SX strat floyd upgrades?

[wagdog]

I picked up an SX strat last year from a forumite here a while back. I love the neck on this thing, chunky, great looking grain, and glossy. Fretwork is fantastic as well (I think the guy I bought it from had leveled them).

 

I used the guitar as a mod platform, winding pickups from scratch and upgrading the innards. The pickups came out great - this thing is as stratty sounding as they come. It's an HSS and has an 80's dimarzio PAF in the bridge, which really blends in well with the single coils.

 

In short, this guitar plays and sounds great. I'm at the point where I'm thinking this ax is a keeper. Although I have "expensive" guitars, I seem to find myself gravitating towards playing this guitar more and more. Weird, but it sounds and plays so well!

 

Here's the rub; the floyd rose trem and locking nut are junk. The guitar stays in tune fine, but the trem and nut are obviously made out of some kind of mystery metal. I'm thinking if I'm going to hang on to this guitar and keep playing it, that I'd like to replace the trem and nut.

 

What are some decent options out there that folks have had experience with? I realize I'll be paying more for the trem system then the entire guitar (which was $100 shipped to my door), but I really do like playing this ax and plan on keeping it, so that's not an issue.

 

Thanks!

 

Wag

[humbuckerstrat]

Get an OFR and an OFR locking nut for it, like I done. An R3 locking nut is what fit on my SX Floyd Strat. I also upgraded the Floyd itself with stainless steel parts and a brass block from floydUpgrades.com. Improved the tone immensely.

 

I also replaced the string retainer with an OFR string retainer. Everything fit fine with the mounting screw holes that were already there.

 

If you want to go cheaper, get a Gotoh Floyd. They're highly recommended here.

 

 

[webwarmiller]

Under $100 ($86 shipped for chrome) I would go with a Floyd Rose Special (same as OFR except for zinc block and saddles). Unfortunately it looks like they are out of stock on just about every model..

http://www.gpdusa.com/Floyd_Rose_Tremolos-Floyd_Rose_Special.html

 

Over $100 ($130 shipped) I would go with a Gotoh...better than OFR IMO. http://www.beyondeleven.com/Gotoh-reg-Licensed-Floyd-Rose-reg-Original-Style-p/gotoh-floyd-rose.htm

 

Just be sure to measure the post spacing as well as the route size. Both of these have the long lock screws like an OFR that really stick out of the back....unlike the shorter schaller style.

[maltomario]

budget?

 

I woul dlook for a PING licensed trem (axcessories.com) or find a dude who recently upgraded a charvel pro-mod trem to an german OFR. you can find them minty on ebay for $130ish and they are 95% as good as german ones.

 

you can buy a new german one from warmoth for like $160

 

I have a 80's OFR in chrome w/ bar I might sell, currently sitting in my toolbox unused. but I dont have a locknut. PM me if you're interested.

[NHLfan2010]

Check out GFS floyds. I'm sure they're bound to be brought up sooner or later.

[Toshiro]

There's a Gotoh Floyd up on Rigtalk for under $100:

http://www.rig-talk.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=71969

 

I would snatch that {censored} up ASAP!

[_pete_]

I've had lots of different Floyds and I would also highly recommend the Gotoh.

Quality and tone wise, it's as good or better than an OFR.

It has a better arm mounting setup, a nice brass block, locking studs, and is cheaper.

I got one new on Ebay for $118.

 

I currently have one of Floyd Rose Specials from Guitar Parts Depot. It's in satin chrome and looks gorgeous. It's very good but it would benefit from a brass block.

[wagdog]

Those gotoh's look pretty nice.

 

Budget wise I was thinking in the $150 range, so they seem to fall right in there.

 

Might try to get that one on the rig-talk board.

 

humbuckerstrat: that looks like my guitar, minus the stickers! Great playing ax.

[humbuckerstrat]

 

Those gotoh's look pretty nice. Budget wise I was thinking in the $150 range, so they seem to fall right in there. Might try to get that one on the rig-talk board. humbuckerstrat: that looks like my guitar, minus the stickers! Great playing ax.

It's a light blue (almost white) one like mine? They discontinued them @ Rondo. They have other colors now, with a rosewood fretboard.

 

The necks are great.

[wagdog]

 

It's a light blue (almost white) one like mine? They discontinued them @ Rondo. They have other colors now, with a rosewood fretboard. The necks are great.

 

 

Actually mine is very white, no blue in it.

 

I know man, I keep telling myself it's a $100 guitar, but the neck on this thing is perfect.

[wagdog]

Looking at these:

 

http://www.beyondeleven.com/Gotoh-reg-Licensed-Floyd-Rose-reg-Original-Style-p/gotoh-floyd-rose.htm

 

I'm wondering about the nut. The SX neck has a pretty flat radius (15"?). It looks like nut #9 is the right one.

 

Not really sure what the string spacing is on the SX, narrow, wide? I'm thinking wide, but don't know how to tell for sure. Help?

 

Anyone have one of those on an SX?

[maltomario]

best bet would be to first measure the width of neck at the nut.

I would bet an R3 floyd nut would fit. Those are fairly common.

 

The spacing of string - that is usually a function of the nut width. so a wider nut = more farther spaced strings.

 

Once you have the nut width it becomes easier to pick the right one. I dont know what fretboard radius is on the SX but you can probably find it on their website (or email kurt)

 

good luck!

[humbuckerstrat]

 

Looking at these: http://www.beyondeleven.com/Gotoh-reg-Licensed-Floyd-Rose-reg-Original-Style-p/gotoh-floyd-rose.htm I'm wondering about the nut. The SX neck has a pretty flat radius (15"?). It looks like nut #9 is the right one. Not really sure what the string spacing is on the SX, narrow, wide? I'm thinking wide, but don't know how to tell for sure. Help? Anyone have one of those on an SX?

I have some notched radius gauges from Stew-Mac, and the radius on my SX at the nut seems to be 7.25". But it could be 10", I'm not too good at taking neck radii, even tho I've got the stainless steel radius gauges.

 

And the nut width is 1-11/16". I know I tried both an R2 and an R4 Floyd locking nut and the R3 fit the best. The R3 is like the R4 but for necks with a narrow string spacing, and with a 10" radius.

 

specs for R3 nut at GuitarPartsDepot.com

[humbuckerstrat]

In that list of Gotoh nuts () I would go with #3, that one seems to be the most like an R3 Floyd locking nut.

[wagdog]

Thanks for the help, yep, looking like #3 is it.

[maltomario]

 

There's a Gotoh Floyd up on Rigtalk for under $100: http://www.rig-talk.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=71969 I would snatch that {censored} up ASAP!

 

 

cool, thanks for that link. I waited patiently for someone else to hop on it but I eventually ended up buying that for an upcoming project I had in mind. Never had a gotoh trem before but I heard they are good. If its good enough for John Suhr, its good enough for me!

[Toshiro]

Cool. I was gonna buy even though I don't need it.

[KLeeneX]

Get an OFR and an OFR locking nut for it, like I done. An R3 locking nut is what fit on my SX Floyd Strat. I also upgraded the Floyd itself with stainless steel parts and a brass block from floydUpgrades.com. Improved the tone immensely. I also replaced the string retainer with an OFR string retainer. Everything fit fine with the mounting screw holes that were already there. If you want to go cheaper, get a Gotoh Floyd. They're highly recommended here.

 

I hope Kurt gets more of these because now I want one

[wagdog]

 

I hope Kurt gets more of these because now I want one

 

 

They do pop up used now and again. I like buying SX's used so you can see what the neck grain looks like.

[Orange Jackson]

This thread got me to take a look though Kurt's current line up. Wow, some pretty cool guitars in there. The cool cats are back too.