The Floyd Rose bridge and tremolo setup, also known as the Locking Tremolo, is a system used on some guitars (especially 80’s metal-era guitars) with a lock on the nut. This holds the strings in place so that if pressure is applied, the tuning heads wont slip. The “floating bridge,” which is the easiest give away for spotting a locking tremolo, is just what you would think it is. The bridge “floats” above a cut in the body and can be wiggled using the whammy.
This all sounds great… except for the fact that its a huge pain in the ass! Not only will the Floyd Rose tremolo throw your guitar out of tune all of the time, but it’s also very easy to break strings with the Floyd Rose installed. For the most part, you can get the same effects of a Floyd Rose using a few effect pedals. Not to mention how long it takes to change the strings on a locking tremolo guitar (hint: call in sick to work).
I highly recommend that you avoid any guitars that utilize the Floyd Rose get up. The only reasons to go for one is if A) You love dive-bombs or B) You collect guitars. If you don’t fall into either of these categories, the locking tremolo is only going to cause you more trouble.
There are my 2 cents. What do you think about the Floyd Rose?
I actually disagree, I used to own an Ibanez RG550 with a licensed floyd rose (lo-pro edge I think) and it never went out of tune even when I was doing some ridiculous whammy gymnastics. I rarely broke strings as long as I changed them regularly and it felt very comfortable to me. On my current guitar I have a Wilkinson floating trem with locking tuners instead of a locking nut and it is nowhere near as stable, I’m constantly tuning the damn thing!
Same for me. There’s no way it’s going out of tune fast, and although I do break lots of strings, never on that guitar (which is a japanese strat, not really with the looks of a heavy metal band).
Your right about the string changing though.
And it’s funnny when you lend it out and your friend tries to retune it on the headstock tuners (HINT: they don’t change the string tension as long as the nut is locked; the finetuners on the bridge change the tuning).
Personally I’ll always stick with a stop bar tail. Tremolo systems are ok but unless your into the whole shred thing I think they are unnecessary and can be like you say a “pain in the ass”.
If you listen to most of the best guitar solos you’ll actually hear very little tremolo work.
Ya like everyone else said, unless you are into shredding its’ not worth the trouble. Although if you have a few guitars it wouldn’t hurt to have one with a floyd rose in your arsenal.
And lending guitars to your friends?! hah I would never!
I disagree. While there are obviously flawed Floyds that might not can hold tune, Floyds have far better tuning stability than fixed bridge guitars. That’s why i think they’re worth the trouble. I’d rather spend an hour working on a floyd and have it stay in tune for a week-2 weeks (or more) than have to check my tuner pedal every 5-10 minutes on a stop tail.