Anyone NOT like a FR brass block upgrade?

[Rogue]

What reasons why, if not?

 

[baron55]

All Real Floyds have brass blocks, just not the big ones.

I upgraded, and then removed them. I noticed more sustain, but the guitar got warmer and less defined, less articulation and punch. And almost too smooth sounding. Also the mid range of the guitar was increased in areas I hated.


But that is just my experience. The only way you will know is to try them, some love em, some hate them. It is all personal taste.

 

[Chubtone]

It really depends on the guitar. In one of my guitars, I didn't care for it so I put the Floyd Rose brand titanium block and then it sounded killer. The Floyd Rose titanium block is the same size as the standard block but since it is titanium, it doesn't need to be oversized. And it's only about $70 compared to the expensive FU one.

 

[metalmaniac93]

All Real Floyds have brass blocks, just not the big ones.

I upgraded, and then removed them. I noticed more sustain, but the guitar got warmer and less defined, less articulation and punch. And almost too smooth sounding. Also the mid range of the guitar was increased in areas I hated.


But that is just my experience. The only way you will know is to try them, some love em, some hate them. It is all personal taste.

I noticed a huge difference when installing a brass big block, but the opposite except the increased upper midrange. More articulation, punch, brighter and not smooth at all. I cannot say I like it or dislike it.

 

[Rogue]

All Real Floyds have brass blocks, just not the big ones.

I upgraded, and then removed them. I noticed more sustain, but the guitar got warmer and less defined, less articulation and punch. And almost too smooth sounding. Also the mid range of the guitar was increased in areas I hated.


But that is just my experience. The only way you will know is to try them, some love em, some hate them. It is all personal taste.

Well, it's a build of mine that I put the block upgrade on in the beginning. I don't really have the reference from the original. The guitar has always had a bottom end that was just, I don't know, too warm? Sort of tubby and undefined. Perhaps similar to your experience.

So I was considering putting the original block back in to see how it sounded and gathering other people's experiences. Only one way too know, for sure.

It really depends on the guitar. In one of my guitars, I didn't care for it so I put the Floyd Rose brand titanium block and then it sounded killer. The Floyd Rose titanium block is the same size as the standard block but since it is titanium, it doesn't need to be oversized. And it's only about $70 compared to the expensive FU one.

Hmmm, I didn't realize you could get the FR titanium block separately. Where can one get this from? And what would you describe the tonal difference of the original and titanium replacement?

 

[59Bassman]

I just put one in my ProMod, and at present I'm undecided. It did change things, for sure. However, one of the changes was in the resonant frequency of the bridge. It's not locked to the body, but just slightly floating. The high E string makes the whole bridge vibrate like crazy. I'm going to try a different spring configuration to see if that fixes it. If not, I may go back to the old setup, which was completely useable.

 

[MrDan666]

I just put one in my ProMod, and at present I'm undecided. It did change things, for sure. However, one of the changes was in the resonant frequency of the bridge. It's not locked to the body, but just slightly floating. The high E string makes the whole bridge vibrate like crazy. I'm going to try a different spring configuration to see if that fixes it. If not, I may go back to the old setup, which was completely useable.

Very interesting that you mention this point!

I have a big brass block added to the Original Floyd Rose on my Charvel SoCal.. and i have found that when i hit the open A string hard it causes the entire trem to vibrate in an unpleasant way. I have even added foam into the spring cavity, as well as foam under the strings at the headstock in an attempt to dampen the unwanted vibration... But it still hasn't solved the problem at all.

It's almost like it causes a slightly unpleasant dissonant overtone when playing some chords, especially power chords around the first few frets. Plus the vibration seems to be at just the right pitch/frequency that it creates noise at the saddles/fine tuner area of the trem.

Anyone else had problems like this before?

 

[Rogue]

I haven't had any weird vibration issues. Just a more boomy bassy tone from my guitar that I think is not "right". I'm going to put the old block in when I get home and see what happens. It may be a combination of things. I'm interested in that titanium block chubtone was talking about though.

 

[59Bassman]

It's almost like it causes a slightly unpleasant dissonant overtone when playing some chords, especially power chords around the first few frets. Plus the vibration seems to be at just the right pitch/frequency that it creates noise at the saddles/fine tuner area of the trem.

Anyone else had problems like this before?

Actually Dan, I have. My first "great" guitar is a custom strat a friend of mine made in his old vintage guitar shop in northern MN. While the neck and body were copied from a '62 he had in the shop, the rest of it was definitely not old-skool. The pickups are a DiMarzio Shockwave system with the little preamp in the jack plate, and the bridge is a two-post Gotoh. When he built the guitar, he locked the bridgeplate down to the body with 4 springs, and told me never to use the trem.

At any rate, that guitar has always had the bridge tight to the body. But while I was messing with it in college, I found that using the spring claw I could keep the bridge locked down, but tune the springs to resonate on an "E" note. At volume, I could bend up to an E, and the guitar felt like it came absolutely alive. The note just rang like crazy.

I had another strat that did something similar, but that one resonated at a "B". In both of those guitars, the resonance was OK because the bridge was locked to the body. On this Charvel, the bridge just sounds like it's falling to pieces. It reminds me of putting a tin pie plate full of BB's on top of a speaker cab.

Right now I've got three springs set up with the outer two angled in at the claw. I may try a straight run for all 3 and see if that changes it. If not, I may re-set with 4 springs and see where I end up. If all else fails, the old block goes back on, or I learn to live with it.

 

[ZMAN]

It really depends on the guitar. In one of my guitars, I didn't care for it so I put the Floyd Rose brand titanium block and then it sounded killer. The Floyd Rose titanium block is the same size as the standard block but since it is titanium, it doesn't need to be oversized. And it's only about $70 compared to the expensive FU one.

So what were some of the changes with the Titanium? tighter , looser , brighter etc?

Z

 

[chobley]

I tried the upgraded big block..Unplugged the sustain was great . I ended up going back to the stock block for the same reasons as baron55

 

[MrDan666]

Actually Dan, I have. My first "great" guitar is a custom strat a friend of mine made in his old vintage guitar shop in northern MN. While the neck and body were copied from a '62 he had in the shop, the rest of it was definitely not old-skool. The pickups are a DiMarzio Shockwave system with the little preamp in the jack plate, and the bridge is a two-post Gotoh. When he built the guitar, he locked the bridgeplate down to the body with 4 springs, and told me never to use the trem.

At any rate, that guitar has always had the bridge tight to the body. But while I was messing with it in college, I found that using the spring claw I could keep the bridge locked down, but tune the springs to resonate on an "E" note. At volume, I could bend up to an E, and the guitar felt like it came absolutely alive. The note just rang like crazy.

I had another strat that did something similar, but that one resonated at a "B". In both of those guitars, the resonance was OK because the bridge was locked to the body. On this Charvel, the bridge just sounds like it's falling to pieces. It reminds me of putting a tin pie plate full of BB's on top of a speaker cab.

Right now I've got three springs set up with the outer two angled in at the claw. I may try a straight run for all 3 and see if that changes it. If not, I may re-set with 4 springs and see where I end up. If all else fails, the old block goes back on, or I learn to live with it.

Man it's so weird isn't it!! Funnily enough, i also have the 3 springs on mine with the outer two angled in at the claw. I might try switching over to 3 straight or even 4 springs to see if it will stop the weird ringing happening. Otherwise, i'll pull the big block and go back to stock and see how that sounds!

 

[metalmaniac93]

I just put one in my ProMod, and at present I'm undecided. It did change things, for sure. However, one of the changes was in the resonant frequency of the bridge. It's not locked to the body, but just slightly floating. The high E string makes the whole bridge vibrate like crazy. I'm going to try a different spring configuration to see if that fixes it. If not, I may go back to the old setup, which was completely useable.

Very interesting that you mention this point!

I have a big brass block added to the Original Floyd Rose on my Charvel SoCal.. and i have found that when i hit the open A string hard it causes the entire trem to vibrate in an unpleasant way. I have even added foam into the spring cavity, as well as foam under the strings at the headstock in an attempt to dampen the unwanted vibration... But it still hasn't solved the problem at all.

It's almost like it causes a slightly unpleasant dissonant overtone when playing some chords, especially power chords around the first few frets. Plus the vibration seems to be at just the right pitch/frequency that it creates noise at the saddles/fine tuner area of the trem.

Anyone else had problems like this before?

I think this may be happening to me with my Charvel 2005 Pointy Reissue, but not with my MIJ So Cal or Luxxtone.

 

[rupe]

It's completely guitar dependent. It added a bit of sustain and warmth to my BFP Jem so it remains on that guitar. On the other hand, it brought nothing to the party when I added one to my main Rand (which was designed from the ground up around the tone neutering effects of a Floyd) and I think I may have actually lost some definition in the low end.

Curt...tell me more about the titanium block. I wasn't aware of an actual FR branded one...may be worth trying.

 

[Rogue]

It's completely guitar dependent. It added a bit of sustain and warmth to my BFP Jem so it remains on that guitar. On the other hand, it brought nothing to the party when I added one to my main Rand (which was designed from the ground up around the tone neutering effects of a Floyd) and I think I may have actually lost some definition in the low end.

When you say lost definition in the low end, do you mean that it's woofy or boomy, or just more than you think is right? Woofy or boomy may not be the word, but it just seems to lack that clarity that gives it some balls.

I also built the thing with a basswood body, which may be more a factor than the block.

Curt...tell me more about the titanium block. I wasn't aware of an actual FR branded one...may be worth trying.

Yeah, I'm curious about this one as well. I knew FR made a titanium trem, but didn't know you could buy the block separately.

 

[MrDan666]

I think this may be happening to me with my Charvel 2005 Pointy Reissue, but not with my MIJ So Cal or Luxxtone.

Yeah it's a weird one... I'm gonna have to try the stock trem block again and see if that solves the problem. If not, then i'm going to be left scratching my head on this one..

 

[rupe]

It's completely guitar dependent. It added a bit of sustain and warmth to my BFP Jem so it remains on that guitar. On the other hand, it brought nothing to the party when I added one to my main Rand (which was designed from the ground up around the tone neutering effects of a Floyd) and I think I may have actually lost some definition in the low end.

When you say lost definition in the low end, do you mean that it's woofy or boomy, or just more than you think is right? Woofy or boomy may not be the word, but it just seems to lack that clarity that gives it some balls.

I also built the thing with a basswood body, which may be more a factor than the block.

You could say "woofy"...basically a bit too much low end which gives it a lack of defined, tight lows...seems to have lost some of its percussive attack.

 

[Rogue]

You could say "woofy"...basically a bit too much low end which gives it a lack of defined, tight lows...seems to have lost some of its percussive attack.

That describes the symptoms I'm experiencing. I'll put the original back in tonight and see what happens. Hopefully Curt will describe the titanium block in respect to this.

 

[Ventura]

Tried both the Ti and the BigBlock from FU in my ESP FR-II.

Ti was brighter with more sustain (which didn't help with an already bright ebony board and maple top). Brass was kept in, warmed it up a touch and pulled back the high high brights. Sustain is there, and it's a lot more colorful and lively playing.

Just my experience.
Mo

 

[luxxtone]

I just put one in my ProMod, and at present I'm undecided. It did change things, for sure. However, one of the changes was in the resonant frequency of the bridge. It's not locked to the body, but just slightly floating. The high E string makes the whole bridge vibrate like crazy. I'm going to try a different spring configuration to see if that fixes it. If not, I may go back to the old setup, which was completely useable.

Very interesting that you mention this point!

I have a big brass block added to the Original Floyd Rose on my Charvel SoCal.. and i have found that when i hit the open A string hard it causes the entire trem to vibrate in an unpleasant way. I have even added foam into the spring cavity, as well as foam under the strings at the headstock in an attempt to dampen the unwanted vibration... But it still hasn't solved the problem at all.

It's almost like it causes a slightly unpleasant dissonant overtone when playing some chords, especially power chords around the first few frets. Plus the vibration seems to be at just the right pitch/frequency that it creates noise at the saddles/fine tuner area of the trem.

Anyone else had problems like this before?

I'm not sure if I've had this exact same problem with overtones, but I have had Floyds that make noise at the saddles/fine tuners when a new block was put on. In my case, the problem wasn't the block itself but the fine tuner adjustment spring plate. The thin metal plate that puts pressure on each saddle lock screw when you adjust the fine tuners. Those little arm things get bent really easily and sometimes don't exert enough upwards pressure against the saddle screw they're touching. So they'll vibrate really easily and sound buzzy when you hit notes. If that's the case, then you'll need to take it off and gently bend them upwards so they are tighter against the saddle screw and reinstall it. Again, if that's the problem you're having.