Floyd Rose Special upgrade without routing ???

[narcsoul]

I have an old jackson guitar with floyd rose special and i would like to upgrade it...but as i can from diagramm dimensions neither ( except maybe original floyd ) will fit without routing....

So you have any experience with an upgrade like that ? Am i wrong ?

Can you suggest me the best option trem ?

thank you

 

[Dave L]

Which upgrades are you looking at? The OFR, the OFR 1000 series, the Schaller licensed and the Schaller Lockmeister are all basically the same dimensions. The Gotoh maybe is a bit different, though, but I´m not sure what other options are even readily available these days.

 

[Racerxrated]

Should be able to just pop the Special out and replace it with an OFR, no problem. Same dimensions

 

[Speeddemon]

Sorry for the necro-bump, but I just got a guitar (no brand on the headstock, kinda looks like a cross between a Hamer Californian and an ESP Horizon), since I wanted an H-S one with amber/orange flame maple top... soooo it has a FR Special and I wonder, since the routing around the trem is kinda roomy, if I can easily drop in a Gotoh 1996T? It was a reasonable affordable guitar, so I'm not looking to spend too much on it; just planning to replace the pickups and electronics probably.

How do the Floyd Rose Specials compare to the typical Licensed FR stuff from the 90's? That's most of my experience anyway; I got an FR 1000 on my Charvel So Cal and on my Kramer SM-1 as well, and those are fine IMO.
Interestingly enough, this FR Special has a big brass 37mm original Floyd block on it, but the previous owner blocked it from both sides with pieces of hardwood, so it's basically acting like a fixed bridge. Decent sustain at the moment too.

 

[cardinal]

I think the 1996T fits anything the Floyd fits (original or special). I have a 7-string with a Floyd Special and it's been a fine trem. IIRC the Special's fine tuners are actually smoother feeling than a lot of 1000s I've had and there are no tuning issues.

The 1996T is a great trem too. I replaced a licensed TRS trem with one. Doesn't seem any better or worse than a Floyd but is a lot cheaper other than the Specials.

 

[Rick Lee]

I replaced the Gotoh on my newish EBMM Axis with a 1984 OFR. Wasn't a perfect fit, but close enough. I tried to put the Gotoh into another guitar that had had an OFR and it did not fit. FWIW, I will sell that Gotoh and have a FR Special bridge only for sale, if anyone is looking.

 

[Dave L]

Sorry for the necro-bump, but I just got a guitar (no brand on the headstock, kinda looks like a cross between a Hamer Californian and an ESP Horizon), since I wanted an H-S one with amber/orange flame maple top... soooo it has a FR Special and I wonder, since the routing around the trem is kinda roomy, if I can easily drop in a Gotoh 1996T? It was a reasonable affordable guitar, so I'm not looking to spend too much on it; just planning to replace the pickups and electronics probably.

How do the Floyd Rose Specials compare to the typical Licensed FR stuff from the 90's? That's most of my experience anyway; I got an FR 1000 on my Charvel So Cal and on my Kramer SM-1 as well, and those are fine IMO.
Interestingly enough, this FR Special has a big brass 37mm original Floyd block on it, but the previous owner blocked it from both sides with pieces of hardwood, so it's basically acting like a fixed bridge. Decent sustain at the moment too.

Yeah, the Gotoh should be fine in there. The FR Special is better than most of the licensed stuff from the 90s, that kind of pot-metal junk you just don´t see anymore. There were good and even great licensed Floyds too, of course, but anything cheaper than a Takeuchi model was not to be trusted.

 

[1984_5150]

The gotoh usually fits where a floyd special fits but i had a Schecter Reaper-6 FR and the routing on the floyd special was so tight that the gotoh would get hung up a little bit.

 

[Devin]

How do the Floyd Rose Specials compare to the typical Licensed FR stuff from the 90's? That's most of my experience anyway; I got an FR 1000 on my Charvel So Cal and on my Kramer SM-1 as well, and those are fine IMO.
Interestingly enough, this FR Special has a big brass 37mm original Floyd block on it, but the previous owner blocked it from both sides with pieces of hardwood, so it's basically acting like a fixed bridge. Decent sustain at the moment too.

I purposely opted for a Floyd Rose Special when I built my Warmoth because it was the only floyd I could find at the time in satin chrome.

Mine has been fine; definitely a step up from most of the no name licensed trash from the 90's in my opinion.

Just be more careful with the lock and saddle screws and don't try to adjust the bridge posts under string tension and you should be good with it

 

[napalmdeath]

You have to be mindful of the radius. I think the Special and 1000 are both 12", and an OFR might be 10". I could be wrong, but something to consider.

 

[Speeddemon]

You have to be mindful of the radius. I think the Special and 1000 are both 12", and an OFR might be 10". I could be wrong, but something to consider.

To be clear, I wasn't planning on upgrading to an OFR on any of my Floyd equipped guitars to begin with.
The cost isn't worth it to me, especially if the Gotoh 1996T at 1/3rd of the price does the same thing. And since I never play any Night Ranger, all that flutter mumbo jumbo passes me right by.

 

[napalmdeath]

To be clear, I wasn't planning on upgrading to an OFR on any of my Floyd equipped guitars to begin with.
The cost isn't worth it to me, especially if the Gotoh 1996T at 1/3rd of the price does the same thing. And since I never play any Night Ranger, all that flutter mumbo jumbo passes me right by.

Gotoh would be my choice!