Best Floyd rose Superstrat manufacturer - suggestions?

V

Vincent

New member
Hi all,

Thinking of either further upgrading my Ibanez Jem with a big brass block or simply selling it and purchasing another superstrat.

Problem is - just about every guitar manufacturer has their own version of a floyd equipped double humbucking superstrat and I need some recommendations as to a good upgrade from my Jem.

Some features I'm after:

1. Original Floyd Rose (floating, not down only)
2. Nitrocellulose finished (no thick poly finishes)
3. reputation for using good tonewoods
4. resonant sounding - no dead woods
5. 24 fret would be nice but not necessary
6. Shallow C shaped fender type neck profile (not as thin as a Jem)
7. HH or HSH pickup profile


So without shelling out $3 grand for a Suhr Modern, what guitar would accomplish all this? Also what woods tend to be used in high-end floyd equipped superstrats?

Thanks

VC
 
Re: Best Floyd rose Superstrat manufacturer - suggestions?

Charvel would be my suggestion too. Lots of people rave about the higher end Ibanez guitars with the Low Pro or Low Edge (or something like that) trem system. If you really want to get the exact specs you want building your own from USA Custom or Warmoth can be a great value. You can buy all the best hardware and get a great body and neck for less than you would spend on similar features on a manufactured guitar.
 
Re: Best Floyd rose Superstrat manufacturer - suggestions?

Jeff_H said:
Charvel would be my suggestion too. Lots of people rave about the higher end Ibanez guitars with the Low Pro or Low Edge (or something like that) trem system. If you really want to get the exact specs you want building your own from USA Custom or Warmoth can be a great value. You can buy all the best hardware and get a great body and neck for less than you would spend on similar features on a manufactured guitar.
Click to expand...

Yeah that might be a good idea. Do USA Custom and Warmoth have a reputation for selling good quality wood though?
 
Re: Best Floyd rose Superstrat manufacturer - suggestions?

Vincent said:
Yeah that might be a good idea. Do USA Custom and Warmoth have a reputation for selling good quality wood though?
Click to expand...

I havent heard bad things about Warmoth.

Do you like Jackson guitars?
 
Re: Best Floyd rose Superstrat manufacturer - suggestions?

The Charvel's are nice indeed. I would also check into a Yamaha Pacifica 1421. Those are a serious piece of hardware right there. Highly collectible and sought after.

1038595990031918988S600x600Q85.jpg
 
Re: Best Floyd rose Superstrat manufacturer - suggestions?

astrozombie said:
Do you like Jackson guitars?
Click to expand...

Jackson might have everything except the nitro finish. I believe all their production models are hard catalyzed affairs like the imports. Maybe their Custom Shop would spray nitro for you. It's expensive though; certainly someone out there makes a good superstrat with everything you want for less than, say, $4,000.
 
Re: Best Floyd rose Superstrat manufacturer - suggestions?

Vincent said:
Yeah that might be a good idea. Do USA Custom and Warmoth have a reputation for selling good quality wood though?
Click to expand...

Both have a reputation for selling good stuff. Like anything, there are just some pieces of wood that are better than others. Seems most here prefer USA Custom over Warmoth. I've never had a bad experience with Warmoth and they were very generous when they donated the body and neck for the Tele we built Seymour, so I have a soft spot for them.
 
Re: Best Floyd rose Superstrat manufacturer - suggestions?

Don't know if I can deal with the ultra pointy headstock ala Jackson. I had a kramer stagemaster once with the pointy headstock and it looked very dated. Very 80s.
 
Re: Best Floyd rose Superstrat manufacturer - suggestions?

Carvin neck thru DC, ST, or SC.
C shape neck.
24 frets.
OFR (Schaller made. Not a MIK OEM)
Choice of HH, HSH, SSH, SH.
Quality woods and hardware.
Many options.

No nitro.
But, you can get a tung oil finish instead of gloss finish.
Just the neck or the whole guitar. Your choice.
About as thin a finish as you can get.

http://www.carvinguitars.com/isa/index.php

Carvin just came out with the 24 fret CT's.
Which is another route if you prefer a set neck and a carved top.
www.carvin.com

Also, a new "call-in" option being offered.
Carvin will now scan in neck shapes.
If there is a neck shape you want, Carvin will check and see if they have it programmed in already. Or if you provide the neck to be scanned, they will scan it in.
Price will vary depending on if they have it on record already or have to scan it in.
 
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Re: Best Floyd rose Superstrat manufacturer - suggestions?

Vincent said:
Don't know if I can deal with the ultra pointy headstock ala Jackson. I had a kramer stagemaster once with the pointy headstock and it looked very dated. Very 80s.
Click to expand...

Date this.

2803052876_md.png


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2914001876_md.png
 
Re: Best Floyd rose Superstrat manufacturer - suggestions?

kherman said:
That is SOOOOO 1979! :bigeyes: :D
Click to expand...

Hey I was born in 1979 too what about it!? ;) Now I fell in love with that Jackson! lol


I've heard good things about the Yamaha Pacificas too from a good-reputation luthier here as being very reliable for a long time.

Vigiers also have that cool FLoyd Rose with bearings instead of knife edges made by them!

Anyway, are those Fender HM strats still around? I guess no?

HM2-1.jpg
 
Re: Best Floyd rose Superstrat manufacturer - suggestions?

I'll second the Jackson recommendation. I like Soloists. But maybe a PC-1 would be a better consideration since it has a standard Fender style headstock (recent models) and not pointed? But I've heard the neck shape is rather large.

Another option is an ESP Horizon. Their neck is more round than what is on the M-IIs. I have both of these:

hrzfr2str.jpg


hrzfrsw.jpg


The latter seems to have a little larger neck shape even though they are supposed to be the same. Makes me wonder if there is some hand shaping going on, which leads to some variance.

BTW, I like the neck on my Jackson Soloist the best, but I get along fine on the ESPs as well.


If money were no object, I'd probably spring for an Anderson Drop Top, but I've never owned one.

I'm sure this could drift into a long off-topic debate that I don't wish to start, but I don't think the finish matters tonally to a degree where it matters. Nitro will age more naturally and feels different, but I don't buy into the tonal debate. It is extremely difficult to do a test where things would remain constant.
 
Re: Best Floyd rose Superstrat manufacturer - suggestions?

Chad said:
The latter seems to have a little larger neck shape even though they are supposed to be the same. Makes me wonder if there is some hand shaping going on, which leads to some variance.
Click to expand...

I was wondering in the past about some similar thing I don't remember exactly. I think it's the angle of the photos. A small defference in the angle can make it look different even if they are identical. And they should be. Aren't the blueprints drawn by CNC machines? Or at least by using acrylic glass templates? Maybe the woods are cut by CNC routers as well....? Don't know for sure though.

BTW, I like the neck on my Jackson Soloist the best, but I get along fine on the ESPs as well.
Click to expand...

BTW now you mentioned...

I'm not too fond of the ESP necks also although I have an LTD MH400. My Ibanez neck is narrower than my LTD's one as it gets closer to the bridge.
At last fret is 56mm instead of 58-59mm of the LTD (more trapezoid shape - these 2mms make a difference). LTD's neck is easier for chords at 12th fret and higher while Ibanez's is easier for leads. But how often you play chords at those high positions?.....:33:

But the thickness is better on the LTD than the Ibanez.Jackson soloist neck is as narrow as on my Ibanez and has a bit of thickness to it as I'd prefer the most.

With fewer words: I think Jackson soloists have great necks. :P
 
Re: Best Floyd rose Superstrat manufacturer - suggestions?

Metalblaze said:
I was wondering in the past about some similar thing I don't remember exactly. I think it's the angle of the photos. A small defference in the angle can make it look different even if they are identical. And they should be. Aren't the blueprints drawn by CNC machines? Or at least by using acrylic glass templates? Maybe the woods are cut by CNC routers as well....? Don't know for sure though.
Click to expand...

From what I understand, Standard Series ESPs are CNC cut and assembled/finished by custom shop employees. There is usually sanding even with CNC (watch the PRS vids), so maybe that accounts to some degree. I need to pull the strings off both my FR-II and FR, get out the calipers, and measure to see if there is an actual difference, but I've never got around to it.



BTW now you mentioned...

I'm not too fond of the ESP necks also although I have an LTD MH400. My Ibanez neck is narrower than my LTD's one as it gets closer to the bridge.
At last fret is 56mm instead of 58-59mm of the LTD (more trapezoid shape - these 2mms make a difference). LTD's neck is easier for chords at 12th fret and higher while Ibanez's is easier for leads. But how often you play chords at those high positions?.....:33:

But the thickness is better on the LTD than the Ibanez.Jackson soloist neck is as narrow as on my Ibanez and has a bit of thickness to it as I'd prefer the most.

With fewer words: I think Jackson soloists have great necks. :P
Click to expand...

Yeah, I have to say that recent production Jackson Soloist necks are probably my favorite neck out of every single guitar I've ever played. For my hands, they are the perfect thickness and shape. I also much prefer the wider nut width on a Soloist compared to the 1 5/8" that ESP almost always uses. I also have a late model RR-1 and it seems a bit different than my SL1T, but it is similar and also is a great feeling neck. From what I understand, Jackson does NOT use CNC, so there is most likely variance from guitar to guitar.
 
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