Recessed rout for Original Floyd Rose trem with no fine tuners.

[Unwound G]

A customer is looking to model his order to the specs of Guthrie Govan's Chavel model which is basically a San Dimas Strat with 24 frets, H-S-H pickup configuration and the Original non-fine tuners Floyd trem system.  I figured I can make one using all Warmoth parts at half the cost of the named model.  Only question is will Warmoth rout the trem recessed cavity just short of cutting the extra bit of wood to recess the fine tuner ?

 

[stratamania]

Or offer it as a routing option.

 

[Cagey]

Warmoth will do a number of bridge routes that aren't listed in the builder, but show up at the bottom of this page. Unfortunately, the original original Floyd isn't one of them. But, that doesn't mean they won't do one, it just means you have to call and ask. They certainly have the tools and talent, all they'd need and may also have is the templates.

Thing is, if he wants a Floyd with no fine tuners, that means he's not gonna use a locking nut. If that's the case, then there's really no need to use a Floyd at all and there are a number of other vibrato bridges that will work just as well. The two big things the original Floyd design brought to the party to make vibratos functional, reliable and repeatable was the two-point knife-edge fulcrum and the elimination of the headstock tuners and flaky nut with a locking nut. Today, every bridge maker and his brother makes a two-point knife-edge fulcrum bridge, and every tuner manufacturer under the sun makes a locking tuner, so the complicated and expensive Floyd system doesn't offer anything special any more.

Maybe pass all that along to your customer, and perhaps he'll be able to see his way clear to use something a little more practical that's equally functional and will save him money as well. Plus, it's likely Warmoth will be able to accommodate the choice when it comes to drilling/routing things out.

 

[Unwound G]

Customers are always right....aesthetics over functionality.  One of the things I have learnt over all these years of doing what the customer wants.

Cagey, thanks for the link.  Perhaps Schaller Floyd Rose recessed rout may fit.  I'll get the dimensions from their sales staff.

 

[aarontunes]

This is off-topic, but does that Floyd without fine tuners have a nylon insert for the bar, rather that the screw-on one that comes with the Original Floyd Rose?


If so, is there a retro-fit part you can buy to swap out the bar attachment on the Original Floyd? I would WAY prefer a nylon insert.


I'm sure I could Google it, but I prefer to ask someone. I'm analog that way....

 

[Hendrix]

Customers are always right....aesthetics over functionality.  One of the things I have learnt over all these years of doing what the customer wants.


Cagey, thanks for the link.  Perhaps Schaller Floyd Rose recessed rout may fit.  I'll get the dimensions from their sales staff.

this is a Schaller Floyd Rose recessed rout body I got, you can have a look  if need dimensions I can measure it.

http://www.unofficialwarmoth.com/index.php?topic=22737.msg336792#msg336792

 

[stratamania]

This is off-topic, but does that Floyd without fine tuners have a nylon insert for the bar, rather that the screw-on one that comes with the Original Floyd Rose?


If so, is there a retro-fit part you can buy to swap out the bar attachment on the Original Floyd? I would WAY prefer a nylon insert.


I'm sure I could Google it, but I prefer to ask someone. I'm analog that way....

It comes with the vintage screw in one. You can swap it out with the push in style.

So come on DoubleA how about a routing option for this fine device so we can order one?

 

[aarontunes]

This is off-topic, but does that Floyd without fine tuners have a nylon insert for the bar, rather that the screw-on one that comes with the Original Floyd Rose?


If so, is there a retro-fit part you can buy to swap out the bar attachment on the Original Floyd? I would WAY prefer a nylon insert.


I'm sure I could Google it, but I prefer to ask someone. I'm analog that way....

It comes with the vintage screw in one. You can swap it out with the push in style.

So come on DoubleA how about a routing option for this fine device so we can order one?

Sorry....just not enough demand for that bridge to warrant the time/money investment. I'm not saying it will never happen. I'm just saying is will probably never happen.


I love/am blown away by Guthrie Govan as much as the next guitar player, but in the grand scheme of things, that bridge is the tiniest blip on the radar. If/when that changes, then we'll talk.


I will add that this is a perfect example of the challenge Warmoth is faced with more and more. It used to be that there were only a few hardware manufacturers. It was easier than it is now to identify the routs that would satisfy the most players. Now there are a bajillion hardware mfgr's.....and there are rabid fans of each, who all think Warmoth should do a rout for their champion. But because the market is so divided, there isn't isn't enough demand for any single bridge to justify the investment. So which ones do you choose to add?

 

[Logrinn]

I just need to ask, because I feel I'm missing something here ...  :icon_scratch:

Why the need to recess it at all? Eddie Van Halen had it on top of the body, right? So did Steve Vai long before he was signed to Ibanez. And even though EVH only pushed his whammy down, SV went both ways. And they both managed that without a recessed Floyd.
So couldn't you just put the Floyd on top of the body and make sure the angle between neck and body is right and off you'd go?

 

[aarontunes]

I just need to ask, because I feel I'm missing something here ...  :icon_scratch:

Why the need to recess it at all? Eddie Van Halen had it on top of the body, right? So did Steve Vai long before he was signed to Ibanez. And even though EVH only pushed his whammy down, SV went both ways. And they both managed that without a recessed Floyd.
So couldn't you just put the Floyd on top of the body and make sure the angle between neck and body is right and off you'd go?

I don't see why that wouldn't work. But....that's not how it is on the Guthrie Govan model....which is the guitar du jour.

 

[stratamania]

Thanks Double-A, I appreciate there are a lot of options.

A normal non-recessed with an angled pocket would work.

I suppose a normal Floyd rout with a non-angled pocket could be adapted by someone with a router so there is always that as an option.

 

[Cagey]

It would work. But, the disproportionate amount of attention paid to what someone's hero is using rather than how he's using it keeps people buying things that aren't always in their best interests. Great players don't always play great instruments. From an objective POV, most of the "signature" instruments Fender offers are basically just rag rides with a famous person's name on them. But, people scarf them up at a premium thinking that's what they need to play like [insert artist here].

I wonder if doctors engage in that sort of silliness?

Dr. X: So, how'd that triple bypass go this morning?
Dr. Y: Not bad. Patient died, but I still got paid.
Dr. X: Whaddaya suppose killed him??
Dr. Y: Well, I'm still using that raggedly-ass Sears scalpel I got when I graduated from med school. It's tough to hang onto, so you're forever nicking arteries when you should be spreading tissue.
Dr. X: Yeah, I used to have that problem. Then I got a Binford Bloodletter 6000™ like Dr. Frank N. Stein used to use. Cuts perfect, and handles like a Mercedes. You oughta get one of those.
Dr. Y: I would, but they're so damned expensive!
Dr. X: I know. But they're so worth it. You'd be able to slice and dice just like Dr. Stein.
Dr. Y: Hmm... what could possibly be wrong with that?

 

[aarontunes]

Just for the record, the Binford Bloodletter 6000 is a damn fine piece of kit.

 

[Cagey]

Don't I know it. I'm missing part of a lung thanks to one of those. My doctor swears at by 'em.

 

[DangerousR6]

I believe the original no-fine tuner Floyds had no top recess rout. They were all non-recess..At least all the ones I have are... :dontknow:

 

[Cagey]

I think you're right. I don't remember because it was a while back, and I didn't deal with many, if any of them at all. Actually, I don't think there were that many of that design. They evolved pretty fast into what we're used to seeing now and stopped at that point.

 

[Unwound G]

Customers are always right....aesthetics over functionality.  One of the things I have learnt over all these years of doing what the customer wants.


Cagey, thanks for the link.  Perhaps Schaller Floyd Rose recessed rout may fit.  I'll get the dimensions from their sales staff.

this is a Schaller Floyd Rose recessed rout body I got, you can have a look  if need dimensions I can measure it.

http://www.unofficialwarmoth.com/index.php?topic=22737.msg336792#msg336792

Appreciate Hendrix.  Just give me a rough dimension of the route, especially tail end.  Thanks.

 

[Hendrix]

Appreciate Hendrix.  Just give me a rough dimension of the route, especially tail end.  Thanks.

here is the dimension of the route :glasses10: the ø mark on drawing should mean Radius . 

 

[stratamania]

Here is a link to the dimensions to the non-fine tuner Floyd.


FR Non-Fine Tuner Dimensions

Looks like it may fit the Schaller rout but there would probably still be 10mm or so behind the bridge of not needed recess.

Most early fixtures of Floyds (non-fine tuner or otherwise) were not recessed but it doesn't mean they can not be. To me, these are a good solution as the string is locked at the bridge and with locking tuners that we have available now no lock nut is needed.  Also, I like the feel of Floyd Rose bridges, which would be the main reason for me to try this not because anyone else is doing it.

 

[agquake]

I realize this is an old thread, but would really like to know what was finally done for this. Facing a similar situation. Thanks.