Anyone ever get Floyd Rose fatigue?

  • Thread starter Thread starter mooncobra
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Just install a Tremol-No device and then you’ll have fully floating, dive only and fully blocked options available anytime. Takes mere moments to go from one to the other. Plus the Tremol-No spring claw is very thick which I believe enhances the resonance transfer.
 
GJgo said:
I haven't broken a string in years, since switching to NYXLs!

I do have two hard blocks for my Kami which makes it really nice... I must say.
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Those NYXL strings are really great. I moved to longer scale lengths tuned to standard and was snapping high E strings left and right. So frustrating. But the NYXL solved it completely.
 
@GJgo I think you guys are talking about different setups. When the other guys say "decked" they mean it is a hard stop against wood or a block. You couldn't pull up if you wanted. Now just tighten the springs such that a step and a half bend at the 15th fret doesn't lift the bridge.

But fwiw I don't like a Floyd setup that way. To me it doesn't feel good and I'm missing out on a lot of good trem techniques.

And regarding the decked trem having better tone/sustain...not buying it. Fenders were originally designed to float and I've gone back n forth a bazillion times and I don't think decked sounds better...or worse.

I'll be posting a video soon of a weird metallic clanky sound when I hit an open D hard with Floyd guitar in my avatar. New R3 nut...still there. So while I usually love them I sometimes don't.
 
SpiderWars said:
@GJgo I think you guys are talking about different setups. When the other guys say "decked" they mean it is a hard stop against wood or a block. You couldn't pull up if you wanted. Now just tighten the springs such that a step and a half bend at the 15th fret doesn't lift the bridge.

But fwiw I don't like a Floyd setup that way. To me it doesn't feel good and I'm missing out on a lot of good trem techniques.

And regarding the decked trem having better tone/sustain...not buying it. Fenders were originally designed to float and I've gone back n forth a bazillion times and I don't think decked sounds better...or worse.

I'll be posting a video soon of a weird metallic clanky sound when I hit an open D hard with Floyd guitar in my avatar. New R3 nut...still there. So while I usually love them I sometimes don't.
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The noise you hear with open d is clanky? Like a rattle? That could be the trem arm making the noise. If it's more of a buzzing or sitar noise, might be nut height (too low) problem and string is touching 1st fret.
 
Briman24 said:
The noise you hear with open d is clanky? Like a rattle? That could be the trem arm making the noise. If it's more of a buzzing or sitar noise, might be nut height (too low) problem and string is touching 1st fret.
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Thanks but none of those. I know a lot of the common noises and their cause but this one is weird. I need to post a video of it.
 
As someone had a recording engineer suggest earlier in this thread, absolutely, under no circumstances bring a Floyd Rose guitar into the studio to record rhythms... or leads for that matter. Not a single great sounding recording has ever been made by a guitarist using a Floyd Rose in the studio. Just think of the amount of virtuoso guitarists who have taken Floyd Rose guitars into the studio with them and the careers that have been ruined by it, recording deals lost, lives shattered, crops destroyed, puppies kicked etc :p

Yes, bending a note on a Floyd equipped guitar will make the other strings go slightly out of tune. Everyone who plays a Floyd Rose plays around it. It's part of your technique. Same thing on a guitar with a vintage Fender style tremolo or a two post tremolo. Bending a note on those activates the same trem block, springs and claw system as on a Floyd Rose and the unbent strings will drop in pitch a little. Absolutely, under no circumstances bring a vintage trem guitar or two post tremolo into the studio to record rhythms... or leads for that matter. Not a single great sounding recording has ever been made by a guitarist using a vintage style trem or two post trem in the studio. Just think of the amount of virtuoso guitarists who have taken vintage trem or two post trem guitars into the studio with them and the careers that have been ruined by it, recording deals lost, lives shattered, crops destroyed, puppies kicked etc :p

Like a hardtail? Play it. Like a Floyd Rose? Play it. Like a V trem? Play it. Like a Tune-o-matic? Play it. Not one of these bridge systems would have ever prevented any of our favorite guitarists from becoming our favorite guitarists.
 
SpiderWars said:
@GJgo

I'll be posting a video soon of a weird metallic clanky sound when I hit an open D hard with Floyd guitar in my avatar. New R3 nut...still there. So while I usually love them I sometimes don't.
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Try wedging a folded up piece of paper between your D string saddle and the G and A saddles and see if that noise goes away. If so, there are a coupe of "fixes".
 
Just as an example, the following two guitars I put together at age 25. I am 55 years old and have NEVER had a problem with a Floyd Rose type system. And that’s from the days of playing 5 nights a week. I use GHS Boomer 10’s and can change my strings and tune in less than 5 minutes. Floating, fixed, play the fucking thing. Figure it out or move the fucking on… The fucking thing works just figure it out…. Okay, beat me up….
DC1153C5-E6FF-411D-BBB4-85C3EBCBB4F5.jpeg
 
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Chubtone said:
As someone had a recording engineer suggest earlier in this thread, absolutely, under no circumstances bring a Floyd Rose guitar into the studio to record rhythms... or leads for that matter. Not a single great sounding recording has ever been made by a guitarist using a Floyd Rose in the studio. Just think of the amount of virtuoso guitarists who have taken Floyd Rose guitars into the studio with them and the careers that have been ruined by it, recording deals lost, lives shattered, crops destroyed, puppies kicked etc :p

Yes, bending a note on a Floyd equipped guitar will make the other strings go slightly out of tune. Everyone who plays a Floyd Rose plays around it. It's part of your technique. Same thing on a guitar with a vintage Fender style tremolo or a two post tremolo. Bending a note on those activates the same trem block, springs and claw system as on a Floyd Rose and the unbent strings will drop in pitch a little. Absolutely, under no circumstances bring a vintage trem guitar or two post tremolo into the studio to record rhythms... or leads for that matter. Not a single great sounding recording has ever been made by a guitarist using a vintage style trem or two post trem in the studio. Just think of the amount of virtuoso guitarists who have taken vintage trem or two post trem guitars into the studio with them and the careers that have been ruined by it, recording deals lost, lives shattered, crops destroyed, puppies kicked etc :p

Like a hardtail? Play it. Like a Floyd Rose? Play it. Like a V trem? Play it. Like a Tune-o-matic? Play it. Not one of these bridge systems would have ever prevented any of our favorite guitarists from becoming our favorite guitarists.
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Enter Steve Vai (but alas, yes, his are Ibby trems but close enough y'know what I'm sayin')
 
Spaceboy said:
I left trem systems behind entirely. I couldn't handle the tuning instability (part of this is because I strum and grip the neck like I'm trying to strangle it since I guess I'm a caveman), and at the end of the day, I wasn't doing anything particular creative with a whammy. I went whole-hog in the other direction, and after going entirely hardtail for a few years, now I'm sold on Evertunes and my past three guitars have had Evertunes.
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Odd, I have the opposite experience. I rarely use a trem arm, but I strongly prefer trems. The tuning stability of a Floyd or Kahler compared to a TOM, wraparound, or Hannes/Hipshot style bridge is considerably better. I'm mainly referring to higher end guitars.
 
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JF Scarfi said:
Just as an example, the following two guitars I put together at age 25. I am 55 years old and have NEVER had a problem with a Floyd Rose type system. And that’s from the days of playing 5 nights a week. I use GHS Boomer 10’s and can change my strings and tune in less than 5 minutes. Floating, fixed, play the fucking thing. Figure it out or move the fucking on… The fucking thing works just figure it out…. Okay, beat me up….View attachment 84307
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Your guitars are very cool but those amps behind them... what are we looking at there? I love old Marshalls.
 
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mooncobra said:
Over the many years of playing Floyd equipped guitars, I might have reached my limit. I am officially sick of dealing with them.

But, I love the rock steady tuning I can’t get anywhere else.

What to do?!
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Get a headless Kiesel with a trem.
 
Chubtone said:
Your guitars are very cool but those amps behind them... what are we looking at there? I love old Marshalls.
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Bottom: “75” 100 watt Super Lead ( Tung-Sol 6550’s) Middle: “92” 100 watt Super Lead Reissue (Tesla EL 34’s) Both modded 30 years ago by Brawler Amplification in LA.
 
Kind of like with other gear related things, I think that the individual instruments are the sum of their parts. Don't blame this or that individual part. Same goes for good or bad tone.

For example, I had a KH-2 w/ a FR that tuned up from string changes FAST, and NEVER went out of tune. And that thing had the ultra thin flat neck that they don't make anymore. Then, I had a Kamikaze that was a NIGHTMARE to tune up after string changes. One of the reasons I sold it actually. Amazing guitar that drove me up a wall. Once I locked the nut it was fine, but unlock the nut & better hope you have 30 minutes to kill. I assumed that it was from the extreme breakover angle from the nut to the banana headstock binding the strings.

So, I say quit picking on the parts & look at the instrument for what it is a a whole. There are lots of fish in the sea.
 
I have about half-and-half hardtail guitars and Floyds. Anything else is a compromise and I just don't bothered with compromises. If I don't want to mess with Floyds, I play hardtails. In fact, I play those quite a lot, and also play for Floyd equipped ones quite a bit, even without the trem arms in them. They're fine. Playing rhythm on them takes a slightly lighter touch, but it's really not that big of deal. (Read the comment about about not recording rhythm with them. That's fine, but I guarantee plenty of us have managed just fine.)

Most of my Floyds are decked, but I keep a couple around that float for when I need that.
 
I have a Suhr reb beach and live new strings but I don’t change them as much as I like because of the Floyd.
 
I've had Floyds on.
  • Original USA made Charvel San Dimas (Not sure what kind) - This was awhile ago, don't remember if it had huge issues, but I remember it wasn't great. I don't remember loving the Floyd and I did have a Tremlo-no on it.
  • Jackson USA SL2H (Not sure what kind of Floyd but I'm sure it was high quality) - Great guitar, did not like the Floyd. It sat too high. I used a Tremlo-no on and off too.
  • Ibanez Prestige (Edge) - Perfect bridge. Lower profile than a standard Floyd. Stays in tune for days. I did have it set to dive only and a big brass block installed. Honestly, I may reverse both as I prefer it fully floating and don't like the weight of the block.
  • Ibanez J Custom Prestige (Lo Pro Edge) - Fantastic, low profile. However, for some odd reason I kind of like the regular Edge better.
  • Suhr Modern (Gotoh Floyd)- Perfect in every way. The Gotoh Floyd is, I believe, the same as the Ibanez Edge. Profile isn't too high, plays like butter and the trem is nice and smooth to use.
My personal lesson learned is that I like my Floyds low profile and non blocked. I also find that I prefer guitars with some kind of trem. If I want to tune down to D standard or tune down, I'll either use another guitar, use the Digitech Drop Tune or get one of the Floyds set up for it.

What is funny is that I don't even do a ton of crazy whammy stuff all the time. It is mainly light use but l love the feel and smoothness of the trem and the tuning stability. I don't get any Floyd fatigue from the Ibanez and Suhr (guitars I currently own).
 
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