Buyer Beware Floyd Rose (Update)

[Geo]

Purchased an "Original" R3 locking nut because I needed the 10" radius. BTW, they are now Made In The USA.

No rear mounting screws were included and the locking blocks are 2 different sizes and locking nuts improperly spaced.

I contacted Floyd Rose customer service in Fort Meyers FL, we will se if the get back to me.

 

[coffeedrinker71]

I literally just opened a brand new R2 nut that I ordered from an online retailer. I purchased it last week and it arrived today. I noticed the same thing with the block alignment but now I'm wondering if they are intentionally spaced that way to accommodate the thickness of the bass-side strings? Problem for me is that the seller still had images of the older "Made in Germany" packaging on their storefront listing which is exactly why I purchased this nut...so now I'm not sure what I'm going to do. Refund, or keep it?! Have you tried installing yours yet? If you look at the main photo on their official website you can see the gap is tighter between the E/B and G/D blocks, compared to the gap between the G/D and A/E blocks. So maybe it's intentional?

 

[Geo]

James from Floyd Rose was very pleasant to talk to, regular nice guy.

Spacing was intentional and said the mounting screw thing was a back and forth discussion but now should come with them and is sending me a pair at no cost.

 

[coffeedrinker71]

Ok, thanks for the verification on that. That's cool they are taking care of you. Lucky for me, the older Mighty Mite neck I'm installing this on is the "top mount" style...so I don't need the rear mount screws for this one.

 

[harddriver]

James from Floyd Rose was very pleasant to talk to, regular nice guy.

Spacing was intentional and said the mounting screw thing was a back and forth discussion but now should come with them and is sending me a pair at no cost.

And just what does intentional non symmetrical spacing mean? I have never seen any floyd nut look like that in the past.

That seems like a cope answer to stop you from asking for a refund. Maybe Floyd Rose should educate the consumer that they have revised the design up front.

 

[Geo]

A just what does intentional non symmetrical spacing mean? I have never seen any floyd nut look like that in the past.

That seems like a cope answer to stop you from asking for a refund. Maybe Floyd Rose should educate the consumer that they have revised the design up front.

Yeah, who knows? The thought crossed my mind but I need the 10" radius so as long as it works, I'll live with it.

 

[Geo]

Also I didn't mention the locking blocks are 2 different sizes. One measures 12.4mm and the other two are 12.6mm.

 

[harddriver]

James from Floyd Rose was very pleasant to talk to, regular nice guy.

Spacing was intentional and said the mounting screw thing was a back and forth discussion but now should come with them and is sending me a pair at no cost.

I hated to say my USA made 1984 Floyd purchase was a disappointment. Two completely frozen saddles is not what I would call good Quality Control and manufacturing processes since moving production from Germany to the US. WTF!

 

[Geo]

I hated to say my USA made 1984 Floyd purchase was a disappointment. Two completely frozen saddles is not what I would call good Quality Control and manufacturing processes since moving production from Germany to the US. WTF!

Well, not to make excuses for them but manufacturing just moved, maybe it will take a bit of time to get things ironed out.

 

[coffeedrinker71]

And just what does intentional non symmetrical spacing mean? I have never seen any floyd nut look like that in the past.

That seems like a cope answer to stop you from asking for a refund. Maybe Floyd Rose should educate the consumer that they have revised the design up front.

Neither have I...but it seems like they are now incorporating "proportional" spacing between the strings instead of equal spacing, therefore the gap widens as you move across the nut to the higher gauge strings. As I'm looking straight down at the one I just received, the blocks are dead-centered between their own pair of nut slots. I'm not defending it....I'm just as puzzled too, but trying to solve whether or not I plan to keep mine.

 

[Geo]

Neither have I...but it seems like they are now incorporating "proportional" spacing between the strings instead of equal spacing, therefore the gap widens as you move across the nut to the higher gauge strings. As I'm looking straight down at the one I just received, the blocks are dead-centered between their own pair of nut slots. I'm not defending it....I'm just as puzzled too, but trying to solve whether or not I plan to keep mine.

I would say if it works, keep it. I mounted the nut on my neck but haven't put the guitar together yet. But so far so good.

 

[harddriver]

Neither have I...but it seems like they are now incorporating "proportional" spacing between the strings instead of equal spacing, therefore the gap widens as you move across the nut to the higher gauge strings. As I'm looking straight down at the one I just received, the blocks are dead-centered between their own pair of nut slots. I'm not defending it....I'm just as puzzled too, but trying to solve whether or not I plan to keep mine.

I would say if it works, keep it. I mounted the nut on my neck but haven't put the guitar together yet. But so far so good.

It actually may be a worthwhile redesign but they have to explain it and make it well known to the buyer so there is not a surprise.

 

[coffeedrinker71]

I agree! Since I purchased mine from Arkansas Music Works, I'm requesting a refund. I really wanted the MIG version for a few reasons. Their listing still showed the old packaging and stated "Made in Germany".

 

[Geo]

I agree! Since I purchased mine from Arkansas Music Works, I'm requesting a refund. I really wanted the MIG version for a few reasons. Their listing still showed the old packaging and stated "Made in Germany".

I wouldn't be so hung up on MIG, Germany has gone seriously downhill since the Nordstrem pipeline was blown up. Even BASF packed up and moved to China.

 

[coffeedrinker71]

Good point. Just read your other reply! Thanks!

 

[coffeedrinker71]

Update: I decided to install the new nut and check the fitment. Remember, I just wanted to replace my original chrome nut with this new black one. You can see that the dimensions/hole locations are not the same. Sure, I could plug the old holes and drill new ones, but I didn't want to do all of those steps for what should have been a simple swap! Check out the gap between the nut and the back edge of the fret board. The original nut sits flush against the fret board. I'm sending it back.

 

[SoooRad]

That stinks. I just ordered a Schaller floyd (as in the short screw, early 90s style) and I had a quick panic about if the nut was going to have the rear mount screws, as the neck its going on has rear mount holes.

 

[Geo]

Update: I decided to install the new nut and check the fitment. Remember, I just wanted to replace my original chrome nut with this new black one. You can see that the dimensions/hole locations are not the same. Sure, I could plug the old holes and drill new ones, but I didn't want to do all of those steps for what should have been a simple swap! Check out the gap between the nut and the back edge of the fret board. The original nut sits flush against the fret board. I'm sending it back.

That's awful. But I have seen numerous instances where the top mount holes weren't the same.

Don't know what the deal is there but the originals were never top mounted.

Mine mounted perfectly to the fretboard.

 

[Geo]

The Original Floyd Rose nut cost me $48

This is what Gotoh gives you for $19.95

 

[coffeedrinker71]

I am so tempted by that. Do the top mount holes line up? Where are you able to find them for $19.95? I scoured the internet last week and the cheapest I could find was from Amplified Parts...$25 plus shipping.