Replacing A Cheap Floyd Rose Tremolo With An Original Floyd Rose 

I have a lower end Jackson guitar I got for cheap and this is exactly what I did to it. replaced the licensed by Floyd for an actual Floyd. World of a difference

Just note that it is important the studs are the same metal as the base plate. Any mismatch will wear down that metal (whichever is softer) prematurely. Usually if you buy a brand new Floyd, you get the proper studs in the box but after market studs are not always the quality we think. Just stick with genuine Floyd posts for genuine Floyd bridges. And never adjust those posts while the bridge plate is putting pressure on them.

thank you! replaced mine in 20 min thanks to this video

As you know, the Floyd has to be level with the body. Then the bar will be in the proper place/angle. What I do is level the Floyd with paper towels under it, then tune it, then - turn the claw springs until the guitar is in tune. Done!

I haven't changed the strings on my Suhr for two years cuz the Floyd scares me but I guess today is the day! Thanks for the motivation!

this was extremely helpful in alot of ways, thank you for making this video

Yeah once you learn how they work Floyd's are no big deal. Plus side is if you can adjust a Floyd you can adjust pretty well any floating trem. Just takes a little patience at first. In the long run the stability and fun you get from a good floating trem is out of this world! As usual an awesome video thanks Marty!!! 🤘🤘🤘

Great Video, thanks for going to the trouble to make it. It's very helpful. 🙂👍

Very helpful. Thanks.

You would have had an easier time refloating the trem if you put the springs in the same configuration and not moved the claw. Originally your springs were in the parallel configuration (III). When you reinserted the springs they were in the triangle configuration (/I\). Therefore the two outside springs were pulling more tension. Hence the need to refloat. Also, it's hard to tell by the video, but your trem block looks like it may be too long on the real floyd. If you have tuning issues in the future, it may be one of two things related to the block. If is too long and there isn't sufficient clearance the block may hit the trem cavity cover or your body (if you leave the cover off like me) while playing. Or in certain instances, when the springs are not parallel and bend up at the block end, the springs may not correctly reset the the trem. It's really guitar dependant on that issue. I've had some reset fine and some not. Anyhow if you have tuning stability issues, it's an easy fix. Just measure the length of the block in millimeters and order a brass block off Amazon for $20. Next up, you may need to match the radius of the fingerboard and bridge by shimming the saddles. Anyhow, great video. Nothing better than a properly set up Floyd.

As you said after some years of using Floyd's it's just routine my first was in 1984 on a Kramer now it's really no big deal just a little patience is all that's required that guitar should be wayyy better now 👍

I would put a FU Tone big brass block, stiffer springs & titanium inserts & intonation screws. I did my Jem Jr that way.

I wish I had a work bench so I can work on my hellraiser with it's floyd rose. I remember learning how to change the strings on it and service it (I even did it in my barracks room on my bed). I still prefer a floyd rose to the other tremolos. I've used a hipshot and fender, and I have to say the floyd rose is the best. Keeps the guitar in tune, and you can go absolutely wild with the pitch bending.

I hear you on the decades of Floyd tweekn. I've got to watch the kit build to see why there is no screws on the back of the neck. Must be set? Good stuff Marty Man.✌👍💪🎸

I was waiting on the "Intonation" lol .... Great Guide video ;)

For those saying you shouldn’t turn bridge posts with the tension I’ve done it on my Wolfgang standard for years with the stock floyd and my knife edges are fine. Just do slight quarter turns (not that I ever really messed with it to begin with but I did have to tinker with it time to time.)

I've got a floyd rose on my schecter never cared for tremolo on my guitars! I make most of my tremolo set! I agree to much work! lol! thanks Marty!

It’s a lot easier to re-clamp the strings in the saddles with the springs off, and then reattach the springs. Also please don’t wind the bridge posts in or out with the bridge under tension. Always remove the springs and detune. Turning them against the knife edges on the baseplate can score the pivot points on the bridge posts which can lead to the trem not returning to true zero, causing tuning issues. If you’ve ever pulled back on a FR and when you let go your tuning is slightly sharp, this is usually why.

I do this all the time

6:39 I tried doing that and ended up chipping the paint on the little thin part before the pickups... It's near impossible to pull them out.

worth it for sure!!

Do i need to replace the screws in the body of the guitar of a floyd rose special if I replace it with a new floyd rose original?

Question my guitar has 10mm string spacing can I fit an original floyd rose? Original has 10.7 string spacing and I can't find the German made Pro version that had narrow 10mm or .400 string spacing, the new made in Korea pro is the same spacing as an original now!

Great video, thank you for walking us new to building folks through this. If you don't mind my asking, I built an Ibanez Jem kit from solo, and the wiring diagram is just a photocopy of a bad pencil drawing can you suggest a good way to learn wiring up the pickups and switches?

I'd replace most of those crappy floyds you get on these guitars with a good original floyd. Would suggest doing a big block update too. It was a great upgrade on my peavey Wolfgang....

So, the Chinese and the original Floyd are about the same size after all. The one complaint I have with the Chinese Floyd is the whammy just flops around freely. I don't know why but the trem block of the original seems to be a bit higher than the Chinese version. Thanks a ton, this is exactly what I was looking for because I have a guitar with a Chinese Floyd as well.

Thanks for all the info Marty. Just curious, is the Floyd Rose 1000 series considered a good trem system? What do you like better?

Like 10 years ago I took an Ibanez RBM10 to a luthier to change the cheap Ibanez bridge for an original floyd but after a while I saw the 6th string at the 22th fret was barely over the edge of the fretborad. The Floyd was not aligned with the guitar neck. I still want to fix it but I don't dare to do it myself since is a very rare guitar.

i bugs me when they put angled rings on straight on necks or vice versa. My usa Charvel came with top mounted floyd and angled neck but flat short rings, bugged me like crazy, put the taller angled rings on and perfect now.

I have a Jackson Randy Rhoads 1996 with what a presume is a licensed Floyd (it says Jackson on it). Can i replace it with a Special or Original floyd rose?

I'm gonna have to watch this again and again. First timer obviously. But I liked the video

Hmm. I didn't know there was a cheap Floyd rose. Makes me rethink my Peavey wolfgang.

Marty do you have any videos on settings up a Floyd rose?

Bad. Setup marty. Whats the poknt of an og floyd set it up floating and worn out post knives because u adjusted the post hieght under preassure?

Should def consider ditching those cheap, overly long springs. Thats a big part of your problem. Block is too long, as well. Another tip: slightly overtighten spring/claw screws, prior. Tune up a little sharp, to compensate. Then, just ease up on em, while watching your sharp note slip into the right spot.

Marty... is appears the plastic bridge pickup mount is backwards. Increasing the height rear of the bridge coil closer to the string. The coil is angled, not flush with strings.

7:19 pov you just rolled every thread in that post

Did u change the nut? Is that nesesary? I have a special Floyd rose and wanna get an original ‌and just wanna know that do I have to change the nut?

Hey Marty great video god knows we all meed floyd info. so could you respond what type of floyd is it?? and do you know where it was made? thanks again for the video made me less nervous about doing swap myself.

I changed my ltd with FR special for the first time today and now you see where I am.

Replace the locking nut with a roller nut, and the tuners with locking tuners, and you've got the same system, just trouble free, with tuning at the headstock.

How many mm is your string off the 12th fret. Is 3-4mm too much?

Always appreciate your gear knowledge. Could you do a video that explains how to set the intonation on say a Gibson style guitar. I would appreciate it like all of your videos. Happy New Year 🎉

The saddle alignment looks off to me.my Floyd's don't look anything like that..just curious 🤔....

Just put block of wood in hole slap on a bigsby....nice

Always wanted to know what a man would have to go through to set up a Floyd Rose or at least that part of it now I know

👍

It’s night n day on licensed and original.

If messing with tension, tune up or down first. easier

God for you Marty. Why destroy a perfectly good set of strings as many do? We live in a world of limited resources.

Ive brought a evh red frankenstein chinese rip off from aliexpress with a bad floyd rose,is it hard to replace?(for a firstimer)

You shouldn't have adjusted the intonation screws on the floyd to match the old trem because the intonation will be different on it.

tune your guitar in this order too save mega time setting floating bridges up...g d b a high e low e, its magic

That’s all Eddy Van Halen would use wasn’t it?

No there's no post work you got to do. You remove the screws first, then install the hole nut to height with a dowl punch. You smacked the whole thing in at once with the screws in it. Floyds original or others from factory have a spec sheet, follow it.

Would have been easier to reset your strings before you put the springs back on.

With an FR bridge I jam a piece of wood and 4 or pennies in ‘em. Lock that 80’s nonsense down!

Gotoh floyd rose trem is cheaper and better than original floyd rose.

Why does the chrome on these look like a kids plastic toy with cheap looking plastic style chrome, just got one in chrome for the first time. Looks awfully cheesy cheap.

14:20 you just ruined your brand new floyd rose. Don't EVER turn those screws with ANY tension on the strings. The knives are now ruined, and it wont keep tune.

Frouxa a ponte pra frente antes de girar os pivô

one thing I've never understood why make products shitty? like Chinese stuff! repeat business hurts the entire world with wasted shit! big business sucks! thanks for letting me vent! lol

The Floyd Block is too deep for the body

But wasn't Floyd black Marty? lol

That's got to be the ugliest, three coulor fade I've ever seen.

I'm sorry brother..... But this was basically "How to improperly install a Floyd Rose" I'm not going to bother typing in the plethora of things you did wrong ..... Also it would be another page of things you did not mention at all. I would just suggest anyone watching to find another video for a tutorial. There are plenty of detailed and correct YT videos you can find. If you have not gotten the "Return You Tube Dislike" add on ....I suggest you do that and find one with a lot of likes and few dislikes. Everyone has the right to make information available..... But that can also very bad information. Installing an aftermarket Floyd is not rocket science..... But is extremely more involved than this gentleman has portrayed. They are definitely not a plug and play type deal. Unless you are putting in an identical bridge, this video will only create more problems.

This is a plywood guitar... 🤮