Titanium Floyd

[Doughboy]

Has anyone played or put a Titanium Floyd on their guitars?

I'm starting a new Warmoth build & seriously thinking about getting one, but worried that it may sound too brittle & trebly.

I have KTS titanium saddles on another guitar that sounds great, but all titanium has me a wee bit worried.

 

[bagman67]

I have never used one, and have only ever owned one Floyd in my life, and don't expect to pick up another.  But my preferences aside, I would just ask:


IS there something you are not getting out of a regular Floyd that you hope a titanium one will remedy?  Because Ti is 'spensive, (like, $900 USD vs. $160 or so).  You could really spend the extra dough somewhere else and get a lot more happiness if you already find the standard Floyd generally suitable for your needs.  Literally countless hours of recorded and live music have been created and enjoyed without the titanium Floyd being involved, is all I'm saying.


Aesthetically, titanium oxidizes and forms a passivating layer - which is good from a protection standpoint - but it gets all dull, which you might not like.

 

[Doughboy]

I have never used one, and have only ever owned one Floyd in my life, and don't expect to pick up another.  But my preferences aside, I would just ask:


IS there something you are not getting out of a regular Floyd that you hope a titanium one will remedy?  Because Ti is 'spensive, (like, $900 USD vs. $160 or so).  You could really spend the extra dough somewhere else and get a lot more happiness if you already find the standard Floyd generally suitable for your needs.  Literally countless hours of recorded and live music have been created and enjoyed without the titanium Floyd being involved, is all I'm saying.


Aesthetically, titanium oxidizes and forms a passivating layer - which is good from a protection standpoint - but it gets all dull, which you might not like.

I know what you're saying & the reasons I want an all titanium floyd are:

1. I don't have one & after countless builds & variations, I want something totally new...that hopefully doesn't suck
2. I changed the saddles on a fender 6 screw bridge with KTS saddles & OMG, the sounds is 100000x better. Clear, articulate, more sustain, more chirp etc.

Maybe a titanium block on a regular floyd? I'm also contemplating brass blocks as well, but have no experience with either.

 

[stratamania]

I was hoping when I opened the thread someone had got one to see what they thought.

Apart from tone the weight is likely to be lighter.

If you do get one report back.

 

[Doughboy]

I was hoping when I opened the thread someone had got one to see what they thought.

Apart from tone the weight is likely to be lighter.

If you do get one report back.

99% of the info out there is from people who got titanium blocks or saddles, but not the whole floyd. One guy had one but said it was too brittle, which makes sense since changing just my saddles to titanium GREATLY increased the high end, definition & chirp.

 

[swarfrat]

I think the block material effect is purely a function of mass. You could probably do the same thing if it were replaced with a threaded rod you screwed lead weights onto, or a shortened block to reduce mass.  I suspect titanium saddles gets you 99.5% of the way to solid titanium's tonal effects, simply because its the string interface.

If you just want somethingbdofferent, someone got one of the Schaller Floyds from germany where its plated in some funky heavy metal that looked kinda cool. It will only set you back "list price from overseas" where a titanium floyd would set you back "royal pita to manufacture needs special shop and expensive material"

 

[Cagey]

You might be thinking of the Ruthenium plated parts they make (see here). Very attractive, but difficult to get. Nobody stocks them; you have to get them from the factory. They're roughly $250 plus shipping.

 

[ORCRiST]

You might be thinking of the Ruthenium plated parts they make (see here). Very attractive, but difficult to get. Nobody stocks them; you have to get them from the factory. They're roughly $250 plus shipping.

As usual... a better (LINK) than Cagey's. 

TBH though, I think the only attractive element of Ti in a tremolo would be weight savings. And its extremely high melting point for those scorching solos... or something.

ORCRiST

 

[stratamania]

I've been looking at that ruthenium too. I can get it over here in the UK relatively easier than in the US.

Has anyone tried on of these

http://guitar-parts.biz/hp135040/Vintage-Tremolo.htm

 

[Cagey]

I have two of those installed on guitars here. Really very nice parts. If I could get them easier, I'd use them for every vibrato install. They're like an improved Wilkinson, which is an improved Floyd. Only thing is, they advertise it as a "Vintage Replacement" for Strats, but it's not. The pivot post spacing is the same as a Floyd, which is wider. If you ask Warmoth to route for a non-recessed Floyd, you're in good shape.

 

[swarfrat]

Thats the one. I coudln't remember how to spell it this morning

 

[stratamania]

I have two of those installed on guitars here. Really very nice parts. If I could get them easier, I'd use them for every vibrato install. They're like an improved Wilkinson, which is an improved Floyd. Only thing is, they advertise it as a "Vintage Replacement" for Strats, but it's not. The pivot post spacing is the same as a Floyd, which is wider. If you ask Warmoth to route for a non-recessed Floyd, you're in good shape.

Thanks Cagey, that's great. I thought it would fit a Floyd route, but does it work with a non angled pocket ?

I suppose if you replace a Floyd with it then it looks a little more vintage but it does seem a little strangely named.

 

[Cagey]

Neither of the guitars I've got the thing on (a Strat and a Tele) have angled pockets, so you should be ok. It sits fairly low, so it's comfy.

 

[stratamania]

Neither of the guitars I've got the thing on (a Strat and a Tele) have angled pockets, so you should be ok. It sits fairly low, so it's comfy.

Ok, I might have to check one of them out when I have some pennies for a new build.

 

[DangerousR6]

I've pondered on buying one, being the Floyd buff that I am. But the coin is just too steep for me to justify it. But I am working on a replacement for the standard strat trem in Titanium...Fun stuff... :icon_biggrin:

 

[Doughboy]

The more I read, the more I think an ALL titanium anything will be too bright & brittle. Perhaps just changing the saddles or block will make things articulate & bright enough, but not too overly trebly.

Having said this, I REALLY want one just for the sake of doing something different with my next build, but I'm one of those guys who likes dark sounding warm tones, so I'm just scared at this time to pull the trigger & get a titanium floyd.

 

[Doughboy]

My luthier has a customer who has a titanium floyd & he brought it in for me to try today & I played it for a while & my verdict is the same as the review for Spinal Tap's Shark Sandwich album:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tWqKiqTfXuA

 

[Cagey]

A link might be helpful...

So... I take it you weren't favorably impressed?

 

[Doughboy]

A link might be helpful...

So... I take it you weren't favorably impressed?

The link is at the bottom of the shark sandwich jpg, dear sir.

The titanium floyd made the strat sound like someone turned off the bass & put the presence on 10....or 11 in this case.

Gone was the warmth, low end grunt & organic woody tone. It just sounded harsh & brittle.

We A/B it with an OFR & the titanium one & the titanium just SUCKED.

I can see titanium saddles adding the necessary chirp & clarity, but an all titanium trem is overkill, imo.

I think I will go with an OFR & a BIG brass block & just use the extra cash for some tasty Suhr SSH+ pickups.

 

[Cagey]

Sorry - I missed the link somehow.

Good to hear some real-world experience, though.