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Is Floyd Rose That Horrible

Larry

Well-known member
Joined
Nov 6, 2005
Messages
3,687
Location
Iowa
Alright so its my first post here and Im thinking about getting a Ernie Ball Music Man Axis in transparent blue. Now the guitar looks great and plays like a dream and I really like the floyd rose but Ive never owned a guitar with floyd rose mostly Gibsons and a few G&Ls but I was wondering if it is really that hard to change strings and setup the string height with floyd rose, and does it effects the sustain and the total feel of the guitar itself because it is not a fixed bridge
 
larryandrews said:
Alright so its my first post here and Im thinking about getting a Ernie Ball Music Man Axis in transparent blue. Now the guitar looks great and plays like a dream and I really like the floyd rose but Ive never owned a guitar with floyd rose mostly Gibsons and a few G&Ls but I was wondering if it is really that hard to change strings and setup the string height with floyd rose, and does it effects the sustain and the total feel of the guitar itself because it is not a fixed bridge


Welcome larry!

I have an EBMM EVH w/ a floyd and i think it is a great combnation! (the EVH and the axis are pretty much the same guitar) they stay in tune great and you dont have to use it if you dont want to. String changes aren't that bad, once you get used to it. I had a chance to buy an EVH hardtail, but i'm glad i got the EVH w/ the floyd!

i would go for it!

just my 2 cents.... :)
 
Floating bridges of any kind will require a bit more work to restring and set up than a fixed bridge. But if you know what you're doing it's not all that difficult. Read the FAQ here and you should be right as rain.
 
now when you change strings do you need to reset the bridge everytime even if you change them one by one . also how do you adjust the height on the strings i just dont want to get this guitar and have a huge issue with the floyd rose and hate the guitar if floyd is that bad i could always get a hard tail EBMM
 
mightypudge said:
Floating bridges of any kind will require a bit more work to restring and set up than a fixed bridge. But if you know what you're doing it's not all that difficult. Read the FAQ here and you should be right as rain.

But EBMM Axis' dont have a floating bridge if im correct they sit flush with the guitar and only allow you to "dive" forward thus taking this problem away
 
larryandrews said:
now when you change strings do you need to reset the bridge everytime even if you change them one by one . also how do you adjust the height on the strings i just dont want to get this guitar and have a huge issue with the floyd rose and hate the guitar if floyd is that bad i could always get a hard tail EBMM
If you change the strings one at a time, and you're using the same brand and gauge string, you shouldn't have to worry about adjusting the bridge. If you switch brands you might need to adjust the tension springs since string tension can vary between manufacturers.

You can adjust overall height with the two mounting posts. Your neck radius will match the Floyd so once you set your action on the high and low E strings the rest should be exactly where they belong. Individual string height is not adjustable on a Floyd.
 
Mightypudge is correct with regard to floating bridges. But the Axis doesn't have a floating bridge. It rests agains the top of the guitar. So unless you're putting on a heavier guage of strings, no adjustment will be necessary at string changes.

I've found it easier to string my Floyd equipped guitars with the balls on the headstock end rather than cutting off both ends. Cutting off the balls adds a major step IMO and is not necessary. If you string them through the tuning machines with the balls attached, you only need to cut the other end to the right length. You have to do this step on any guitar so that isn't a big deal.

Once you have a system, it really isn't that bad. The worst thing about restringing a Floyd is that it's harder to do on the fly during a set. Even with a non floating trem. The need for an alan wrench is an extra step. But once you're use to it, it's not a big deal.
 
larryandrews said:
Alright so its my first post here and Im thinking about getting a Ernie Ball Music Man Axis in transparent blue. Now the guitar looks great and plays like a dream and I really like the floyd rose but Ive never owned a guitar with floyd rose mostly Gibsons and a few G&Ls but I was wondering if it is really that hard to change strings and setup the string height with floyd rose, and does it effects the sustain and the total feel of the guitar itself because it is not a fixed bridge

if u like playin w/ a whammy bar......it's worth the small increase in time to change the strings.
some of the best players in the world that can use anything they want use floyds ...& sound AMAZING !!!!!! so they are what they are....and have surely stood the test of time.....

dan huff comes to mind.......
 
IMHO, Floyds are a great tool, but you have to learn how to maintain them properly or you're asking for trouble. That being said, the EBMM Gotoh-made Floyd trem is among the easiest to set up and maintain, particularly as it sits flush on the body, so there are none of the "floating trem" issues to contend with. However, although over-all adjustment of the bridge height is possible with the bridge posts, adjusting individual string heights requires the use of Floyd shims, tiny sheets of steel that fit under an individual Floyd Rose saddle. I think you should be able to find these at most good guitar stores, but the bigger supply houses like Stewart McDonald must sell them as well... I don't remember where I bought mine, but $5 worth have lasted me years and years (you don't use many when you do use them), and I did need to use them on my Axis to get the perfect match of string-heights over the fretboard curve for me. In the end, Floyd's are not "maintenance free" hardware, and you have to make an effort to learn how to adjust them properly, but I find that rock-solid tuning stability out-weighs the occasional maintenance and more complex stringing process that hbucker mentions in his post...

my 2¢
 
Do yourself a favor and go for the trans. blue quilt top Axis with Floyd Rose. You will love it! As far the set up and string change, it is pretty easy once you get the hang of it. :D
 
I used to own a Jackson with a low profile floyd, at first I had no clue how to change the strings, but with time it gets easier, and becomes almost like a rutine/ritual lol one mistake i made was that I was always changing brands so every time I had to check for the trem to be leveled and stuff like that, I know better now:D .But hey I love floating trems so im getting the jp6 model is less work since u dont have to deal with the locking nut
 
Jim Warnstedt said:
Do yourself a favor and go for the trans. blue quilt top Axis with Floyd Rose. You will love it! As far the set up and string change, it is pretty easy once you get the hang of it. :D


jim...that is a perty blue EVH!!!!! i would love to see a big pic of that baby!!!
 
I've played Floyds for the past 20 yrs. or so. They are not that difficult to deal with. Some people will make working with them much more difficult than it has to be, so you hear the horror stories about Floyds being hard to maintain. A good Floyd that is set up correctly will stay in tune through lots of abuse. Don't let what you hear scare you off, Floyds are great, especially once you get used to maintaining them.
 
now how would you take off one of the springs in order to give it more of a dive leaving two springs instead of three would that effect anything besides tune stability
 
Thanks Brent! I just got her Tuesday. Brand new old stock. This baby is why you see me selling off the trans black EVH and trans blue EVH on the 'Bay. Shoot me your email and I will get you photos. :cool:
 
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What would postage via Air mail be to Melbourne Australia?
Ive got a friend who isnt online ATM and hes looking for a trens blue EVH.
might have a buyer for ya.
 
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