FAFO.. Or rather, FAFR...

[rsm]

Let's get real here for a minute.. do you suffer from FAFR (Fear of Anything Floyd Rose)?

Finally got around to putting one of my Warmoth guitars back together this weekend that had been sitting in pieces for probably a year or longer. Pretty much your standard, run of the mill super strat with dual hums, big frets and a Floyd Rose. It occurred to me while I was setting it up that a lot of folks "fear the Floyd". Sure, they require a little more tinkering to lock down your intonation, even if Red Bishop makes that a breeze now, and you gotta balance the opposing forces and all that jazz to get it to sit level, but why is there such fear of Floyd Rose trems. I guess, coming up in the 80's where it wasn't unusual to find a guitar that didn't have some kind of locking trem so I just learned to deal with it and it's never been the point of abject terror to me that it is to some folks.

So, what camp do you fall into.. Floyd Fear, or Floyd Fan.

I like them after the first setup / string change.

The key is to block the trem when changing strings. Once you get the first setup done with your strings and gauge of choice; future changes are easier.

Just remember to block the trem first.

 

[GuitarBilly]

I'm not afraid of them, but mine are top mounted and set for dive- only, which makes things a lot easier.

 

[Shreddy Mercury]

I have floyds on about 1/2 my guitars. Other than the lack of correctly radiused nuts, and historically saddles, they're great.

I've honestly never understood why people have trouble setting them up. Other than having to cut the strings at both ends and clamp them, it's like any floating trem.

I string mine through the tuning post. Less cutting, quicker winding, and a nice colorful headstock cuz I only use D'Addario.

 

[S̷͖͑m̵͎͂á̵̺s̸͚̈́h̴̬̑]

I string mine through the tuning post. Less cutting, quicker winding, and a nice colorful headstock cuz I only use D'Addario.

I did this too. It is the only sensible way.

When I first got a floyd equipped guitar, i ripped the bridge apart and put it back together with high quality replacement parts and then set it up. I am very mechanical and knew this would be the only way to trust the bridge. Unfortunately, the recessed floyd, while looking cool is not that comfortable for me, especially palm mutes. Really miss that guitar though...thinnest neck and the nitro finish glided

 

[MusicIsLife]

Not a fan of the Floyd. I don't hate them, it was just never anything I had a strong desire to incorporate into my vocabulary. I never came across any particularly creative ways to use them that hadn't already been done before, by people who were way better at it.

When I first started getting those Carvin catalogs in 88 or 89, I REALLY wanted a V220, but never got one (ended up with an '88 Ibanez S540). I occasionally have a nostalgic itch to pull the trigger on Kiesel's version of the V220, and if I ever do that I'd almost certainly put a Floyd on it.

 

[Devin]

I love them

I've owned more FR'd guitars than any other type by far

 

[WizardAmpIphoneClip]

One thing to remember about people shitting their pants about dealing with a floyd rose is that much of what you read is coming from Gen Z who are for the most part pretty lazy when it comes to alot of things

 

[SoooRad]

Yeah a top mounted Floyd is my favourite feel, even if I weren't to use the bar. Mine are all set dive only.

 

[thegame]

The rock solid tuning stability factor alone on a quality, properly setup Floyd >>> everything else. Plus, I love the fact when a string breaks at the saddle, I can clip off the break point, unwind at the tuner and salvage the string, until the next proper string change.

 

[Geo]

The Floyd is an incredible invention and does what it's supposed to do but I prefer the sound and feel of a Gibson style bridge.

 

[Rackman]

I string mine through the tuning post. Less cutting, quicker winding, and a nice colorful headstock cuz I only use D'Addario.

I do this for the high E string and sometimes B, But having the others looped up there gets a bit messy for my taste and I never break low strings so it doesn't do any practical good.

 

[Rackman]

One thing to remember about people shitting their pants about dealing with a floyd rose is that much of what you read is coming from Gen Z who are for the most part pretty lazy when it comes to alot of things

I don't want to bag on the kids too much, but I do think lack of mechanical aptitude/experience is a big part of it. If you're the kind of person who's never lost a 10mm socket the Floyd is going to seem sort of intimidating.