I'm so frustrated, can't tune guitar with floyd

[BluesGuyJ]

Re: I'm so frustrated, can't tune guitar with floyd

Something is wrong with the guitar, definitly outside the realm of just tunning. I tried the Steve Vai method and some others and the strings still wont all go into tune. They dont balance out at all and I keep reaching the finetuners threaded ending and Im not ale to adust the tunning anymore. I can tell that the right side of the bridge is lower than the left, I'm pretty sure that's the problem. I know I can fix it myself, but I'm gonna have a damn good tech I know look it over and do a FULL setup, hardcore lol. So thanks for all the input guys, I've really learned alot about how to work with this guitar, I feel a lot more comfortable now.

 

[rspst14]

Re: I'm so frustrated, can't tune guitar with floyd

If you're going to spend the money to have a luthier set it up, you might want to see if he'll let you watch him as he does it. The reason I learned to do all of my own work was because I took my guitar to two different techs who screwed it up, leaving me with messed up intonation, too much neck bow, really high action, and a FLoyd that wouldn't return in tune. If you aren't going to be using the Floyd much, or if you only want to drop the pitch, have it blocked for downward use only. That'll improve the tuning stability quite a bit.

Ryan

 

[Brian110687]

Re: I'm so frustrated, can't tune guitar with floyd

This is why I will never buy a guitar with a Floyd Rose tremolo. I cant stand them.

 

[MattPete]

Re: I'm so frustrated, can't tune guitar with floyd

First off, let me say that once you get the hang of it, restringing and retuning should not take more than 10 minutes -- 20 minutes if you have removed all of the strings to clean the fret board.

As for the spring claw, if your bridge is sitting parallel to the body when the guitar is approximately in tune, then do not mess with the claw. If the bridge is tilting forward or back, then adjust the claw.

As for tuning, unlock the nut, and do all of your major tuning with the neck tuners. It will take several iterations, but it's no big deal. Go from low-E to high-E. After your first pass, you'll find that the low-E is sharp. Go back through the same tuning process. Rinse, repeat. Eventually it will settle down.

The reason that it takes several iterations is that tuning one string affects the bridge. So, when you start with a fresh set of strings, after your first pass, the low-E will be flat, while your high-E will be in tune. That's because tuning the other strings pulled the bridge forward just slightly, so the tension on the low-E is less by the time you get to the high-E. When you start back on the low-E, this will bring the bridge forward a hair, and your high-E will probably be flat. If you go through your tuning systematically, eventually everything will converge and your bridge will be in tune.

Now that it's in tune (or close enough), lock down the nut. Stretch the strings and go crazy with the whammy bar. Now use the fine tuners to bring it back in tune, starting with the low-E and going to the high-E.

 

[rspst14]

Re: I'm so frustrated, can't tune guitar with floyd

First off, let me say that once you get the hang of it, restringing and retuning should not take more than 10 minutes -- 20 minutes if you have removed all of the strings to clean the fret board.

As for the spring claw, if your bridge is sitting parallel to the body when the guitar is approximately in tune, then do not mess with the claw. If the bridge is tilting forward or back, then adjust the claw.

As for tuning, unlock the nut, and do all of your major tuning with the neck tuners. It will take several iterations, but it's no big deal. Go from low-E to high-E. After your first pass, you'll find that the low-E is sharp. Go back through the same tuning process. Rinse, repeat. Eventually it will settle down.

The reason that it takes several iterations is that tuning one string affects the bridge. So, when you start with a fresh set of strings, after your first pass, the low-E will be flat, while your high-E will be in tune. That's because tuning the other strings pulled the bridge forward just slightly, so the tension on the low-E is less by the time you get to the high-E. When you start back on the low-E, this will bring the bridge forward a hair, and your high-E will probably be flat. If you go through your tuning systematically, eventually everything will converge and your bridge will be in tune.

Now that it's in tune (or close enough), lock down the nut. Stretch the strings and go crazy with the whammy bar. Now use the fine tuners to bring it back in tune, starting with the low-E and going to the high-E.

Lots of good advice there. I'll also recommend Dan Erlewine's book "How To Make Your Electric Guitar Play Great."

Ryan

 

[suislidE03]

Re: I'm so frustrated, can't tune guitar with floyd

Wow i cant believe you have taken your guitar to get setup and most importantly ripped off twice. my first guitar was an ibanez rg570 with a floyd, and its not something that you tune each string once and its ready to go. you ahve to go up and down many times until all of them are in tune, if you are used to it, it will take less time. if all of your strings are sharp/flat by around a half step, you will have to do alot of tuning.

first thing, make it so all of the fine tuners are right in the middle that way you can use them later to whatever extent. use your headstock tuners to do ALL of the tuning until they are very close. once you clamp down the locking tuners, you retune using the fine tuners. it shouldnt take much at all. if the bridge is parallel to the body, thats it. theres no reason it shouldnt be in tune. If it is, i would say you are just missing something simple. once its there, it will stay in tune a long time.