7 string floyd won't stay in tune - advice?

[b7string]

I know Floyd systems are supposed to be very very stable, but on my Floyd-equipped 7 string won't stay in tune even with light use. I think the strings are slipping at the nut, because when I whammy down, they come back flat, and when I whammy up they come back sharp. I have checked, and my string locks are fully tightened. I was wondering if it might be because I use thick strings ( 11- 52 from E to E and a 62 on the low B) and perhaps the nut can't clamp down on them properly? Or maybe it's something at the bridge end?

Has anyone else had any issues like this? Any advice would be appreciated!

 

[Super Turbo Deluxe Custom]

Sounds like it's not returning to "zero" position due to friction somewhere, possibly dull knife edges at the fulcrum point.  The strings shouldn't matter because the setup of the springs should counteract any tension the strings have at pitch.  

 

[ORCRiST]

And, I might add - you shouldn't need a torque wrench to tighten the locking nut either, so don't go all "Hulk smash!" on the thing. 

 

[b7string]

Sounds like it's not returning to "zero" position due to friction somewhere, possibly dull knife edges at the fulcrum point.  The strings shouldn't matter because the setup of the springs should counteract any tension the strings have at pitch. 

Thanks for the advice, I'll take a look at the knife edge contact points with the studs and see if anything is weird there.

And, I might add - you shouldn't need a torque wrench to tighten the locking nut either, so don't go all "Hulk smash!" on the thing. 

Yeah lol I have broken too many things doing that in the past :doh: and have painfully developed a level of caution while tightening things now.

 

[Alfang]

It doesnt sound like a nut problem, you stated that when you dive down on the bar it comes back flat, if it was a nut problem it would come back sharp, as the loose string on the dive, would tend to slip towards the tuners.  Plus usually if a locking nut is slipping, it's not slipping on all strings.

you obviously have a floating setup, you probably need a stabalizer like a tremel-no or whatever is out there. I block my floyds for dive only because of all the instability issues.

 

[Super Turbo Deluxe Custom]

And, I might add - you shouldn't need a torque wrench to tighten the locking nut either, so don't go all "Hulk smash!" on the thing. 

Besides uniformity across a broad area, I use a torque wrench to prevent over tightening most of the time.

 

[Dan025]

And, I might add - you shouldn't need a torque wrench to tighten the locking nut either, so don't go all "Hulk smash!" on the thing. 

Besides uniformity across a broad area, I use a torque wrench to prevent over tightening most of the time.

@ ORCHRiST that should be in in/lbs though not foot/lbs people associate torque wrenches with lug nuts and head bolts and things that need high amounts of torque but torque wrenches are for precision work too. we even use torque drivers at work to tighten lathe and milling inserts with lockdown screws that are less than an 8th of an inch in diameter. the real point of a torque wrenck is to have controled torque for critical things and not to "hulk smash" anything. if you associate torqure wrenches with hulk smash youre using it wrong, you really need a breaker bar to hulk smash things, no sensitive parts in a breaker bar.

 

[Dan025]

and since were on the subject of stabilizing things i recomend using some sort of stabilizer. if you adjust it right it can work wonders. i made the device in the attached pics. it works a bit like the tremsetter but better construction and truely a drop in retrofit, but i dont think i can sell them as im sure the differences in construction wont get around the tremsetter patants. i can cut a string off my guitar and it wont go out of tune. if your gonna buy something i'd recomend http://shop.ebay.com/jemenake/m.html?_nkw=&_armrs=1&_from=&_ipg=&_trksid=p4340 this apears to be the best of whats out there and it's cheap, you might want 2 for a 7 string

 

[ORCRiST]

And, I might add - you shouldn't need a torque wrench to tighten the locking nut either, so don't go all "Hulk smash!" on the thing.  

Besides uniformity across a broad area, I use a torque wrench to prevent over tightening most of the time.

@ ORCHRiST that should be in in/lbs though not foot/lbs people associate torque wrenches with lug nuts and head bolts and things that need high amounts of torque but torque wrenches are for precision work too. we even use torque drivers at work to tighten lathe and milling inserts with lockdown screws that are less than an 8th of an inch in diameter. the real point of a torque wrenck is to have controled torque for critical things and not to "hulk smash" anything. if you associate torqure wrenches with hulk smash youre using it wrong, you really need a breaker bar to hulk smash things, no sensitive parts in a breaker bar.

LOL. I know. I meant, he (b7string) shouldn't be wrenching so hard (as to not even need a torque wrench in the first place) on the lock nuts that he does something rash such as strip an allen screw or otherwise damage the nut (Hulk smash!). I'm well aware there are purpose-built torque wrenches for almost any application, giant or small. The OP knew what I meant.

 

[b7string]

and since were on the subject of stabilizing things i recomend using some sort of stabilizer. if you adjust it right it can work wonders. i made the device in the attached pics. it works a bit like the tremsetter but better construction and truely a drop in retrofit, but i dont think i can sell them as im sure the differences in construction wont get around the tremsetter patants. i can cut a string off my guitar and it wont go out of tune. if your gonna buy something i'd recomend http://shop.ebay.com/jemenake/m.html?_nkw=&_armrs=1&_from=&_ipg=&_trksid=p4340 this apears to be the best of whats out there and it's cheap, you might want 2 for a 7 string

Well I checked out the posts and they are looking very strange: It's like when I have been adjusting them, the gold plating wore off and the knife edges cut into them and made little grooves all the way around, which I think might be catching the edges and preventing a good return-to-neutral. I am going to purchase some new posts, and see if that fixes the issue. That trem stabilizer in your link there looks pretty interesting. If the new posts don't completely fix it, I will definitely look into one (or two) of those.