Floyd Rose Re-stringing: What are you tricks?

[H-evolve]

Hi all,

I have a love-hate relationship with Floyd Roses. You can do a lot of fun things with it. Also, for me, I like their "low profile" they have, providing a nice positio for your picking hand.

But, I've never seen a very stable Floyd Rose. I think, the thing that pisses me off the most, is re-strining a Floyd Rose guitar.

I don't know about you guys, but for me, even if I think I do all the tricks in the book, it takes like 103 tuning iteration before the bridge stabilizes to its horizontal position (meaning a stable tuning).

Like most of you know, a properly setup Floyd Rose will be horizontal when the guitar is in tune. When you put new strings, it will take time for it to stabilize. That is: You tune your guitar, going from string 6 to 1 (for example). When you are done, if you back to the 6th string again, you'll see it's not in tune. So you re-tune, and re-tune, and re-tune, and re-tune, and re-tune. You stretch the strings, with the method of your choice, and re-tune, etc. As you do that, you see that your bridge is slowly coming back to a stable horizontal position, since the tension in the springs is slowly coming to equilibrium with the string tension.

Do you guys have any tricks that you do that makes this process faster? I honestly don't. The day I change the strings, I'll stretch them properly and re-tune the guitar multiple time. And then I'll leave the guitar to "rest" for at least a day. And I'll then re-tune.

But it kinda sucks that the guitar is unplayable for a day! XD

 

[GRStudios]

I hate Floyd Roses. Blocked mine. Problem solved

 

[H-evolve]

I hate Floyd Roses. Blocked mine. Problem solved

I hear ya... I don't buy Floyd Rose guitars anymore, I rather go for fixed bridge guitars, like hardtail bridges for example. (I own a T-o-M bridge guitar and don't like the right hand position, won't buy again).

 

[MrBongo]

- open the clamping blocks
- tune down strings 1-2 half steps
- loosen spring tension a bit, so the bridge raises slightly
- change strings one at a time
- raise pitch to 1-2 steps below the tuning i´m going for
- press the strings into form = create proper witness points at the bridge and nut
- go for the final tuning, increasing spring and string tension alternately. The strings will still keep stretching for another day


both my Ibanez and Siggi Braun have fantastic tuning stability.
The guitar "warms up" for a few minutes, then stays in tune for hours spot on.
I don´t have an issue with the 2 days re-string timespan, because i´m changing strings once or twice a year only, depending on whether it´s the practice or stage guitar.

To speed up the regular tuning process itself, just overdo the adjustments on the first strings slightly (like, go from -10 to +2). With a bit of experience you will end up with every string in tune +- 1 cent after just one try per string

 

[H-evolve]

- open the clamping blocks
- tune down strings 1-2 half steps
- loosen spring tension a bit, so the bridge raises slightly
- change strings one at a time
- raise pitch to 1-2 steps below the tuning i´m going for
- press the strings into form = create proper witness points at the bridge and nut
- go for the final tuning, increasing spring and string tension alternately. The strings will still keep stretching for another day


both my Ibanez and Siggi Braun have fantastic tuning stability.
The guitar "warms up" for a few minutes, then stays in tune for hours spot on.
I don´t have an issue with the 2 days re-string timespan, because i´m changing strings once or twice a year only, depending on whether it´s the practice or stage guitar.

To speed up the regular tuning process itself, just overdo the adjustments on the first strings slightly (like, go from -10 to +2). With a bit of experience you will end up with every string in tune +- 1 cent after just one try per string

So if I understand what you do, you basically re-adjust the Floyd Rose springs everytime you re-string? (which in your case isn't that big of a deal, since you do it twice a year).

 

[AD Chaos]

I keep disliking how cumbersome it is having to change strings on a Floyd Rose when compared to a Tune-O-Matic, for instance

But everytime I play a guitar without a Floyd Rose, all of a sudden I have a compulsive need to start doing dive bombs
(which I don't even do with my Floyds, normally)


*As per your question, I normally tighten the back screws well into the wood, so that the intonation tends to go ''sharp'' and so, the guitar's intonation tends to become much more stable.
In other words; if I have the Floyd in a parallel line with the guitar's body once the new strings are intonated, I will still want to tighten the screws a few turns more inside the springs chamber on the back (while the bridge still remains parallel), because that will give the guitar extra tension, thus making the tuning much more stable, even when bending or using the tremolo.
Once the new strings are in place and the bridge is parallel, I do bends and divebombs, then fine-tune (first from the screws on the back, and then from the unlocked head tuners), and I repeat that until the tuning becomes very stable and on the edge of ''sharpness'', or the maximum amount of tension.

 

[tedtan]

These vids should help.

 

[H-evolve]

These vids should help.

That first video you shared is the type of trick I was looking for. I never played with the springs like that to get the final tuning.

I guess this is the method MrBongo was describing as well.

 

[MrBongo]

didn´t watch the video, but I can see a woodblock in the thumbnail already. I don´t use one, that´s why I go for one string at a time

it´s not really re-adjusting the springs. More like "5 turns loose before the process, 5 turns back afterwards". That´s necessary to:
- not raise the tuning of the remaining strings to death
- not lower the bridge to dangerous angles. That would put extra stress on the strings

 

[guitarklown]

I have a trem stop installed in the cavity of my Loomis. Restringing is like any other fixed bridge. If I feel the need for droppin' da bombs I can just slacken the screw off the plate.

When I didn't have the trem stop, I randomly used one of these.. http://www.lakeland.co.uk/8692/Ice-Scraper-Squeegee

It's something someone gave me for Christmas a million years ago that I just happened to grab when I first changed my floyd strings, it has a curved edge with a soft squeegee that won't damage the finish. This thing should be sold on the floyd website, bloody perfection.

 

[bryan_kilco]

I don’t do any tricks. I just change one string at a time, tune by ear, stretch the shit out of them, play them, tune, stretch, repeat a few times until it begins to stabilize. All with the nut unlocked. Then I’ll let it sit for an hour or so and come back and repeat stretch, tune, etc until it’s damn close to being “tuned” then lock the nut and normally can get it fairly good to go for a show within an hour or 2 time span. Which is still a bit long, but it’s the most consistent method I’ve found that works for me.

 

[PrincessHades]

I've had a guitar with a Floyd Rose bridge for four years and I've never restrung it. There's my trick.