[indy7stringer]

Could someone explain how a Floyd Rose trem works and what it's used for.

[kkatarn327]

The whammy bar on a Rose is directly attached to the bridge plate, where all the springs are. When you put pressure on the bar, it lifts the plate at an angle, reducing the string tension and therefore dropping pitch. Roses, unlike vintage trem systems, can also raise the pitch as well as drop it. Also unlike vintage trem systems, it has a much wider range of pitch.

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What it's used for? Well, erm, for vibrato?

This post has been edited by kkatarn327: 15 August 2006 - 09:02 PM

[VirtuosoJoe]

http://www.youtube.c...h?v=qtUiQJc7ZMI

Herman Li to the rescue!

[billy16]

Unlike your normal tremolo system, a Floyd Rose locks. You lock your strings down at the bridge and then again at the nut. That keeps your strings in tune no matter what you do to it. You can jerk and yank the bar all around and the strings still are in tune. It's a great thing to have if you don't mind some maintainence every now and then.

You can either set your Floyd parallel to the body or leave it floating. Parallel will give you the best tuning stability. Leaving the Floyd floating will allow you to pull the notes up higher than with the bridge set parallel. Floating may raise a few issues though. For one, a temperature change can effect the balance of the Floyd, heavy palm muting could unbalance the Floyd, and a hit to the guitar could effect the balance as well. I haven't really had a problem with either the temperature or palm muting.

There are a lot of Floyd Rose tremolo's out there, some good, some not. The two best are the original Floyd Rose systems and Schaller. Gotoh also makes a nice Floyd copy. The thing that makes the originals better is that they are made entirely of hardened steel. Which means they won't wear on the pivot points. Generally, licensed Floyd's will wear on those points because they aren't made with the same quality steel.

Even though a Floyd has some disadvantages, they are worth it if you are a heavy trem user. Floyds are used for vibrato as well, but mainly Floyds are for dive bombing and reverse bombs. Strat trems are more geared toward vibrato as they can't dive and stay in tune.

By the way, Dragonforce is pretty cool.

This post has been edited by billy16: 15 August 2006 - 10:25 PM

[nealmac]

The whammy bar on a Rose is directly attached to the bridge plate, where all the springs are. When you put pressure on the bar, it lifts the plate at an angle, reducing the string tension and therefore dropping pitch. Roses, unlike vintage trem systems, can also raise the pitch as well as drop it. Also unlike vintage trem systems, it has a much wider range of pitch.

Read more

What it's used for? Well, erm, for vibrato?

To be fair, a vintage trem can go just as slack as a floyd rose. OK, so you'll more than likely need to retune after slackening but my point still stands.

[kkatarn327]

The whammy bar on a Rose is directly attached to the bridge plate, where all the springs are. When you put pressure on the bar, it lifts the plate at an angle, reducing the string tension and therefore dropping pitch. Roses, unlike vintage trem systems, can also raise the pitch as well as drop it. Also unlike vintage trem systems, it has a much wider range of pitch.

Read more

What it's used for? Well, erm, for vibrato?

To be fair, a vintage trem can go just as slack as a floyd rose. OK, so you'll more than likely need to retune after slackening but my point still stands.

Yeah, I guess I should have said that... vintage trem systems can dive pretty good, but you're going to mess up tuning if you do, and it takes more effort on a vintage trem system.

However, Floyds still have a wider range of pitch, because they can raise the pitch as well.

[Jiveturkey]

The whammy bar on a Rose is directly attached to the bridge plate, where all the springs are. When you put pressure on the bar, it lifts the plate at an angle, reducing the string tension and therefore dropping pitch. Roses, unlike vintage trem systems, can also raise the pitch as well as drop it. Also unlike vintage trem systems, it has a much wider range of pitch.

Read more

What it's used for? Well, erm, for vibrato?

To be fair, a vintage trem can go just as slack as a floyd rose. OK, so you'll more than likely need to retune after slackening but my point still stands.

Yeah, I guess I should have said that... vintage trem systems can dive pretty good, but you're going to mess up tuning if you do, and it takes more effort on a vintage trem system.

However, Floyds still have a wider range of pitch, because they can raise the pitch as well.

You can raise the pitch with a standard trem. Fair enough it has to be floating but it can be done.

[kkatarn327]

The whammy bar on a Rose is directly attached to the bridge plate, where all the springs are. When you put pressure on the bar, it lifts the plate at an angle, reducing the string tension and therefore dropping pitch. Roses, unlike vintage trem systems, can also raise the pitch as well as drop it. Also unlike vintage trem systems, it has a much wider range of pitch.

Read more

What it's used for? Well, erm, for vibrato?

To be fair, a vintage trem can go just as slack as a floyd rose. OK, so you'll more than likely need to retune after slackening but my point still stands.

Yeah, I guess I should have said that... vintage trem systems can dive pretty good, but you're going to mess up tuning if you do, and it takes more effort on a vintage trem system.

However, Floyds still have a wider range of pitch, because they can raise the pitch as well.

You can raise the pitch with a standard trem. Fair enough it has to be floating but it can be done.

Well, the reason vintage trems are, well, vintage is because they don't float.

[Jiveturkey]

Doesn't mean you can't make it into a floating bridge though.

[kkatarn327]

You could, but then it wouldn't be vintage.

[Jiveturkey]

Ahh, you're being pedantic. Well done.

[kkatarn327]

Thank you.

[indy7stringer]

So im looking at two guitars. They are exactly the same except one has the trem and one has a fixed bridge. i have several guitars and only one has a trem and its a normal trem. Would it be a good idea to go ahead and get the guitar with the trem if i have never really had a chance to play with one?

[billy16]

There's a first time for everything, so if you feel that you would utilize the Floyd system, then by all means get it. If you don't want to worry with it and just want a guitar you can string and play, then the hardtail will be for you. If you're indecisive, try making a list of the pros and cons of each guitar and then decide by looking at that list.

[nealmac]

There's a first time for everything, so if you feel that you would utilize the Floyd system, then by all means get it. If you don't want to worry with it and just want a guitar you can string and play, then the hardtail will be for you. If you're indecisive, try making a list of the pros and cons of each guitar and then decide by looking at that list.

Yes, good advice. Don't buy a floyd rose equipped guitar, just because you want to play eruption. Only buy it if you know you're going to be doing plenty of dive bombs etc in your general playing. A floyd rose trem is too expensive not to be used.

[kkatarn327]

Also, know that having a Rose is a lot of work... the smallest things can throw it off balance. So if you don't like to do a lot of work, and adjust and tweak everything every time something happens to it, or if it's not worth it for what you use it for, then don't get it.