Making Floyd Trem Action lighter/easier?

[FalloutMaster]

SO, I've got an Ibanez RG with the original Edge bridge (Floyd Rose Clone), strung up with some .10's and while I really like the way the guitar plays, I want the trem action to be a little looser like my Strat. It feels like the trem arm wants to snap up out of my hand whenever I use it, I don't like the feeling of the bridge "fighting me" so to speak, I can't be subtle with it. The way it's currently set up it's got 4 springs in the cavity. Should I drop to 3 springs and move to a .09 gauge set of strings? Or just different springs maybe?

 

[JB_From_Hell]

Re: Making Floyd Trem Action lighter/easier?

Does it need 4 springs? I used to run 10-52 or heavier on Floyded guitars, never used more than 3.

 

[Masta' C]

Re: Making Floyd Trem Action lighter/easier?

3 springs with the .10's and ensure the springs are like this ||| and not like this \|/

Once properly adjusted, this should get you the feel you're after. I used .10s with my Original EDGE bridge and it was one of the smoothest, most predictable feeling bridges I've ever used. Definitely wasn't "fighting" me.

 

[FalloutMaster]

Re: Making Floyd Trem Action lighter/easier?

Does it need 4 springs? I used to run 10-52 or heavier on Floyded guitars, never used more than 3.

Not sure if I needs 4 but I tend to think not, I had it setup by a local shop and he did it that way. I'm still learning about setting up guitars myself. For what it's worth my strat is strung up with .11s and I only have 3 springs in there and it's perfect. It could be because the springs are old, the guitar is an '87 so maybe he dded an extra one cause they're weak? I don't really know lol.

3 springs with the .10's and ensure the springs are like this ||| and not like this \|/

Once properly adjusted, this should get you the feel you're after. I used .10s with my Original EDGE bridge and it was one of the smoothest, most predictable feeling bridges I've ever used. Definitely wasn't "fighting" me.

I'll try this and see how it is. What does putting the outside springs at an angle do, increase tension on the bridge?

 

[greekdude]

Re: Making Floyd Trem Action lighter/easier?

lemme see .. 3 springs with 10s. Might be 2 with 9s. I dont remember what happens with 9s, its been a while since I last had any trem with them.... Ahhhh... also 3 springs with 9-54 (7-string).

 

[GuitarStv]

Re: Making Floyd Trem Action lighter/easier?

Is your Floyd floating, or blocked so it's dive only?

FWIW, I have my Floyd guitar set up with 10-52s and three springs ( \ | / shape). Is is very sensitive to pressure and doesn't fight at all.

 

[devastone]

Re: Making Floyd Trem Action lighter/easier?

lemme see .. 3 springs with 10s. Might be 2 with 9s. I dont remember what happens with 9s, its been a while since I last had any trem with them.... Ahhhh... also 3 springs with 9-54 (7-string).

Not a hard and fast rule, it all depends on the feel you want. You can also get light, medium, and heavy springs.

But yes, to the OP, to to 3 straight springs as masta'c suggested. And yes, you are on the right track learning to do setups yourself, a lot of techs will setup a guitar so they like how it plays, which may or may not be how you want it to play.

 

[FalloutMaster]

Re: Making Floyd Trem Action lighter/easier?

Is your Floyd floating, or blocked so it's dive only?

FWIW, I have my Floyd guitar set up with 10-52s and three springs ( \ | / shape). Is is very sensitive to pressure and doesn't fight at all.

It's decked, dive only.

Not a hard and fast rule, it all depends on the feel you want. You can also get light, medium, and heavy springs.

But yes, to the OP, to to 3 straight springs as masta'c suggested. And yes, you are on the right track learning to do setups yourself, a lot of techs will setup a guitar so they like how it plays, which may or may not be how you want it to play.

So I set it up that way ||| and the feel is much better but the bridge moves out of the cavity when I bend strings, so I set them like so ||\ and it's a little better. I think it just needs new springs. Maybe get heavy duty springs and do only two like this / \ ? My goal is to be able to set them up myself, I don't mind paying someone for a re-fret or something but a setup seems easy enough.

 

[devastone]

Re: Making Floyd Trem Action lighter/easier?

You can't have "lighter" action on the floyd bar without some movement when you bend strings. IMHO, if you don't like heavy bar action, you won't like the heavy springs. I had some on my 7 string and went back to standard springs because they were too heavy.

FWIW, my floyds are currently floating and I guess I just compensate for the bridge movement when I bend springs. It's all a balancing act.

 

[ICTGoober]

Re: Making Floyd Trem Action lighter/easier?

It's all a balancing act.

This is hard truth for ANY vibrato system - the tension of the strings must be balanced against the tension of the springs. In 40 years, I've had setups that worked with one spring really tight, and four springs loose. To keep a Floyd decked, you must necessarily have a bit stiffer tension on the springs, otherwise when bending strings - the trem will lift.

Setting up any whammy system - stock Fenders, Bigsbys, Kahlers, Floyds - it's all voodoo, and the guitar wants what it wants. About the only say the player gets is string gauge preference. Even a change in string brands will affect a whammy system.

 

[JB_From_Hell]

Re: Making Floyd Trem Action lighter/easier?

Grab a screwdriver and a pair of needle nose pliers, pull up a YouTube video and start tweaking.

 

[FalloutMaster]

Re: Making Floyd Trem Action lighter/easier?

This is hard truth for ANY vibrato system - the tension of the strings must be balanced against the tension of the springs. In 40 years, I've had setups that worked with one spring really tight, and four springs loose. To keep a Floyd decked, you must necessarily have a bit stiffer tension on the springs, otherwise when bending strings - the trem will lift.

Setting up any whammy system - stock Fenders, Bigsbys, Kahlers, Floyds - it's all voodoo, and the guitar wants what it wants. About the only say the player gets is string gauge preference. Even a change in string brands will affect a whammy system.

That makes sense. I guess I just have to find the right balance of what I like. Would switching to .09s make the trem a bit "looser"? I would think with less tension it would be easier to keep it decked, I've been wanting to slap some 9's on this guitar anyways to see how it feels.

 

[PFDarkside]

Re: Making Floyd Trem Action lighter/easier?

As devastone mentioned, there’s no difference in your bending force raising the bridge and pushing on the bar to raise the bridge.

Grab a screwdriver and a pair of needle nose pliers, pull up a YouTube video and start tweaking.

Yep, this. Try 4 springs loosening/tightening the claw, 3 springs, 2 springs, etc. You can’t mess anything up, and you’ll see the difference in feel.

I use 5 springs with 10-52 and float. I like how it’s stiffer but I can still go up/down.

 

[PFDarkside]

Re: Making Floyd Trem Action lighter/easier?

This is hard truth for ANY vibrato system - the tension of the strings must be balanced against the tension of the springs. In 40 years, I've had setups that worked with one spring really tight, and four springs loose. To keep a Floyd decked, you must necessarily have a bit stiffer tension on the springs, otherwise when bending strings - the trem will lift.

Setting up any whammy system - stock Fenders, Bigsbys, Kahlers, Floyds - it's all voodoo, and the guitar wants what it wants. About the only say the player gets is string gauge preference. Even a change in string brands will affect a whammy system.

You can try 9s and two springs, it’ll let you bend and dive all over the place.

 

[devastone]

Re: Making Floyd Trem Action lighter/easier?

You can try 9s and two springs, it’ll let you bend and dive all over the place.

Dat's de way Eddie do it!

 

[FalloutMaster]

Re: Making Floyd Trem Action lighter/easier?

You can try 9s and two springs, it’ll let you bend and dive all over the place.

That's what I'm looking for! I'm trying to make this guitar play super slinky.

 

[Adieu]

Re: Making Floyd Trem Action lighter/easier?

It's decked, dive only.





So I set it up that way ||| and the feel is much better but the bridge moves out of the cavity when I bend strings, so I set them like so ||\ and it's a little better. I think it just needs new springs. Maybe get heavy duty springs and do only two like this / \ ? My goal is to be able to set them up myself, I don't mind paying someone for a re-fret or something but a setup seems easy enough.

Decked edge? PIC PLEASE

Sounds like you got it set up all wrong. You know that you're supposed to set it parallel to the BOTTOM of the baseplate, NOT the slanted top?

 

[GuitarStv]

Re: Making Floyd Trem Action lighter/easier?

It's decked, dive only.

Oh. Well, that explains the problems you're having. You've adjusted the springs to pull down too hard, so when you go to use the vibrato you've got to really lean into it. Use fewer springs, or springs with less tension and the problem will be solved. The lightest tension of course is when the springs balance the strings (floating).

 

[greekdude]

Re: Making Floyd Trem Action lighter/easier?

You can't have "lighter" action on the floyd bar without some movement when you bend strings. IMHO, if you don't like heavy bar action, you won't like the heavy springs. I had some on my 7 string and went back to standard springs because they were too heavy.

FWIW, my floyds are currently floating and I guess I just compensate for the bridge movement when I bend springs. It's all a balancing act.

I think this is possible with this :
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jsxfKyhu2Do

 

[devastone]

Re: Making Floyd Trem Action lighter/easier?

I think this is possible with this :
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jsxfKyhu2Do

I use stabilizers all the time, although that one is a slightly different one, looks similar to the Hipshot without having to drill a hole in the body. But, they don't change the tension on the arm for diving, they do add more tension for pull ups.