (ala MIM Strat)? Answer: The R3 with narrow string spacing. And it looks to be a perfect fit on the MIM neck. No obvious overhang right or left, which is what matters. The overhang towards the tuners is just fine.

Excellent tip on using the radius block as a guide! I got mine all strung up and realized I still needed to shave off another hair. Thanks man!

Eddie is my biggest inspiration when it comes to guitar playing, so really want to have a Floyd soon. Eddie and Randy will always be top 2!!!!

Best video on how to do this on RU-vid. I've got a neck that I need to do this on, and your vid gives me the confidence to know I can pull it off. Thanks!!!

I will be installing a locking nut and Floyd on the neck thru Strat soon. I REALLY appreciate this video!

Interesting that I found that mounting the Locking nut beHIND the existing nut and using the bar works just as well as replacing the nut. As long as like you said, the string in the locking nut stays parallel, it works perfectly without disfiguring my guitar!

Awesome Vid ! Beautiful job ! At my old shop we were doing so many Dave Murray type strats , we had to get a milling machine. Then i had to show everyone how to change end mills.

Thanks for making and sharing this very helpful and informative video Will. Wish you all the best and that everything in your life will keep improving after all you went through. Happy for your channel recovery that will always remain an important pillar of this community.

Loads of useful info - thank you so much. And something back for you. If you need to change the angle that the router travels, you don't need paper shims. Just move the radius block over a little in the direction you want to be lower. It moves along the circumference and tilts automatically.

Floyded Fenders are truly "super"-strats. This is a timely vid for me and I will definitely use my radius block to provide a level surface for the base of my router. (I was actually over thinking the problem and was going to build a primitive jig to do the same job!) Mine is a cheap strat aftermarket neck now "beaked" like an early Pacer. Thanks for the helpful clip.

Hahaha, dont feel bad about the drunk part. We all need that sometimes 👍🏻👍🏻. I really enjoyed watching your craftsmanship & experience. Thank you sir!

Will, I’ve watched a lot of your videos. You’re one of the best on RU-vid! Hope things work out out for you man.

I was at that show. VH in San Antonio, Texas. Great show.

'This wonderful high-quality plastic nut...' 'Chisel in the hand may be quite continental, But a razor is a luthier's best friend! A router may be grand, but it won't be the ruler...' RU-vid, BY THE POWER OF SPACE UNICORNS, I COMMAND YOU TO SUPPORT THIS MAN!!!

It needs huge experience to do that routing! thumbs up man!

Best video in a while, thanks, really chill, enjoyable and learned a few things. Super nice.

THANKS FOR POSTING THIS!! REEALLY needed this info!! SUPER HELPFUL!!!!

To get my guitar building course or other videos go here gelvinguitars.com/shop/

These are the best luthier videos one can find on youtube. And yeah, we all talk shit from time to time. I'm not here for the talking, i'm here for the skill.

I lowered a locking nut on an inexpensive Jackson. It was good to hear you say you could always shim it if you went too far ...... I went too far. LMAO I made my shim from a thin piece of maple. Live and learn.

thanks for this video, waiting for my locking nut, worked on my neck too using only chisel, sandpaper pretty works too.

Will Gelvin is to luthiery as Bob Ross is to painting

I was going to do the same thing to my Tele...I'm glad that I watched your video Thanks for a very usefull info. Greetings from Istanbul TURKIYE..

Great vid!! thanks for clearing up my ‘other’ comment... :) I love the way you take the time to explain what and why you are doing things! :)

I subscribed and rang the bell to ALL because of your humor and good info. Ive had my (very first electric) squier hardtail stratocaster taken apart for over a year now. Its torn down to each individual part and tagged so i dont forget each part. I planned on painting it, and putting a floyd rose on it because i was forced to sell my Ibanez JEM with a FR bridge at a pawnshop and was ROBBED. but i got busy with life and fixing/setting up friends and family member's instruments. I just finished resetting a neck on my brother-in-law's acoustic guitar that had been broken and the bridge had lifted... and that was A BITCH.... anyways, i think i want to put some time and money into my little Squier. I have super expensive guitars and i have Chinese guitars, but sometimes its all about the way it feels, and sound. With this specific Squier it has so many memories and scars on it. I actually had it with me when i nearly died with my brother in a very bad car wreck and all 3 of us somehow came out with just some stuff cut and broken.. Lol. I cant even express the sentimental value it holds. Im going to be doing this to that Squier. I already have 2 hand spun hotrails and a expensive humbucker that im gunna solder in. I just need to find the right locking nut and Floyd Rose for what im trying to do... im still not sure how im going to route the hole for the tremolo. I dont own a router but i do have access to one... i just feel like im maybe too many beers deep and im biting off more than i can chew. Lol.... maybe i should just paint the fucker, solder the pickups, and just put it back together....

Dude, awesome video! Love the comments and great information, suggestions, quality work. And finish off with a VH shirt...badass! Thanks for this!

Very informative I’m glad I watched before doing this myself. Thank you!

Thanks Will, great video once again, very helpful, Cheers

This was so much fun to watch. You are such a great guy and you really really know guitar. I dig the color on that guitar!

Thanks for sharing the skills Will.

Yeehaaa! Yeeehaaaa!!! YEEEEEHAAAA!!! Mr. Gelvin, welcome back! I've missed you sooo much, so I can't express how I'm happy seeing you around! Will is back! Will is back! Will is back!

my wife has ms. wish you the best. thanks for the video.

Thanks for the tutorial! Needed it for my project strat

Brilliant tutorial. Gonna do this to my strat. Thnx subscribed!

I love this channel, warts and all. I am so happy youre still giving us great content. I bought your tutorial series a while back and it would be impossible to regret it...unless it funded terrorism but...nah youre cool.

Loved the comment, "It's all about the experience." Hey that's life. This may be comprehended as "corny", but you speaking about saying things drunk, and living with the consequences the next day, well, I truly loved that, and I'm not a big subscriber. I almost never like, and subscribe to any channel, but that brought it home for me as well as the really good instructions. So, I liked, and subbed. GREAT VIDEO!

well done! thanks for explaining everything so well.

Very nice and helpful video. Thank you for sharing your experience.

I have that same shirt and I was wearing it while watching this

This video was *extremely* helpful--thanks!

Thank you so much I was making a Franken Strat and I couldn’t find a video for it thank you

I'm laughing at all of my comments on these videos over the years, man I sounded like a know it all asshole on some of them even though it wasn't my intent, just get excited about anything guitar! Will always be a big fan of this channel and keep coming back to these videos they are great references and still fun to watch!

The only beneficial video about a double locking system with hand power tools

I still need to do this exact thing, give or take some wood here or there. Thanks for the pointers!

Very nice step by step!! Thanks!

thank you so much. i was just gonna hit my guitar with a hammer before i saw this

This was very helpful, thanks.

Awesome! Thanks for this, I have a cheap strat I’m planning on installing an even cheaper Floyd for.

Everyone should note this man makes using a router look really easy. Its tricky frightening and easy to ruin a guitar in a flash! Just practice on something first a few times

This is awesome. Thank you!!!

I remember you talking about some health problems about a year ago... how is it going? I've changed my alimentation, stopped with milk and most of dairy products. I also avoid carbs the most i can (and i eat lots of good fat, like fat from pig, coconut oil and olive oil). Lost weight, have more energy and i'm healthier than ever. I used to get the flu like 6 times a year and it was really strong. After the changes i spent a whole year without getting the flu, it never happend before. Look for paleolithic, low carb and ketogenic diets. You'll find out lots and lots of stuff about our health and how better you can get. Most of autoimmune (your case) problems can be solved by changing the things you eat, because they are caused by things we shouldn't eat. Wanted to comment this before. I aways remember of you when i watch the videos about these things and they talk about autoimmune diseases.

Yay new videos! That strat is killer. Im a super strat guy all day. Love the older shred guitars. I lol at the live drunken stream side note. Hahahaha

Thank you for this video!!!!!

I don't have milling tool so I will use simple hand file. Pray for me :)

Thanks man, really helpful.

Thank you very much this helped a lot

Very interesting video! Thank you,

This is as soothing as watching Bob Ross paint, only fixing guitars

Thanks, a very informative video. It's inspired me to fashion a jig to make adjustable, all the routing angles and heights, possibly using one or more of the tuner holes for both increased accuracy and rigidity. I reckon what would really set off the colour balance of your guitar would be the addition of some black tuners. You'd only need to buy cheap ones as they aren't really doing all that much.

So you just made a badass Charvel. I love installing Floyds on strats they are just better term systems.

Great video 👍

Cool video pro in my opinion thanks for sharing this post 😊

hey thanks dude!! really helpfull stuff!!

Good job 🤟🤟🤟this Is a great upgrade,!!!

this is a great video. Thanks.

I put locknuts on just about all my builds. When dealing with a nut that installs in a slot (Fender style), I just file down the bit at the end with a Shinto saw rasp. Router supported by radius block - WAY OVERKILL ! Probably much harder to control too. Right sized tool for the job - and most carpentry tools are oversized for guitar building. Use a fret pulling guard to check the action at the nut - it's thin enough to fit in a nut slot. I typically mount them so the bottom of the slots are just ( 0.1 mm ) above the fret plane, and the front of the nut is vertical and flush with the end of the fingerboard. String retainers are only required if the break angle behind/above the nut is insufficient. I also don't use screws - I just glue the nut in place with CA glue.

thanks man, you´re awesome

Very useful. Thank you.

Nicely done.

Nice work!

that guitar was so much cooler of a color than I was expecting haha

i love learning thanks

Most people are haters they like like people doing better then themselves so they try to bring you down to there level ... But awesome video you teach very well

great job! thanks a lot!

LOL, a lil overhang from the night before huh... We've all been there a time or 3... Great job on nut mount.

Good news, this channel is showing up in my related vids sidebar. RU-vid must be promoting you again! Bad news is it takes about 5 hours for this channel's vids to show up in my subscriptions page. I've got the bell notifications though even with the bell notifications for this channel turned on.

Beautiful guitar dude.

I like to wrap a piece of painters tape around my drill bit at the distance I want to drill into the wood. It acts as a guide To keep me from drilling all the way through like you mentioned.

I remember that guitar, I really wanted it.

Like the flourescent colors (solid locking nut)

you the best

Want to do this to my OLP MM1 ..Which is a Awesome guitar that Ernie Ball licenced out in the early 2000s as an Axis clone ...these affordable guitars have some great pickups and even better necks...great guitar for the money... My issue is that the but shelf after routing has less room than the fender....being that the locking nut hangs over about an 8th of an inch....it works but I want to be sure for the long haul....my question is .could I add a small piece of maple to extend the shelf to better fit the new locking nut?....by gluing the small piece of maple and contouring it with some sandpaper around a pencil. To match the headstock?..any help would be awesome!!!keep all the awesome vids coming! Love the channel

I started a project with a lot of assumptions and not knowing a lot of details. Ended up with a 10" radius locking nut. A 12" radius fretboard and a 14" radius bridge trem. The assumption was it was all 12" Radius. Turned out it was all 14" radius. 1988 Casio PG 380 synth guitar (high end strat) with all Gotoh hardware. Not sure that a 10" - 14" makes that much difference BUT it is all wrong in my mind. Has taken me a long time learning what the differences are in the hardware. Found out the floyd nuts are all 10" radius now when at one time the R3 was a 12". The Gotoh is 14" radius. The Floyd bridges come as a 10" radius BUT have a removable shim to make it a 12" the Gotoh is a 14" etc......Getting there (I think?) In redoing the neck with a new fret board the head stock end is narrower now so looking to do a R2 style nut with tighter string spacing from the R3 type BUT is still a 10" radius. Already put the 12" radius on the board feel like it is too late to change back to the 14"...

I might buy a guitar neck from Guitar Fetish. They have it pre routed for a 42mm nut. I want to use a Gotoh tremolo and was hoping to have a matching nut, but Gotoh makes their nuts in 41mm and 43mm.

thanks for this video really informative :) question though: would it not be better to use sharp chisels instead of a router if you have more time?

I hate that the tuning keys are chrome and not black😂 but still, cool video Will. Definitely learned important stuff. Maybe you could teach us how to set a paint gun properly too? That’d be awesome

Man I would have a hard time taking a router to my guitar ....it's so damn final!! But good information to obtain , thanks

What kills me is I searched the net I got forums and everyone says no you can't put a locking nut on just any guitar you need fine tuners for that WTF I swear the internet has misinformed alot if people I tell you I put one on my dean strat that way I could do string gauge up down and I did not have to reslit or put a new nut in everytime I changes string gauges for down tuning I Shure wish people would use common sense for a change . By the way used this video for reference nice job

I also sometimes say things I shouldn't while drinking. My wife is usually a good sport but I most often get myself in trouble on Facebook. Vowing to myself not to browse FB before I start drinking (vodka for me) sometimes helps.

5:36 the way i do this is with a drill press loaded with an end mill. you remove the tuners and the neck will be flat on the drill press and the end mill will be perfectly perpendicular and flat with the neck.

Thanks for the vid. I assume that there is enough room to make a truss rod adjustment? It looks close. Also curious if you rounded off the edges that the new locking nut didn't cover.

Great video, your voice sounds like Jeff Daniels lol

nice video, if you take off the tuners you'll be able to clamp the headstock flat against the table, cheers

hi, great video. I have a question about Gotoh's locking nuts : my guitar's original locking nut width :42 mm but Gotoh only provide 41 and 43 mm. So, does that meanI can't use the Gotoh?thank you

hello, did you do the floyd pool in that start ? does the pool make a difference? , good channel

I'm going to buy a really cheap neck along with some radius blocks and try this... I have a strat project and I really don't like that neck so much.. Wouldn't mind doing this to a second hand squire neck or something.