Problems at the Floyd Rose company???

[Johtosotku]

I tried to order an original Floyd Rose bridge assembly at the end of last year from Musiciansfiend. They emailed me yesterday and said that the item is no longer available from the manufacturer. On the product pages they only have the gold version anymore, and it's too in limited quantities. They say they're not getting any more.

Does anybody know anymore about this? Is the problem at MF or at FR? Maybe Fender? Will I have to start stocking bridges from all the other shops in the country for my future guitars??

 

[rspst14]

Re: Problems at the Floyd Rose company???

You can order original Floyds from Warmoth if Musician's Friend can't get one for you.

Ryan

 

[B2D]

Re: Problems at the Floyd Rose company???

You can order original Floyds from Warmoth if Musician's Friend can't get one for you.

Ryan

Yeah but what if Warmoth can't get them either? He's talking about a possible problem FROM THE MANUFACTURER, not the vendor.

I can't see why FR would stop making their bridges... maybe just a temporary manufacturing setback?

In any case, there's always Ibanez Edges.

 

[Robert S.]

Re: Problems at the Floyd Rose company???

I wanted an OFR a year or so back and I had a very hard time finding one in stock anywhere. I ordered a Shaller Floyd and I couldn't be happier with it.

 

[Shnook]

Re: Problems at the Floyd Rose company???

Last summer I was having a guitar custom made and the big hold up was over the availablity of a chrome Floyd Rose. I was told it could be months before the chrome Floyd's came in, that they were nearly impossible to find, so I went with black which was in stock. Glad I decided not to wait. Does sound like something's going on.

 

[Stirt]

Re: Problems at the Floyd Rose company???

It has always been a struggle to get Original Floyds. The wait is incredibly long and you are left to rely on ordering a large amount and then forecasting accurately for the next order. If you underestimate your sales, you find yourself out of stock and back ordered for a long time. Most dealers are hip to this whole Original Floyd scenario, it is nothing new.

Schaller Floyds are a very cool alternative. They are made from cast metal so the sound is a bit warmer. They have a smaller foot print so they don't look as large on your guitar. The saddle radius is 14" instead of 10" so they do work well for flatter radius fingerboards like a compound radius. They are also readily available!

Gregg-
Warmoth

 

[Johtosotku]

Re: Problems at the Floyd Rose company???

Yes, I'm going the schaller route now as well. It seems to me that they are the company that's in the position to make the best floating bridges available (Over FR and Ibeenhad). My only problem is if it fits direct into my guitar. (Jackson DK2) They do cost a bit extra as well, when comparing ordering an OFR from usa and buying a schaller locally. Not too much, anyway.


And as an afternote, it's great if there's nothing wrong at FR. It seems go be bad business practise anyway, not being able to meet the demands of customers.

 

[Hot _Grits]

Re: Problems at the Floyd Rose company???

also check out the gotoh floyd copy bridge. That's non-cast, and in my opinion is as good quality as the OFR, with the advantage of slightly back-angled finetuners and a much better bar tightening system. As used on Ernie Ball Musicman guitars.

 

[Johtosotku]

Re: Problems at the Floyd Rose company???

I'd try the Gotoh bridges as well,as I believe them to be of as high quality as schaller and FR, but no one seems to import them here. I've also never seen them available for order from some US retailer websites. So it's kind of hard for me.

 

[Vasshu the humanoid typhoon]

Re: Problems at the Floyd Rose company???

One more for the Gotoh bridges...I really do not like the "new" tremarm system very much on my OFR, I had no trouble getting one from Fender by the way.
That quick tight system is frankly a pain in the a$$, it always unscrew itself, it helps with a bit of grease, but I am going to get a Gotoh tremarm for mine.

 

[Zerberus]

Re: Problems at the Floyd Rose company???

Yes, I'm going the schaller route now as well. It seems to me that they are the company that's in the position to make the best floating bridges available (Over FR and Ibeenhad). My only problem is if it fits direct into my guitar. (Jackson DK2) They do cost a bit extra as well, when comparing ordering an OFR from usa and buying a schaller locally. Not too much, anyway.


And as an afternote, it's great if there's nothing wrong at FR. It seems go be bad business practise anyway, not being able to meet the demands of customers.

LOL, Schaller makes the OFR and Gotoh makes the IbeenHad Edges

The Schaller will NOT be a direct drop in in a Jackson that had a JT-580 or 580LP trem -

1.st you have to change the mounting studs (no biggie)

...but more importantly, the mounting distance of the Schaller is 1/16th " (about 1.5mm) closer to the nut. You may or may not have intonation problems afterwards because of the saddles having to "go farther than they can".

For that reason, I´d use an OFR, guaranteed fit (but you still gotta swap the bushings)

As far as meeting the demands of customers go: Remember also that FR has to supply literally tens of thousands of bridges a month to manufacturers (Fender, ESP/LTD, Jackson/Charvel, Hamer, Anderson, Suhr, essentially everyone but Gibson and PRS). When you get into the dimension of selling that amount of product, you have to concentrate on what earns the most money. And seeing that most manufacturers and many online-retailers sell Floyds as spare parts (ESP, Jackson, Fender, Warmoth, Rockinger, ed Roman........), why should they invest that much effort in that comparatively small section of the market. 50 bridges more or less they WON`T notice at the end of the year

 

[jmh151]

Re: Problems at the Floyd Rose company???

Original Floyd Rose bridges are made by Schaller in Germany. There was a slight shortage a few months back, but not now. I just ordered a Gold Floyd Rose Pro (the low profile version) from Ed Roman at http://www.worldclassguitars.com. Despite what everyone says, his shop was extremely helpful in helping me pick the right nut, and they are the cheapest source for original floyds.

The box arrived in the Floyd Rose Pro box, but on the side it had a sticker with the Schaller logo and "made in germany".

I would stick to the Original Floyd or Floyd Rose Pro. The Schaller version, from what I understand, has a compressed metal, or die cast base with hardened steel inserts. The Original Floyd base is all hardened steel. The Floyd is also cheaper than the Schaller.

As far as Gotoh, I have one on my Ernie Ball Axis. It's a very good unit, but I don't like how the arm is not removable. I have an Ibanez Edge too, very good unit, though the black chrome plating was starting to flake, and I hated the arm- the assembly would come loose, and the nylon washers wear out quickly. Both stay in tune extremely well though. The Gotoh costs about the same as an Original Floyd, both are equally good units.

 

[rspst14]

Re: Problems at the Floyd Rose company???

I'm a little confused now...I thought Fender owned the rights to the original Floyd, and Schaller made their own version?

One other thing, does anyone know of a place that sells the saddles separately? I'm planning on putting an original Floyd on a Warmoth project with a compound radius. I'm afraid if I shim the saddles until the radius is flat, the action will be way too high. On my Wolfgang, there are three saddle heights. I'd like to get a set of the shortest saddles, does anyone know where I might be able to do that? My Wolfgang sounds great, but the Floyd is non-recessed, and it can't be adjusted low enough to get comfortable action. I have problems with the action being too low at the nut and too high in the upper frets. I don't think you should have to resort to neck shims for a guitar that costs that much. I've heard from others that a flat radius at the bridge works best with Warmoth compound radius bridges, I figure a set of shorter bridge saddles might work well.

One last question, does anyone know if it's common to route a small angle in the neck pocket for a non-recessed Floyd, or is Warmoth the only company that does that? Sorry for the minor thread hijack, but any help would be appreciated.

Ryan

 

[Gearjoneser]

Re: Problems at the Floyd Rose company???

Try Carvin. I think they have the lowest price on original Floyds.....last time I checked.

 

[jmh151]

Re: Problems at the Floyd Rose company???

With Carvin, you have to buy the locking nut separately, which is the case with most places. Ed Roman, or worldclassguitars, throws in the locking nut for the same price that musicians friend or Carvin sell you the original floyd for without the nut. Plus, they'll give you the right nut for your guitar. I shopped around alot and was pleasantly suprised with Roman.

regarding saddles, you can buy those too from stewmac or edroman too. The shims for the saddles? Do a google search, they were a little harder to find, but I'd try stew mac too.

Shims on the neck? With a non recessed floyd, the neck needs to be at a different angle as the Floyd is higher off the body. When it's recessed, the Floyd sits parallel with the body, so a shim isn't needed. HOWEVER, I just sent an Ibanez RG570 to the shop to install Floyd Rose Pro, and just found out that they have to adjust the neck angle for it to play properly, either by routing the pocket a bit or adding shims.

 

[Cazmarzak]

Re: Problems at the Floyd Rose company???

I got some FLoyd saddles from all parts, that worked great, I was able ot turn a Jackson single locking trem into a doulble locking jsut by getting those saddlwe arom all parts and I thin they were only 13.00 a piece.

Jsut make sure you get 2 of easch size for the radius to be correct.

 

[Johtosotku]

Re: Problems at the Floyd Rose company???

I live in Finland, and I just finished one order from the states through a relative, and I don't believe that I'll be able to order anything anytime soon. US prices aren't so cheap after you add overseas shipping and taxes.

It's a bummer if the Schaller won't fit directly. It's a lot cheaper than the OFR here. I'd think that Warmoth and Musician's Fiend are major retailers, and that the inability to supply equipment to them would be a major problem. Most of the bridges do naturally go in to brand new guitars.