GRRRRRR!!! Floyd Rose locking tremolo problems

[yeet_SAY_jama]

Although i found this post in a different forum, (A dead forum) i decided to post it here because i am having the EXACT same problems.

------------
I have an Ibanez RG550 with a Floyd Rose bridge. A decided to replace my Ernie Ball Slinky's with some D'Dario's today because I had the EB's on for a few months (figured it was time for a new set). Anyway, I stupidly took all the old strings off right away instead of putting the new ones in one at a time (I realized I should've done this right after I had finished taking them off). Well, I went ahead and put the strings on and got to tuning it.

Well, the thing won't stay in tune. I haven't got to play all day today because I've been repeatedly tuning my guitar over and over. Once I tune one string, the other goes out of tune. I keep getting each string in tune until eventually the bridge is way too far up, so I detune them and start over again.

The strings are the same gauge and I have done this before, but last time, if I remember correctly, the strings eventually stayed in tune together and the bridge evened out. I'm not having much luck this time. Any help would be appreciated. Pardon any typos or anything because I'm really angry right now (I haven't played guitar at all today, so I'm cranky).
---------------

Also, im getting alot of fret buzzing near the lower frets. I can eliminate this by raising the bridge but then the sound is less bright and not nearly as loud. How do i raise my strings without raising them too far away from the pickups? Currently, my strings angle like 2 degrees upwards towards the bridge meaning that they are milimeters from frets 1-5 and about a centimeter or more away from fret 24 GRRRR!!!

 

[Benzine]

Have you got locking nuts on the neck of your guitar? I had the same problem and i took it to someone who knew loads about them. He adjusted the spring behind the floating bridge and that did the trick

 

[Starwind]

I recently took my Ibanez JPM100P4 to a tech to change the gauge of the strings I was using and got educated in the process. What you need to do is a delicate balance between adjusting the springs in back and adjusting the saddles of the bridge oh so slightly. In the end, the very bottom of the bridge should line up evenly with the body of the guitar. Not sticking out or angled in. Probably should take it in and ask for help at the local music shop. My tech told me he has professionals who bring their guitars in and have him change the strings and even when they break one string they have no clue how to tune their guitar with a floyd rose system on it. I've always worked on my own guitar so I felt a bit of pride in that regard. I also know when it's over my head. I'm sure I could adjust it myself it's just hard to explain here. :Spin: Couldn't hurt to try to adjust it yourself. You're probably going to be out about $45 - $50 anyway. Hope I gave you some hints!

 

[Zax666]

first read this: http://www.carvin.com/manuals/Original-Floyd-Rose.pdf
then I have to tell you D'a's 9s are NOT EB's 9s. Ernie ball are a little more massive, I noticed the difference the first time I switched to EB. That's why the springs need adjusting.

 

[The_Accolade]

for the pickups problem, you can raise the pickups like you raise the bridge
if you are not taking it to a tech, i can tell you what to do, but it will take over an hour, easy. i know because i've taken all the strings off at once for cleaning purposes (when you do this its important to but a folded up cleaning cloth under the bridge to keep the things you put the allen key into from pressing against the body)

1. tune your guitar until it stays in tune, all the strings are in tune
2. raise or lower your bridge as necessary
3. re tune until it stays in tune AGAIN
4. raise the pickups. just use a phillips screwdriver clockwise on the 2 screws holding the pickups. bring your pickups close enough to the strings to have a bright sound, but not too close or they will pull on the strings with the magnet (unless you have EMG's)

there is a chance that your neck got bent out of shape from the whole process, and especially because of having all the strings off at once. in this case some frets will buzz while others don't. you have to adjust the truss rod (the curve of the neck) so that this doesn't happen. and retune of course

FINALLY...if you have tuned all the strings in tune open, and they stay in tune open, but when you fret notes it is out of tune, you have to change your INTONATION. there is a little screw under the saddle which you take out and move the saddles back and forth until the harmonic on the twelth fret is the exact same note as the twelth fret fretted (use a tuner). NOTE: i haven't done this intonation adjustment for a floyd bridge i don't think.

kind of makes you wish you had a straight up normal bridge sometimes!!

anyway, glad to be of help and if any of this seems above your head i recommend taking it to the guitar shop...ESPECIALLY for the truss rod and intonation adjustments...the rest you will be playing around with all the time till it suits your preferences anyway.
good luck
and please know that on this forum there is a "musicians corner" that you can reach from the main page of the symphony x forum

 

[the_satanic_rabbit]

You're going to have to adjust the trem springs on the back to get the bridge level. This is just a part of floyds. Get used to a HIGH LEVEL of maintenance if you pan on going with floyds. They can do wonderous things, but they are a pain in the ass to maintain.

Tune the guitar and then adjust the tremelo springs. The guitar will go out of tune. Keep doing it over and over again until you get the bridge level and it stays in tune, then lock the nut.
Read this document and be patient, you have to learn patience with the floyd, because the floyd will not have patience for you. It is a stubborn-ass mother.
Read this
http://www.carvin.com/manuals/Original-Floyd-Rose.pdf

 

[the_satanic_rabbit]

first read this: http://www.carvin.com/manuals/Original-Floyd-Rose.pdf
then I have to tell you D'a's 9s are NOT EB's 9s. Ernie ball are a little more massive, I noticed the difference the first time I switched to EB. That's why the springs need adjusting.

oops!

Didn't see that one first!

 

[Zax666]

Oh, I bolted my middle coil all the way down and removed the rubber pads under it (WTF??? Rubber pads are NOT the way to mount a pickup!!! Whatever...) so it is plain with the guitar surface and I plan disconnecting it from the wiring.
I have three DPDT mini switches on my guitar for pickup selectors. I was thinking of such a config:
switch 1: Neck/Bridge full humbucking.
switch 2: Kill switch (One position sends signal to ground, the other doesn't, pretty simple)
switch 3: Defeats switch 1 and puts Neck+Bridge, haven't decided sc or full hb mode.

What do you think?

 

[the_satanic_rabbit]

I think...you should come to the window...