Where can I buy ORIGINAL Floyd Rose

brisk

NeverLostologist
I know Ed Roman sells them but I really don't want to deal with him. US is a big country and there gotta be more FR dealers.

Also, what's the difference between normal FR and Low Profile FR.

Thank!
 
Re: Where can I buy ORIGINAL Floyd Rose

The "Low profile" version is also called "FloydRose Pro". I used both the Pro and II. The II is the "economical" version (well not that cheap!), the only difference being the baseplate, which is made of compressed steel instead of hardened steel. They share the same components however. The

The Floyd Rose PRO (or Low Profile) is a tad smaller and is flatter. I used it a while ago (stock on my Heartfiled Talon IV) and its a great unit. Both the Original and PRO are great tremolos.

BTW, you can buy FloydRose products from your Fender dealer. Only the II is a "licenced" version (made by Schaller) 'cause they're not available anymore from FloydRose. The PRO and Original at Fender are the real Floyds.

http://www.fender.com/products/show.php?seek=s.p.a._floydrose
 
Last edited:
Re: Where can I buy ORIGINAL Floyd Rose

For Info on the floyds themselves: www.floydrose.com ;)

Where to get them: Any music shop worth that title, which unfortunately includes GC and their cohorts :D

Thames said:
...The II is the "economical" version (well not that cheap!), the only difference being the baseplate, which is made of compressed steel instead of hardened steel. ..

Hers I have to raise the flag. The material is different, but in no way as cheap as some would have you believe, that´s why both trems are within 5$ of each other. But the tone is warmer and the (hardened) knife edges are REPLACEABLE. The downside is that they´re a tad less responsive.

IMO the only reason the Schaller isn´t more expensive is because 50%+ of the guitarists (as you are proof of, sorry ;) ) STILL think that the Schaller Floyd is a FRII and the FRII was total crap. It looks the same, THAT`S ALL.

The II had no hardened knife edges (but they WERE removable), and was ENTIRELY made of pot-metal or similar, wheras the Schaller uses steel for all parts, and the "compressed steel" baseplate is actually as close to making one in a forge with a hammer as you can get without actually doing just that ;)

Other wise you´re more or less on track. Yes, some of the parts (notably the arm and the sustain block) are interchangeable. But for example, The Schaller saddles will NOT fit an original floyd, because the locking screws don´t fit through the "slots") , the other way around could theoretically work, though....

BTW, Schaller manufactures the Schaller Floyd Rose AND the Original, AND the Lo Pro. But Schaller refused from day 1 to build the II to Floyd´s specs because they said they weren´t willing to produce something that they knew from the start was crap. That´s how the Schaller trem came to be, minimal redesigning and better materials ;)
 
Last edited:
Re: Where can I buy ORIGINAL Floyd Rose

Ok.. let's begin :argue:

Zerberus said:
Hers I have to raise the flag. The material is different, but in no way as cheap as some would have you believe, that´s why both trems are within 5$ of each other. But the tone is warmer and the (hardened) knife edges are REPLACEABLE. The downside is that they´re a tad less responsive.

Never said they were cheap!! but "economical". The II needs those hardenend knife edges because the baseplate metal is too soft to handle such pressure. The Pro and Original dont need those hardened egde, 'cause the baseplate is already "hardened steel". So the II is cheaper to produce.

Zerberus said:
IMO the only reason the Schaller isn´t more expensive is because 50%+ of the guitarists (as you are proof of, sorry ;) ) STILL think that the Schaller Floyd is a FRII and the FRII was total crap. It looks the same, THAT`S ALL.

Sorry dude, but you've misunderstood what I'm saying. I never said the FR II is pure crap! Hey, I have one of these in my Strat and it's a nice trem I think. However, it's not the current Schaller version, but the original II made by FloydRose early 90's.

Zerberus said:
The II had no hardened knife edges (but they WERE removable),
huh... :duh: typo ?? I dont understand.. if it had no hardened knife edges, how come they were removable? :smack: As I told you, mine is an older original FR II (not Schaller) and it has the hardened knife edges.

Zerberus said:
Other wise you´re more or less on track.
You too ! :28:

Zerberus said:
BTW, Schaller manufactures the Schaller Floyd Rose AND the Original, AND the Lo Pro. But Schaller refused from day 1 to build the II to Floyd´s specs because they said they weren´t willing to produce something that they knew from the start was crap. That´s how the Schaller trem came to be, minimal redesigning and better materials ;)

So that'd mean the current Schaller Floyd Rose Licenced trem is as good as any FloydRose Original trem... ? I don't doubt it, Schaller always made high quality parts. So my older FR II would be crappier than the new Schaller made unit ? Just curious 'cause I was thinking about replacing it.
 
Re: Where can I buy ORIGINAL Floyd Rose

Thames said:
Ok.. let's begin :argue:
EN GARDE!!! :sword: :laugh2:

Never said they were cheap!! but "economical". The II needs those hardenend knife edges because the baseplate metal is too soft to handle such pressure. The Pro and Original dont need those hardened egde, 'cause the baseplate is already "hardened steel". So the II is cheaper to produce.
True. But yoiu said that about the FR II, and stated that Schaller makes the FR II, which would (for most people) make the Schaller a FR II, which is CLOSE, but not true ;) We´ll chalk this one up to misunderstanding :)

But the Schaller Baseplate also needs the Hardened Knife edges to work for more than 6 months;)

Sorry dude, but you've misunderstood what I'm saying. I never said the FR II is pure crap! Hey, I have one of these in my Strat and it's a nice trem I think. However, it's not the current Schaller version, but the original II made by FloydRose early 90's.
Sorry, I think you misunderstood me this time. General consensus under Luthiers and most players is, or at least seems to be, that the FR II was/is crap, particularly the older ones. I personally feel that way as well. That probably also contributed to my misunderstanding of "point 1" ;)

huh... :duh: typo ?? I dont understand.. if it had no hardened knife edges, how come they were removable? :smack: As I told you, mine is an older original FR II (not Schaller) and it has the hardened knife edges.
The original FR IIs came with high-carbon steel knife edges from the factory, not hardened ones. But some companies switched to actually pulling the original edges and installing other edges (Schaller Edges fit like a glove). This may or may not be the case. But either way, they are significantly harder than the rest of the trem and can hold up ok, depending on use. ;)

So far 0:0 for points, 1:1 for misunderstandings, and one intangible:D:D

So that'd mean the current Schaller Floyd Rose Licenced trem is as good as any FloydRose Original trem... ? I don't doubt it, Schaller always made high quality parts.
YES, the Schaller and Gotoh units (and as much as I loathe to say it, Ibanez Edges) are just as good as an Original floyd. They all differ a bit in tone, response and design, but are all great units. I wouldn´t call any of these superior to another, though, they have all stood the test of time ;)

So my older FR II would be crappier than the new Schaller made unit ? Just curious 'cause I was thinking about replacing it.

In theory, yes. The FR IIs were total crap when they started out, and have "advanced" to being mid-range but real inconsistent (too many different manufacturers, including Takeuchi of Jackson JT-500 (a "true" Fr II) and JT-580, or Ibanez TRS-series (in)fame, and a few "mystery makers" in China and Korea. But there are also one or 2 foundries that make "better" FR IIs that really work well.

So Depending on who made your FR II and how old it is, you may very well not notice much difference to a "real" Schaller. You WILL notice a difference, if nothing else just tonally, if you switch to an Original ;)

Hmm, sh!t, looks like a draw to me :friday: :laugh2:
 
Last edited:
Re: Where can I buy ORIGINAL Floyd Rose

brisk said:
I know Ed Roman sells them but I really don't want to deal with him. US is a big country and there gotta be more FR dealers.

Also, what's the difference between normal FR and Low Profile FR.

Thank!
I bought a black Original Floyd Rose over a year ago from Mean Street Guitars http://www.meanstreetguitars.com/ but I'm not sure if they still sell them or not. Came with the R2 locking nut and all of the necessary hardware for about $160. If they don't sell them anymore, it may not be too difficult to deal with Ed Roman to purchase a unit. Just make sure that you've done your homework and have selected the correct size locking nut or you probably will have problems.
 
Re: Where can I buy ORIGINAL Floyd Rose

Carvin Sells them too. $159.99 chrome. $169.99 Blck and $179.99 24k gold
 
Re: Where can I buy ORIGINAL Floyd Rose

Zerb dude, nice combat ! You won by your knowledge of those units !

Ok, well, my FRII was stock on a Fender FotoFlame Strat (japan). It only says Floyd Rose II on it, nothing else. No stamping anywhere. It has the black knife edges (that'd mean high-carbon steel ? It works well, but the G-string sounds dead. I was looking at some Floyds on eBay and saw those Ibanez unit, with the bigger tremblock under (similar to Fender/Callaham), not like the cheap block on mine. I also saw some FR II with Fender-style saddle (no string lock inserts, no need to cut ball-end on strings)...can you tell us more about them ?
 
Re: Where can I buy ORIGINAL Floyd Rose

Sounds like II is out of picture. So what should I get? Original or Low-Profile (Pro).
 
Re: Where can I buy ORIGINAL Floyd Rose

brisk said:
Sounds like II is out of picture. So what should I get? Original or Low-Profile (Pro).

Both are fine trems. The PRO is flatter, low-profile. I used the PRO and I would recommend it.
 
Re: Where can I buy ORIGINAL Floyd Rose

Thames said:
Both are fine trems. The PRO is flatter, low-profile. I used the PRO and I would recommend it.

That's the answer I wanted. Thanks.
 
Re: Where can I buy ORIGINAL Floyd Rose

Thames said:
Zerb dude, nice combat ! You won by your knowledge of those units !

Ok, well, my FRII was stock on a Fender FotoFlame Strat (japan). It only says Floyd Rose II on it, nothing else. No stamping anywhere. It has the black knife edges (that'd mean high-carbon steel ? It works well, but the G-string sounds dead. I was looking at some Floyds on eBay and saw those Ibanez unit, with the bigger tremblock under (similar to Fender/Callaham), not like the cheap block on mine. I also saw some FR II with Fender-style saddle (no string lock inserts, no need to cut ball-end on strings)...can you tell us more about them ?

Those "cheapo" sinfle locking tremy that Mightas Mite sells (your "fender style saddle" version) make the FR II look lilke the best trem ever made. There´s a good reason they retail for 30 bucks: STAY AWAY ;)

brisk said:
Sounds like II is out of picture. So what should I get? Original or Low-Profile (Pro).

Depends: Was the guitar already routed for a Floyd? If No, then choose whiochever you prefer. If yes....

If a floyd was already mounted, though, I´d steer you towards the Original. The PRO has a different (larger) footprint and therefore requires a slightly different (larger) rout. If you put a PRO on an axe that had a Schaller or an Original (or anything similar), the chances are good that the plate will either

a: lie flat on the sides of the rout, essentially negating the need for a recess rout in the first place,

or

B: be so wide that the arm will chafe on that side of the cavity. It sometimes works, but In my experience those cases are rare at best. I wouldnt wanna take the risk ;)
 
Last edited:
Re: Where can I buy ORIGINAL Floyd Rose

BloodRose said:
Carvin Sells them too. $159.99 chrome. $169.99 Blck and $179.99 24k gold

Yeah, I'd probably buy it from Carvin, since they're a bit cheaper than most places. I believe those are the originals too.

One question for you Floyd experts...A few months ago on Ebay, I saw a company selling a retrofit kit to remove the screw-in bar, and replace it with
their "original Floyd" type cuffed screw-on bar. I should have bought it for
$15 when I first saw them, but now I can't find it. My G&L has a licensed
Floyd that seems great except for how the bar attaches. Do any of you know a link to this aftermarket retrofit kit?
 
Re: Where can I buy ORIGINAL Floyd Rose

Gearjoneser said:
Yeah, I'd probably buy it from Carvin, since they're a bit cheaper than most places. I believe those are the originals too.

One question for you Floyd experts...A few months ago on Ebay, I saw a company selling a retrofit kit to remove the screw-in bar, and replace it with
their "original Floyd" type cuffed screw-on bar. I should have bought it for
$15 when I first saw them, but now I can't find it. My G&L has a licensed
Floyd that seems great except for how the bar attaches. Do any of you know a link to this aftermarket retrofit kit?

http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Bridges...s/2/Floyd_Rose_Locking_Tremolo_and_Parts.html

That´s actually not some aftermarket thing, but the way a Floyd Arm SHOULD be for about 20 years now. Any "original" Floyd arm SHOULD include the "bottom end" as well, just to ensure a perfect fit. That is all you need to retrofit a trem with a screw in or push in arm :smoker:

Tell me if for some reason you can´t figure out what to do, Jonesey. But the retrofit is pretty easy with a bit of common sense / General technical knowledge ;)
 
Last edited:
Back
Top