Got a free guitar last night.

[Baba]

I'm going to need to branch out further with another Floyd'd guitar. This thing at VOLUME through the BL halfstack was GODLY

1. The creak might be the springs. Check out FU-tone (https://www.fu-tone.com/) for spring and other parts upgrades. They also sell full guitars too, check them out.
2. Talk about opening a can of worms . . ., if I were still playing Floyds, I'm not sure I could even narrow it down to a brand these days. SOOO many good ones, Charvel, Jackson, FU Tone, EVH, Ibanez, Schecter, ESP . . .
3. You need this: https://www.stewmac.com/parts-and-h...v5EkNQ_YOAKpohrIxMkWIFiqppDLzSTxoCO54QAvD_BwE

 

[Baba]

I suppose it's worth noting that my only "real" Edge is from 1990 or so.

I dunno, my one is from 1986 and the other is from 1998

 

[mbenigni]

I dunno, my one is from 1986 and the other is from 1998

Wild. I have a friend whose got one of just about every Ibanez shredder ever made. I'll have to rummage through his basement one of these days looking for the "Edge edges". :)

 

[mbenigni]

1. The creak might be the springs. Check out FU-tone (https://www.fu-tone.com/) for spring and other parts upgrades.

To dampen especially noisy springs, I've sometimes resorted to placing a thin piece of foam padding over the springs (cut to fit the cavity) and replacing the back plate to keep it in place.

 

[DrewJD82]

Weird, I have never once encountered a Floyd (or Edge) with that line on it.

Check your UV, they’re on there.

 

[DrewJD82]

I suppose it's worth noting that my only "real" Edge is from 1990 or so.

That’s a rather rare one as they didn’t make many of those at all. But I’d still be willing to bet on the bass side, that little rectangle is there.

 

[Devin]

My 1991 Original Edge had that lil knife edge line too. I was under the impression that they all did tbh

 

[mbenigni]

That’s a rather rare one as they didn’t make many of those at all. But I’d still be willing to bet on the bass side, that little rectangle is there.

Very weird. If anything, I can sort of convince myself that I'm seeing a very short line on the treble side of the bridge. Even this is indeterminate, because that guitar's setup is such that the bridge is kind of buried in the body. (I'm curious, but not curious enough to raise it up and mess up the setup LOL.)

 

[DrewJD82]

Very weird. If anything, I can sort of convince myself that I'm seeing a very short line on the treble side of the bridge. Even this is indeterminate, because that guitar's setup is such that the bridge is kind of buried in the body. (I'm curious, but not curious enough to raise it up and mess up the setup LOL.)

Yeah, if it’s that low they’re hard to see. Hell, they’re hard to see sometimes when they aren’t that low!

 

[la szum]

JT is already overwhelmed you guys. He's gonna see all these posts with a bunch of words
and no funny Memes and be even more overwhelmed!!!

 

[JT]

 

[Baba]

I agree. If I didn't grow up on them, (first Floyd was in 1985), and couldn't do them in my sleep, ESPECIALLY now that PRS is here and the Gotoh jawn is pretty awesome, I probably wouldn't bother myself with Floyds these days.

Once you learn all the tricks though, it's VERY easy. Like mbenigni has said, it's mostly about the spring claw. That is the "coarse" and "in the ballpark" adjustment. Everything else is just fine tuning. Once that claw is set right, you really don't ever have to do much else.

 

[mbenigni]

Once you learn all the tricks though, it's VERY easy. Like mbenigni has said, it's mostly about the spring claw. That is the "coarse" and "in the ballpark" adjustment. Everything else is just fine tuning. Once that claw is set right, you really don't ever have to do much else.

Yep, there's no magic* to it. Tension on one side vs. tension on the other. The rest is setup more or less as on any other guitar.

String changes are still a significantly bigger PITA than on a non-Floyd guitar. On the flip side, nothing is quite as expressive as a Floyd. Any good floating bridge - Gotoh, Parker, heck even a 6 point Strat bridge if it's set up right - can come close, but nothing quite replaces a Floyd.

I really wish some clever engineer/ machinist had come up with a way to make a lever-based locking nut, that could be locked and released without tools. That and a quick-loader bridge that would actually stay in tune. Basically, I hate wrenches.

* "Magic" is making an SG stay in tune.

 

[JT]

Thanks for the suggestions guys. It plays shockingly good. Other than the spring noises. If I want to shoehorn the trumpets on there; I will need some "luthier skills" to mod the pickguard and I am not ready for that.

 

[Los-D]

Yep, there's no magic* to it. Tension on one side vs. tension on the other. The rest is setup more or less as on any other guitar.

String changes are still a significantly bigger PITA than on a non-Floyd guitar. On the flip side, nothing is quite as expressive as a Floyd. Any good floating bridge - Gotoh, Parker, heck even a 6 point Strat bridge if it's set up right - can come close, but nothing quite replaces a Floyd.

I really wish some clever engineer/ machinist had come up with a way to make a lever-based locking nut, that could be locked and released without tools. That and a quick-loader bridge that would actually stay in tune. Basically, I hate wrenches.

* "Magic" is making an SG stay in tune.

…lever-based locking nut

 

[Devin]

I really wish some clever engineer/ machinist had come up with a way to make a lever-based locking nut, that could be locked and released without tools.

There have been a few over the years

Bill Edwards Guitar Products

1983 Fender/Schaller Smith Strat Lever Locking Nut for USA, Elite, Contemporary | Reverb

Fender USA 1983 / 1984 Strat Lever Locking NutIncredibly rare vintage partYes, I know - all online sellers claim their items are rare. But in this case it really is - you hardly ever see one of these vintage parts COMPLETE and in good shape up for sale. Made in Germany by Schaller, t...

reverb.com

You can also replace the screws on your current locking nut with these things:

NEW Tone Vise Guitar Locking Nut with Keyless Locks for Floyd | Reverb

Tone Vise® locking nut clamp system for Floyd Rose® tremolo. Included: 3 clamping blocks 3 springs 3 keyless locks 3 mm hex wrench NOT included.

reverb.com

 

[Devin]

The Yamaha Wes Borland sig also had a custom locking nut that was sort of similar to that Fender/Schaller one I linked

 

[mbenigni]

There have been a few over the years

Bill Edwards Guitar Products

1983 Fender/Schaller Smith Strat Lever Locking Nut for USA, Elite, Contemporary | Reverb

Fender USA 1983 / 1984 Strat Lever Locking NutIncredibly rare vintage partYes, I know - all online sellers claim their items are rare. But in this case it really is - you hardly ever see one of these vintage parts COMPLETE and in good shape up for sale. Made in Germany by Schaller, t...

reverb.com

You can also replace the screws on your current locking nut with these things:

NEW Tone Vise Guitar Locking Nut with Keyless Locks for Floyd | Reverb

Tone Vise® locking nut clamp system for Floyd Rose® tremolo. Included: 3 clamping blocks 3 springs 3 keyless locks 3 mm hex wrench NOT included.

reverb.com

I think I may have seen that Schaller part (online) a million years ago. I wonder why it never caught on. That $250 (!!!) price tag has to represent rarity more than cost of manufacture. Imagine how it might have scaled if Ibanez had said, “This is going to be part of the Edge package.”

 

[Devin]

The Bill Edwards one is apparently $80; for some reason I thought they were way more expensive than that

 

[mbenigni]

The Bill Edwards one is apparently $80; for some reason I thought they were way more expensive than that

Actually, this is the one I saw "a million years ago". Probably worth the $80 - if you can find one.