Blocking a Floyd Rose? Disadvantages?

Crazyblue1779

I’m hugely impressed by the LTD MH-50 I recent bought, especially in terms of how it plays.

 I’ve not really had a ‘superstrat’ before and now I’m contemplating another one for a more standard tuning (the LTD has been set up for Drop A!). 

I never use a trem and prefer hardtail guitars ( which my current LTD is). If (when!) I do get something (think Jackson, LTD, etc) else ill be shopping used and with the type of guitars I’m looking at there’s a lot that are equipped with Floyds which would otherwise be ideal. 

It’ll be a lot easier to include the option of a trem equipped guitar rather than just looking at hardtails. 

So in terms of blocking a Floyd Rose, apart from the initial hassle, if the tuning and string gauge is kept the same for the duration, is there any major disadvantage to doing this?

ICBM

Not really. Just that it’s much more of a faff to restring. If you’re never going to use the trem it seems a bit pointless though - there are still plenty of hardtail models.

Given the quality of your LTD I’d be much more inclined to think about possibly upgrading the pickups and maybe the electrics than buying a new guitar...

Crazyblue1779

ICBM said:

Not really. Just that it’s much more of a faff to restring. If you’re never going to use the trem it seems a bit pointless though - there are still plenty of hardtail models.

Given the quality of your LTD I’d be much more inclined to think about possibly upgrading the pickups and maybe the electrics than buying a new guitar...

Upgrades for the LTD are certainly on the cards! 

But it was bought to drop tune. It’s just that I can’t get over how much I like the feel of the neck (especially compared to my strat), so I really would like something similar to keep up to a standard tuning  (E or possibly D). 

I don’t know if it’s the thickness or the radius (or both) but as daft as it sounds, my fingers just seem to know where to go more easily on the LTD. I’ve never really paid much attention to radius etc when buying a guitar before but this has been a bit of an eye opener.

ICBM

Just get another one to keep in standard . It doesn’t have to be the same colour .

Bidley

If you're keeping the string gauge and tuning the same, surely you don't need to block the trem?

Crazyblue1779

Bidley said:

If you're keeping the string gauge and tuning the same, surely you don't need to block the trem?

I’d not thought of that to be fair. I’ve always blocked any trem on a guitar I’ve ever had. 

Are Floyds not notorious for being a hassle though?

 Or is it’s purely the set up/ restring process that’s a pain?

ICBM

Crazyblue1779 said:

Are Floyds not notorious for being a hassle though?

 Or is it’s purely the set up/ restring process that’s a pain?

Purely that - at least if it's a proper-quality Floyd, some cheap ones aren't as good. Once set up correctly, locked and tuned they're more stable than any other system, including all non-locking hardtails.

Bidley

Floyds are only a pain if you have a really cheap and nasty one and/or don't know what you're doing.

Crazyblue1779

Bidley said:

Floyds are only a pain if you have a really cheap and nasty one and/or don't know what you're doing.

Hmm. Well I’d be getting someone to do the initial set up, but I’m not looking for an expensive guitar (sub £200 used) so if I do end up with a Floyd equipped one it might not be the highest end trem!

Crazyblue1779

ICBM said:

Crazyblue1779 said:

Are Floyds not notorious for being a hassle though?

 Or is it’s purely the set up/ restring process that’s a pain?

Purely that - at least if it's a proper-quality Floyd, some cheap ones aren't as good. Once set up correctly, locked and tuned they're more stable than any other system, including all non-locking hardtails.

The tuning stability is actually something very appealing. Maybe I’ve been wrong about them!

Strangefan

The only time they're a pain is when you break a string like as the whole thing goes out of tune. 

Bidley

Crazyblue1779 said:

ICBM said:

Crazyblue1779 said:

Are Floyds not notorious for being a hassle though?

 Or is it’s purely the set up/ restring process that’s a pain?

Purely that - at least if it's a proper-quality Floyd, some cheap ones aren't as good. Once set up correctly, locked and tuned they're more stable than any other system, including all non-locking hardtails.

The tuning stability is actually something very appealing. Maybe I’ve been wrong about them!

Many usually are.

The only real dogshit Floyd I've had was the single-locking one on my 20 year old Ibanez RG220B. Swapped it for a licensed double-locking version and it's been fine ever since. I think the floyds on any recent (as in last 15 years) Jackson/Ibanez/LTD guitar will be perfectly fine, especially if you're not doing 5 dive-bombs per bar.

Funkfingers

Bidley said:

Floyds are only a pain if you have a really cheap and nasty one ... 

The LTD MH-50 leaves the factory with a Floyd Rose Special. (Now renamed FR 2000 or some such.) For my liking, rather too much of it is made from zinc. The critical areas are the sustain block and the pivot knife edges on the baseplate. The former can have a negative effect on tone. The latter are prone to premature wear.

Bidley said:

... and/or don't know what you're doing.

This!

The bain of budget FR vibratos is attempted adjustments by ill-informed users. All too often, the pivot post height is adjusted while the strings are under full tension. The pivot area gets damaged and return to zero becomes hit and miss. Guitar shop repairers will be familiar with stories about the owner's mate took at look at it for him.

ICBM said:
Once set up correctly, locked and tuned, they're more stable than any other system, including all non-locking hardtails.

This is what I do with the Sterling-badged FR Special on my AX40. It rests on the top of the guitar à la EVH. Eminently stable. 

Meanwhile, I have a highly modified FR Special on an unfinished Bitsacaster project. It will be interesting to compare the two.

Crazyblue1779 said:

I don’t know if it’s the thickness or the radius (or both) but as daft as it sounds, my fingers just seem to know where to go more easily on the LTD. I’ve never really paid much attention to radius etc when buying a guitar before but this has been a bit of an eye opener.

The majority of FR vibratos are built to work with a 12" fretboard radius. On versions with an entirely flat baseplate, it should be possible to achieve other radii by choosing saddles of the appropriate preset heights.

If you do not like faffing about with allen keys and string locking blocks, it is possible to convert the vibrato to single locking. The strings retain their ball ends and are threaded up a tube where the string block locking screw normally goes. The fine tuner wheels still function in the usual manner. I'm not sure who still makes these saddles nowadays. Everything on eBay seems to be cast zinc Chinese knock-offs.

Jim-Bob

I found that blocking a trem was a simple and reversible mod even on a Floyd.  

I did it on my USA Charvel back when I played in a regularly gigging classic/hard(…ish) rock covers band.  The sound was always good.  

When it came time to trade it in I know the shop reversed the mod when they sold it.  I had it blocked with a hard wood block.  I have heard of others who use metal coins and I don’t doubt that some may be capable of perceiving a sound difference based on how you block it.

Thing is I chopped in that otherwise ace Charvel years ago in “because of the Floyd” and the problems I had with tuning it when I was trying to sing and play. So yes, I definitely found it a faff and for me it got in the way of putting on a show.  I really didn’t like the locking nut and what it did.

It’s long gone now but on reflection that was possibly more an issue of heavy handed over-correcting of tuning at hot humid gigs after cold journeys and then the rush of doing the gig - you can probably file it all under 1. “user error!” and 2. “needed an excuse to buy a new guitar”. 

I doubt I’d buy a Floyd guitar again (even the rather cool Jack Butler thing!) but that’s about how I get on with them.  

If cash is limited then I think you had good suggestions from those who said hang on till you can get what you want. 

hollywoodrox

If someone else is setting it up for you, pay a bit extra and get them to put a couple of pieces of mahogany in to block the trem . 

I have mine blocked for dive only and it stays in tune great as it’s locked at the bridge and the nut.  The guy out of slipknot ,mick Thompson is it? Has a hardtail with locking bridge .

once strings are bent in they should stay solidly in tune

skullfunkerry

hollywoodrox said:

If someone else is setting it up for you, pay a bit extra and get them to put a couple of pieces of mahogany in to block the trem . 

I have mine blocked for dive only and it stays in tune great as it’s locked at the bridge and the nut.  The guy out of slipknot ,mick Thompson is it? Has a hardtail with locking bridge .

once strings are bent in they should stay solidly in tune

Yep, the Mick Thompson Soloist looks like it has a Floyd but it's a double locking fixed bridge with fine tuners. I think that's a great idea, personally!