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Okay, so my teenaged daughter has a lime green Stagemaster with a Floyd Rose nut and bridge...anyone out there know how to properly set this thing up? It WILL NOT stay tuned and the actual headstock tuners are very slack...I think they have screws in the tops to adjust the tension, but on the bridge end I don't know how to deal with spring tension or the best way to adjust the trimmers...(in the middle??)...I'm way out of my acoustic element here....??

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Larry does is have a locking nut?

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Lance@LuthiersForum.com

John Watkins uses them on his electrics, maybe he will chime in.

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Lance@LuthiersForum.com

Lance,

Yes, it does!

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yep, they won't stay tuned. at least none i have ever worked on will.

is it a true floyd rose or a clone?

the locking nut or locking tuners help, but i don't think any trem bridge holds tune well. it seems to be the nature of the beast!

I disagree. I never met one that wouldn't with a little TLC. My favorite guitar stayed in tune for two weeks after the headstock snapped off.

I'll put together a little step by step for you, Larry, but it'll have to be later today.

John

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John Watkins
CNC Guitar Parts

I have a Floyd Rose and I must say they are the greatest tremolo system I've ever used when they are properly set up. Most people don't understand that even if you change the strings and the tension is different, you will need to adjust it. I assume it's a floating tremolo which means it can pull the notes up or down. You will need to remove the back plate and check some things with the springs inside. If you e-mail me, I can send you a .pdf of the proper way to setup a Floyd Rose. Once you set it up, you need to be very careful with any adjustments as they can cause the tuning issues you describe. Once it's properly adjusted, you can yank as hard as you want all day on that thing and it will stay in perfect tune.

Cheers!

John

[QUOTE=John Watkins] I disagree. I never met one that wouldn't with a little TLC. My favorite guitar stayed in tune for two weeks after the headstock snapped off.

I'll put together a little step by step for you, Larry, but it'll have to be later today.

John
[/QUOTE]

Sweet John! Thanks a million! I'm in the shop working on the herringbone OM today, but will get around to the FRose this evening I hope...

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I know that there is an awesome step by step in one of the dan Erlewine books - either How To Make Your Electric Guitar Play Great book, or the Guitar Player Repair Guide book - I forget which.
Charliewood

Ok, this is super basic. You would probably benefit more from seeking out some other references as well;

tune to pitch (using your normal gauge of strings)

adjust the springs until the bridge sits flat by either a) adding or removing springs, b) moving springs to adjacent holes so that they are on an angle, or c) adjusting the screws that hold the claw.

set the intonation by loosening the screw in the front section of the saddle, sliding the saddle, and tightening it again. This is a long, tedious process, but you have to do it. If you reach the end of travel, there are three holes that the screw can go into. Just move it to the next one.

take out each string retainer one at a time (the little black blocks) and make sure they are pointing in the right direction so that the indent on them lines up with the retaining screw coming in from the rear.

String it back up getting a nice clean-cut string all the way down in there and sticking straight up and down before tightening it in.

Loosen the fine tuning thumbwheels most of the way.

Tune to pitch.

Lock down the nut

Retune using the fine tuners

Yer done. What'd I forget?

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John Watkins
CNC Guitar Parts

Oh yeah, you'll want to set your action before you intonate, and you'll want to adjust your truss rod before you set your action.

Also, make sure that the contact point between the bridge and the posts is nice and clean; no burrs and wear marks.

Also, if you have a nice one (like a Gotoh or a Schaller) there may be locking nuts inside the bridge posts. It's a small hex head within the larger one on the top. Tighten that thing down as well.

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John Watkins
CNC Guitar Parts

I have done a lot of these and use small wooden wedges to aid in setting for the correct float. My method is this: Loosen the locking tabs at the lock nut and then set the bridge fine tuners to midpoint of there travel so you'll have the ability to adjust up or down later. Insert a small wedge between the rear face of the tremelo block and the edge of the body. Adjust the depth of this wedge until the tremelo level with the face of the guitar. Tune to pitch. Make your action and intonation adjustments. With the wedge still in place, slowly tighten the tremelo claw screws until the wedge slips out. The bridge will now be balanced and floating in the correct postion. You should still be fairly close on your tuning and can make minor tuning adjustments without affecting the bridge. If you have a situation where the claw screws are already too tight.., then you would place the wedge in the front face of the trem block (spring side) and repeat the same procedure. I have found that if you don't isolate the tremelo during these adjustments, you will be spending a lot of time going back and forth between tuning and claw adjustment.

Thanks guys! She's done!

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