Floyd going sharp while sitting,

[CoreyW]

Hey guys,

So, I got a EVH wolfgang special, with a top mount floyd. I am having an issue with it going sharp after sitting on the stand for a while. This is my only surface mount floyd, my others are floating and dont have this problem.

I have checked the string bar behind the nut, it is pulling the strings down through the nut, it doesnt go sharp when you tighten the nut locks.
Ive checked the nut retention screws, they needed about 1/4 turn to tighten up, didnt solve the problem.
Ive checked my intonation block screws, and they were tight.
Neck bolts, got maybe 1/8 to 1/4 turn out of those, no change.
Tried bumping from the factory 2 springs to 3 springs and no change in behavior.
Have rear springs pretty tight, but I noticed this past weekend, I can make the bass side of the bridge move backwards slightly by pulling up on the bar.
So, I tried raising the posts slightly and doing that and even tightening the back springs a significant amount it doesnt seems to change.

I am wondering if there may be something under the floyd allowing it to rock on slightly.


Is its known to have the base plate of a floyd bend? Its has the EVH floyd in it.

 

[Geo]

It could be the neck expanding and contracting.

Try keeping it in the case and see if it changes.

 

[tjnx]

^ could be temperature related due to winter. I've got low tension and the neck this year responds similarly to temperature fluctuations. New, streched strings have helped

 

[CoreyW]

It could be the neck expanding and contracting.

Try keeping it in the case and see if it changes.

So, it’s been doing this since I got it in the summer, it was used, but I initially though maybe I didn’t stretch my strings enough.

 

[Geo]

Sounds like something expanding or contracting due to humidity or temperature.

Some guitars do this more than others.

You can try new trem posts and or tightening the spring claw.

Floyd Rose Specials are a bit dubious to begin with, consider swapping out for a Floyd 1000 or Gotoh 1996T.

 

[CoreyW]

Sounds like something expanding or contracting due to humidity or temperature.

Some guitars do this more than others.

You can try new trem posts and or tightening the spring claw.

Floyd Rose Specials are a bit dubious to begin with, consider swapping out for a Floyd 1000 or Gotoh 1996T.

I am thinking maybe trying a different floyd, or seeing if there is something under it that would cause it not to sit flat.

 

[Geo]

I am thinking maybe trying a different floyd, or seeing if there is something under it that would cause it not to sit flat.

It's hard to get them to sit perfectly flat, you may want to try a trem stop. They are only about $10.

 

[Geo]

Also, if the knife edges of the trem aren't sharp anymore, you can have issues.

If you can't live with it, try the Gotoh 1996T.

 

[CoreyW]

It's hard to get them to sit perfectly flat, you may want to try a trem stop. They are only about $10.

Thanks man

 

[harddriver]

Also, if the knife edges of the trem aren't sharp anymore, you can have issues.

If you can't live with it, try the Gotoh 1996T.

One of my old OFR Floyds the old knife edge had a burr from over use for 40+ years and it would ride up and down the post and go sharp or flat and that was with new posts in the guitar. The only thing that fixed it was a new Floyd 1984 bridge with brand new knife edges on the baseplate.

It stays in tune as close to perfect now since I replaced the old Floyd.

 

[Geo]

One of my old OFR Floyds the old knife edge had a burr from over use for 40+ years and it would ride up and down the post and go sharp or flat and that was with new posts in the guitar. The only thing that fixed it was a new Floyd 1984 bridge with brand new knife edges on the baseplate.

It stays in tune as close to perfect now since I replaced the old Floyd.

Absolutely, if you are having issues that impede your playing, drastic measures may be the answer.

I have had many floyds over the years but to be quite honest, I rarely even use the trem anymore.

I just enjoy playing, if it goes out I just tune it back up.

 

[CoreyW]

One of my old OFR Floyds the old knife edge had a burr from over use for 40+ years and it would ride up and down the post and go sharp or flat and that was with new posts in the guitar. The only thing that fixed it was a new Floyd 1984 bridge with brand new knife edges on the baseplate.

It stays in tune as close to perfect now since I replaced the old Floyd.

This one I bought used, it doesnt look in bad shape and after I tune it it stays in tune while I play, its just frustrating having to retune and fine tune the D Tuna after I leave it sitting overnight.

Ive got a 91 Ibanez that one of the knife edges looks to be in rough shape but it never goes out of tune.
Also have a Jackson USA Soloist with the 1500 Floyd that I take on the road with me and use in hotel rooms every night, it lives in a Mono Gigbag and spends a lot of time in the back seat of my car, and I maybe touch a fine tuner 2-3x between string changes.

I dont use the bar very often, I like the feel of the floyds under my palm and the tuning stability.

 

[TheBiggestJerk]

Floyd’s operate on the concept as the Stratocaster floating trem but with more complications and extra steps, and the recesses front cavity on many Floyd equipped guitars creates the real user interface problem. The tuned string tension has to equal the rear spring tension or it’s going out of tune, which requires one variable to be fixed while the other is adjusted to match.

 

[Liam]

EVH guitars don't have floating Floyds.

From his earliest days with Kramer then his signature guitars with Ernie Ball, Peavey and now Fender, they're all flat mounted and decked.

Also, the Wolfgang Special line is equipped with the Floyd Rose 1000. The Wolfgang Standard line has the Floyd Rose Special. It's stamped "Special" in the open space on the base plate on the trem arm side.

 

[PDC]

I concur with all who suggest this is a temp / humidity issue. My basement is not 'cold' but cooler than the rest of the house. I usually do have to unclamp and re-tune my Floyd guitars if they have not been out of the case for a few days. Even my non-locking guitars are typically a notch sharp across all 6 strings after sitting in their case over night.

Also - if your trem is decked against the body and it seems to go sharp over time, is it possible that there is enough spring tension that the baseplate is gouging or biting into the body of the guitar? Check for gouging or 'witness marks' in the wood directly beneath the contact points of the trem base plate. If the base plate is biting or gouging into the guitar, try one of the many 'trem stoppers' that install in the spring cavity and create a solid, positive stop for the trem block so all of the spring tension isn't loaded against the wood of the guitar body. I hope that makes sense.

 

[HellraiserJohnny]

I have always used FR Trem since they were introduced in the late 80's including the non fine tuner models (with locking pegs). I've learned a few things about them as it pertains to set-up. . . .

1 - Always use the same brand and gauge strings once you find ones you like on that guitar. Makes everything easy changing strings.
2 - If the bridge is not dead level, you will have problems staying in tune.
3 - Any change you make to the bridge will afftect the balance of strings vs springs (raising the bridge posts, changing the # of springs ect)
4 - Because I run Light top\Heavy Bottom strings I find I have to slightly have more spring pull on the low end to get the bridge to sit dead flat.
5 - When you put new strings on, you have to stretch them thoughly to be sure the whole length of the string is stretched or you may have to unlock, re-balance and lock it down again.

As TBJ pointed out. . . a FR is a balancing act. It's a PITA to get it dead on but I find by using these methods, I can pull a guitar out after a year from the case and it's still in tune. If yours is pulling sharp, that tells me the springs are pulling the bridge back meaning the spring claw is screwed in too close to the body.
Don't make radical changes to the claw on the back of the guitar. do 1/4 turn of the philups heads and retune - Check bridge and make another adjustment if needed. You can adjust each screw independantly if one side is higher or lower than the other. Always retune and check the bridge after any changes you make. This has worked for me over 40 years.

 

[TheBiggestJerk]

Hey guys,

So, I got a EVH wolfgang special, with a top mount floyd. I am having an issue with it going sharp after sitting on the stand for a while. This is my only surface mount floyd, my others are floating and dont have this problem.

I have checked the string bar behind the nut, it is pulling the strings down through the nut, it doesnt go sharp when you tighten the nut locks.
Ive checked the nut retention screws, they needed about 1/4 turn to tighten up, didnt solve the problem.
Ive checked my intonation block screws, and they were tight.
Neck bolts, got maybe 1/8 to 1/4 turn out of those, no change.
Tried bumping from the factory 2 springs to 3 springs and no change in behavior.
Have rear springs pretty tight, but I noticed this past weekend, I can make the bass side of the bridge move backwards slightly by pulling up on the bar.
So, I tried raising the posts slightly and doing that and even tightening the back springs a significant amount it doesnt seems to change.

I am wondering if there may be something under the floyd allowing it to rock on slightly.


Is its known to have the base plate of a floyd bend? Its has the EVH floyd in it.

How sharp in cents?

 

[CoreyW]

How sharp in cents?

Usually between a couple to 5-7 range

 

[PBGas]

Make sure the bolts holding the nut down the wood of the neck are tight. Also, under the saddles are three screws that hold the block, spring-plate and spacer to the baseplate. These can get loose after much use.

 

[TheBiggestJerk]

Make sure the bolts holding the nut down the wood of the neck are tight. Also, under the saddles are three screws that hold the block, spring-plate and spacer to the baseplate. These can get loose after much use.

Rarely. 1 in a million. This is a claw problem.