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Proper way to adjust action on a floyd rose...


butterguitar

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I have a little piece of wood that goes on the opposite side of the springs between the block and body. its perfectly sized and when i slip it in there and with the strings pulling the trem forwards it always sits at the right angle.

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I never felt the need to use a blocking method once I understood that the base plate of the bridge needs to be in line with the top plain of the body, or said another way, that the knife edges need to come in contact with the posts straight on. If you simply look from the side you will see if you need to add tension to the springs/claw or release it. It's very easy actually.

 

 

 

 

Floyds suck. They stay in tune most of the time but require MAJOR adjustment to your playing technique and you need to constantly maintain them (make sure everything is really tight before you play, etc...) string changes are a hassle. If you like fiddly things, you may like them.

 

 

This post is wrong, don't blame the trem system for your ignorance of how to set one up, it's not fair. I have guitars that once set up, say in perfect tune for months at a time. The only thing that effects them is going from summer temps to winter temps.

Your Floyd knowledge is weak, Sir.

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I never felt the need to use a blocking method once I understood that the base plate of the bridge needs to be in line with the top plain of the body, or said another way, that the knife edges need to come in contact with the posts straight on. If you simply look from the side you will see if you need to add tension to the springs/claw or release it. It's very easy actually.

 

 

Good for you. The rest of us found an easier method. /shrug

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Don't mean to change the topic too much but I figure I'll post this here. I just did it... Blocked the trem (I did a shit job, the picks fell out :facepalm:). Cut off all the strings, took off the springs (one of them went flying :D). Took the bridge off, put some chapstick on the edges and posts (very little bit). The worst part was trying to put it back lol, Jesus Christ those springs are impossible to stretch. How the hell do you guys take them on and off so easily? It was literally impossible, I'm not sure if it's the springs (I think I head Gotoh springs are very stiff but I only have 2) but I definately couldn't do the enough times to change the action. Anyways, I blocked it with picks again, put on all the strings... And then the worst part, trying to get the springs on :eek: How the hell do you guys do it? I had to loosen the crap out of the claw. Anyways, long story short I tuned it, blocked to the good angle, tightened the springs and removed the block, and tuned with the springs to pitch. It's perfectly level, and after stretching the crap out of the strings it stays in tune freaking awesome. I'm sure once the strings have settled it will be great, it's drifting a bit but I'm sure that's the strings stretching a very tad since it returns to zero like a champ now. I think I'm going to invest in a proper block :D Took me about an hour and a half start to finish, so not bad for a first time I think considering I did some extra stuff.

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I loosen the claw like a mofo to make putting the springs on easy. Since you're going to be adjusting them anyway there's no point in trying to 'leave them where they are'. That being said, some people use tools to make gripping the spring easier while stretching them to fit - I have no experience with this as I pretty much re-float my bridge for each new set of strings.

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On a floating trem, I'll leave the bar in and flip it facing the back of the guitar. Then as I put the spring on with pliers, I bend the trem up by leaning the bar on my leg. This usually gives enough leverage and slack to easily pop the springs on.

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and still slower than the blocking method. Spend your time adjusting the claw and the tuners, trying to make the bridge flush
and
the guitar in tune, while the rest of us are done and playing.

 

 

I'm going to go ahead and put you on ignore, you have some sort of inferiority problem that you project onto the world.

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On a floating trem, I'll leave the bar in and flip it facing the back of the guitar. Then as I put the spring on with pliers, I bend the trem up by leaning the bar on my leg. This usually gives enough leverage and slack to easily pop the springs on.

 

 

Genius. I think I'll still have to loosen it quite a bit, but that should work. I'm assuming this is with the strings on; are they to pitch or slacked a bit?

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Genius. I think I'll still have to loosen it quite a bit, but that should work. I'm assuming this is with the strings on; are they to pitch or slacked a bit?

 

 

 

Nah, you don't have to loosen the claw one bit, that defeats the whole purpose and add tons more work for you to do. Just leave the bar in like Dave said and man up on the pliers a little bit. Keep your free hand over the pliers in case they slip off the spring.

 

Read this page if you need more clarification,

http://www.ibanezrules.com/tech/setup/remove.htm

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Nah, you don't have to loosen the claw one bit, that defeats the whole purpose and add tones more work for you to do. Just leave the bar in like Dave said and man up on the pliers a little bit. Keep your free hand over the pliers in case they slip off the spring.


Read this page if you need more clarification,

http://www.ibanezrules.com/tech/setup/remove.htm

 

I tried, I was so close yet so far :D

 

Also, one of the little black things from the bridge popped out. I think I put it in the wrong way the first time; the little circle should be on the bottom facing the fine tuners right? After I put it in (what I guess was) upside down there were little scratches above the circle.

 

And oh shit, I didn't do what he said in the article at all :D Aw well, I don' thing I messed anything up but it was a bit of a PITA getting it back on the posts. (actually, I did scratch up the cavity a very little tryng to force the springs :facepalm: aw well)

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I tried, I was so close yet so far
:D

Also, one of the little black things from the bridge popped out. I think I put it in the wrong way the first time; the little circle should be on the bottom facing the fine tuners right? After I put it in (what I guess was) upside down there were little scratches above the circle.


And oh shit, I didn't do what he said in the article at all
:D
Aw well, I don' thing I messed anything up but it was a bit of a PITA getting it back on the posts. (actually, I did scratch up the cavity a very little tryng to force the springs
:facepalm:
aw well)

 

 

Well, the first time with anything is not so easy, you'll be better at it next time you try it, and once you get it right you'll never have to do it again, so that's good. :)

 

If I was you I'd read though that tech page on ibanez rules, it gives a really clear picture of how to set them up, much better then a forum that has half the people on it giving completely wrong advice.

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Well, the first time with anything is not so easy, you'll be better at it next time you try it, and once you get it right you'll never have to do it again, so that's good.
:)

 

I think I got it right this time, I'll probably reapply the chapstick every few months or so. I'll try his way next time around, that would probably make everything way easier having some tension for the string change.

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I think I got it right this time, I'll probably reapply the chapstick every few months or so. I'll try his way next time around, that would probably make everything way easier having some tension for the string change.

 

 

Yeah, when you change strings, just do one at a time, tune it up and then go on to the next one. It keeps you in the right ballpark.

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On a floating trem, I'll leave the bar in and flip it facing the back of the guitar. Then as I put the spring on with pliers, I bend the trem up by leaning the bar on my leg. This usually gives enough leverage and slack to easily pop the springs on.

 

I do exactly the same thing.

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Genius. I think I'll still have to loosen it quite a bit, but that should work.

 

 

Shouldn't have to loosen a thing.

 

- put your strings on.

- block the trem with a stack of picks between the block and the wood in front of it (toward the neck) til the bridge is level.

- Screw in the claw until the picks stay in place and don't fall out.

- tune.

- stretch

- tune

- stretch

- tune

- stretch

- tune

- stretch

- tune

- stretch

- tune

- stretch

- once it stays in tune when you stretch each string, lock it and unscrew the claw just enough for the picks to fall out.

-Adjust fine tuners if needed.

 

 

Now, any time you need to make an adjustment like action, you can easily pop off the springs, adjust, pop the springs back on. Unless you make a HUGE adjustment, you'll still be in tune. Just pushing on the bar like I described should be more than enough to pop the springs on and off with a pair of needlenose pliers.

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Shouldn't have to loosen a thing.


- put your strings on.

- block the trem with a stack of picks between the block and the wood in front of it (toward the neck) til the bridge is level.

- Screw in the claw until the picks stay in place and don't fall out.

- tune.

- stretch

- tune

- stretch

- tune

- stretch

- tune

- stretch

- tune

- stretch

- tune

- stretch

- once it stays in tune when you stretch each string, lock it and unscrew the claw just enough for the picks to fall out.

-Adjust fine tuners if needed.



Now, any time you need to make an adjustment like action, you can easily pop off the springs, adjust, pop the springs back on. Unless you make a HUGE adjustment, you'll still be in tune. Just pushing on the bar like I described should be more than enough to pop the springs on and off with a pair of needlenose pliers.

 

Yup, the springs is the only tricky part for me, I really stretched them too :D I don't see why people fear the Floyd, if I just blocked it and went one at a time I imagine it would've taken all of 15 minutes :idk:

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  • 8 years later...
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No need to remove the strings!

The easiest way to do it is to open up the back of guitar and pop the springs off instead.  

Adjust your hight then pop springs back in.

I use the extra spring that comes with any floyd setup guitar to pull the last spring back in. The test can be done by hand. hope this helps.

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