Help! Install a Floyd on a Silhouette?

[Bladester]

Hi guys. Long time lurker here. I have a 2001 Burnt Apple Sparkle Silhouette. Great guitar. I love it. Thinking about installing a Floyd Rose on it. I have other guitars and need/want a Floyd guitar. Not floating. Down only. With a D-Tuna. A perfect Eddie guitar Not really interested in the Axis. Is this a good idea? Will I have issues? I would be getting a qualified tech to do the work.

 

[GWDavis28]

Well, they had a run of HH Silo's with a Floyd Rose. Or you could look for an older model, they were available in the earlier models.

Like this:

There are some available on Reverb.

Ernie Ball Music ManSilhouette HH Double Locking Tremolo | Reverb

Music Man Silhouette 1996 black | Conrad's Shop | Reverb

Glenn |B)

 

[Bladester]

Those are nice. I don't want to buy another guitar though. Planning to get a new pick guard for HH. The Burnt Apple Sparkle finish is just amazing. It would be a total Rock Machine with the Floyd. Other than probably de-valuing the instrument, is there any physical reason the Floyd would be a bad idea? Would the locking nut fit well and look good? Is my Silo neck exactly the same as those you posted from Reverb?

I realize this post is basically worthless without pics but it seems I am unable to post pics.

 

[DrKev]

Obviously you will have to permanently physically modify the guitar. The trem post spacings are completely different, so thats new holes to drill (and the pickguard routing is different for a floyd too). Silhouettes with a floyd have the bridge recessed which makes me wonder how much neck shimming might be needed to get the string height right if you don't recess. Check the depth/length of the trem block. The end of the neck/fingerboard will need a shelf cut for the locking nut and even then the locknut may be a hair longer than perfect so expect a little overhang at the back.

 

[GWDavis28]

Those are nice. I don't want to buy another guitar though. Planning to get a new pick guard for HH. The Burnt Apple Sparkle finish is just amazing. It would be a total Rock Machine with the Floyd. Other than probably de-valuing the instrument, is there any physical reason the Floyd would be a bad idea? Would the locking nut fit well and look good? Is my Silo neck exactly the same as those you posted from Reverb?

I realize this post is basically worthless without pics but it seems I am unable to post pics.

Your right about the pictures. And Burnt Apple is an awesome finish that's for sure. I would think with all those mods that it would ruin the paint job. You could always sell this Silo and get another that's already Floyd Rose ready. As Dr Kev points out it looks like it's a pretty intense mod.

Glenn |B)

 

[dibart77]

Silhouettes with Floyd Rose are the greatest thing ever. I also think you CAN add a floating Floyd yourself but it's a harrowing process. You need a good Floyd routing template. And you need to go VERY CAREFULLY starting in the middle of the route and working your way to the outer edges. Do NOT take a whole router bit's worth of wood out in one pass on the outer edge. Leave like 1/8" border and then take a final pass. That way you're not taking out too much wood in that pass, loading up the bit, and then chipping the edges. If you seal your routing template down with double sticky tape close to the edges of the route, you can get a nice clean edge. Then you can paint the route black with a small paint brush. Here's one I did adding a floating Floyd on a 20th Anniversary Silhouette (came stock with a vintage trem). I did NOT refinish the guitar after routing, just stained the newly created hole with a stain and then clear that was relatively close, stain was done with a rag, clear with a brush.

And here's more of my Silo Floyds!

​

 

[DrKev]

Jeff you are the best!

 

[GWDavis28]

Jeff's my hero!! Hey Jeff would the route cause an issue with paint? Just curious.

Thanx, Glenn |B)

 

[dibart77]

Jeff's my hero!! Hey Jeff would the route cause an issue with paint? Just curious.

Thanx, Glenn |B)

Well... I am not Marty Bell. So your mileage my vary. But on that Silo 20th the previous owner had done a botch job (freehand, maybe) routing for a Floyd so I had nothing to lose trying to fix it. The poly clear did not crack or chip, and of course stain is stain. I can't say for sure what would happen with a burnt apple paint, base coat, etc. You're right, it might chip. I can't say for sure as I am not a guitar finisher, just a wanker with a Makita router.

​

 

[GWDavis28]

Well... I am not Marty Bell. So your mileage my vary. But on that Silo 20th the previous owner had done a botch job (freehand, maybe) routing for a Floyd so I had nothing to lose trying to fix it. The poly clear did not crack or chip, and of course stain is stain. I can't say for sure what would happen with a burnt apple paint, base coat, etc. You're right, it might chip. I can't say for sure as I am not a guitar finisher, just a wanker with a Makita router.

​

HAHAHAHAHAHAHA, Jeff thanx man, that made my day.

Bladester, if your going to do it I'd recommend someone that had done it before. Burnt Apple might be tough to touch up and such.

Glenn |B)

 

[tbonesullivan]

If you want it down only, you really may not need to route out anything. Have you considered locking saddles as a stopgap measure to get a more stable tuning when going nuts on the whammy bar?

 

[dibart77]

If you want it down only, you really may not need to route out anything. Have you considered locking saddles as a stopgap measure to get a more stable tuning when going nuts on the whammy bar?

+1 Down-only (like an Axis or EVH) would be way easier because any router evil would be concealed by the trem base plate.

​

 

[Bladester]

Thanks for all the input guys. Much appreciated.

Jeff, wow! Speechless. Kudos to you sir. Thanks for the tips and advice. I do have another guitar that's floating with locking saddles. It's great and I love it but I do want my Silo with a Floyd that goes down only. So I'm guessing that there is still a bit of routing to do? Which is definitely ok with me and as I was suspecting "any router evil would be concealed by the trem base plate" How does it look at the nut? Is the locking nut not a perfect fit? Does it overhang a bit? BTW, seeing all those beautiful Silos with Floyds, 100% going thru with this.

I guess I need to get my post count up to be able to post pics? I suppose I need more than a couple of posts in 15 yrs I will post before and after pics.

 

[dibart77]

Thanks for all the input guys. Much appreciated.

Jeff, wow! Speechless. Kudos to you sir. Thanks for the tips and advice. I do have another guitar that's floating with locking saddles. It's great and I love it but I do want my Silo with a Floyd that goes down only. So I'm guessing that there is still a bit of routing to do? Which is definitely ok with me and as I was suspecting "any router evil would be concealed by the trem base plate" How does it look at the nut? Is the locking nut not a perfect fit? Does it overhang a bit? BTW, seeing all those beautiful Silos with Floyds, 100% going thru with this.

I guess I need to get my post count up to be able to post pics? I suppose I need more than a couple of posts in 15 yrs I will post before and after pics.

I'm not sure I can get to that Silo with the added Floyd too easily (it's buried in storage right now), and I don't have a photo of the headstock that shows the locking nut overhang. But it does hang a little proud of the "fretboard shelf." Lemme see if I can dig out the guitar this weekend. I would suggest getting one of the top screw locking nuts (like modern EBMM Floyds) rather than the old style where the locking nut is screwed to the neck by allen screws through the back of the neck (like old EBMM EVH's, Silos, etc).

​

 

[GWDavis28]

I guess I need to get my post count up to be able to post pics? I suppose I need more than a couple of posts in 15 yrs I will post before and after pics.

I tend to host from IMGBB.com myself.

Glenn |B)

 

[Bladester]

Not the greatest pics but here is the guitar. The Floyd will be black and I may replace the pick guard for another white one with no single coil. Will post before and after shots.

IMG-20150528-181531-copy — ImgBB
IMG-20150528-181549-copy — ImgBB
IMG-20150528-181920-copy — ImgBB
IMG-20150528-182023-copy — ImgBB
IMG-20150528-182126-copy — ImgBB