Can you "stiffen" a floating Floyd Rose without a Tremsetter?

[PFDarkside]

When you deck a trem, obviously you can increase spring tension either by tightening the claw screws or adding more springs. When you float, at stable tuning spring tension = spring tension. (Static force) in my mind to stiffen the bar feel you'd need to have springs with greater tension force or progressive tension to increase dynamic force as you push down on the bar, right? But would that make the pull-up force less?

Is a tremsetter the only way to stiffen a the feel on a Floyd or is there another, simpler method I'm not thinking of?


EDIT - Duh, this isn't Floyd specific, it goes for any floating pivot style trem. I just have Floyds on the brain setting a few of them up.

 

[Diego]

Re: Can you "stiffen" a floating Floyd Rose without a Tremsetter?

More springs = more mass. So 1 spring pulling the same than 5 springs will feel more bland.

Get the stiffest springs you can, and put all 5 in there.

 

[dystrust]

Re: Can you "stiffen" a floating Floyd Rose without a Tremsetter?

More springs = more mass. So 1 spring pulling the same than 5 springs will feel more bland.

Get the stiffest springs you can, and put all 5 in there.

It's been a long time, but I used to set my Floyds up with 4 springs. The bar would be stiff and difficult to move, but it stayed in tune a lot better.

 

[Diego]

Re: Can you "stiffen" a floating Floyd Rose without a Tremsetter?

It's been a long time, but I used to set my Floyds up with 4 springs. The bar would be stiff and difficult to move, but it stayed in tune a lot better.

I used to go with 2 springs sometimes. Really fun for flutters and quick movement since the trem unit would be very light.

 

[ehdwuld]

Re: Can you "stiffen" a floating Floyd Rose without a Tremsetter?

I took two of the five springs on my Ibanez RG4 off
I can now warble the guitar just by shaking it
Which is something I like doing

 

[PFDarkside]

Re: Can you "stiffen" a floating Floyd Rose without a Tremsetter?

Cool, I'll try more springs.

What about those "heavy duty" Floyd springs?

 

[2ndhandband]

Re: Can you "stiffen" a floating Floyd Rose without a Tremsetter?

I like a really stiff feel to a vibrato tailpiece. Aside from the added control, it makes it less work to keep things sounding in tune when playing a bent note as a doublestop with a fretted one. For any two-post unit I use the heaviest springs I can find and pack in as many as will fit.

 

[PFDarkside]

Re: Can you "stiffen" a floating Floyd Rose without a Tremsetter?

Just to clarify, that means the springs themselves will be barely stretched when the guitar is tuned to pitch, right?

 

[Diego]

Re: Can you "stiffen" a floating Floyd Rose without a Tremsetter?

Just to clarify, that means the springs themselves will be barely stretched when the guitar is tuned to pitch, right?

Yes. You'll need less tension on the springs.
Try with 4 springs as well. Maybe that's good enough for you. It's a matter of taste, really.

 

[PFDarkside]

Re: Can you "stiffen" a floating Floyd Rose without a Tremsetter?

Just did an experiment with my 2-post Strat. I swapped three of the Raw Vintage springs for the standard ones it came with. (Now three standards plus two additional raw vintage) Definitely a stiffer feel.

Thanks guys, time to experiment on the Floyds now.

 

[Chris Pile]

Re: Can you "stiffen" a floating Floyd Rose without a Tremsetter?

It's all a matter of balance - string tension VS spring tension. I've set short scale guitars up with light strings and one spring - worked great. Other required 4 springs really screwed down with heavy strings on a long scale guitar. I think TremSetters work (kinda) for the client who wants lock-down performance from an unlocked instrument, but I would never install one on my guitars. If it has a whammy, I know it and play it knowing it has certain performance parameters that differ from non-trem axes.

 

[metalchurch79]

Re: Can you "stiffen" a floating Floyd Rose without a Tremsetter?

I run my OFRs floating with only 2 springs, but I use light gauge strings in Eb, so I don't need any more than that.

 

[PFDarkside]

Re: Can you "stiffen" a floating Floyd Rose without a Tremsetter?

This Strat is 10-52 in E, a touch a relief and just under 4/64" action. The 5 springs makes it super solid while still floating.

 

[daenius]

Re: Can you "stiffen" a floating Floyd Rose without a Tremsetter?

I run my OFRs floating with only 2 springs, but I use light gauge strings in Eb, so I don't need any more than that.

Bending and vibrato on that thing must be freaking epic! Bend major 3rds all day everyday!

 

[metalchurch79]

Re: Can you "stiffen" a floating Floyd Rose without a Tremsetter?

Im not sure what any of that stuff is, but it sounds really neat.

 

[devastone]

Re: Can you "stiffen" a floating Floyd Rose without a Tremsetter?

FYI, the FU heavy springs work great, I've used them in 7 strings and in some 6 strings with shorter blocks (therefore less leverage). The coating also reduces spring noise.

 

[kherman]

Re: Can you "stiffen" a floating Floyd Rose without a Tremsetter?

Instead of putting my springs like this : l l l
I would put them like this: / l \
To get a little more tension.

 

[ehdwuld]

Re: Can you "stiffen" a floating Floyd Rose without a Tremsetter?

Instead of putting my springs like this : l l l
I would put them like this: / l \
To get a little more tension.

when my Ibanez arrived



and what I did

 

[Adieu]

Re: Can you "stiffen" a floating Floyd Rose without a Tremsetter?

2 ways to float a floyd / other spring trem to equilibrium:

1) adjustment screws on the claw thing the springs go on
2) number and/or angle of springs


To stiffen:
Screw claw deeper in, add more or stiffer springs

 

[PFDarkside]

Re: Can you "stiffen" a floating Floyd Rose without a Tremsetter?

Ended up with three American Standard springs plus two Raw Vintage springs. With the 10-52 strings in standard, this thing's tuning is rock solid. (Of course the nut is setup right, the tuners have minimal wraps and every contact point is well lubricated) but bar use, bending, thrashing about, it handles it all great.

(the raw vintage were perfect with 9-46, and I might go back to them eventually but for now this is a great place)