Screw in floyd screws, vs bushings and machined screws?

SquireJapan

I’m going to add a non-fine tuner floyd to my strat project, am I right in thinking I’m an idiot for considering using the direct mount screws rather than the more modern machine screws and drilling a hole?

Also, is bushings the right word? I dunno!

FelineGuitars

Some say that the screw in versions remove one interface as the screw threads is directly into the wood, but the height adjustment is fairly coarse.

The Schaller and Gotoh bushings both seem pretty close tolerance anyway , so I have no issues using them 

Funkfingers

SquireJapan said:

my strat project

What body wood are you using?

Screwing pivots directly into pine is asking for trouble. Threaded inserts are little better. String tension eventually compresses the soft wood, allowing the pivot screws to lean towards the neck. Intonation MAY be compromised. Eventually, the pivots tear themselves out.

SquireJapan

Thanks - You both make interesting points. 

Body is alder. 

ICBM

I would always use inserts. The only system that works well screwed directly into the wood is a 6-screw bridge.

I’m slightly puzzled as to the point of a non-fine-tuner Floyd though - is the body drilled at all now?

SquireJapan

ICBM said:

I would always use inserts. The only system that works well screwed directly into the wood is a 6-screw bridge.

I’m slightly puzzled as to the point of a non-fine-tuner Floyd though - is the body drilled at all now?

Thanks - Body is currently drilled for six-screw bridge. I have the non-fine tuner on another guitar and like it (locking tuners).

uksaint7

I purchased a pair of Floyd Rose bridge mounting posts and inserts that are for their Original trem for my non-fine tuner and they are perfect. Another essential upgrade is the Floyd Rose push-in arm. Is a great bridge, I think Floyd Rose supplying them with the two wood screws to mount is just them being cheap.

SquireJapan

Thanks all - re-looking at the screws supplied, they're actually a bit "low grade" ... I think I do have set of standard inserts and machine screws so I'll get them drilled etc and stop messing about

It will be Feline doing the work at some point soon, just waiting for a new floyd block to arrive. I'm also wanting to route out the poor thing for H-S-H (the S is already there, obviously ...)

Should be fun.

axisus

Logically I would say good quality threaded inserts for the win.

andy_k

I like the screws into a northern ash ( heavy baseball bat type ) body, but the ones in my old 80's Squier Japan alder body have moved, they are now leaning against the 3mm stainless steel pickguard I made as a SMW apprentice, still sounds ok though.
I have the bushes in an alder Kramer 1984, and I had to glue them in with epoxy, wood is wood, it varies, but I think the screws work very well when installed correctly and not adjusted a lot.
Same principle applies with the ABR screws in a vintage spec LP, more direct contact, less moving parts.