Changing Strings on a Floyd

[TheLivingDead]

Re: Changing Strings on a Floyd

I've been messing with Floyds for a number of years and swore them off,,,, until I found the MAGIC TRICK to setting them up. It's so simple,, it will blow your mind!! NO BS!!!!!

Before you start, if you haven't lube your trem pivots, now is a good time to do it. Friction is you arch enemy!

1) Block the trem to the height you want and level with the body. I use picks or coins under the trem body or infront of the block in the cavity. Whatever works for you.

2) Tighten the trem claw springs so they pull harder and keep the block you put in, in place virtually making your guitar a fixed bridge.

3) Remove ALL of your strings.

4) Put all strings on and stretch them as you would on a fixed bridge WITHOUT tightening the nut on any of them yet. I like to put the fine tuners about 1/2 to 3/4 backed out. For breaking strings in, I tune all up to pitch, lightly hold the string behind the nut (to keep it seated in the nut) with my left hand and pull the string up and side to side about 1-3", I start from the saddles and work up to the nut stretching @ 1" to 2" increments on the string until I reach the nut. Retune and repeat until the string STAYS IN TUNE.

5) Now, the guitar should be in tune with the fine tuners where you like to keep them and the locking nut loose. Tighten the locking nut down, easily. Check tuning again. Each guitar is different and some may go sharp when you tighten down. If this happens, I like to see how sharp it went and then tune flat that much.

6)So now the guitar is in tune, the locking nut is locked and the trem is still blocked. Take out the block, picks, whatever you used and the trem will pull into the body because we tightened the springs down.

7) Now the magic (for me anyway), tune your guitar's A string while backing the tension of of the trem springs by loosening the claw screws a little at a time. Only TUNE TO THE A STRING. When it's in tune, check all of your other strings tuning, they should be right around where they need to be if not dead nuts.

8) Done.

I couldn't believe it until I tried it myself. I spend countless hours (days) fussing with Floyds. I really don't dread them anymore.

Here is my disclaimer, this method works for me. I hope it works as well for all of you.

Simple ey? Hey, whatever works for you.

Here's my method:

1. Remove all strings at once (no blocking the trem)

2. Make sure your fine tuners are about at the halfway point.

3. Put one string on at a time starting with the low E (tighten each when you put em on until they're pretty tight)

4. Tighten/loosen each string after they're all on until your bridge is flush with the body. (where it was before)

5. Look at that! You're already in the tuning ballpark! Tune each string accordingly, starting at the E. If you have to keep going through tuning the strings, sharpen your low E and A about halfway between F and A#, then tune the rest of your strings. They'll equal out. You should easily be able to achieve your tuning this way.

6. IMPORTANT! Before you lock your strings down, take each string, one at a time, above the 12th fret and pull it up and down about 20 times. This will break the string in so it doesn't stretch AFTER you've locked em down. Tune em back up and keep doing it until each one doesn't stretch out of tune anymore.

7. Lock em down!

8. Sometimes strings will sharpen a bit after locking down. Adjust your fine tuners to fix this.

9. TRIM YOUR ****ING STRING SLACK AT THE TUNERS. (Can't tell you how much I hate seeing guitars with em flopping all around)

10. Guess what? You're done!



Easy peezy.

 

[Jackson Distortion]

Re: Changing Strings on a Floyd

I'll add my two cents in a little while. But, some people are making it appear 'scarier' than it actually is.

 

[Mincer]

Re: Changing Strings on a Floyd

I take off all of the strings. This allows me to clean the fretboard and frets. I also don't put the ball end at the tuners- I have seen guitars that have little indentations on the tuners (and in some cases, burrs) from this- also, I watched a video from the head of the Jackson Custom shop which warned of this too.
I like the 'make a block of wood' method, but it doesn't work if you are working on many types of guitars (like as a guitar tech at a store). I use the TremolNo- a padded piece of metal you put under the bridge to keep it parallel to the body.

 

[Metalblaze]

Re: Changing Strings on a Floyd

8. Sometimes strings will sharpen a bit after locking down. Adjust your fine tuners to fix this.

This one's mentioned a couple of times and I've found it happening to me too.

I think this happens mostly because the 3 separate locking blocks (at nut) turn a bit along with the screw sharpening one string and flattening the other. If you tighten the screw slowly taking care of the locking block not to move, it should be ok. But anyway you should always check the tuning after locking.

I always wish the locking nuts would be with an entire locking block for all strings.

 

[TheLivingDead]

Re: Changing Strings on a Floyd

This one's mentioned a couple of times and I've found it happening to me too.

I think this happens mostly because the 3 separate locking blocks (at nut) turn a bit along with the screw sharpening one string and flattening the other. If you tighten the screw slowly taking care of the locking block not to move, it should be ok. But anyway you should always check the tuning after locking.

I always wish the locking nuts would be with an entire locking block for all strings.

I'm pretty anal about the caps being completely straight so that's not it. I think it has something to do with the angle and the strings just get smashed downward and back a bit. Who knows.

I'm against one singular block, but then against it's old crappy guitar trem systems like the Dean Hollywood Z's kahler knockoff that've help me make that decision.