some technical questions

[Orpheo]

Hi guys, sometimes, a nice carved top lp bosy pops up in the showcase. I rarely buy one of those anymore, with the biggest complaint being that they're not routed for floyds.

Now, i am wondering, how impossible is it to reroute a tune o matic for a floyd? More direct: what's the deal with the neckangle on a lp with a floyd.

Sure,it would be more easy to build from scratch,but sometimes the showcase has bodies which are dirt cheap for the woods it has.

Other question. Is there an easy way to strip warmoth's finish? A compound I haven't heard of so far? If so,then there are many more possibilities!

 

[swarfrat]

In the eighties I remember much weeping and wailing over vintage Gibson Les Pauls with trem routes. As long as it only involves removing wood, its quite doable. Finding someone willing to do it be slightly more involved than finding someone to do nut work.

I know its not a floyd, but I think the Kahler is a less invasive operation than a floyd.

My first guitar was a cheap mail order dept store grade strat with a kahler knockoff. I wish I could recall enough of it to have an opinion, but that was like 25 years ago.

 

[Orpheo]

I already have some lesters with kahlers,but u prefer floyds

 

[swarfrat]

I actually haven't had a trem in like 20 years since I sold my Ibanez RG550. I have a Wilky for the short scale korina strat, but lacking a neck, I've not actually gotten to play it yet. I do recall being frustrated with the floatingness and tuning up.

But the Kahler 2200 doesn't appear to need a route.

 

[Dan025]

from what i can find the floyd should be in a usable range if it is top mounted like on an ernie ball axis. it may need to sit off the body a little bit. the two bridges are pretty close in height but i dont have an lp here to see how high the TOM sits off the body.

 

[Nando Vallart]

Blasfemy question, you should call it... Kahler has a vibrato bridge for LP, as Swarfrat said... But you'd better get it ordered isntead of getting showcase...

 

[Dan025]

now that i think about it, this is in reference to a warmoth body so shimming of the neck pocket is always an option

 

[Orpheo]

The 2200 kahler needs routing too. I have a 2200. Kahlers don't sound that great, but even worse, they don't hold their tuning that well! Double stops are ok, but bending is a nightmare.

About the range. I don't need to pull it up,dive only is fine. Most likely, I want to have it setup with locking tuners and a slippery graphtech nut.no locking nut, but I do want the possibility of being able to install a locknut.then why a floyd, you might ask? I like the looks,feel,tone,and finetuners.

 

[Alfang]

I agree, the floyd style of fine tuners is awesome. theres no pulling the string past a tight spot. I have a guitar with a floyd bridge and a good corian nut and no string tree's, the guitar stays in tune fine, but i don't dive bomb on that guitar either.

But for typical trem work, it stays in tune just fine.  I think all bridges should have some fine tuners built into them, even if a locking nut is not used

 

[Orpheo]

For the total picture. I had some bad news. if you route it, the studs will be too close to the bridge humbucker-route, and the studs might break out.

 

[swarfrat]

Apparently they're very  rare but:
http://www.vintagekramer.com/parts6.htm

 

[Orpheo]

Apparently they're very  rare but:
http://www.vintagekramer.com/parts6.htm

yeah, I know those. i like the idea, but what if you need a spare part? so, nah, wont work. The thing is, I want my guitars to withstand a nucleair attack, or something like that. if something breaks down, I want to be able to find a replacement. or it shouldn't break down at all


for example. tune o matic bridges, they're rock solid. they virtually can't break down. but trems are much more sensitive. I want a trem that can be replaced if neccasary. if for instance the knife edges get dull. Thats why I have 2 hipshot trems with ballbearings. that stuff will never get dull.

or thats why I have gold covers on my pickups. the covers are as much for esthetical reasons, as they're for protecting the pickups.

 

[Paul-less]

FR just released a LP version using the studs at NAMM. Doesn't every vendor spam you this stuff?

 

[swarfrat]

I'm afraid you simply need a milling machine and at least a small lathe. Every man does, the vast majority just don't know it.

 

[Strat Avenger]

I don't know why Washburn discontinued the Wonderbar. It was a great vibrato bridge unit with fine tuners, and required NO routing of the body. Just drill 4 holes and install. It used torsion springs, rather than coil springs in the back cavity. I know a guy who's had one on his ES-335 for well over 20 years, and it still works great for him.

 

[Orpheo]

i haven't seen that new revamped les paul-floyd, but after some searching, i found an obscure tweet.

if its true, it will rock my world. i can retrofit 2 existing guitars with that trem,and have money to spare for 1 other guitarproject! hope to find them soon for sale.