Floyd Rose -- returning flat or sharp

[Spaced Out Ace]

I got the shitty Gotoh because I was told it would work on floyd rose posts and not cost as much. It doesn't and it was a waste of money. I'll just stick with the 1000.

 

[PLX]

I got the shitty Gotoh because I was told it would work on floyd rose posts and not cost as much. It doesn't and it was a waste of money. I'll just stick with the 1000.

I hate being right all the time.

 

[Spaced Out Ace]

Based on my frustrating experience, the Gotoh will only work on the Gotoh posts, which will require you pull the original inserts and drill for the bigger inserts.

The user who suggested the Gotoh to me has been ignored and further comment from them is not welcome. Wasting my time and money is all the patience I have for them at this point.

 

[Eagle]

It’s catching on something. Also are you sure the locknut is squeaky tight. I assure you it’s not the bridge. I can set these two up so you can’t get them out of tune whatever you do.

 

[Eagle]

I hate being right all the time.

You’re not.

 

[Eagle]

It works perfectly on Floyd Rose studs I have fitted literally hundreds like this with no issues whatsoever.

 

[Eagle]

There is additional friction somewhere in your setup that you need to find.

 

[Eagle]

The Gotoh 1996 is better.
But the newer 1000 is better than it was and can easily be made to work as well as the German version. First make sure it doesn’t foul on anything, even the slightest touch. Then lube the knife edges with chapstick or something that heavy. If you have the rest right and there is no damage to the contact points that will fix it.

Also the first thing I said was you could easily fix what you had already. This is still the same issue that you haven’t found not a fault with the bridge. Check the condition of the studs in case some idiot has been altering the action at full tension . If they have you may need new studs.

 

[State of Epicicity]

You ran out of patience, and the original might've been fine except one part. You should take a deep breath and let yourself sit with it. If you allow your desire to get back up and running quickly dominate, you won't be able to become an effective tech for yourself, because you'll always have the demand that everything you do will work out perfectly the first time. You should be easier on yourself and on everyone trying to help you.

I agree that it sounds maybe the posts are a problem. As Andy suggested, turning posts with the bridge attached will wear down the knife edges, which will making returning up zero impossible.

Also, the strings need to be stretched fully while you have the trem blocked. Block the trem completely and unlock the nut, then make sure the strings stay in tune with regular playing any bending, then lock the nut, fine tune, then unblock, then adjust the springs to get it to float.

Getting frustrated like this doesn't help. I empathize with wanting to get up and running quickly, but if you can't get your expectations and emotions from getting the better of you, you're just going to hamper your own abilities as a tech. You can always send your guitar to a great tech with great references and play another guitar in the meantime. That might be the best option here. If you need suggestions, let us know the part of the world you live in, and you'll get some good suggestions.

 

[PLX]

You’re not.

 

[Eagle]

I don’t know where you are based but if you’re in the uk I will fix it free if you can get it to me.

 

[Spaced Out Ace]

You ran out of patience, and the original might've been fine except one part. You should take a deep breath and let yourself sit with it. If you allow your desire to get back up and running quickly dominate, you won't be able to become an effective tech for yourself, because you'll always have the demand that everything you do will work out perfectly the first time. You should be easier on yourself and on everyone trying to help you.

I agree that it sounds maybe the posts are a problem. As Andy suggested, turning posts with the bridge attached will wear down the knife edges, which will making returning up zero impossible.

Also, the strings need to be stretched fully while you have the trem blocked. Block the trem completely and unlock the nut, then make sure the strings stay in tune with regular playing any bending, then lock the nut, fine tune, then unblock, then adjust the springs to get it to float.

Getting frustrated like this doesn't help. I emphasize with wanting to get up and running quickly, but if you can't get your expectations and emotions from getting the better of you, you're just going to hamper your own abilities as a tech. You can always send your guitar to a great tech with great references and play another guitar in the meantime. That might be the best option here. If you need suggestions, let us know the part of the world you live in, and you'll get some good suggestions.

You're probably right about being easier on myself and others. The posts were swapped for new ones when I started working on everything. The strings were stretched thoroughly when I worked through the process of intonating the bridge. The strings stayed in tune, etc. They were also in tune at the 12th fret.

Unfortunately, I'm not sure what the issue is. The bridge seems to return to pitch when raising I think (I did it three times maybe, so I might be mistaken). On the other hand, lowering the pitch was an issue, so I'm at a loss for wtf the problem is.

The dimensions and the block are pretty similar, so I don't think that should be an issue, but who knows. Either way, it was a pain in the ass just to have a worse outcome than before.

 

[State of Epicicity]

You're probably right about being easier on myself and others. The posts were swapped for new ones when I started working on everything. The strings were stretched thoroughly when I worked through the process of intonating the bridge. The strings stayed in tune, etc. They were also in tune at the 12th fret.

Unfortunately, I'm not sure what the issue is. The bridge seems to return to pitch when raising I think (I did it three times maybe, so I might be mistaken). On the other hand, lowering the pitch was an issue, so I'm at a loss for wtf the problem is.

The dimensions and the block are pretty similar, so I don't think that should be an issue, but who knows. Either way, it was a pain in the ass just to have a worse outcome than before.

Hmm, it makes me wonder if your neck could somehow be too flexible or something. If you have a bolt on it something, if the screws holding in the neck are a little loose? But that's the kind of thing that's difficult, because over torquing those screws would be a bad thing. Maybe there's a good way to test.

If you put in the new posts and you didn't adjust them under tension, then they should be fine. One thing I do is apply Nut Sauce to the knife edges too (of course any lube might be good. It might be time just to cry uncle and take it to a tech though. In the meantime I'd pick up another guitar you love and play the hell out of it, knowing you'll be back up and running soon enough. Good luck with it, and please update what happens.

 

[DrewJD82]

As someone who has smashed many items in a fit of childish anger when things didn’t go my way, the last few years taught me that when I’m feeling that anger hit my gut from hitting that wall of “This isn’t working no matter what I do”, I need to STOP. 100% completely stop until my head is reset.

Very clearly the issue is my lack of understanding of the issue and all the resistance I’m experiencing is ME resisting the idea that I’m WRONG about how I’m going about something. Coming back, acknowledging the only way out is to see it differently actually lets me learn instead of forcing my wrong way into it.

 

[Spaced Out Ace]

As someone who has smashed many items in a fit of childish anger when things didn’t go my way, the last few years taught me that when I’m feeling that anger hit my gut from hitting that wall of “This isn’t working no matter what I do”, I need to STOP. 100% completely stop until my head is reset.

Very clearly the issue is my lack of understanding of the issue and all the resistance I’m experiencing is ME resisting the idea that I’m WRONG about how I’m going about something. Coming back, acknowledging the only way out is to see it differently actually lets me learn instead of forcing my wrong way into it.

Yeah, I think we're probably very similar there. I generally have a vent/anger limit of 5-15 minutes based on my upbringing (someone would be mad for hours if not days). This has had me really pissed for several days (I haven't touched it since Saturday night). It's really irrational, but it's looking like a big waste of money that'll require more money to go a different route. Likely rebuild the FRT1000 bridges with OFR base plates, solder the bridge wire back to the old trem claw, simple L bracket version of the trem block, and be done with it.

 

[Spaced Out Ace]

Hmm, it makes me wonder if your neck could somehow be too flexible or something. If you have a bolt on it something, if the screws holding in the neck are a little loose? But that's the kind of thing that's difficult, because over torquing those screws would be a bad thing. Maybe there's a good way to test.

If you put in the new posts and you didn't adjust them under tension, then they should be fine. One thing I do is apply Nut Sauce to the knife edges too (of course any lube might be good. It might be time just to cry uncle and take it to a tech though. In the meantime I'd pick up another guitar you love and play the hell out of it, knowing you'll be back up and running soon enough. Good luck with it, and please update what happens.

I bought longer sustain blocks. If there is something that doesn't work out with those, I'm throwing in the towel, and giving the Gotoh bridges to someone else. I love the form and the way things work (ie, the bar is push in, the fine tuners are angled and longer), but if it works like shit, then there is zero point to any of its improvements.

 

[PLX]

Yeah, I think we're probably very similar there. I generally have a vent/anger limit of 5-15 minutes based on my upbringing (someone would be mad for hours if not days). This has had me really pissed for several days (I haven't touched it since Saturday night). It's really irrational, but it's looking like a big waste of money that'll require more money to go a different route. Likely rebuild the FRT1000 bridges with OFR base plates, solder the bridge wire back to the old trem claw, simple L bracket version of the trem block, and be done with it.

I gotta tell ya.. I've been through all this since the 80's with tremolos systems.

Got a box full of all brands/types that are worthless.. even for spare parts.

I went with the Schaller® Floyd about 15 years ago, and never looked back.

 

[Spaced Out Ace]

I gotta tell ya.. I've been through all this since the 80's with tremolos systems.

Got a box full of all brands/types that are worthless.. even for spare parts.

I went with the Schaller® Floyd about 15 years ago, and never looked back.

I'll likely be using a Schaller made OFR base plate for both of my bridges (basically an OFR/FRT1000 hybrid) if the Gotohs do not work put. It sucks because there's a lot to like, but the actual function of the trem system just doesn't work in my experience. If the longer blocks I bought don't work, some Gotoh GE1996T fan can have em.

 

[joezlo]

Once you get the FU Tone stuff from Adam (did you get a trem stop?) and a good setup, regardless of metals, and a little string stretch, you should be good.

 

[Spaced Out Ace]

Once you get the FU Tone stuff from Adam (did you get a trem stop?) and a good setup, regardless of metals, and a little string stretch, you should be good.

I got new studs/posts, springs and Tremol-Nos from FU Tone, and Gotoh GE1996T bridges from Philadelphia Luthier Tools (something like that). Hopefully a longer block will do the trick. That said, if the Tremol-No is too much hassle, I may just put the old claw back, solder the bridge ground, and use the cheap L bracket type trem stabilizers.