I love a Floyd rose and my charvel by I don't gig with it because if I broke a string I'd immediately have to stop and the momentum of the gig would be ruined whilst I changed strings and retuned- unless I took a 2nd guitar with me to every single gig which I do not want to do.
So i gig with hardtail because of that string break retuning risk and my refusal to add another guitar to my massive load of stuff already.
I tried a tremolno but didn't like it.
So what does everyone else do who uses a Floyd rose guitar for gigging? Always take 2 guitars?
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"Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski
"Only two things are infinite - the universe, and human stupidity. And I'm not sure about the universe." - Albert Einstein
I also had strings break on both the main guitar and the spare within 3 songs of each other once. Luckily one of the guitars had regular "through hole, wrap around" tuners so I managed to restring during an extended intro and verse like a hero (sadly only about 5 people bore witness to it!).
Makes me look carefully at what guitars I take out now, though. My main has vintage style Fender tuners that need you to cut the strings to size so I make sure whichever spare I take DOESN'T have those so I can quickly change on the fly if I end up with a double break again.
If you use one like that, cut the spare strings to the right length beforehand.
"Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski
"Only two things are infinite - the universe, and human stupidity. And I'm not sure about the universe." - Albert Einstein
It's incredibly light and takes up very little room so it seems daft not to.
For this reason, I want my gigging guitar to be as simple as possible, less things to worry about.
I always carry a spare guitar, changing a string and tuning up while everyone waits is selfish IMO.
I used to carry a backup amp, and had to use it once when my main one ( digital Marshall) had a brain fart during some patch changes, I switched over to my back up Katana and got through the gig, just about.
I carry a few spare leads, but don't bother with strings and just make sure that both guitars have fairly new ones, if I have a breakage I swap, and if the second one has a breakage I will have to get through with 5 strings, but both are hardtail tele styles so I'd get by.
I used to gig with a Floyd, and relied on a back up for any emergencies, but wouldn't be doing it now unless I had a few in reserve.
Even the best floating trem will not be able to stay in tune for a full set, at gig levels of energy, the pro's are usually seen swapping instruments every song, while the tech retunes the main guitar, which is just to be able to play in tune - not in the case of a breakiage.
I try to be pro about it, even if my bandmates don't, if the gig falls apart it won't be my fault.
If it did happen often enough to be a significant risk, I’d bring a second guitar regardless of fixed or floating bridge. Ultimately, I wouldn’t be continuing past the end of the song with only five strings, it would need to be fixed. And sitting there restringing and retuning would be, as you say, a momentum killer.
Having said that, Clapton seems to have done it often enough in his formative years to get a nickname out of it.
https://www.whereseric.com/the-vault/biographical-information-eric-clapton/how-did-eric-clapton-get-his-nickname-slowhand
Its unprofessional to not do so.
I’m so bored I might as well be listening to Pink Floyd
One of the reasons I use a Rickenbacker bass is because with its stereo wiring, it has two pickups, two sets of controls and even two jacks - I can always get a sound out of it even if something breaks. I also take a spare machinehead. (Really! One which can be used on either side.) Ok, if something went badly wrong it might take me a few minutes to fix it, but it could be done, unless it’s something so unlikely that I’ve never seen it as a repairer.
The alternative is to carry two of literally everything, which often isn’t practical - it makes transport more difficult, and it also increases the amount of gear on stage, actually increases the risk of breakage, and especially theft… and at the end of the day just makes the whole process significantly less enjoyable, which would take away a big part of the reason why I want to play gigs in the first place.
So on the original question - yes, I gig with guitars with floating trems, but not without some means of un-floating them. The ones I used last had Trem-Setters fitted, and got me through string breaks a couple of times. Before that, I always set Strat-type bridges up for down-bends only, or it was a Jaguar with the little lock button, which also works fine. The bigger problem is working out how to play the rest of your solo with one string missing… although I did once change the broken one between the two solos in Hey Joe (just under a minute I think!) which got me one of the best audience responses ever .
"Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski
"Only two things are infinite - the universe, and human stupidity. And I'm not sure about the universe." - Albert Einstein
You used to be able to by floyd rose strings ( ie pre chopped ) so if it was me I’d have a set of them in my bag , and then have the Allen keys mounted on a holder in the back of the headstock . I once dropped my alen keys onstage while tuning seconds before starting and manically trying to find them the pitch black floor. Don’t do that!
is it crazy how saying sentences backwards creates backwards sentences saying how crazy it is?
Ironically though in the most important band I play in, where 3 to 500 people have paid £22 a ticket I play one guitar in concert and one a semi down so technically I really need 2 spare guitars meaning taking 4. But these gigs are all over the country and there isn't room in the splitter van so I just take the 2 and just transpose the semitone either way depending on what ones out of action.
I've broken one string in the last 10 years - it was a festival. All I did was calmly reach onto the top of my amp where I had a pack of strings, select the correct one and fit it - it took less than a minute on a Les Paul from break to playing. And the band played on...
As for the OP's original question - thats why I wouldn't own a Floyd Rose equipped guitar but unless you play like a complete meat head, with ancient strings and heavy gauge metal picks the chances of breaking strings are slim.
Second rule - only take what you really need - I learnt that lesson pretty quickly - to be honest I could ditch even more weight but our bass player likes 'effects' so I keep him happy...otherwise I'd just do a Keef...
I have a dual guitar Gator gig bag - sure it's a hassle with the weight but there's no way I'm restringing in the middle of a gig - and certainly no way whatsoever with a piggin' Floyd. (if you have another guitarist or keyboardist then possibly you could get away with it).
If you HAVE to gig with only one guitar ? Well..that's why God invented Telecasters...
I’m trying to think of people I’ve seen who are heavy trem users. I remember Colin James who was doing a full on SRV/ Hendrix thing and he swapped his two strats over inbetween every song, had his roadie retune the one he had just abused. So spare guitar and a roadie…
And just for reference: