Gotoh Floyd Is Very Stiff

smavridis

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When i bought this thing i thought it would be effort less to divebomb and raise the pitch. but no. why is it so stiff? is there any way to change it? i know it has to do with the springs but what could i do to make using a floyd easier? my setup is 3 springs and 11-48 power slinkies.  :help:
 
Blue313 said:
Fewer springs may help.  Also have you tried angling the outer springs inward?

I tried fewer springs to no avail.

and no, as a matter of fact i didnt even think about that. how would angling help?
 
Angling can give a either a slightly softer feel or stiffer feel to the trem.  I've felt both happen, so there's no hard and fast rule.

However, there's a lot of tension pulling the trem into those FR knife points.  Its effectively what your pulling against, with a levered assist.  Are you detuned or at standard pitch?
 
Blue313 said:
Angling can give a either a slightly softer feel or stiffer feel to the trem.  I've felt both happen, so there's no hard and fast rule.

However, there's a lot of tension pulling the trem into those FR knife points.  Its effectively what your pulling against, with a levered assist.  Are you detuned or at standard pitch?

standard
 
Fewer springs should result in a softer trem.  If two springs on the outermost posts didn't make a change, then I'd say it's the string gauge.  I cant say I've tried only one spring, but considering the amount of force at work here I wouldn't recommend it.
 
It can't have anything to do with the string gauge. When you do a divebomb you're releasing all the tension of the strings.
If anything a heavier gauge should actually assist in lowering pitch.

If raising the pitch is where you're having issues then you're gonna want to add springs to the back. That'll counteract the tension of the higher gauge.

I play with 12's and that's what i had to do with my vintage strat trem. The principle should apply to the floyd as well.
 
thanks nld. btw i put on 9's and its a bit easier to raise the pitch. dive bombing is super easy now. but still its a bit stiffer than i would like for raising pitch.
 
smavridis said:
thanks nld. btw i put on 9's and its a bit easier to raise the pitch. dive bombing is super easy now. but still its a bit stiffer than i would like for raising pitch.
Go with .008s.. That is what I have have on my Dean Dime shawdow and it is pretty easy to dive.
 
My gotoh has D'addario 10-54's and has three springs with one angled like so :

evh-frankenstein3.jpg


It feels fairly soft to me.
 
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