Making Floyd Trem Action lighter/easier?

[Coma]

Re: Making Floyd Trem Action lighter/easier?

care yo give the physics behind it?

It's actually quite simple. Imagine just as an example that you have a Floyd system in perfect balance between strings and springs. Your action at the 24th fret is a full 10 mm above your fretboard. In order to lower it, you must tighten the two mounting studs that act as the bridge pivot point, thereby lowering it.

As you tighten studs, the bridge will start to pivot forwards, away from the body. In order to balance it out again (while staying in the same tuning), you must increase tension on the spring side of the system, either by tightening the spring claw or by adding more springs, thus also increasing the overall tension within the system itself.

The end result will be increased resistance when bending, as well as the tremolo arm requiring more force to move the bridge up and down.

 

[greekdude]

Re: Making Floyd Trem Action lighter/easier?

^^ that's obvious (well minus the last sentence, which I dont agree), but you can't avoid the fact that at *anytime* the total spring strength is constant and equal to e.g. 40Kg (= total string tension for a set of *tuned* 9's). Lowering the bridge, is decreasing spring length and thus tension (and also detunes the guitar, so that total string tension = total spring tension). So as you tune, the claw screws have to be tightened as well. But I can't see how this correlates to bends. String bend -> increased string tension -> equal increase in spring tension, movement of the bridge -> bang, rest of strings go de-tuned.
Isn't like spring tension = Length * K where K is constant? Then for every bend you get a movement of trem = DLength such that DLength * K makes up for the added string tension. I mean this is inescapable. That's why trem stabilizers were introduced, after all...

now, *IF* someone proves that spring tension is NOT 100% analogous and linear to their length, then this is another story which I would love to hear (and very much suspect that this is the case in real conditions).

 

[GuitarStv]

Re: Making Floyd Trem Action lighter/easier?

The end result will be increased resistance when bending, as well as the tremolo arm requiring more force to move the bridge up and down.

No.

When floating, a trem is always balanced between the spring tension and string tension. Lowering or raising action has little to no effect on this balance because you still have the same forces pulling from each side.

There should be no difference in feel when changing action. The string tension remains effectively the same, so the springs must be adjusted to match that string tension.

 

[FalloutMaster]

Re: Making Floyd Trem Action lighter/easier?

So having the bridge float makes it a lot looser and way more fun to use, though I have a problem with the bridge pitching up when I push the trem bar out of the way. Any way to make the trem bar move freely like an OFR? Maybe grease up the white bushings on the arm?

 

[Gtrjunior]

Re: Making Floyd Trem Action lighter/easier?

No.

When floating, a trem is always balanced between the spring tension and string tension. Lowering or raising action has little to no effect on this balance because you still have the same forces pulling from each side.

There should be no difference in feel when changing action. The string tension remains effectively the same, so the springs must be adjusted to match that string tension.

This is how I understand it as well.

 

[Gtrjunior]

Re: Making Floyd Trem Action lighter/easier?

So having the bridge float makes it a lot looser and way more fun to use, though I have a problem with the bridge pitching up when I push the trem bar out of the way. Any way to make the trem bar move freely like an OFR? Maybe grease up the white bushings on the arm?

You can try greasing them. You can also replace them. I’m not 100% sure if that will help it to fall away like you want. I have 2 push in style trems (Edge/Edge Pro) and they both fall away correctly. One has new bushings.

You might find them cheaper with a little shopping around.
https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https://www.ebay.com/ulk/itm/312512649925

 

[ErikH]

Re: Making Floyd Trem Action lighter/easier?

ok, we got a floating bridge here so, at the stable state :
F by springs = F by strings = C (constant, lets say around 40Kg ~ 400 N)
By tightening the spring claws we cannot move away from the 40Kg figure, so the spring tension will still be 40Kg, but the spot that the system will reach the stable state will be a different one.

By bending we increase total string tension, so the total spring tension will also have to be increase for those two to match. This is done by the string pulling the bridge/springs, which means that other strings will sound de-tuned, eitherway you think of it.

anyway, I'd like to see some theory or actual proof behind this.

We have a BLOCKED bridge here, not floating, so all of that is moot. Yes, you are correct in the case of a full floating trem.

 

[Masta' C]

Re: Making Floyd Trem Action lighter/easier?

Can we talk about this errant top spring?

View attachment 96633

 

[FalloutMaster]

Re: Making Floyd Trem Action lighter/easier?

Can we talk about this errant top spring?

I figured it would provide tension on the bass side and help with the bridge puuling out of the recess when I bend notes. I have it set like this now /|\

 

[devastone]

Re: Making Floyd Trem Action lighter/easier?

We have a BLOCKED bridge here, not floating, so all of that is moot. Yes, you are correct in the case of a full floating trem.

I think you missed the part where he went full floating. And yes, this post is so 2 weeks ago...

 

[Demanic]

Re: Making Floyd Trem Action lighter/easier?

Can't help here. I use all 5 springs in mine.

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