Fine Tuners on a Floyd Rose, what function do they have?

[Xeromus]

I understand the workings of fender style and gibson style bridges and I can adjust them, but whenever I try to set the action and intonation on a floyd rose bridge, I get frustrated as hell, so I always let my tech do it. For that reason I haven't much experience with them. What do the fine tuners on the end of the bridge do anyway? Do they adjust intonation? I would think not because the saddles slide and lock into place with allen screws for that purpose. Or are they there so you can fine tune the guitar without removing the locks at the nut? I've never touched them but I'd really like to know what their function is. Can you knock the intonation out with them?

[TwilightOdyssey]

Re: Fine Tuners on a Floyd Rose, what function do they have?

Dude, I understand your frustration ... getting a Floyd properly set up is very time consuming and needs to be adjusted every time you change strings.

The fine tuners do a fine tuning adjustment. Turning them clockwise will raise the pitch, and counterclockwise lowers it. Depending on the bridge, from neutral (middle of it's traverse), you can get as much as 30 or so cents (hundredths of a semi-tone) worth of tuning from a fine tuner.

Once you balance a Floyd and you have the string in tune, using the machine heads, you lock down the nut. This usually shifts the tuning slightly. Use the fine tuners to get you back to pitch.

With new strings, let them sit overnight without locking down the nut, and then stretch them again the next day before making any final adjustments. Hope you find this helpful!

[Xeromus]

Re: Fine Tuners on a Floyd Rose, what function do they have?

awesome, I thought that's what they were for. So their position does not affect the intonation of the guitar at all, just the overall tuning across the string after the nut is locked down?

[JOLLY]

Re: Fine Tuners on a Floyd Rose, what function do they have?

awesome, I thought that's what they were for. So their position does not affect the intonation of the guitar at all, just the overall tuning across the string after the nut is locked down?

Correct

[JammerMatt]

Re: Fine Tuners on a Floyd Rose, what function do they have?

The intonation is set by those other screws just ahead of the individual saddles (neck side of saddle). They screw into the bridge. To set intonation, you loosen them and slide the saddle forward or backward. This is much easier said than done and I don't ever mess with it if I can afford a professional setup. My USA came off the rack perfectly intonated, and I've never touched it, nor changed string gauges.