Link on easy way to shim a Floyd to match a Warmoth radius

[casper]

take this link to the Guitar Building Forum...
the Floyd shimming guide is stickied at the top

http://www.rackcreations.com/forum

 

[simple]

The text from the link referred to above


This is an easy guide to shimming your Original Floyd Rose saddles to get a close match to your fretboard radius. This way you can dial it in very fast to get very close to a perfect match for best action.

Note: Unless your guitar has a 10" non-compound fretboard radius, you will need to shim your floyd saddles if you want good action. This is because the ORIGINAL Floyd bridge radius = 10".

You can buy .2mm shims that fit Floyd saddles on the internet in packs of 6 or 12. Just do a google search. To find out how many .2 mm shims to add to each string saddle, see below (note that the D and G strings get no shim):

Fingerboard Radius (at bridge) / E strings # shims / A and B strings # shims
10" / 0 / 0
12" / 1 / 0
14" / 2 / 1
16" / 2 / 1
18" / 3 / 1

You can also make your own shims out of coke soda cans (cut out of the coke can skin, which is about .1mm thick) or you can use copper shielding tape (that you shield your guitar with.) If you do either of these, you should measure the thickness with a micrometer. You can also cut up feeler gages to get your appropriate thickness. Here is a table of thickness to add to each string:

Fingerboard Radius (at bridge) / E strings / A and B strings
10" / none / none
12" / .2 mm / .1 mm
14" / .4 mm / .2 mm
16" / .5 mm / .2 mm
18" / .6 mm / .2 mm

For Warmoth compound necks, use the 18" row for radius at bridge to find out what to add. For some other compound neck, you'll need to estimate or calculate your fretboard radius at the bridge ( the radius flattens as you get closer to the bridge for a compound neck.)

 

[shanejw]

Do you need to shim your floyd for every neck?  i haven't installed my floyd on my warmoth yet and was wondering if i needed to do so.  my neck is a warmoth pro.

 

[simple]

Do you need to shim your floyd for every neck?  i haven't installed my floyd on my warmoth yet and was wondering if i needed to do so.  my neck is a warmoth pro.

Is all a matter of personal taste. If your neck has a straight 10 " radius, then that is a perfect match to the Original Floyd bridge radius. That said, do people pair up an Original Floyd Trem with a compound radius without shimming? All the time. Does it make a noticeable difference to shim? Depends on the player and how you like your set up to feel.

As a footnote, a Schaller Floyd bridge has a 14" radius. It still uses the 10" radues locking nut though.

 

[ventolino]

I can't find again the post where you're talking about tremolo saddle radius for Warmoth compound radius neck.
I know here we're speaking on Floyd but i'll mount Wilkinson tremolo flat mounted with W compound radius neck.
How should adjust saddles on tremolo? Which radius? 
Thanks.

 

[simple]

I can't find again the post where you're talking about tremolo saddle radius for Warmoth compound radius neck.
I know here we're speaking on Floyd but i'll mount Wilkinson tremolo flat mounted with W compound radius neck.
How should adjust saddles on tremolo? Which radius?   
Thanks.

18.5"

 

[ventolino]

Thanks Gregg  :icon_thumright:

 

[ventolino]

Hmm...
i've a doubt remaining.  :toothy11:
Can i use 18.5" saddle radius for both 25-1/2 neck and conversion 24-3/4" neck?
Is the value the same?
Thanks.

 

[simple]

Yep.

 

[Orpheo]

@ gregg: I like to have a 'ridiculously' high action. Do i need the shims then? or is it just for that ultra-superlow action?

 

[compound2]

The text from the link referred to above


This is an easy guide to shimming your Original Floyd Rose saddles to get a close match to your fretboard radius. This way you can dial it in very fast to get very close to a perfect match for best action.

Note: Unless your guitar has a 10" non-compound fretboard radius, you will need to shim your floyd saddles if you want good action. This is because the ORIGINAL Floyd bridge radius = 10".

You can buy .2mm shims that fit Floyd saddles on the internet in packs of 6 or 12. Just do a google search. To find out how many .2 mm shims to add to each string saddle, see below (note that the D and G strings get no shim):

Fingerboard Radius (at bridge) / E strings # shims / A and B strings # shims
10" / 0 / 0
12" / 1 / 0
14" / 2 / 1
16" / 2 / 1
18" / 3 / 1

You can also make your own shims out of coke soda cans (cut out of the coke can skin, which is about .1mm thick) or you can use copper shielding tape (that you shield your guitar with.) If you do either of these, you should measure the thickness with a micrometer. You can also cut up feeler gages to get your appropriate thickness. Here is a table of thickness to add to each string:

Fingerboard Radius (at bridge) / E strings / A and B strings
10" / none / none
12" / .2 mm / .1 mm
14" / .4 mm / .2 mm
16" / .5 mm / .2 mm
18" / .6 mm / .2 mm

For Warmoth compound necks, use the 18" row for radius at bridge to find out what to add. For some other compound neck, you'll need to estimate or calculate your fretboard radius at the bridge ( the radius flattens as you get closer to the bridge for a compound neck.)

hi
i have a question relative to this topic
i have a 12 to 16 CR neck
with an original FR installed which i would think goes at 10" radius
what do i have to do to match it up with the fretboard?

 

[GoDrex]

@ gregg: I like to have a 'ridiculously' high action. Do i need the shims then? or is it just for that ultra-superlow action?

it probably doesn't matter as much with the ridiculously high action - - as you get closer to the fret board you want the curve of the strings to match as much as possible. I think even with a very high action, a proper radius at the bridge will still give you a better feel by keeping the distance of the strings from the fretboard uniform and balanced -- but it's probably not as important.

 

[compound2]

@ gregg: I like to have a 'ridiculously' high action. Do i need the shims then? or is it just for that ultra-superlow action?

it probably doesn't matter as much with the ridiculously high action - - as you get closer to the fret board you want the curve of the strings to match as much as possible. I think even with a very high action, a proper radius at the bridge will still give you a better feel by keeping the distance of the strings from the fretboard uniform and balanced -- but it's probably not as important.

but is it like continuing the radius to the bridge with a higher #  or just stopping it at 16"?

 

[compound2]

@ gregg: I like to have a 'ridiculously' high action. Do i need the shims then? or is it just for that ultra-superlow action?

it probably doesn't matter as much with the ridiculously high action - - as you get closer to the fret board you want the curve of the strings to match as much as possible. I think even with a very high action, a proper radius at the bridge will still give you a better feel by keeping the distance of the strings from the fretboard uniform and balanced -- but it's probably not as important.

but is it like continuing the radius to the bridge with a higher #  or just stopping it at 16"?

 

[GoDrex]

with a compound radius the number keeps getting larger as you move from the nut toward the bridge. So if the radius ends at 16 at the end of the fretboard, by the time you get to the bridge it will be up near 18 or so. Using 18 would not be an exact measurement, but it should be close enough for most people. And like I said if you like a high action you probably won't notice at all. I use a 12 radius TOM bridge with the Warmoth compound radius and I can barely tell. I do think it would be a little better if it were closer, but I like the action a little high also so it plays fine for me. I sometimes think I should have gotten a 12 radius neck - -maybe I will some day.

 

[Bamakramer]

Look into a gotoh floyd rose with a 16" radius at the bridge, it fits perfectly.

 

[Dan025]

The text from the link referred to above


This is an easy guide to shimming your Original Floyd Rose saddles to get a close match to your fretboard radius. This way you can dial it in very fast to get very close to a perfect match for best action.

Note: Unless your guitar has a 10" non-compound fretboard radius, you will need to shim your floyd saddles if you want good action. This is because the ORIGINAL Floyd bridge radius = 10".

You can buy .2mm shims that fit Floyd saddles on the internet in packs of 6 or 12. Just do a google search. To find out how many .2 mm shims to add to each string saddle, see below (note that the D and G strings get no shim):

Fingerboard Radius (at bridge) / E strings # shims / A and B strings # shims
10" / 0 / 0
12" / 1 / 0
14" / 2 / 1
16" / 2 / 1
18" / 3 / 1

You can also make your own shims out of coke soda cans (cut out of the coke can skin, which is about .1mm thick) or you can use copper shielding tape (that you shield your guitar with.) If you do either of these, you should measure the thickness with a micrometer. You can also cut up feeler gages to get your appropriate thickness. Here is a table of thickness to add to each string:

Fingerboard Radius (at bridge) / E strings / A and B strings
10" / none / none
12" / .2 mm / .1 mm
14" / .4 mm / .2 mm
16" / .5 mm / .2 mm
18" / .6 mm / .2 mm

For Warmoth compound necks, use the 18" row for radius at bridge to find out what to add. For some other compound neck, you'll need to estimate or calculate your fretboard radius at the bridge ( the radius flattens as you get closer to the bridge for a compound neck.)

hi
i have a question relative to this topic
i have a 12 to 16 CR neck
with an original FR installed which i would think goes at 10" radius
what do i have to do to match it up with the fretboard?

i didnt read the whole post to see if this was answered yet, if memory  serves me you are looking at about a 17" radius, so either the 16" shims or the 18" shims will work, youd b e surprised how little difference there is between the two but the difference between 16" and 10" is very noticeable, i can do the math but for perfect action you should have the frets leveled and the string spacing at the nut vs string spacing at the bridge should have a certain relation ship to the compound finger board, it should be one cone shape over another with a common theoretical tip and a similar final radius, but a very good playing guitar is achievable otherwise

 

[compound2]

with a compound radius the number keeps getting larger as you move from the nut toward the bridge. So if the radius ends at 16 at the end of the fretboard, by the time you get to the bridge it will be up near 18 or so. Using 18 would not be an exact measurement, but it should be close enough for most people. And like I said if you like a high action you probably won't notice at all. I use a 12 radius TOM bridge with the Warmoth compound radius and I can barely tell. I do think it would be a little better if it were closer, but I like the action a little high also so it plays fine for me. I sometimes think I should have gotten a 12 radius neck - -maybe I will some day.

wow now considering the length of the guitar at 25.5, i think it's more than 18. id say 20" then.
now what does this mean, a 10" shim or a 16" shim? are we talking about their thicknesses?

 

[GoDrex]

wow now considering the length of the guitar at 25.5, i think it's more than 18. id say 20" then.
now what does this mean, a 10" shim or a 16" shim? are we talking about their thicknesses?

did you not read the long post in this thread about the shims? The shims are 2 mm - - the homemade shims are described as 1 mm

the 18' radius at the bridge is described using 3 E string shims and 1 A&B string shims.

 

[compound2]

wow now considering the length of the guitar at 25.5, i think it's more than 18. id say 20" then.
now what does this mean, a 10" shim or a 16" shim? are we talking about their thicknesses?

did you not read the long post in this thread about the shims? The shims are 2 mm - - the homemade shims are described as 1 mm

the 18' radius at the bridge is described using 3 E string shims and 1 A&B string shims.

ok what about a 19" or a 20? what would you use?