Guide: Floyd Roses, tuning and setup.

[Aus_rock_god]

This is a guide to setting up a guitar with a Floyd Rose, and how to tune it.

The number one skill you're going to need is PATIENCE. It can take up to 15 minutes to tune a Floyd Rose when you change the strings, over an hour to set the bridge up if you change gauges, and half a day if your intonation is f*cked.

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Changing strings

Tools: - An Allen Key
- Side cutters/wire cutters (not scissors)
- A tuner

Note: if you break a string on a Floyd Rose, you're better off replacing the whole set rather than risking breaking another string at a show, especially if it's your only guitar.

1. Using the Allen key, loosen the locking nut, and detune each string until it is flappy (so you don't take an eye out when you remove it).

2. Loosen the Allen screws on the back of the bridge. These anchor the strings to the bridge, and are usually located just in front of the "fine tuning" knobs. They are sometimes located on top of the bridge.

On some models, the string is inserted into the back of the bridge.

The best way to check which design you have is to try to push the string through the bridge (if it goes through, you don't have to loosen anything).

From this point on, I'm going to assume you have the locking design bridge.

3. Using the side cutters, cut the balls off the end of each new string, being sure to leave a little bit of the wind there. This gives the string something to catch itself on when you put it into the bridge, and reduces the chance of the string slipping out.

4. Insert the cut end of the string into the bridge, and tighten the screw. Make sure it's fairly tight, especially if you want the string to stay in tune.

5. Insert the other end of the string into the tuning peg, and pull it through. The string should bow to about 15 cm from the body of the guitar.

Hold the string with your right hand, and gently pull it as you twist the tuning head. The string should wind towards the center of the headstock.

Tighten the string until it's reasonably tight (don't bother tuning it yet), and repeat steps 4 and 5 for the rest of the strings.

6. Once you've got all the strings on, tune the guitar (don't lock it yet) and stretch the strings.

There's the real way to do this, and the cheat way (both work just as good).

The real way involves grabbing each string with your right hand, and tugging it away from body of the guitar, tuning it again, and repeating until the string no longer goes out of tune.

The cheat way involves taking advantage of the Floyd Rose and using the whammy bar to pull back on the strings, then retuning the guitar and repeating until it no longer drops out.

7. Trim any excess string away from the tuning pegs, and you're done!

Tuning

Tools: - An Allen Key
- A tuner

Note: It is neigh on impossible to tune a Floyd Rose by ear (unless you're pitch perfect). Because the bridge 'floats' and can be rocked back and forth, the tuning of each string is determined by the tuning of the other string. Each time the tension of a string changes, so does the tension on the springs in the bridge. This means each time you tune a string, you knock the others out.

1. Loosen the locking nut, and move each "fine tuning" knob in or out until they're all lined up in the middle.

2. De-tune each string a bit (it's easier to tune up then down).

3. Tune each string in this order: Bottom E, top E, A, B, D, G then back again; G, D, B, A, top E, bottom E.

Doing it this way assures that you counter balance each string that you tune.

On your first run, you might like to tune the E strings, and the A and B strings a little sharper than usual to compensate for bridge movement.

Repeat up and down until each string is in tune.

4. Lock the locking nut. Do the screws up real tight (from experience, don't be afraid to stuff your allen key; they cost 50c from the hardware store, a gig can cost you more).

5. Repeat step 3, except this time, tune with the "fine tuning". You'll notice each string is now a little bit sharp from you locking the nut.

6. Play your guitar.


I'll post a guide to how to set your intonation up, and change the tension on your bridge tomorrow.

Horns up

~Jase~

[Aus_rock_god]

Changing string gauges

Tools: - Allen Key
- Screwdriver
- Decent ruler (a Toledo is best)

Note: I'm making the assumption that you haven't changed your sting gauge since you got it from the shop, so your guitar should be setup right. Check if your intonation is set correctly first (check an open note with the tuner, and then fret the same string on the 12th fret, they should be the same note). If not, don't panic, just read on.

1. Use your ruler and note the height between the body of the guitar and back of the bridge. If your guitar hasn't been re-set since you got it, your intonation should be spot on. Taking note of how the bridge is sitting means you won't have to stuff around trying to get the intonation right again.

2. Change the strings as indicated in the post above. Your bridge will now be sitting funny (either high or low, depending if you moved up or down a gauge). This is normal. It is because the way a floyd rose works is that the springs counterbalance the tension of the springs, so you can whammy up or down.

3. Open up the center plate on the back of the guitar, and you'll see some springs. The springs are anchored to a plate with two screws.

If your bridge is now sitting high, you will need to tighten these screws. If it's low, you'll have to loosen them.

4. The easiest way to tighten the screws is to sit your guitar face down on your lap, with the whammy bar facing backwards (so when you press it, you're moving the bridge back). This way, the springs are loose, and you'll find it easier to tighten the screws.

De tune your guitar.

Take note of how many turns you tighten each screw, and try to keep them as even as possible. If they aren't even, you'll find that one end of the bridge will sit higher than the other.

Make your first attempt a complete guess, tune the guitar and then take note as to how high the bridge is using your ruler.

5. Repeat step 4 until the bridge is the same height as it was originally (you want to be SPOT ON), check the intonation, and if you're happy, play the frigging thing.

Tomorrow, I'll post how to fix your intonation.