Floyd Rose Installation

[TexxasJam]

Are Floyd Rose Tremolos difficult to install?  I heard they can be.  And of the ones offered by Warmoth, which is the better?  The Original or the Schaller.

 

[DiMitriR33]

not if you buy the body routed for a floyd. doing a retrofit can be a pain but i don't think that's what you have in mind.

i believe the schaller has a zinc body with steel inserts for the knife edge. it's not bad but the original is all steel. problem is the original has a 10" radius so you'll want a strait radius neck, schaller has 14" radius and will work well enough on the compound fretboard. the string heights will be less than .010" from the recommended 18.5 radius at the bridge. and even closer to correct at the playing surface. so if you don't want to play with shims and want the benefits of a compound radius go schaller. if you want pure quality go original.

 

[TexxasJam]

not if you buy the body routed for a floyd. doing a retrofit can be a pain but i don't think that's what you have in mind.

i believe the schaller has a zinc body with steel inserts for the knife edge. it's not bad but the original is all steel. problem is the original has a 10" radius so you'll want a strait radius neck, schaller has 14" radius and will work well enough on the compound fretboard. the string heights will be less than .010" from the recommended 18.5 radius at the bridge. and even closer to correct at the playing surface. so if you don't want to play with shims and want the benefits of a compound radius go schaller. if you want pure quality go original.

Thanks for the reply. I had no idea that neck radius played a role in tremolo consideration until you mentioned it. I went to the warmoth webite and read up on their necks and I realized that I knew nothing on the topic whatsoever.  Compound Radius Fingerboard?  It sounds interesting as hell and I can't wait to begin my build.  Thanks again.

 

[DocNrock]

Actually, you can use the original Floyd on the compound radius necks.  The 10 cm radius is pretty close to the 9 cm at the first fret on the compound neck.  As you get closer to the 12th fret and beyond, the flatter neck is matched by the relatively flat trem.  Jackson USA guitars have compound radius necks (12 to 16 cm), and all the trems are original floyds.  I have one.

I'm building a Warmoth strat copy and it is getting an original floyd with the compound neck.  The Schaller is not a bad choice, however, but the quality is just not as good as an original floyd.

 

[tfarny]

I don't know a thing about floyds, but I've got to fact-check you docnrock. They're inches, not cm. And the warmoth compound is 10-16. So, on the higher frets, you'd see your action just a bit higher than you'd want it on the middle strings, because the neck is flatter than the 10 inch  bridge radius. Maybe in practice it's hard to notice, but .010 definitely sounds noticeable to me on a well-setup electric. Maybe good enough for the blues??  :guitaristgif:
I've got an LP with a compound radius and TOM on the way, and I'm planning to file down the bridge saddles to the correct radius. In theory you want your bridge to have an 18 inch radius for a warmoth compound neck. On the other hand, other people seem not to mind so much.

 

[TexxasJam]

I don't know a thing about floyds, but I've got to fact-check you docnrock. They're inches, not cm. And the warmoth compound is 10-16. So, on the higher frets, you'd see your action just a bit higher than you'd want it on the middle strings, because the neck is flatter than the 10 inch  bridge radius. Maybe in practice it's hard to notice, but .010 definitely sounds noticeable to me on a well-setup electric. Maybe good enough for the blues??  :guitaristgif:
I've got an LP with a compound radius and TOM on the way, and I'm planning to file down the bridge saddles to the correct radius. In theory you want your bridge to have an 18 inch radius for a warmoth compound neck. On the other hand, other people seem not to mind so much.

TOM?  What's that?  :dontknow:

 

[GoDrex]

Tune-O-Matic bridge - - the standard Gibson type bridge and stop piece.

 

[DocNrock]

I don't know a thing about floyds, but I've got to fact-check you docnrock. They're inches, not cm. And the warmoth compound is 10-16.

I stand corrected.  I miswrote about the units, and just looked up the compound.  Somehow I had 9 in my mind.

I'll let you know how my floyd works on my new warmoth construct once it is done.  It will have the compound radius neck.

 

[tfarny]

Cool! I've been curious about this whole fretboard radius / bridge radius thing too.  :headbang:

 

[upnorthbacon]

How would a 9.5" to 12" compound work with an original floyd?  I'm guessing it might be close enough I wouldn't have to shim?