Tell me about purchasing a Floyd Rose guitar?

[Closed Eye]

There's a guitar at the local bad@$$ pawnshop with a floyd rose (or a licensed floyd rose) that's fairly cheap, an Ibanez Roadstar I believe, and I was considering purchasing it to get into the world of floyd rose's without putting a dent in my wallet. Would you recommend this?

What are the pro's and con's of a floyd rose?

how do you change strings on a floyd?

how do you tune on a floyd?

Thanks for the help!

 

[TeleJr24]

Re: Tell me about purchasing a Floyd Rose guitar?

The Roadstar IMO is a good guitar. It's an older Ibanez model, say mid 80's.

The floyd rose or any floating tremolo is not going to give you as good a tone as a fixed bridge guitar, but then you can do things with a tremolo that you can't with a fixed bridge.

On that model tremolo you probably have to cut the ball ends off of the string and then you clamp it down using the screws there. This is a real pain. And tuning it is also a pain because once you get one string in tune, then you tune the others and then the first one is out of tune... because they are all dependent on one another to counter the springs. But in my Ibanez, once I get it in tune (after the string stretching etc), it will stay in tune no matter how badly I treat it. I can dive bomb all day and it will not go out of tune!

These days I don't use the tremolo very much so I barely play my Ibanez. So you may want to think realisticly how much you think you will use it and what type of music you're going to play. If you are a fan of Joe Satriani or Steve Via, etc. then you'll probably want the tremolo. If you are a blues, classic rock or jazz player, you probably won't use it.

Hope this helps.

 

[TwilightOdyssey]

Re: Tell me about purchasing a Floyd Rose guitar?

What are the pro's and con's of a floyd rose?

how do you change strings on a floyd?

how do you tune on a floyd?

Thanks for the help!

I can say with 99.99% certainty this is not an Original Floyd Rose.
Floyd Rose is a great bridge ... you can do all sorts of nice vibrato with it. I've never had a problem with one going out of tune, either. I will tune up before rehearsal or a gig, throw it in the case, and I can be certain the guitar will be in perfect tune @ the end of the trip.

The strings run from your tuner to the bridge. They are clamped down at the bridge and at the nut. That is why they stay in tune: the tuners don't slide when you slacken the strings with the vibrato.

You tune a Floyd like a conventional trem guitar, but you wanna keep the trem balanced. I usually tune it in set of 2 strings: 6 then 3; 5 then 2; 4 then 1.

NOTE: None of what I said applies to the Ibanez EDGE or LO TRS trems; those trems sukk and should be avoided at all costs ... they are pure trash, as are most liscenced FR trems.

 

[Zerberus]

Re: Tell me about purchasing a Floyd Rose guitar?

Luthiers Note: The Gotoh-made Ibanez Edges are generally considered to be on Par w/ the Original Floyd, Schaller and Gotoh Floyd Roses. Their main fault is the Arm IMO

On all other points I agree 100%

 

[Closed Eye]

Re: Tell me about purchasing a Floyd Rose guitar?

Wow.

That certainly is a lot to consider.

I didn't think it would be an "authentic" floyd rose anyway.

Can the arm on the Ibanez Edge's be replaced with a better arm?

The guitar is only $179 though...

 

[Ironjose]

Re: Tell me about purchasing a Floyd Rose guitar?

Since the first day i lay my hands with a floyd rose guitars my life change... and so as my playing... but i love them though.
When you replace string is not necessary to remove the ball ends of a string, just insert them upside down or backwards and voila... (personal coment:"I bend them at the end and insert them that way").
when i tune them i generally tune the 1,2 and 3 first and then the 6,4 and 5 after i stretch them firmly.
IMO i would go to the store and buy the guitar, for $179 it is a nice price for an Ibanez Roadstar,
"MY OPINION : GO AND BUY THE GUITAR, IF YOU DONT LIKE IT THEN SELL IT, AS EASY AS IT SOUNDS !!"
CHEERS

 

[shredaholic]

Re: Tell me about purchasing a Floyd Rose guitar?

The floyd rose or any floating tremolo is not going to give you as good a tone as a fixed bridge guitar, but then you can do things with a tremolo that you can't with a fixed bridge.

How noticeable is the tone change?

 

[Zerberus]

Re: Tell me about purchasing a Floyd Rose guitar?

On the same Guitar (Strat that used to have a hardtail): The tone generally becomes a bit brighter, and a hint thinner, but it also gets a cool "light reverb" due to the springs, and the bottom end "opens up" a bit, seeems slightly "deeper". Some say they lose sustain, but I don´t agree.

This is with a Schaller or OFR, the Schaller is a bit warmer, like if the tone knob were on 9

 

[Mephis]

Re: Tell me about purchasing a Floyd Rose guitar?

People make a big deal out of tuning them and changing strings, You just have to use your head when changing strings, thats all.

Like block the bridge before you take all the strings off! Then its a simple matter of cutting the rings off the strings, droping em in there and turning the screw down on em.

Only anoying thing is once you get the lockers at the nut tightened down it throws it out of tune and you have to tune the bridge with the little screws again.


I play everyday for 3-4 hours, ive had the same strings on it for 2 months (Really good, strings, REALLY GOOD) and ive not had to tune it ONCE! It stays in tune that well.

Honestly, I wouldnt pay over $200 for anything that didnt have a floyd. But i dont like ibanez, so i really cant tell you anything about that guitar. I just know i love the floyd on my Platium pro.

 

[Ironjose]

Re: Tell me about purchasing a Floyd Rose guitar?

People make a big deal out of tuning them and changing strings, You just have to use your head when changing strings, thats all.

Yep i Agree with Mephis, just have patience, lock them and they will tune !!!
good luck.
About the lack of tone or warm with an OFR or SCHALLER i think its just a matter of taste, i can tell you for sure that my sound or tone called whatever you like it, got better when i got my first Floyd guitar ...
JB