In this video, I talk about some of the advantages and disadvantages of the Floyd Rose tremolo system. Don't forget to like, share this video, leave a comment, and subscribe!
The whole flattening of the other strings during bends is kind of a dealbreaker for me. It's a trade between functionality that I do use regularly with functionality that I don't.
@@funkyfinnegan uh, no? doesnt that just make it so you cant pull up on the whammy. Im not disagreeing I just dont have understanding of a trem blocker if itll actually stop the tension on other strings during bends.
idk with my edge pro(ibanez prestige bridges) never really noticed my bridge moving much at all when I bend. I think edge pros are like the best floating bridges in the world though. Certainly i never notice being out of key or tune when I do reinforced bends it sounds just fine.
Personally, I love my Floyd. Yes, it was kind of a hassle to set up at first, but it only gets easier from there, and I virtually never have to tune it.
@@kelektark7691 Making it so you can only go down in pitch, rather than both directions. There's a lot of things for it like tremblockers. It's mostly because the tension of the back springs is enough to hold the trem flush with the body, leading to changing tunings just feeling like a Fender trem with much better tuning stability. Technically that's how Floyd Roses were meant to be installed as well, it's why old Kramers didn't have a little body cavity cut out on the top. People didn't really use it as a floating bridge back then because it hurts tuning stability.
I've been in the process of making my ibanez into one with the floyd rose tremlo bridge and I've been putting it off since I have to carve out the cavity for the bridge myself..I could have easily been talked out of it but your light words of heavy influence really solidified my decision of continuing with the plan for the floyd rose :) thanks dude.
Make sure it comes properly set up for your preferred string gauge and desired tuning and when changing strings, either change one at a time or block the bridge beforehand. If you have one more guitar you can easily change tuning if you wish to, Floyd Roses are excellent, but unless you really only play on a single tuning, don't get one to be your one and only guitar. Also, don't buy it just for the novelty of whammy bar tricks, you'll end up getting bored of it and loose the only reason you've bought it. I got mine mostly for the higher tuning stability, most of the time I don't even have the bar on.
Buying a Floyd and not using the bar is like buying a Porsche without a stick shift. Yeah, you can do it...but every excuse you make up just exposes your lack of skill.
@@philfrank5601 that's nonsense, i like the bar but i have been amazed at how better my schaller stays in tune compared to my fixed bridges, it's amazing to be able to play for ages and not have any slippage. Even high end hardtails go out if you are aggressive, but a well setup floyd can stay in for a whole gig
I agree that if you only have one workhorse, you're gonna have less trouble with a hardtail, but if you're going to play in a more aggressive way, the Floyd rose is gold.
Solid short vid. No fluff. Thanks. Also I love your LTD. If I was buying one that is exactly what I’d get. That all around inlay!!!! I’m a sucker for it.
You make a great point on only Floyds being worth using. The fact that I only used the bridge and neck pickup on my Strat and that I was completely indifferent to the tremolo was a sign I should have opted for a Tele way back.
Extremely informative video. Excellent job. After watching this, it's really not something I want to mess with. I mean, is it really worth going through all that hassle just to do a stupid dive bomb when you can do something just as creative using other more subtle tricks and techniques. Very good job of explaining all this, very thorough.
Thank you sooo much for this video! The floyd rose does appear intimidating at first glance. I was just about to purchase one from guitar center without knowing much about them SMDH!
I'll get a floyd guitar but only because I already have one with a hard tail which is great for messing with the tuning. I'll set up the floyd guitar in drop D and use the digitech drop to tune lower if need be. The less you mess with it the better.
I have both a floyd and a fixed bridge, bt after doing research I believe that the Kahler bridge is the best. Why? because it's both a fixed and tremolo system. The bridge locks into place and you can play it like any other but then simply unlock and use it just like a floyd. Only problem is the price because its about $300 for just the bridge and parts. If I had the money it would definitely be a good investment.
Well, I bought a use Suhr with the Floyd Rose, and wow, it seems like a real pain. But, your video was great and I will work with the guitar. Thank you.
This is a great video. I think I've learned that the cons outweigh the pros for me. I may get a guitar setup with one for fun, or try it at a guitar center one day, but my itch to perform those dragonforce tricks has disappeared when I think about all the stuff you've gotta do.
thanks !! 2nd string going flat ?? wow I never had that i go ever and it is very useful !!! Im into Brad Gillis stuff and he has the first Floyd Rose type which did not had bridge fine tuners !! Amazingly he knows how to setup these and still stays in tune plus he pretty much does all the show mostly with one guitar !!! But with your input, yikes I will stay with my standard block and tunings to,go along with drop D's or whatever tuning I want !!! Excellent imp info !
Floyd Rose + ESP arming adjuster = WIN. Floyd rose capability , rock solid tuning , attack , sustain of a fixed bridge. Faster to tune too. Steve vai uses almost same kind of the system, called ibanez trem stopper, shown on his live rig rundown videos :)
I didn't get a floyd until after playing hardtails for 20 years. Most people will never get through the hype of them being a pain. When you learn how to do things properly it takes zero effort. My first floyd set up took about 4 hours because I didn't look for help. Now I have it down to about 15 min. Using a block or stack of business cards to hold the bridge level allows you to tune or down tune in seconds, without having to mess with the claw. The only real downsides are breaking a string on stage and bending doublestops. Plus, you can always hardtail it and be in tune forever.
I've been using them for thirty years! By doing nothing other than properly removing the springs I can remove the bridge, set it next to the guitar, work on the guitar and then replace the bridge and the springs and the guitar is still perfectly in tune!
Hello from the other side of the world probably (Osaka Japan o/) but I was curious and searching this topic as to why so many of you dislike FR! But yes it isn't a hassle to use and is extremely versatile more than what you would think. Playing on stage I replaced most of my instruments with FR style bridges because I just love the feel and stability. Really just tricks not always fitting the style, so dont think that. My advice is to get one early so you will become familiar using it and then all of the hassle is removed through repeat and experience. Next you will simply have an extra tool, which providing you buy a decent guitar with an FR original component is nice and will serve your learning very much.
@@ErraticFaith Well most people just hear how complicated it is and can't be bothered to see actually how simple it is. I'll admit I was one for years. I watched a video on the FU Tone channel and it changed my life on floyds. People have this opinion of when you tune one string it throws all the other strings out. And it does, if you do it wrong. If you just block the floyd and then tune, remove the block. It will be slightly out of tune. People try to use the fine tuners and it throws the guitar out of whack. But if you take the block out and then tune the A string by adjusting the claw in back of the guitar and not the fine tuners, it pulls the guitar into tune evenly. If tuning a hard tail is a 1/10 for difficulty, tuning a floyd is a 2/10 if you know how to do it properly. But after 30 years of people saying it's complicated, it's hard to convince people otherwise.
@@strayzilla Yes, I understand you (: Its a shame an similar in much of music. People read online that its so difficult and think it make sense because they have no knowledge thats different. Its frustrating very much when beginners tell you what they have read, doubting your actual experience and it happens with many things. My keyboard player says the same. She came to a class and young students saying something is useless because it lacks one modern feature. Then when she will play on an much older board they are surprised because it sound so great even with older technologies! Never any replacement for learn, practise and experience. If you read its just an opinion but maybe for you, you will personally like it! So you must always not take other peoples words but make some for yourself. I hope its clear what I mean (: My ESP guitars with OFR are so special for me because the stability and play is so great. I have some hardtail and other but always I reach for it and its strange to not have it now so you get used to it and extra work become worth it. Thanks!
@@ErraticFaith I just had my first guitar a month ago and it was equipped with a Floyd Rose bridge but before that, I consumed all the information I could find about dealing with a Floyd Rose bridge. By the time my guitar came, I was able to set it up and tune it in less than 30 minutes and it does hold tune pretty well.
I always brought them to a shop until this week, when I decided to do it myself, to change my gauge and tuning. Well it turned out perfectly. The only thing I regret is thinking it was too hard to do myself for so long. It isn’t. My next guitar will be a fixed bridge, because I would like to also have a fixed bridge where I can quickly change whatever I want. But if I didn’t have a Floyd I would want one.
I am thinking of getting a guitar with a floyd rose bridge. What would be your suggestion? My first guitar is a fixed bridge basic bolt-on Ibanez guitar which I have always been happy with, actually. I am also looking for a set-thru or neck-thru model. Should I get a set/neck-thru guitar with a Floyd Rose or a fixed bridge?
Eliminate the hassle of drop d by installing a bridge lock and a drop tuning mechanism by tone vise. Also put damping material in the spring cavity to eliminate spring sound. No problems from mine at all. Only draw back is you can’t pull up on whammy bar.
Great review and a fun Whammy bar system. One thing I don’t like about the Floyd Rose system, is if you accidentally pop a string all the other strings go out of tune .
The floyd rose is also probably the most comfortable bridge out there. Any guitar I get for metal is gonna have a floyd (preferably the original). Best bridge out there IMO.
This is why I love CSIL's new block with a thumbscrew on it that adjusts spring tension on the fly No need to take out screwdriver or anything like that And OFC get noise proof springs I think the problem with Floyd's is Floyd Rose themselves and how _they_ did it wrong for so many years but got the patent on it anyway and basically made it so no one else could offer anything better -- until now :) BUT...double edged sword, people are resistant to change, they'd rather use something that's been around forever!
Funny, a couple of my guitar picking friends that bought guitars with one of these, have me to lock them because they can’t figure out how to tune up. I show them how but they do not feel it is worth the effort. Also, if your hand is on the device while playing, you will be out of tune. They are easy to lock and people should give them a try. Good video!
I received an Ibanez jiva 10 for Christmas. I normally play a strat, es335, tele. But I fell in love with the guitar and mentioned to my family that it was my dream guitar. I do a lot of bending. What is anyone's opinion on the affect bending has on the other strings? Does the floyd get knocked out of tune because of bending? Is there a way to "turn the floyd off" Should I keep it? I do love the tones and things I get out of it. Thanks anyone.
I'd love to see more guitar manufacturers take notes from Guthrie Govan's signature guitars: They go back to the original "half-locking" Floyd Rose design, but by choosing the right angles & material for the nut they're able to avoid the locking nut and still provide good stability. Combining this with a tremol-no like one of the models (or some comparable device) allows one guitar to serve multiple roles at the same time: Hardtail, dive-only (keeps drop tunings), floating bridge.
tuning stability with bends is HUGE I bought a jackson Js32 second hand and it's a monster in tuning stability. regular floyds have the knife edge poles just nailed in the body. Jackson has them screwed in a metal plate that is bolted flush to the body. I am telling you. I don't have to tune it unless I change the strings. All cons in this video are still standing. but unless you want a fixed bridge, floyd is the way to go
I’m definitely going to get a double locking floating bridge, should I get a Floyd Rose or something like an Ibanez Edge Pro II or some variation of a non Floyd Rose double locked floating bridge?
Can i just put shaller vintage tremelo, graphite nut, and locking tuners on my strat? Will it stay in tune doing dive bombs and whammy screams or as you say floyd is only option for that kind of whammy bar acrobatics on guitar?
Jake, this is a very comprehensive video. I have two questions which may be of benefit to anyone selecting bridge types on a new guitar, and I hope you will field them. 1) if the bridge is pulled forward during a string bend on a floating bridge, does it make vigorous string bending in general more difficult because all strings and hardware are connected? 2) if other strings go flat when a string is bent on a floating bridge, then unison bending (involving two strings) a la Gary Moore will sound way off?
Is the floyd 1000 so much better than an ibanez edge 3 that its worth like 2 or 3 hundred dollars on the guitar? im looking into a schecter with a 1000 for 465 or i can buy a buddies used ibby for 150 with what i think is an edge 3.
Hey, great video! So if I'm switching tunings a lot, for example between standard and drop C, I would have to adjust the tension of the springs every time, right? That seems like a huge turn off...
Yes, correct That being said, I’d really just recommend to go ahead & learn to love your instruments enough to enjoy putting on some music & going through maintenance. Any musical instrument you buy will demand maintenance, floating bridge guitars are just the worst of it
if you know how to pick string gauges, drop tuning is just as stable as standard. If you need drop and standard you can either have 2 guitars or you can set it up properly and use the fine tuner on the bridge to drop tune and level out the others in a few seconds. spring noise is super simple to get past, all you need is a bit of foam to pad it, ive even use the big rubber bands that come on like broccoli to wrap around the strings just enough to get rid of spring noise, but not really change the feel of using the tremolo arm like padding with foam can do, but i use 4 springs so thats not usually an issue for me. great video, none of the points made were wrong. But there are ways of getting rid of those cons, and they are all small, and cost free
Hello friend, i purchased a Schecter hellraiser c1 fr sustainiac. I want to drop D, i have gauge 42. If i change the string to 46 will stabilize the tension? Or should i go higher?, 48? 52? Mine has a Floyd Rose 1000 series The Schecter hybrid c1 fr s has a Floyd rose 1500, wich one is better? What is the difference? And what hybrid means in those two guitars? Thank you!
Ángel Castellanos Martínez FR 1500 has a push in whammy bar so you don’t have to screw it in , it also has stainless steel components. If you want to drop tune unlock the nut and decrease the tension of the springs in the back of the guitar then tune up to your desired tuning keep messing around with the springs and you will eventually get it right.
There are tremolo systems like the one EVH had, which has a small controller to drop the E to a low D and it stays in tune. I believe the Wolfgang guitar has that system. IMO, if you want to use a diff tuning, it is best to have more than one guitar. This way, you can leave the first guitar all set and not have to mess with it.
It's called a D-tuna, but IMO it's a temporary compromise because you're still tuning down a lighter gauge string - intonation and tension will be off. And yes, if you play in multiple tunings, it's just easier to have multiple guitars, each dedicated to that tuning, although that's an expensive option that only professionals can justify.
Just bought a Harley Benton R-456FR BK for about $175 USD including shipping for my 12 year old grandson. It has a Floyd Rose Special locking Tremolo system. (it's not the $200+ unit obviously, but still an FR) It's replacing the two Squier Bullets that I bought him 3.5 years ago. After beating those two guitars up, doing all types of Hendrix dive bombs, etc. I think he will use the Whammy Bar sparingly, now that he has more command of how to play guitar. However, since I have no desire to pay over $200 for his instruments (Epiphone SG, Firefly Semi-hollow body & Harley Benton above), I would just have him keep the same gauge strings on the HB, and if he needs to drop tune, use one of the other two. He seems to also have a grasp of using his pedals and amp to make tone adjustments as well. Maybe having an extra guitar or two seems a bit excessive, but going back and forth tuning, re-tuning, adjusting the springs & screws to get the FR level, seems like a lot of work.
any opinions on the Ltd mh-1007 with the Floyd? Im think about stepping into the 7 string game and this is the one I have been eyeballing. all the local guitar centers don't have any in stock that I can try out. Im more confident with the 7 string than I am the Floyd rose so that's part of why im asking.
I am just a casual player that is looking for a good decent guitar. Then I came across a Ibenez rg 370 and when the guy at the shop tuned it I got so confused because he started unscrewing the top and started tuning and then used the fine tuners. When I played the guitar it felt really good and I thought that this was the one but it made me think twice about the tuning bit. Can someone please explain to me how it works really simply so I can actually understand.
Gotoh 510 when setup properly will do even the floppiest of string divebombs without the need for a locking nut. When I saw it do that, I knew it was the real deal.
Just Get it thats all I wanted to hear lol, been playing 32 years and never owned one, I'm 42 now and i'm writing 80's songs these days. I felt the call of my childhood so I think it's time.
changing string gauges and releveling the bridge by adjusting the springs in the back is a huge pain in the ass because you would have to retune after every adjustment just to get it leveled.
Holy shit. This is the first time I've ever heard of a Floyd Rose. Thank you for this very informative video in terms of pros and cons. Being able to do a huge dive bomb sounds like a lot of fun. At the same time, sometimes less is more. You can do more with a subtle touch to the whammy bar then to go overboard. I find this quite interesting cuz I've never heard of this thing until now. I'm about to purchase a Gibson SG with a side vibrola. I understand it's relatively fragile. Although I was told by my guitar mechanic that if the guitar is set up properly before you take it home you should be able to use the vibrola and not have your guitar go completely out of tune. I guess with the money I'm spending on guitars, I'd rather treat it with kid gloves when it comes to the wiggle stick then take a chance of damaging a guitar that's four or five grand.
Haha. Lol. Even Steve Vai's signature PIA is around 3.5k USD, and so is John Petrucci's Majesty. I find if extremely hard to beleive that you really bought a 5 grand guitar.
@@ashuzguitar Believe it. I paid $5K for a Custom Shopop Gibson SG with the side Vibrola. it's a 60th Anniversary and the whole thing is Relicted by the Custom shop. The hardware is all that antiqued nickel finish. I got it cuz I thought it looks cool. Most people are not going to buy a sideways vibrola because of the tuning concerns.
@@ashuzguitar I made them give me a print out of the price tag. 60th Anniversary Custom Shop Relic SG with a side vibrola. It was on display and I almost never buy display guitars. But they told me it would be a year before they got another one in. They made so many versions of that SG but this one is a Custom Shop.Can you attach photos to these messages?
*Dude, that was some helpful information you shared over there!* Now I know why my floyd-rose LTD produces an strange vibration when strummed strongly. Do you know what to do in order to avoid it?? Thanks!!!! :D
There are "silent" springs you can get on eBay with some sort of rubber to kill the noise. You might have to setup the tension screws again, and flutters might get more difficult, though.
I know I'm a couple months late on this one, but you can also put a little bit of a sponge or something behind the springs to deaden them. Works fine and is much cheaper.
After reading though the comments, I see there are varying opinions about the merits of using a Floyd Rose. The great Texas guitar player, Jimmy Thackery, carved out a space for a Floyd Rose on his vintage stratocaster, and has the locking nut on it too - that's the guitar he's famous for playing, which is named "Murgatroyd". He usually only uses the wang bar lightly, like a typical strat, or in this song, like a Bigsby. Occasionally he'll wang on it harder, but not usually, being primarily a blues musician. I had the pleasure of seeing Jimmy play here in Portland about 15 years ago, and he was playing Murgatroyd at the time. My only complaint, is that he keeps playing forever - long jams that sometimes get boring after awhile. He was playing too loud, but that was usual back then. Thankfully most musicians don't play painfully loud anymore. I would think the locking nut and bridge would made bending easier, besides staying in tune better, but it likely detracts from the tone somewhat. Murgatroyd sounds pretty darn good on the old standard "Apache". Strings likely don't break often, when they aren't rubbing back and forth on the nut and bridge, so that likely isn't a problem. For drop tuning, most musicians I've seen use a Floyd have an extra guitar tuned down, so they won't have to retune their guitar in regular tuning. All the arguments against using a Floyd haven't convinced me that I shouldn't get at least one guitar with a Floyd Rose, for playing around with radical wanging. What can I say, I like to wang! Hendrix was a master of the wang, often combining it with a wha-wha pedal, or slide playing, like on some versions of "Red House". SRV was pretty darn good at it too!! But they didn't use Floyd Rose hardware, just standard stratocasters, but if they are setup correctly, you can wang pretty hard without going out of tune. I always have my bridge flush wth the top, so I can only go down with a wang, having it floating is a pain to keep in tune, and big bends cause other strings to do flat. The types of music played with a Floyd Rose, Joe Satriani, Steve Via, etc,. aren't attractive to me. I saw them both with the G3 tour, including Eric Johnson as the 3rd great guitar slinger. They added an unannounced G4 great guitarist, by the name of Adrian Legg, who was playng an Ovation acoustic, and he STOLE THE SHOW. I had never heard of him before, and he blew my mind - my lower jaw was on the floor! After Adrian played, he was so incredibly good, that Eric Johnson seemed boring, and he played way too loud. Steve Via was next, and he played even louder, and was more boring. Satriani finished the show, as loud and boring as Vai, despite and his amazing technique and sounds he could make with his guitar, it wasn't "music" to my ears. I'll never forget how good Adrian Legs sounded at the Snitzer Concert Hall, a venue designed for music, with excellent acoustics. Adrian Legg was the only one of them who understood you can't play as loud in a concert hall with excellent acoustics! Thoughtless guitar slingers almost made me deaf - i had to leave my seat and listen from the hallway, because it was too painfully loud, and I grew-up in the 1970's going to concerts, ears still ringing. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-PA948o42TR8.html
I like where you say that none of the cons will convince you not to get at least one fr. I'm only a fledgling player,, been playing less than a year, but I got one and I hate setting it up with every fiber of my being (10 minutes after I finally got it in tune my first time restringing it I broke the g string and had to do it all over again) as much of a bitch it is, it's worth the experimentation
I don't know why people hate floyd rose bridges so much, I got myself one after doing some research on the internet and I don't/didn't have any problems. I bought mine for 200€ (247$) which is a Cort X6 and I love it.
Matteo マテお Kyselý same, I spent a month watching videos, than goed to a must store and tried it out, I even got to watch a guitar technician do it by a new I'm stock guitar Just inform yourself and apply that step by step, also re-check especially in the beginning
Kyselý キセリーMatteo マッテオ wait till you bust a few strings mid gig then come back to me . They are not worth the trouble. Learn to bend properly and you don’t need one
I've got a big apple strat which is a hard tail. I started playing lead in a Pink Floyd tribute band and although I can play the leads pretty well without a tremolo I'm definitely looking for a strat with one. I want to be able to use it and not be scared of it that it's going to go out of tune. Curious to know if the Floyd Rose is for me or not. I don't want to do dives I just want to use a nice tremolo when I'm a bend and a half into the B string And grab some nice vibrato without my guitar going out of tune. Is this the system for me? I don't mind the extra work if it's worth it.
If you are just gonna do some little dips and vibrato with your lead lines there I no need to get a Floyd rose, they are too much work but your are able to do big dives, but if you have yyour stray trek set up properly then it’s fine
People shouldent be afraid to get a floyd rose. It is like everything else a matter of learning how it work. Nomatter what you enjoy to do so is it always things to learn and it is no different here. When you have putted time into it and learned it so will is it no problem longer. :)
