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What bridges do you prefer?

S

smk5150

Well-known member
Joined
Dec 1, 2004
Messages
54
Hi

Yesterday I had a chance to play Axis with Floyd Rose bridge for a while. I wasn't interested in Floyd-equipped instruments after a year of using crappy Ibanez-style guitar w floating bridge. But when I picked Axis out of the case it was IN TUNE :eek: sounded nice :eek: and was really fun to play :eek: :eek: I mainly used guitars with hardtails or vintage tremolos set flat on the body.

What bridges do you guys prefer? How do you set them up - floating or flat?
 
I've always used guitars with Floyds, at least since I started buying em. My first guitar was a Strat that had a 'double locking' bridge, locked at the nut and the bridge, but it was not a Floyd and didn't work very well. I've since gone through countless Ibeenhads, Kramers and a Charvel, all with Floyds. The shred guitars, 'Ibanez', were all floating, and were a pain in the ass. I was always messing with the springs and tuning. Once I 'discovered' having them blocked I never looked back. Now I'm pretty much able to set it up once, and forget it. I string it, tune it, stretch strings, lock it, fine tune, done till next string change. I'd probably never have a non-floyd equipped guitar as my 'main' guitar.
 
I greatly prefer fixed bridges. I had the trem on my jp6 blocked so it only detunes, for me that's the most reliable setup after a fixed bridge. I do have a floyd-equiped washburn n2 that I picked up in a pawn shop for $100. for wahtever reason it's never given me any of the usual troubles that people find with floyd rose trems.
 
One more thing - the guitar I was talking about was set up with 10-46 strings like I use, but it felt a little stiffer than a Super Sport. Was that issue with that particular guitar or are floyds stiff in general?
 
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Remember back in the 80's (or perhaps I'm dating myself) when there was
that 3rd option otherwise known as Kahler? They seem to have gone the
way of the Beta Max but I think they're going to start making them again:

www.kahlerusa.com

Back then, I preferred the Floyd (as most people must have since Kahler trems seem to have become scarse) However, I was always intriged by the "hot knife through buter" feel of the Kahler. Might be neat to offer that as an option maybe on EB/MM
models. Any takers?

--scottie

PS: I LOVE the trem on my JP!
 
Used to love the Floyds, now I block 'em so they only detune.

Then after the Steve Morse I was a hardtail convert.

Then after buying Jon's ASS (and subsequent Luke) I've become a trem fan again. So the winner for me is the MM trem system- in conjunction with the locking tuners it does an awesome job of staying in tune.
 
Even though l don't normally use a trem anymore, l love the Trem on my JP, l just blocked it, so it only detunes, although you can get sound great sounds with a floating bridge. I used to only use guitars with a floyd rose, but they are pretty pointless to me now, l'm over my EVH dive bombs, although l can still do them on my JP, and it stays in tune.

Scott.
 
Yuck!


As for bridges... the MM JP trem is the best floating trem EVER.... I don't mind floyds, floating or not. LOVE the MM Vintage trem, it's a beautiful device.

If you want to keep your floyds(or any standard trem), and want to "Block" it or turn it into a lower pitch only.... then there's a perfect device for you...but OC's got to tell you about it or he'll yell at me cause I'm not good enough or something. :p
 
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floating floyds are not a big hassle once you get them set for the strings you use but i prefer the way the axis comes with the floyd flush against the body because i like to rest my palm on the bridge and you can do drop tunings without the bar going wacky. as far as the axis feeling stiff it probably needed the trussrod adjusted to lower the action a little. mine was the same way when i first got it and after a few adjustments it was all good.
 
I've played guitars with Floyd's for many years. Never had any problems with them (running at full float, too).

I also have a Music Man Petrucci 6 string w/trem. That tremolo is awesome. The Schaller locking tuners keep that baby right on the money. Plus, I like the base of the bridge being 'covered' so that the saddles aren't chewing up your hand. I wonder if Music Man will implement this trem (or a similar one that won't require routing) on all trem models in the future? I think the improvements on the Petrucci trem would be great on any guitar.
 
Thanks for the replies!
Now I have a serious headache :) I've got a Silhouette now and it's setup to lower pitch only and I really like how it plays. Everybody seem to like the JP trem, but they go for about $1200 which is too much for me at the moment. Maybe I'll grab another Silo off eBay for half of JP6 price and set the bridge to float? I probably won't do any dive bombs :rolleyes: maybe some Jeff Beck stuff.
 
I've done full Dive bombs with my SUB1 which has a "crappier" trem and "crappier" locking tuners, and it stays in tune just fine. I've also played a few Silos in the store and tested out the dive bomb on the vintage trem. and oh man did they stay in tune just fine. not on cent out of tune after the bomb...... now THAT is a good trem system.

Although, when you find an old silo on the bay like this one:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=2384&item=7307925113&rd=1&ssPageName=WDVW

That is always nice. Especially the price....

It's mine, I tell you.... MINE!
 
Warg Master said:
It's mine, I tell you.... MINE!
Click to expand...

:D :D No worries, I'm not buying this one. Too much free space in my wallet :p. Maybe I'll find something similar next month. Beautiful guitar, my Silo looks good but those transparent colors are amazing. Anyway I think something like this would be the best solution for me.

Ahh, and when I wrote that I won't do dive bombs, I didn't meant that this guitar isn't up to the job, just that I don't play this stuff. I NEED to read twice before posting :o
 
smk5150 said:
Thanks for the replies!
Now I have a serious headache :) I've got a Silhouette now and it's setup to lower pitch only and I really like how it plays. Everybody seem to like the JP trem, but they go for about $1200 which is too much for me at the moment. Maybe I'll grab another Silo off eBay for half of JP6 price and set the bridge to float? I probably won't do any dive bombs :rolleyes: maybe some Jeff Beck stuff.
Click to expand...

I guess I didn't really read your post myself...... :eek:

Yeah, I see..... uh.... monkeys :)
 
I have a silo with a vintage trem, an axis SS with a vintage trem and an axis with a hardtail and the hardtail sounds by far the best with the best tone and the best sustain, but I do use the trem and the tem on the silo is awesome since it sits flat on the body and I can also drop D tune in the middle of a set. Sorry guys but floating trems stink, they suck tone and they dont make the guitar very versatile during a gig -
 
I'm on the fence on this one. I have an Evh with licensed floyd and it stays in tune amazingly well and retains great tone etc. However, I dread changing strings on it as it is a pain in the ass. I much prefer changing strings on a Silhouette, strat or pretty much anything without a lock nut as it takes about half the time. Also, the non locking vintage EBMM trem is fantastic and stays in tune great, same as the PRS trem (strat trems are not included here as they are a nightmare). Overall, I'd go the Petrucci/Silhouette route and avoid a floyd if I could (if the EVH didn't have the best neck, I would happily live without it...)
 
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