THIS STRATOCASTER CHANGED EVERYTHING! 

I actually love floyd rose systems. Have had them on and off since high school and it was one of those things where once you understand them they are easy as all get out to use. Biggest thing to keep in mind is its all about balance. You wanna run heavier strings? You might need to change the springs out. The second biggest aha moment I had was when I learned to do my setups with trem blocks. Stewmac sells trem block sets that help tremendously each time you need to adjust your setup. Simply place the appropriate sized block between the trem and the body, tune to pitch with the headstock tuners then adjust the springs till the block is loose. You may have to do a few small adjustments for drop tuning but what you end up with is a super stable setup that you rarely have to tune at all. Love the content man!

I always preferred a Floyd Rose, and NOT because they're quick and easy to set up... but because _once you do_ have it set up, it's a wonderful playing experience. The best comfort, the best flexibility.

Best demo i’ve heard your channel. Heavy and pure fire

Thank you for this video, man! I always wanted to have FR on my guitar but I have the same fear as you. Now, because of your video, I want to have FR more than ever. You sound amazing and that guitar is stunning, man! New subscriber here..Rock n roll 🤘🏿🤘🏿

I like the honesty of your videos.

Thanks for the string gauge info. I'm restoring an old 80's guitar with a floyd. I put 10's on it and have the same tuning stability issues. I swapped the 3 springs out with a set of 5 from Fender. That helped a lot. I'll try the 9's next.

Nice , glad you got the floyd silverburst strat when it came out with th the stainless!

Killer guitar! I got an American Pro II HSS a few months ago. I was a bit concerned about the stock bridge pickup, since I'm pretty used to the output of the Dimarzio Crunchlab in my Ibanez... but I was really pleasantly surprised! It's definitely lower output, but I think I dig in a fair bit on my rhythm playing, because aside from a tiny extra boost on the tube screamer, it's chugging just the way I want it to! Glad you got the Floyd working. I had an LTD with a licensed Floyd years ago, and I got so fed up with it I just blocked it in the cavity with a bunch of popsicle sticks. They're so much fun, but you definitely gotta put in the work to keep them balanced and happy.

I’m not much of a strat fan, but that one is pretty sick. Love the videos!! Happy Halloween.

I have a Wolfgang standard and I tried running heavier strings on it and it did not like it at all. So I run 9 to 42s on it and the thing is amazing again.

Spent alot of years myself avoiding FR's after purchasing my first Ibanez(RG 550). Didnt have anything against them, just wasnt for me. Changing strings seemed on par to changing a car's transmission. In the past year though, Ive purchased an EVH Wolfgang Stealth(non-floating Floyd) and an Ibanez 7 string Universe(floating). Its put a bit more challenge and excitement into playing again. Anyways, awesome Strat Ray. You've definitely made it your own!

When i was a kid in 84 dad couldnt afford the Aria Pro2 Night Warrior so i settled for the RS Straycat w 2 point non locking trem. FFwd to 92 and my 1st real job. Within a year I had a red/black Kramer, Charvel Model4 and 6, Aria Night Warrior, and Ibanez RG 550. I couldnt get enough Floyds and loved them all. Still do lol.

I have a Jeff Beck Strat which is a two point trem and an LRS roller nut, it's set to float... I use the EB Hybrid's which are 9-46... helps with a bit of meat on the lower strings for my hands, give that gauge a whirl too!

No way Sam Ash in Cherry Hill right next to the Guitar Center? Such a small world, love stopping by those two spots. Love your channel and keep it up

Xander, your best tone right there 😁👍

I prefer hard tails too but I do have one axe with a Floyd. Mine is set up EVH style for better tuning stability. 🤘😎 Really enjoying your channel Thanks for your work on it !!

I run .10-.46 on all 3 of my Floyd Rose guitars, with different springs for different stiffness. Some flutter and some I have set not too. It's the tension on the spring claw when you do your setups. Floyd Rose has good tutorials on the website and so does Adam at Fu-tone. I run his Brass big blocks and Titanium hardware on all of mine. Just some ideas to play with lol. I've been playing a Floyd Rose for 25 years or so and always love them, no issues!

I have this guitar the only mod I plan on doing is installing a Dimarzio Super distortion in the bridge and I'm using 9's with no tuning issues...

Don't chill a FR trem. If you love a particular axe hanging in the shop but the FR scares the hell out of you, buy the damn thing any way. Then add FR blocking system (not expensive, do a utube search), when your experience level improves, then unblock & experiment. Still don't like the tuning issues. Just put the block back on, problem solved. Converting a FR to a hard tail or single movement trem is so easy. If your a handy person you can do it yourself with out buying hardware. Its not the monster people think it is.

All guitars should float! Awesome glad you like em!

I run 11/56 Daddario in all my Floyd. D standard tuning. Fu-tone titanium hardware, brass block and Noiseless springs. No issue at all when the set up is perfect. Big sound and a lot of sustain.

I LOVE the floyd rose system and my favorite is by far the Ibanez edge. I really would like to see Ray with a Genesis RG 550. My best tip for living with a floating floyd is to always have your screwdriver for your spring claw and your allen keys for your locking nut. If all your strings are slightly flat, tighetn the spring claw 1/4 of a turn and check tuning again....If you are sharp on all strings, losen the spring claw 1/4 of a turn. I have a stack of trem cavity plates at home because my go first stop to for tuning is typically the spring claw.

Love the SMR on the strat. Just like SRV on Stevie Ray Vaughn's

I think you could benefit from the EMG EXG Expander tone control. Had one in a Strat with a similar set up and it was great for the “Chugs”. The EXG kind of brings up the highs and lows while slightly scooping the mids. I think for your style you would enjoy it and you have extra hole in your pickguard for it. Also love Strats! They can do about anything, look classic and are easy to mod. Have an American Pro II HSS that is my main guitar, a Warmoth partscaster that is ever changing and a newly added Sean Long Charvel San Dimas with EMGs. All amazing guitars!

I can totally see you in a couple years getting your actual Fender Custom Shop signature guitar.

8:07 lubricate the locking nut? Like... eh, what? Sorry, but that thing is supposed to hold the strings. Lubricate would make it more prone to slipping the strings. I have never heard of anybody lubricating the nut. The SADDLES, sure, I do that too. But only at the top surface, absolutely not inside the "grabby block below"

Killer sound on that strat

Don’t forget the Phil Sgrosso Charvel So-Cal that I told you about. Silverburst strat 😉 w/ a Floyd and single Fishman humbucker, ebony board, and an ergonomically friendly bolt-on heel joint is about as metal of a strat as it gets imo.

Marco Sfogli signature Charvel is the Purpleburst with EMGs you're thinking of and he's amazing 🤘John Petrucci vibes

fu tone and sophia tremolo . for me , i choose sophia 2.92 pro with drop tuner which is a floyd rose with dual stabilizer and macro tuner ( no need to cut ball end of the string , just put it in the tuner ) big brass block with dual stabilizer

Ray your influence got me to trade my acoustic for an S-type guitar yesterday. It's not a Fender because of the price tag on those. I've been playing with it all day and I love it. I'm a tele guy at heart but it has made me considering selling my tele and to get another S-type for a different tuning. I've been staying away from them because of the tremolo system. I prefer hardtails. The one on this is a Wilkinson 2-point trem and I don't mind it at all I just don't use it.

once you learn the floyd you love the floyd. Almost all my guitars are floyds. Great video.

Floyd's have always been pretty simple for me but that's all I've been playing since I was 11 lol you have to adjust the back spring tension for different string gauges, it had probably been setup for 9's before

I was always hesitant of Floyd Rose myself. On a limb I bought the Schecter Apocalypse with sustainiac pick-up and Floyd Rose. I had it set up to drop C# as well. It played well and was fun doing dive bombs, but was abit of a pain changing string's ect. Never really bonded with it though and sold it. But I think a Schecter Apocalypse 7 string w/o Floyd Rose would be better for me, the sustainiac pick-up was really fun..

Totally cool

I have three main guitars, and I’m the opposite. I’ve had 2 hard tails in my life and I personally hate how I don’t have a trem when I need it, so now I have 2 regular terms and a Floyd. I also do agree, I have my schecter C-1 sustanic in drop b with 10-48s and it holds tune much better than heavier gauges

I have a bunch of guitars with Floyd rose (made in Germany or Korea) or Gotoh floating tremolo which are set in 10-46 or 11-48 or even one in 10-52 (Ltd Alexi Ripped) and i have no tune issues. I'm tune in E standard (I use de Digitech drop for drop tunes)

That’s a rock machine.

Sometimes the guitar picks the strings.

I currently have 3 guitars with floyds and I love em. I use Dean Markley Blue Steel 9's and stretch em really good before I lock em down. Almost zero tuning issues but I'm not a huge dive bomber. As I've said before, IMO the people who complain about floyds are the same ones who complain a Les Paul is too heavy to play on stage..... :)

maybe you have to put another spring to the flyod rose system to increase the tension so you can play thicker strings. That could increase the tuning stability

Love Floyd Roses. I had a really crap introduction to it. I got a Schecter C6 FR Pro with a special that wouldn't tune properly. Hated Floyd Roses since then but I fell in love with Ritchie Sambora Jersey Star which did have a Floyd. I ended up buying that and it was night and day with the Floyd Rose 1000. I will never touch a Special ever again. Nowadays, I have this problem where I can't buy a strat-style guitar without a Double locking tuner unless it's an actual Fender Stratocaster in the usual configuration.

In some ways, it comes down to what you grew up with. I learned with a floyd. Later, I didn't care for kaleer ( position of bar between strings). Stock bridges neither. To each their own. And keep playing!

Hmm SMR might wanna check out a good olde Charvel :)

Put a kill swith button in the unused hole maybe? That's a killer strat man. :)

I have a sunburst strat with EMG loaded pickguard and it sounds better than any other guitar I own....no floyd tho...changed out for a Gotoh bridge, blacked out, one tone one volume, block inlay pau ferro fingerboard.....its a killer axe!! MIM tho

Awesome

So now that you got your fear of the Floyd Rose out of the way how about trying the evertune bridge a shot there so amazing I think you would love it if you gave it a chance 🤘🎸

I have set up floyds many times and had zero problems. What I do is really simple, Block them off with either coins wrapped in painters tape or wood. lol

Nice rig for sure.thats the one I been wanting 2750. Or so

Will you review ToneX? I’m a huge fan ❤

I'm not a trem user at all really. I've got a few FR equipped guitars and they don't get used for anything but studio work. They stay in tune but I just don't like floating trems. So, a couple of weeks ago I played a Charvel and immediately fell in love with it but it has an FR but I could bend and nothing else went flat. The guy put a tremol-no on it. It's a little bar that replaces the claw in the back. There are screws that when tightened it makes the bridge fixed. So you can loosen it if you want the trem and tighten it if you don't. I leave it tightened. He was selling it and it's mine now. I'm picking up a couple more tremol-no units for my other FR guitars. I grew up in that shred era so it was just something you had on your guitar back in the day. I'll get them set up and start playing them again. Just another option for stability if you want to look into it.

Hey, Xander! Great video! I just got the same guitar but in Mystic Black color. Do you know by chance if it is possible to load this guitar with HSH assuming I’ll order a new pick-guard?

Another issue. Not good that you have to replace the pickups. Older HSS Strats hat the Atomic pickup in the bridge and it was basically an HO humbucker like the Seymour Duncan JB. Still, can't argue with the choice of EMG.

It didn't like heavier sttings because you didn't tighten the springs to compensate (or add a spring) just need to find the right tension then it'd be good. Looks cool and sounds great tho!!!

I Knew you were going too change your mind about the Floyd Rose it just takes a while Too get down but when you do Man it's gratification is amazing mine is in tune more than myself half of the time!

The only thing I have never liked about the Floyd Rose system was that I couldn’t get it restrung easy. I had to do a restring of a Dean Dimebag model - a full restring, not just one string - and only the high E string wasn’t catching.

If you are having tuning issues on a Floyd, you don’t have it set up properly, it’s that simple; the ultra lux comes set up with 9-42s in mind, if the previous owner changed the strings to 10-46s, it’s likely they didn’t changed the set up with it, completely ruining the tuning stability, so when you changed it back to 9-42s, it likely fixed the issue; however, you can run 10-46s, 11-50s, etc, you just need the proper set up.

Hey man, I started the RU-vid channel and really am digging your music. Is there a way I could get permission to use one of your tracis 1 of your tracks in my intros? Is there anything I would need to do

Have you ever heard of Sophia tremolos? They are supposed to be the much more user friendly locking trem from what I gather. That would be an idea for a mod

Heavier gauge strings=Spring claw adjustment. Sick ass guitar!

It’s sick guitar I would love to have one made just how I want it just cause I love the way it feels but am scared to change anything on it basically just want volume only and a dimarzio

I'm curious about the original pickups that came with this guitar. I play hard rock and classic rock/blues/country. Your thoughts?

Stiffer springs for heavy strings? Maybe? Don’t have a problem with tuning stability once setup in a tuning it’s changing tunings and string gauges that take time. Fu tone guys have some great vids for blocking stretching and returning back to pitch. Just blabbing! Thanks for the great content!! Oh also those damn screws under saddle locks can cause stupid problems if not tight. Lol

Just a question why not replace the pick guard so you just don’t have that hole? Just a simple question. I’m learning guitar with a Floyd rose. And tricky I’m a little trusted. But I did learn leaning it back makes nice sounds.

Eddie Van Halen invented the drop tune device for Floyd rose bridge . Have you tried that ? And you can get shock absorber system . Steve vai uses this .

damn this guitar is cool I want try it

I really want a charvel pro mod 2 so cal

Floyd rose systems are easy just a pain with the upkeep. I prefer the old school fender trem. Now that is an art form to keep in tune and I’ve mastered it 😂

A painful lesson I had to learn recently is to not adjust the string action on your Floyd equipped guitar with full string tension applied. It can wear out the razor edges and lose your tuning stability. Instead, depress the bar when you’re adjusting or get the FU TONE spring pull tool to easily remove the springs, adjust your action with no contact from the bridge, then put everything back. Took me unknowingly jacking up 3 Floyd’s before I learned this is an issue

Jackson time brother!!!!

Once you go strat you never go back 😝🤘

I really wished Fender would make more of these models with the FR , WITHOUT the pickguard. Rule should be FR? no Pickgaurd.

I've noticed lately that when you're doing your "noodling" you're not playing your typical "go to" riffing or soloing. not only is you channel growing but so is your playing!

Question, where did ya hide the battery, thought about just throwing it under the pickguard, but would rather not have to take the whole thing off just to change the battery

I am contemplating getting this esp ltd that has amazing specs for the price but it has a Floyd 😢. Still might get it tho….

So, I run HEAVY gauges on my floyds. trick to do is install heavy duty springs. Stock springs are really flimsy

I have the fender ultra s/s/h configuration and I need some suggestions for a new humbucker pickup that gives the strat a more metal vibe. I already replaced the single coils with a hot rails and a JB jr. I want a humbucker with a lot of output without going to an active pickup. Any suggestions?

Here's a twist. I have an esp ltd Jeff hanneman jh 600. Which has hybrid floating and fixed bridge. It's Kahler bridge. So I can do both worlds on one guitar. The Kahler bridges also do better with lighter gauge strings as well. And of course it has emg 81 and 85 set. Its definitely one my favorite guitars i ever bought because its sounds like it has a major attitude problem in a good way and is stupid versatile.

What pickups?

Cheapest American-made Super Strat on the market? Appropriate perhaps. But the question is, is the Floyd really better than the Fender two-point system with the metal nut and locking tuners?

New viewer here - is that a deftones tat?

Try Jackson guitar,80 ere coulars with fr.

FU Tone is amazing too if you want to check them out

do you prefer alder or swamp ash strats

😎

all my guitars used to have floyd roses on them but now I do not own any guitars with a floyd roses on them. I prefer a hardtail/stoptail guitars these days. I have nothing against floyd rose's just lost interest in playing guitars with them and I prefer a more simple set up on my guitars and just enjoy playing guitars with out them more as they are less hassle all the way around.

If money were no option for me, I'd buy a new Strat every week. Keep the ones I like and give away the rest.

Man idk what you're doing differently with this one, but this is some of your most inspiring playing I've seen yet. Hope you're well!

Floyd rose tele in silver burst...

Get a Charvel you will be amazed

People love to say Floyds on a Strat is a sin, but I prefer being able to do something with a trem arm, and you can’t do much with a traditional Strat trem.

4142Wilb 0 seconds ago I was Floyd crazy once when I was young but as I aged and matured I realized it isn’t that great of a gadget. Restringing sucks, tuning is a bitch, ya can’t drop tune on a whim and when I try to chug hard down picking I feel the strings resonate in an awkward sound it gets annoying but with a hard tail or string thru there is no comparison to the response

you changed the pickups so not stock pickups

You look super baked!

A wise man once said _a floating trem is like a hot girlfriend: hard to maintain, but well worth it_

EMG > Fluence . Fight me…

Filthy mods bro 🤘🏻

how do you have so much money wtf

I hate stratocasters. pickups are way too close to the strings :3