Weird Fender Locking Saddles

[DavidRavenMoon]

Re: Weird Fender Locking Saddles

Floyd proto without finetuners.

I worked on a Strat with one of these back in the 80s. Had very early EMG pickups too, with the tan colored epoxy.


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[Chris Pile]

Re: Weird Fender Locking Saddles

It is quite an amazing invention when you think about it.

Not really. It's just an extension of Fender's original trem design. Several people back in the 70's (including me) were modding Fender whammies by eliminating the middle 4 hold down screws, experimenting with locking strings onto tuners, etc. Also, the initial design was very crude. Setting individual intonation was a colossal PITA with the strings locked under tension. You basically loosened the string, moved the saddle, and then tuned it back up until you had it "in tune" or you just said "close enough".

The first time a rep showed me a Floyd Rose in the box (1980?), I asked if this was simply a prototype. I was appalled to find out this was the production model. It was so crude. No individual height adjustment, and installing the locking nut? There was no instruction sheet in the box. I had to figure out by myself what dimensions to rout for proper placement. AND - to this very day, there is still no way to set individual string height at the nut, and one string is nearly ALWAYS too high or too low. You have to juggle it around. Now most factories just rout the shelf purposely too low, and furnish metal shimstock to set the action.

Anyone know who Floyd Rose was? He was a jeweler who played a Strat. And the initial Floyd looked like a guitar part made by a jeweler, doesn't it? No real engineering thought behind the design, and they haven't made many changes in the decades since beyond adding fine tuners.

I was around then when the damn thing came out. Eddie Van Halen gets most of the glory, AND the blame for the popularity of the thing. In an interview he was asked how he liked it. His answer? "I like it, and I don't". So he wasn't thrilled anymore than 95% of the guitar techs who work on these POS to make clients happy. I have to work on 'em, I've written about 'em several times, and I hate 'em.

A good Wilkinson with locking tuners makes more sense, and a Kahler is the ultimate unit for adjustability and performance. Period.

 

[Ayrton]

Re: Weird Fender Locking Saddles

Floyd proto without finetuners.


And proto with finetuners

The Fender bridge worked great and I will happy to take one off anyone's hands.

Those pics are of the Fernandes built early Floyds (before Schaller and fine tuners). The sicker on the block is the giveaway.

 

[Vasshu the humanoid typhoon]

Re: Weird Fender Locking Saddles

Heh funny...I had a Takeuchi moment when I saw these pictures....and was not quite sure about the prototype thing either....
Frankly they look like crap...haha and I still get annoyed by the tremolo name...they are frigging vibratos.....

 

[Mincer]

Re: Weird Fender Locking Saddles

Yeah, they are vibratos. I don't think the Floyd thing would have taken off if it weren't for Eddie. There are much better designed systems out there- the Kahlers, and my favorite (and marvel of engineering), the TransTrem.

 

[Chistopher]

Re: Weird Fender Locking Saddles

Yeah, they are vibratos. I don't think the Floyd thing would have taken off if it weren't for Eddie. There are much better designed systems out there- the Kahlers, and my favorite (and marvel of engineering), the TransTrem.

Funny, flush mount prototype Floyds are the only vibratos that I really like. I can't stand Kahlers and TransTrems don't work on guitars that have necks without some sort of reinforcement. The transposing ability is useless with a standard wooden guitar neck.

 

[Jacew]

Re: Weird Fender Locking Saddles

Funny, flush mount prototype Floyds are the only vibratos that I really like. I can't stand Kahlers and TransTrems don't work on guitars that have necks without some sort of reinforcement. The transposing ability is useless with a standard wooden guitar neck.

What are you talking about?

 

[Vasshu the humanoid typhoon]

Re: Weird Fender Locking Saddles

Have played Floyd equipped guitars for a great many years...sold the last one sometime ago...Ibanez with an Edge
I don't think I want another anymore to be frank....
My playing has changed, I mainly play my old Ibanez RS-135.....it has an old Power Rocker vibrato....it uses two round blades into a metal plate with two matching round grooves, it is not like an vintage strat, nor is it like a floyd, I had that on my first guitar as well, so I got quite good at setting them up, now it works well for my needs....

As for Kählers.....those I do not like in any configuration, no not the Spyder either
The transtrem is another weird machine......they belong on a Steinberger....well I am not overly conservative myself....but that is not a guitar I like in any way...same with Parkers.....they are just odd and lack all the things I like about guitars.
These things always ends up being to complicated and annoying to use in the long run, same with the Floyds, while I have no trouble adjusting and setting them up, I just got tired of the locks and the fickle studs, nuts that ends up with grooves in the long run....the chrome that eventually drops off at the knife edges, thus ending up hanging with a few cents off...sigh

 

[Chistopher]

Re: Weird Fender Locking Saddles

What are you talking about?

You can't put a TransTrem on a guitar with a nonreinforced neck because the chords become more out of tune the further you shift. I've tried it before.

 

[Ayrton]

Re: Weird Fender Locking Saddles

Considering what was in the marketplace at the time, the Floyd was brilliant in its simplicity. Ibanez/Gotoh arguably made the design better but 35 years later it remains the standard for locking tremolos.

 

[Jacew]

Re: Weird Fender Locking Saddles

You can't put a TransTrem on a guitar with a nonreinforced neck because the chords become more out of tune the further you shift. I've tried it before.

Never thought that transposing ability would be much of an issue (or that big improvement) anyway.

Isn't the ability to bend entire chords the real brilliance of it. That should work just fine with any guitar I guess?

 

[Chistopher]

Re: Weird Fender Locking Saddles

Isn't the ability to bend entire chords the real brilliance of it. That should work just fine with any guitar I guess?

The issue is that when you increase or decrease tension on the strings the neck flexes. This flexing of the neck affects the pitch of each string differently, making the chord go out of tune. Steinbergers have graphite reinforced necks which don't have that issue.

 

[Mincer]

Re: Weird Fender Locking Saddles

The way a TransTrem works (I had the 3rd version) is that each string transposes at a different rate. So the strings don't bend the same. But man, it is so cool to play a Bb chord and bend it up to a C or C# with all the strings saying in tune throughout.

 

[Chistopher]

Re: Weird Fender Locking Saddles

The way a TransTrem works (I had the 3rd version) is that each string transposes at a different rate. So the strings don't bend the same. But man, it is so cool to play a Bb chord and bend it up to a C or C# with all the strings saying in tune throughout.

And the lack of play in the neck is a key part to this system.

 

[DavidRavenMoon]

Re: Weird Fender Locking Saddles

I am not overly conservative myself....but that is not a guitar I like in any way...same with Parkers.....they are just odd and lack all the things I like about guitars.

You sound very conservative to me!

I love my Parker and almost bought a Steinberger M series back in the day. [emoji6]

I own 9 guitars and not a single one is a Strat or LP. Lol


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[Mincer]

Re: Weird Fender Locking Saddles

What I like about the Parkers (like the Steinbergers) is that they looked at every aspect of a guitar, and made it ergonomically better. Those guitars basically melt into your body. It's like a piece of art.

 

[Gtrjunior]

Re: Weird Fender Locking Saddles

I always thought Steinbergers were damn cool guitars but I never liked the aesthetic of the Parkers.
A friend had a Parker fly years ago and I remember that it sounded great but I just never liked the look of them.

 

[Vasshu the humanoid typhoon]

Re: Weird Fender Locking Saddles

You sound very conservative to me!

I love my Parker and almost bought a Steinberger M series back in the day. [emoji6]

I own 9 guitars and not a single one is a Strat or LP. Lol


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Well my guitars are Ibanez and a Godin Seagull acoustic....
Sold all other items a long time ago...I just never liked any of those nonwood guitars very much.....I do not mind different....

 

[PFDarkside]

Re: Weird Fender Locking Saddles

This is a lark, but does anyone know how to determine the specs/part of the locking bolt for these bridges?

 

[Ayrton]

Re: Weird Fender Locking Saddles

This is a lark, but does anyone know how to determine the specs/part of the locking bolt for these bridges?

Huh?