Sophia trem
- Thread starter philthis
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PFDarkside
of the Forum
I’ve got the fully loaded Floyd Rose replacement in a box downstairs with all the other hardware for a Warmoth build. I was extremely excited for all the options it offers but now that I’m about to build I’m worried it might be a bit fiddle to dial in. We’ll see…
These get amazing reviews. I'd love to try one. So does the Vega trem. Haven't tried that one either, but would love to.
The Vegas are nice too. I like the idea of globaly tuning down a half step for playing out live so I can sing certain songs easier.
I've decided to stick a locking nut on my neck anyway so the infinite tuners on the trem would help that too theoretically. It's got a drop D tuner supposedly but again, I've never used this trem to make sure it works. It supposedly fits right into a strat.
As you guys have mentioned, that upfront cost is a butt clencher. Would be nice to know for certain.
I've decided to stick a locking nut on my neck anyway so the infinite tuners on the trem would help that too theoretically. It's got a drop D tuner supposedly but again, I've never used this trem to make sure it works. It supposedly fits right into a strat.
As you guys have mentioned, that upfront cost is a butt clencher. Would be nice to know for certain.
My TransTrem was amazing for this reason.
Sirion
Well-known member
What are the advantages to the Sophia compared to the tried-and-true Floyd Rose? Count me amongst the skeptics, but I remember there being a lot of hoopla when these were first released, but I could never really grasp what new they brought to the table (which to my mind reads uncomfortably like bought publicity), and then everybody seemed to forget them within a couple of months.
PFDarkside
of the Forum
I have a post from March where I went through all the benefits. No snipping string balls, “infinite” fine tuner range, easier intonation, a piston based stabilizer that can be tuned from nothing to very stiff and a global tuning wheel to bring the guitar back in tune (since all strings are locked, it’s usually a spring adjustment to bring it back.
I expect it to be phenomenal when it’s setup, but the major negative is the price. It’s about twice what a Floyd costs, and that’s a big turnoff for most. The quality should be good, it’s made by the same company that Floyd Rose tapped to build the titanium Floyd parts.
Sirion
Well-known member
Thanks! To me it sounds like the interesting stuff goes on in the replacing of the traditional tremolo block. Being able to adjust the stiffness of the system does indeed rectify a lack in the OFR, where this could only be done by experimenting with different spring patterns. I wonder if these solutions could be transferred to other tremolos: as far as I can tell there is no interaction between the "tremolo block" here and the visible parts of the tremolo, so there is no reason why it wouldn't be technically possible. Whether is is possible in practice I guess would be dependent on their business model.
I have to say, though, that as far as the upper parts of the tremolo goes, I would consider requiring ball ends to be a vice rather than a benefit. I owned a Peavey Vandenberg with a Kahler Spyder, and I always hated this part, since it meant that you couldn't get more life out of a string by dropping a wind from the tuner.
Securb
One of Jerry's Kids
Fits like a glove it is a drop-in replacement.
Securb
One of Jerry's Kids
First blush it feels fine. I installed it and now I have meetings all day. After that is practice. I probably won't get to play it hard until tomorrow.
EDIT: My meeting ended early and I got to take it for a drive. All I can say is this guitar sounds like a freaking beast.
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PFDarkside
of the Forum
I love that guitar, Bruce.
