Andy Eagle ( Guitar repair tech for 30 years )

Eagle said:
Yes but that was when the Steeler was out of production. I still like the 1996 but the Steeler has some excellent features that the others don’t have. The only problem is it is not the same footprint. On balance the most practical is the 1996 .
Click to expand...

How would you rank the Original Floyd Rose, Steeler, and 1996T, and what are the small differences between them that make one better than the other?
 
State of Epicicity said:
How would you rank the Original Floyd Rose, Steeler, and 1996T, and what are the small differences between them that make one better than the other?
Click to expand...
Those are all good but the 1996 has harder parts where it counts and is extremely reliable and durable. The Steeler has the auto latch as an add on that can lock the bridge in hard tail in the neutral position. It also has refined bridge saddle design that is an improvement . The drawback is a different footprint and AF threads. The OFR is the standard but it has varied in hardness over the years and the nut casting often has buzzing on the high E.
 
BahamaDada said:
I'm a bit dumb today... so just as usual I tune my guitar, but instead of fretting fret 12 I hold fret 3 and 15?
Click to expand...
i used it to intonate the bridge. Tuned the string to the third fret and then checked the tuning at the 15th. If it’s high, I lenghten the string at the bridge. If it’s low, I shorten the string at the bridge.
 
What do you recommend as capacitor type for a treble bleed circuit? Ceramic or orange drop? Aside from tighter tolerance is there any additional advantage with an orange drop?
 
vino_buono said:
What do you recommend as capacitor type for a treble bleed circuit? Ceramic or orange drop? Aside from tighter tolerance is there any additional advantage with an orange drop?
Click to expand...
I would use an orange drop with a higher than necessary voltage capability but I don't use them on my own guitars. Experiment with a resistor in parallel or series and play with the values until you find one you like.
 
Eagle said:
A question about Stainless Steel Frets.
John Suhr said something the other day about the importance of the fret protector and the problem with gritty frets.
I’m also going to add something else.
I have a few customers who basically can’t use ss frets because they destroy the wound strings in less than a gig and make the treble side of the frets gritty in one gig.

These are people who burn through nickel frets in about a year. The reason they can use nickel is the windings survive and the plain strings can smooth it the treble side. One of these guys can make his frets ( nickel) gritty in one gig. I have no solution for this other than say “ don’t play so hard “ but that is hardly satisfactory because they are great players and other than examining the strings and frets after one gig you would have no idea how this was happening. I think John has missed this aspect and I wondered if you guys had experienced any of this.
Click to expand...
Okay, I'm a year late to this thread, but... wow. This is so far opposite my experience that I'm scratching my head. I've found stainless steel frets to be hard and durable as advertised. Way less prone to divots, and I have yet to see one get gritty or chew through strings that weren't way old.

I suspect there's something else going on. Something in storage or transport, some kind of impact, or some kind of contamination. If a gig's worth of playing did that much damage, his strings would be positively tearing up his fingerboard.
 
Eagle said:
If properly dressed they are much nicer for bending...
Click to expand...
Yes.

Eagle said:
...really smooth.
Click to expand...
Yes again.

Eagle said:
I personally don’t think there is a noticeable difference in tone. If you compare 57110 nickel to 57110 ss on the same guitar you will find that it is almost impossible to hear a difference.
Click to expand...
And yes again. I've learned that if I have a hard time hearing sonic differences, there usually aren't any. :)
 
Rex said:
Okay, I'm a year late to this thread, but... wow. This is so far opposite my experience that I'm scratching my head. I've found stainless steel frets to be hard and durable as advertised. Way less prone to divots, and I have yet to see one get gritty or chew through strings that weren't way old.

I suspect there's something else going on. Something in storage or transport, some kind of impact, or some kind of contamination. If a gig's worth of playing did that much damage, his strings would be positively tearing up his fingerboard.
Click to expand...
Well I’ve seen it. I have taken a newly dressed guitar to a gig. Playing it myself in the sound check handing it over and by the end of the gig it had a gritty feel on the bends . The guitar was in my sight the whole time.
He and a couple of other customers have better experiences with nickel because the act of bending strings smooths out the fret top as he plays. He gets through frets at a hell of a rate though. 18 months for Jescar 57110s his strings are 10 46 and his action is 60-70 thou E~E . Also a great player.
Fret wear is mostly right hand unless you have tarnished strings.
Also the wound strings (new on before the gig) destroyed by the end of it. I will add that the player in question has great tone and doesn't appear heavy handed to the listener.
 
Last edited:
Rex said:
Yes.


Yes again.


And yes again. I've learned that if I have a hard time hearing sonic differences, there usually aren't any. :)
Click to expand...
Err no small differences are small differences.
Change the fret material and you add mass in this case. The hardness also changes how the string transfers string energy. It’s very small and you need to listen acoustically or through a single channel low part count tube amp with no fx. The more you add the less you hear it.
 
Eagle said:
Well I’ve seen it. I have taken a newly dressed guitar to a gig. Playing it myself in the sound check handing it over and by the end of the gig it had a gritty feel on the bends . The guitar was in my sight the whole time.
He and a couple of other customers have better experiences with nickel because the act of bending strings smooths out the fret top as he plays. He gets through frets at a hell of a rate though. 18 months for Jescar 57110s his strings are 10 46 and his action is 60-70 thou E~E . Also a great player.
Fret wear is mostly right hand unless you have tarnished strings.
Also the wound strings (new on before the gig) destroyed by the end of it. I will add that the player in question has great tone and doesn't appear heavy handed to the listener.
Click to expand...
That's just weird. I'm not doubting your word — just scratching my head.

Bends felt gritty... but how did the frets look? Could you wipe them off and get a better result?

The only thing that's known to have changed is the player. Contamination? Corrosive sweat?
 
Rex said:
That's just weird. I'm not doubting your word — just scratching my head.

Bends felt gritty... but how did the frets look? Could you wipe them off and get a better result?

The only thing that's known to have changed is the player. Contamination? Corrosive sweat?
Click to expand...
The frets are pitted and strings windings are destroyed at the contact points with the frets. Not a corrosion issue given a 90 minute set.
 
Eagle said:
Err no small differences are small differences.
Change the fret material and you add mass in this case. The hardness also changes how the string transfers string energy. It’s very small and you need to listen acoustically or through a single channel low part count tube amp with no fx. The more you add the less you hear it.
Click to expand...
I get what you're saying. Here's the opposite side of the coin. Everyone who's spent much time mixing live audio has had the experience of dialing in a channel's EQ to perfection, only to discover that the channel you just perfected is one fader over from the one you've been working on.
:oops:

The area surrounding "I can just barely hear a difference" is a no-man's-land of uncertainty.
 
Rex said:
I get what you're saying. Here's the opposite side of the coin. Everyone who's spent much time mixing live audio has had the experience of dialing in a channel's EQ to perfection, only to discover that the channel you just perfected is one fader over from the one you've been working on.
:oops:

The area surrounding "I can just barely hear a difference" is a no-man's-land of uncertainty.
Click to expand...
Not the issue here. Different is different and you hear it when you isolate it. It’s not more than the difference of 6105 on a vintage Strat over stock frets. I think the advantage easily outweighs the difference but I don’t make frets gritty.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top