Its not difficult at all, people make it sound harder than it is. It takes only 10 min if you are used to it. Perfect tuning stability and I even use a Floyd Rose Special, which people say sucks haha. Its all about a correct set up!
@@MG-ln1yw definitely. I've had a Schaller Floyd, licensed, and Special, and I never had an issue with either of them. Setup IS key, as you stated. A spacific set of strings, will almost always ensure near perfect bridge return also. I found it easier too, during the winding step. I string up all the strings, with no string slack, do the "tune o matic," string tie at the key. While the bridge is down, and after I string up all the strings, I found it easier than a block, to wind each string in sets of twos. Both Es at the same time, A and B, then D and G little bits at a time, until the bridge plate goes back to flush with top. I discovered, that almost always, when the bridge is flush, the tuning goes back to the previous tuning. I skip the string stretch, and dip and raise the bar a few times for strerching. Tune with the keys again, stretch with the trem, tune again, until the tuning stays in tune. Believe it or not, it will stay in tune once they've stretched enough. That's when I lock and fine tune. But that worked for me, so far I haven't seen anyone else do it. But the springs and strings and adding tension, is sort of like bolting a flange for heavy steal piping, and or tightening bolts on your tire. Generally you would use a star method of tightening, so that one side of a flange doesn't leak and adds equal pressure around the flange, like your tire. Same with the Floyd, little bits of tension two strings at a time helps bring the bridge back where it was.
Here is the trade. Take all the time you spend tuning and retuning your fixed bridge guitar, total all that up over the course of a year and it will be way longer than the time to properly set up your floyd rose. Change one string at a time and its easy. The only time it's hard is if you completely remove the floyd and the claw underneath. Changing guage strings also causes a headache. But I've used the same guage for 20 years. As Guitarists we get very set in our ways like an old mechanic... "Carburetors are way easier and better than fuel injection!''... Nope you just have to learn it.
Philip, I'm thankful that you, Eddie Van Halen, Steve Vai, Joe Satriani, Nuno, George Lynch and many others aren't afraid of Floyds like a lot of your viewers. Great tip on the little blocks , stretching and being easy.
Philip, thanks again. I've been playing Floyds since 1983. Jacksons, Kramers and custom V. Some floating some to the body ala Eddie. I prefer the one at a time method. With the floating bridge it should be level with the body and once the new string is stretched out and tuned to pitched the bridge will be level again. I love changing strings and my friends guitars too. Installing strings on new build can be more difficult and time consuming. Look forward to all your videos.
Thank you again for taking the stigma away from someone working on a Floyd Rose. Exactly how I have been restringing my guitars with that set up for years using the Trem Lock and never had an issue.
Just restrung my son's floyd guitar. (squier contemporary) -- B/c of your teaching, bought the tremblock and followed your instructions. So much easier than before. THANK YOU!!!!!!!
@@TheRealReTox yeah it does. I've been thinking about trying it. I build some custom guitars and basses, just as a hobby. I might give it a try. Soon but I've building a bound Tele bass short scale right now.
@@TheRealReTox yeah man go for it. All you need is a Squire a barrel some water and paint. I've got a ton of Bronco bass bodies. All I use is the necks from them. I might just give it a try on one. I've got a stack of them.
Had no idea a Floyd Rose was so much maintenance.....just bought one and will learn to live with it but now thinking maybe a fixed bridge would have been better...oh well....at least your videos are there to help and you make great videos....thanks so much.
I've had a Floyd Rose for 30 years, and this video is WAY more complicated than it needs to be. I love Phil, but you don't need a block of any kind, ever. The equilibrium of string tension to spring tension will take over, which he did mention by adjusting the claw. But just take all the strings off, put 'em on, then just tune up. The bridge will set itself to level when it's in tune (equilibrium!), assuming you've previously adjusted the claw, which you should only have to do once. Easy peasy.
Thanks Phil. I am currently doing my first guitar build. I would like to use a Floyd Rose trem. This video helped me a great deal. Thanks so much for being such a great guy. Thanks again.
Their precision screwdrivers with all sizes of hex heads is pretty handy for RC and Guitar and a lot of their stuff is fine for light to medium duty if your not a pro who uses the tools all day every day.
I used a Harbor Freight chainsaw sharpener wheel for 2 seasons as a full time climber. I had a coupon, think it was $25 out the door. Sold it on Craigs for 30 bucks when I got a real one. I probably sharpened 25 chains with it, and they are big Stihl pro saws. Also got their soldering gun kit that I've used exclusively for guitars, cords and I fixed a TS9 with it...ten bucks. HF is okay if ya know what to get and its not critical.
I knew the theory behind this but spent a morning getting my Ibanez FR adjusted/intonated correctly. To adjust the height and intonation, I just removed the strings on the back which took the tension off and so could increase/decrease the pivot screw height and the saddles back and forth. Putting the springs back should get the guitar nearly back in tune. You definitely need to do this a few times and then you get a "feel" and become one with the Floyd. It's a challenge but one well worth it :)
Very easy to understand and thorough “how to” video that also helps me understand why many don’t want to deal with a Floyd Rose system. I’m sure it is easy once you get used to it but I’ll pass on buying a guitar with that bridge for now.
I'm definitely sharing this to some facebook groups.. there seems to be a lot of guitarist that "hate" Floyd Rose, but I believe its more of they're "afraid" of Floyd Rose.
Thanks! I’ve watched a bunch of other videos on this subject and not knowing anything I could see they were over complicating things. Thanks for this simple fix. I need to find someone who can 3D print a block or spacer to restrict the bridge when not needed.
Awesome! I bought a sweet, used Jem 7WH and I'm terrified to change strings or even tune it, to be honest. So I'm always super-appreciative for these vids re: floating bridge.
I finally got to where I can setup a floyd. I put a socket under the bridge. Like where you put the paper. Then I loosen all the strings, take them off. Put on the new ones. Tune up make any slight adjustment of the claw. And I'm done. I found it works if I have the bridge pretty level when it's in tune befoe I take out the socket. Sometimes it falls out on its own. Plus you gotta stretch the strings good.
Damn. I just set up my floyd from scratch using your method. Cool vid. Worked perfect. When I was a teen i literally thought i broke my guitar after changing strings and sold it for 60 dollars. If I only knew then. Took this long to try a floyd again.
Great tips. I've been having a little bit of difficulty getting one of the strings to lock in on my '92 Jackson Dinky XL. I just checked and, yep, the block is cracked into two pieces. Looks like I've been tightening them too much. Thanks.
Thanks so much for posting this Phil. I emailed the link to myself so when I have to restring my Wolfgang and my Ibanez Jem Jr. I'll have what I need to do it correctly. As usual thank you for your time for doing these instructional videos.
just a thanks i for this video i broke two strings trying to string up my new Jem before watching this so i bought a new pack and watching this i did it perfectly
Have a Washburn with a Floyd Rose, is about 25 years old, hated it ever since I changed the first set of strings. After watching the video, I'm convinced that the only thing it has going for it is it's going on Craigslist.
If you are using the same gauge strings you can put a CD case cover under the bridge to keep it level and then when the strings are in tune you able to slide case lid right out from under the bridge. I would also use a cassette lid. I’ve been doing it that way since the 80s.
Using the "One for One" replacement method has been the fastest for me when the goal is to get back to a stable and tuned instrument as quick as possible. While the technique shown here may be faster to physically replace the strings, the re-tuning takes much longer (in my experience) as the strings stretch unevenly all at once. Still, Floyds are easy compared to those pin-ended Bigsby's that are strung over a floating bridge! I fear for my safety every time I change my Gretsch strings.
yep. i just restrung my floyd rosed schecter banshee for the first time and it took 2 and a half hours.but afterwards i played some EVH licks and it is all worthy:)))
Tone vise looks cool. And floyd rose really arent that bad to deal with just gotta know what ur doing. Junk mail line was pretty funny and u dont gotta buy a special tool lol
Wow. I had an LTD Kirk Hammett that was so awesome I could remove all the strings, all the blocks, the locking nut and all the strings. Restring put blocks back, tune, replace nut, and shred without even touching the springs and the floyd stayed perfectly floating every time with no issues....swear to God it took less then 10 minutes to change the strings with no problems during or after...lol.
This was very helpful. You know, you'd think that they could include a built-in spring/string relief mechanism, like a bolt that slides and locks from either direction in the body to hold the block in place just so.
Hey Phil. Thank you for the super usefull tech tips. I have the dumbest question EVER... How do HOLD floyd rose springs on the tremolo side? Not on the "spring plate" side. They keep jumping all the time! Aren't those supposed to hold on a balance? On my ibanez Lo Trs trem II they have some sort of a little hole that holds the spring, because it locks there. But on my Ibanez Jem Jr. Tremolo they keep jumping! Thanks in advance
Phillip you are a master in so many areas! I only play Floyd Rose guitars, and although it can take time to master a setup and re-string, this video makes it very easy! Thank you my friend for sharing your many skills with us! Your new guitar looks fantastic! Will you have other color or graphics options eventually?
I have been asking for a video like this in the KYG live chat on Fridays... Then I found this video... LOL ... Thanks Phil ! I have a Jem with an Edge zero (?) trem but i assume it is similar to work with
Had an Ibanez S470 back in the late 90's. Loved the guitar - ended up hating the Floyd Rose after a while so I sold it. Hard tail all the way ever since! :-) This video would have probably saved me some frustration. Great video Phil!
Some tool put 26 Canadian pennies in my Ernie Ball Music Man JPXI 7 FBR that I bought used from Guitar Center. Had to remove that crap and then I found out the pickup was flipped. I had to solder a piece of 4 conducter wire from another pickup laying around to make the wire long enough to orient the bridge pickup with the rail towards the bridge. I got it to stay in tune after stretching the new strings I put on. Finally I have 2 Ernie Ball Music Man Petrucci 7 string guitars with the mag/piezo outs. Wish they would do that for Sterling 7 strings as well.
This method works, But I just leave the ball end on(don't cut it off) and run it through the tuning key and cut it at the tail of the Floyd Rose bridge. Gives you a perfect two-half wraps and your not fumbling trying to held the string in place while you turn the turner.
A Floyd is not as scary as the truss rod. For most, they have no idea what it does, how it works or how to adjust it properly. That would be a good video to make.
Thankfully i took the floyd rose plung as a wee high schooler so they arent scary anymore. I use em as a light tremelo which is like using a machete to open a letter, but hey, i like the system
I love how in your videos you always have some nice little tool for the job, but then you're immediately like "Or you can just use some random junk from around the house so you don't have to spend money."
I thought that one is JEM DNA until I saw the cut away and look closely to the bridge. That Washburn looks nice, especially with Nuno's signature on it. I have an Ibanez S470 with ZR bridge on it. Not strictly a Floyd Rose, but close enough. Usually I don't cut the ball end off, I leave them on on the tuner side. They just stick out of the tuner by ... probably 1 cm or 5mm. I usually use the 'next tuner' rule -- just measure the string flat with extra same distant as the distant between tuner. Usually that's a good fit on the plain strings, but might be a bit too long on the wound strings. The excess ball end does not cut my finger like the cut strings, so I leave it that way. It probably has down sides though. I am currently fighting with the G string, as it does not want to stay in tune for long. I have to unlock the nut from time to time (I put Elixir on it as I don't want to restring as often). Still identifying what is the problem. May be caused by the ball that I leave it on the tuner lol.
Good video! Two of my guitars have the FR tremolo, although I put a Tremol-No on one of them. I use the one string at a time method when replacing the strings and stretch them as I go. If I tune the low E to pitch it is an E flat by the time I get down to the high E string. Anyone else experience this? Does this imply there's something wrong with the guitars setup?
I know a lot of players that dont cut the ball and of the string off they string it through the tuning peg.I have never tried that but they swear by it.
I just replace the tuners with locking tuners and get rid of the locking nuts, and tune it using the tuner and the spring claws. It takes a bit longer, but eventually it gets in tune and the bridge is flush.
I wonder if anyone else uses the same method I do. I always switch all strings at once (I like to clean the neck and polish/oil if needed). Then using a poly tune I start to tune the strings towards pitch, tuning half a turn before jumping to the next string. Quickly it will be in tune. Stretch, play lots of bends, retune a few times, lock, done. The key is the polytune, makes it go quite fast.
Sir, i own a 7 string guitar and im really prostrated in tuning it since I re string it. Anyways, any video on how to tune, setting intonation and changing a light set of strings to heavy in a 7 string guitar. More power to your channel, ive always watched your episodes on decision making on picking pedals, and guitars.
I've had my Trem-lock since the '90s. A few years ago I wanted to gift one to a friend and I looked all over the internet for days and could not find one, I figured they just stopped making them. So.....who's selling these now?
What about restringing the string with the ball end holding in the tuner(s)? I did that with my Ibanez RG550, and seemed fine as well. I’d cut the string just passed the block area where the strings go in. I did have to run the “low E” the usual way, as it was a 10-52 set for Drop B, because the winding by the ball was too thick. But maybe it’d be ok with a 9-42/10-46 gauge set?