Difficulty of changing strings and tuning with a Floyd rose?

[PushedCrayon]

I'm thinking of changing the tuning and string Guage on my guitar with a Floyd rose. I had it setup professionally when I first bought it, and I haven't learned yet how to do the work myself. Would it be very difficult to drop the tuning from drop d, to c, and adding thicker strings? Or am I better off paying someone to help?

 

[Rockstar216]

Re: Difficulty of changing strings and tuning with a Floyd rose?

Either way your going to have to invest something. Either your time which would be learning to do it yourself OR investing your cash to pay a pro to do it for you which would still involve time but not as much.

If I may suggest two devices to help make your job a bit easier.

1. Look into buying a Tremol-no device. It will give your trem three modes Hardtail, dive only, or Floating if you have a floating trem that is. If you put it in hard tail mode it makes string changes a breeze.

2. Look into buying a device called a "D-Tuna" or EVH "D-Tuna". It will allow you to go back and forth from standard and Drop-D or D standard to Drop-C in your case super easy and fast.

As for setting it up for a Drop-C tuning it would be no more difficult then setting it up for standard. All your doing is balancing tension between the springs and strings.

Is your Floyd Floating or dive only?

 

[PushedCrayon]

Re: Difficulty of changing strings and tuning with a Floyd rose?

It's total floating, goes both ways. I've looked into the tremol-no, but didn't think I could install it myself. I just don't want to mess up the guitar too bad by trying myself, it was a very pricy gift

 

[Rockstar216]

Re: Difficulty of changing strings and tuning with a Floyd rose?

I taught myself how to work a OFR and once I learned it really wasn't that hard after I set one up the first time. Sure it takes some time to dial it in right but once done your set. To install the Tremol-no is fairly easy your replacing your spring claw in the cavity and going to reset the spring tension which is what you were going to have to do anyway since your changing the string gauge. Nothing in the process is irreversible so if you mess up or even think you did it's reversible.

I will ask is your floyd a genuine Made in Germany OFR or copy cause if it's real then when you adjust the height you don't have to slack the strings but if it's a copy then you want to slack the string when turning the post to adjust the height so you don't dull the Knife edges.

 

[PushedCrayon]

Re: Difficulty of changing strings and tuning with a Floyd rose?

It's a true Floyd, pretty sure it is a Floyd rose 1000. So if I would buy a tremol-no, I would just place that in as instructed, and I could get it to be a hard tail?

 

[Rockstar216]

Re: Difficulty of changing strings and tuning with a Floyd rose?

Yes you would have access to all three modes Hardtail, Dive only, and Full Floating. If you were to drop tune you can only do it in Hardtail or Dive only mode.

 

[PushedCrayon]

Re: Difficulty of changing strings and tuning with a Floyd rose?

Thanks for the help man, this has helped a lot. I just don't know if I'd be able to put the tremol-no in myself but I could try

 

[Rockstar216]

Re: Difficulty of changing strings and tuning with a Floyd rose?

Look at videos of people doing it or look up how to install Spring Claw which is basically what your doing. Replacing your claw with another one.

 

[J E C]

Re: Difficulty of changing strings and tuning with a Floyd rose?

Setting up a full floating Floyd for a different tuning and/or string gauge is a fairly strait forward process. An easy way to do this is:
1) Increase the spring tension, then block the bridge so that the bridge plate is parallel to the strings. You can do this in one of two ways. A) Wedge something between the bridge plate and the guitar top or B) Wedge something between the block and the inside of the cavity on the spring side. The design of your particular guitar will determine which method will work best.
2) Remove and install the new strings tuning them to the new tuning, making sure they are fully stretched.
3) Adjust T-rod if necessary, and retune if you do adjust it.
4) Loosen springs up till the blocking that was used to hold the bridge in its proper place "Just Slips Out".
5) "DO NOT TRY TO RETUNE AT THIS POINT"
6) Check tuning. If it is "In Tune" you are ready to go. If not - see #7
7) Now very slightly increase spring tension and check the tuning. Continue doing this until it is "In Tune"

Hope this helps. Enjoy, John

 

[BloodRose]

Re: Difficulty of changing strings and tuning with a Floyd rose?

At work, so JEC beat me to it.. But Ill add my .02 cents.
When I tune my floyds, I wrap a soft cloth around a ruler and put the ruler under the back of the trem to keep it level. change strings one at a time instead of pulling them all off. And then I tighten them up to were they are close to tuned before I go to the next one. helps keep the bridge level. Also, I thread the strings thru the tuning key first then run them to the bridge. Having the string ball at the bridge keeps em from slipping and keeps me from having to cut them twice. Wrap the string a couple of times around the peg so you'll have alittle extra if the string breaks at the brdge. Run it to the bridge, measure, cut, clamp, tighten up alil and go to the next string.

 

[Brian Griffin]

Re: Difficulty of changing strings and tuning with a Floyd rose?

Just invest your time and patience first. Only go to a pro or buy a special device (termolololol or Detuna) after you have bleed yourself to death. Adjusting a Floyd is not as hard as it seems, trust me, and it really is worth the time invested. I suggest block the bridge first to immobilize it by putting something that fits under the bridge (I use a 9-volt battery), then change the strings.

 

[PushedCrayon]

Re: Difficulty of changing strings and tuning with a Floyd rose?

I'll give things a try myself this weekend, follow your instructions, and see how things go. Worst case scenario I mess up badly, can't find my way back to the start, and take it to someone else. It'll be worth a shot to do myself

 

[josephrohdes221]

Re: Difficulty of changing strings and tuning with a Floyd rose?

I'm thinking of changing the tuning and string Guage on my guitar with a Floyd rose. I had it setup professionally when I first bought it, and I haven't learned yet how to do the work myself. Would it be very difficult to drop the tuning from drop d, to c, and adding thicker strings? Or am I better off paying someone to help?

Hey PushedCrayon
here is the way to do it
Reset all fine tuning screws located on the bridge to a middle position.
Remove the sixth string from your guitar. To do this, loosen the 'string-lock screw' located at the back side of your bridge using an allen key. The string-lock screws are the screws that run parallel to the body of your guitar.
After several counter-clockwise turns, the string should pop free from the bridge.
Using an allen key, loosen the 'nut clamping block' (the part of the guitar where the neck meets the headstock) that covers the sixth and fifth string.
Once the nut clamping block is loosened, you should be able to extract the string from the guitar.
Now, take your replacement string, and using wire cutters, clip off the ball at the bottom end of the string.
Put the freshly clipped end of the string into the saddle of the bridge. Examine the other strings to see where exactly the new string should go.
Push the string down into the saddle as far as possible. You may have to further loosen the string-lock screw.
Using your allen key, gently but firmly tighten the string-lock screw to hold the string in place (be careful not to over-tighten!) Be sure the string stays secure in the saddle while doing this.
Feed the string under the loosened nut clamping bolt, and under the 'string retainer' (the bar on the headstock that runs parallel to the nut).
Feed the string through the tuning peg, leaving some slack in the string. The string should wrap several times around the peg.
Bring the guitar into approximate tune. Cut away excess string.
Repeat the above steps for each of the remaining five strings. You may need to repeatedly re-tune the guitar.
When all six strings have been changed, tune the guitar as precisely as possible, then tighten the nut clamping bolts. If tuning changes, re-tune using the fine tuning screws.

Tips:

Getting the guitar in tune can be a problem initially. Be patient, and keep re-tuning the guitar.
brazil white wood
Hope I helped
Joseph Rohdes