Quick Tips - Adjust the Action on a Floyd Rose Bridge the right way!

Too many time have I seen wore down bridges cause a strange divot that puts your guitar out of tune and then back in tune because the posts and or the bridge knives are worn. If they are worn you might be able to sand down the knives on the bridge. If the posts are cut in then just buy new ones. Saving Floyd Roses one view at a time!!!!

#floydrose #guitarsetup #guitar #metal #metalhead #tipsandtricks

[Admiral_Bongo]

An old guitar urban legend. You don't have to do this with a decent FR (read: OFR, Schaller, Gotoh, old Fernandes HeadCrasher) and the knives get just as much friction and wear when playing aggressively. My 1999 Schaller still stays in tune perfectly and it has original blades (they're replaceable).

Besides, you don't release the pressure by pushing down the trem arm, you just change the angle of its application (i.e., the string tension decreases, but the spring tension increases).

[colehenderson]

I'm glad I found this video while early in my career as musician lol. I just set up my floyd rose for the first time, and it took me 4 hours, (I was being extra careful cause its a syn custom guitar, and my first time setting up a floyd rose, but still), the small things like this could save me half an hour, each time I set up my guitar. Which over my schecter's life time, will save me many hours that I can spend shredding instead. Thanks for posting

[markjones]

I just bought a Schecter Omen Extreme with Floyd Rose special and so far it seems perfectly fine and reliable and not what everyone makes it out to seem. I think the biggest problem with Floyd Rose specials or probably any Floyd Rose for that matter is not really the deficits in the material or craftsmanship but more of a lack of common sense of just about everyone I've seen using them. Of all the people I see using Floyd roses even on YouTube I see nearly no one lubricating these things like ever. I was ready to throw mine out the window after my first string change and setup because the strings kept going up and down in pitch. And then I realized We're literally rubbing steel against steel with zero grease or oil. Doesn't matter if you have an original or a special or whatever The fact of the matter is when you take dry steel and rub it against dry steel in any way shape or form whether it be on a guitar or an industrial bearing or the parts in your motor of your car, if you don't lubricate those parts and you have steel rubbing against steel your stuff is not going to run smooth at all and it's going to wear out super fast. Soon as I put some 4 in 1 oil on all the friction points this thing started working as smooth as butter. And you're in this video showing to lower The arm down before you turn the posts and that's almost as boneheaded as everyone else I'll be honest. The problem is not the angle or the tension The problem is that it is bone freaking dry. If you grease that or oil that you will not have a problem with those posts wearing anywhere near as fast as what everyone else is experiencing. These guitars literally come from the factory with no lubrication because they don't pay people enough money to sit there and grease every little individual part. It's up to the owner to take care of these things. But most people have zero common sense. The four in one oil that I used worked fine but a better more long-term solution that I plan to do on my next restring is to completely disassemble the bridge clean all the oil off and then use some good high quality lithium grease on all the threads and contact points. I have no idea how there's not a million videos on YouTube talking about lubricating these bridges.

[kamk]

Much easier/safer to take the springs out of the back, pull the whole bridge out, adjust the action, then put the bridge and springs back in. You can even keep your nut locked and the guitar will stay in tune too.

[ajizzlerizzle]

It’s still under spring tension when you dive BUT- your head is in the right place- take the springs off and on is more efficient and safe. But at least you brought up the point that you shouldn’t adjust those posts under any kind of tension. Licensed or not I still wouldn’t. I’m a freak about being in tune too, Lol.

[whirlwings]

Nah you do loss the pressure of the string but you gain lots of pressure from the back spring

[claudevieaul]

You don't have to do that, nor remove all strings either.
Simply adjust the post height with the right size hex / allen key by small amounts until it feels & plays right.
My Gotoh trems get adjusted this way when needed, and have been for decades.

[thelightstillshines]

You're exactly right that's exactly what I told the guy down there at Guitar Center when he was doing it the wrong way on my guitar and I told him I said hey don't do do it like that you're supposed to loosen the tension on the strings you don't want to wear out the knife-edges he thought I was crazy

[DISRBER]

You forgot the tension of the springs. It's still there.

[haganem]

holy sh!t dude thank you so much! im a newbie at setting up floyd roses so ive kinda been stuck with some fret buzz on the first 3 frets for the longest time (never really cared about it until recently because i usually play higher up) but all i had to do was adjust those posts a bit! earned a sub

[alexcorona]

This is completely wrong, the strings do not have tension but the post do have full tension, if not slightly more. Don’t be lazy, slack the strings at the pegs

[jeepinons]

I'm just learning how do set up my Floyd rose. I'm so glad I saw this be for I started.

[elninobrown]

I’ve been using the FUTone titanium pivot posts, this greatly decreases this issue. Also use some Big Bends Nut Sauce on the pivot point.

[colten]

the somberlain!! good song choice man.

[SparkyGoldsmith]

That won't help at all. The springs are still providing just as much pressure as the strings. They balance. The amount of pressure just lost from the strings was approximately added right back by stretching the springs more. The only way to avoid the line is detuning, or maybe using a pry bar some how to jack the base plate off the stud momentarily while you turn it, which is a great idea if I can figure out how to do that without damaging the body.

[pak]

If you have original Floyd rose. No problem. License Floyd rose you better to take strings tension and spring tension. Then you can adjust. No problem with the German made Floyd Rose. Stronger steel.

[MrJonken]

You should NEVER, EVER turn/adjust a post with string -NOR spring tension on! This is a total 'no-no' -on ALL knife edge bridges.
To to this safely, easy and professionally:

1.) Flip the tuned and locked guitar over on Your lap. (Point the bar towards the back strapbutton -and balance the bridge tension/bar against Your lap -as You remove the springs.)
2.) Remove all the trem springs at back.
3.) Lay the guitar back onto Your workbench.
4.) insert allen key in the post you want to adjust.
5.) Use your fingers to push the baseplate away from the posts -as you adjust the posts.
6.) Back with the guitar onto Your lap.
7.) Mount back the springs.
8.) Congratulations! -You're DONE!

JUST repeat THIS process untill satisfied. -Easy enough, right?
This process is also easy to combine -with having that extra popular spring tension block between the tremblock and the rear trem cavity wall -for exact testing/playing/intotaing process during the set up.
Yes: This is a part reason why some of us techs are faster; both in live gig situations -as well as in our shops. But beware: Many shop techs still adjust with string tension on. Basicly charging You -for fucking up Your instrument.

In most cases you do not even have to de-tune the instrument at all. The guitar (with the locked nut) should be fairly in tune with the springs back.
However: On some guitars the string tension makes it harder to push the base plate back. If this is the case You need to lock up the nut -and loosen the strings that pulls the template the most. Absolutely NOT all thestrings; but only enough -to able You to push back the baseplate when adjusting the posts. Example: Maybe just one clamp -holding the High E and B/H string.

To understand and know THIS: Accually puts Your own knowledge about Floyd Rose sep up ahead of many, many selfnamed; pros, techs and luthieres out there. (Simply too many don't know -or refese to understand; that turning the posts under ANY ammont of contact and pressure: WILL scar the posts -as well as dull-up knife edges on the trem base plate.

-Do it right my friends -and let the 'dummies' keep doin' their thing...
(If You want to help others from fucking up their locking trems: -Just spread the word.)

[camranh_royal]

Noooo dont do that!!! pulling the trem only adds more tension to the block springs and that tension is transfered to the posts … if u really wanna keep on the “safe side “of doing this…losen both string tension and brass block springs tension but… and is a big BUT, every time you mess with the springs tension screws you also wear your guitar’s wooden body screw holes threads and will eventually will have to do some work on those.

[MANSON-Ce]

Sometimes even if you take all the tension off and simply rotate the bolts you would end up exposing the part that was previously in contact with the edge of the tremolo, and it looks like that as well.

[Ayyem]

Wouldn't it be worse to do it that way due to the angle? Sure the tension could cause it to cut in but at least it would be in line with where the knife edge contacts, but dipping then adjusting could cause a diagonal cut which I feel like would be MUCH worse, I've only owned one Floyd guitar and had it for a month now so maybe that's it