Question - How do you completely block a Floyd Rose

[sixwasnine]

So, I have a Hamer Chapparell with a Floyd from back in the eighties, and it's been sitting in storage for almost ten years because I always hated the Floyd. Too much work with tuning, restringing, can't tune down, etc. Plus my playing style totally moved away from doing the stuff with the bar. I am thinking it would be nice to completely block it (I don't have the skills nor inclination to do major work on the guitar). I saw a few suggestions online for blocking it with pieces of wood until it is immobile, which seems so foolishly easy that it might actually work(???). Any thoughts? Keep in mind that, again, I don't really want to do surgery on the guitar, and also, that I really don't care if the bar cannot be used at all; for me, the more it could be like a hardtail, the better. Plus, I am looking forward to jamming with some friends who tune down a half step, so being able to do that and go back with ease is a big consideration.

Thanks for any suggestions.

Steven

 

[Guitarzan]

is it routed under the trem for fully floating or does it sit on the body?

[Caevan O’Shite]

Short answer: from the back/underside of the guitar, carefully place wooden wedges both in front of and behind the tail-block (the metal part under the bridge that the springs connect to), gradually tapped into place so that the trem is not pushed or pulled up or down but remains in its neutral/in-tune position, and will hold it in place.

 

Be absolutely sure that the guitar is correctly set-up as far as intonation, action, and being tuned to the pitch you want before blocking it.

[sixwasnine]

I'm quite certain it is fully floating, although to be honest, it really has been sitting in storage for years and I haven't had a look at it in that long.

 

Caevan - sounds simple enough, and certainly worth a try, but will this allow me to tune down if I want? That could be important to me. Or will it still be subject to needing to have a balance between the string and spring tensions?

I suppose the problem is, it's a really nice guitar that sounds good and has a great, great feeling neck, but the trem just doesn't do it for me anymore. Plus, I suppose I have a bit too much of an emotional attachment (silly, I know) to sell it if I don't have to.

Anyway, thanks for the advice and help, and I'll let you know if I give it a shot.

Steven

[Jasco]

I don't really want to do surgery on the guitar, and also, that I really don't care if the bar cannot be used at all; for me, the more it could be like a hardtail, the better.

 

Why not sell the guitar and buy some kind of hardtail guitar?

 

 

[02R96]

What about one of these?

 

http://www.tremol-no.com/products.asp

[Caevan O’Shite]

Caevan - sounds simple enough, and certainly worth a try, but will this allow me to tune down if I want? That could be important to me.

 

Yhup; immobilize it- solidly- and the springs are effectively taken out of the equation. The ready-made devices like the one that 02R96 posted above will also do the same for you; and some of those, maybe all, adjust the trem into place with the turn of a wrench or screwdriver.

 

The trick is to block it in or lock it in place without nudging the trem sharp or flat. If sharp, the action will have been lowered, at least slightly; and if flat, the action will have been raised, at least a little. And if so, the intonation will be a bit off from where it was. You want it to be blocked 'n' locked into the neutral/zero position, the "Goldilocks Zone"- "juuust right!"

 

Even being careful, you may have to recheck and readjust the intonation.

 

All that being said, it really isn't all that difficult at all- it just has to be done right, and you need to know what "right" is.

[Griffinator]

I was planning on having just such a surgery done on my Epi Prophecy. My local luthier talked me out of it, and instead installed a couple extra heavy springs to support the stock ones (basically going from two crappy springs to four heavy ones).

 

I can detune at will, yet still have the freedom to work the hell out of the whammy (a must if you're, for example, covering anything Vernon Reid played on). I might have to do a minor tweak of the tuning when moving in and out of dropped D, but overall it was a very satisfactory mod compared to the block-off solution.

[Caevan O’Shite]

I was planning on having just such a surgery done on my Epi Prophecy. My local luthier talked me out of it, and instead installed a couple extra heavy springs to support the stock ones (basically going from two crappy springs to four heavy ones).

 

I can detune at will, yet still have the freedom to work the hell out of the whammy (a must if you're, for example, covering anything Vernon Reid played on). I might have to do a minor tweak of the tuning when moving in and out of dropped D, but overall it was a very satisfactory mod compared to the block-off solution.

 

Griff, besides the additional and heavier springs, in your case the trem isn't floating, but flat-mounted, right?

[Griffinator]

No, it's a Floyd, it floats.

[Caevan O’Shite]

No, it's a Floyd, it floats.

 

Oh, OK, just noted where you said that you "might have to do a minor tweak of the tuning when moving in and out of dropped D"; so, it does move a little if any strings are tuned differently, and probably wouldn't do well for downtuning all of the strings without the trem pulling back too much.

[Griffinator]

Quite the contrary, the big beefy springs handle going between Eb and E standard quite well - it's the unbalanced tuning that tends to throw it off a touch.

[harvey]

Short answer: from the back/underside of the guitar, carefully place wooden wedges both in front of and behind the tail-block (the metal part under the bridge that the springs connect to), gradually tapped into place so that the trem is not pushed or pulled up or down but remains in its neutral/in-tune position, and will hold it in place.

 

Be absolutely sure that the guitar is correctly set-up as far as intonation, action, and being tuned to the pitch you want before blocking it.

 

i did this very thing on an ibanez RG and it worked out great (although i still hated the shred-o-riffic neck!).

 

BTW my frankenstrat has a block behind the standard trem block (like a clapton strat)and it greatly improved the feel of the guitar. everything felt more together...

[Dave Wellman]

The company ALLPARTS makes a device that attaches inside the spring-cavity, and totally disables any Floyd Rose or Licensed Floyd Rose. This is a better method of dis-arming the bridge than using wood-blocks, as it still allows you to raise & lower the bridge with the two "post" screws. It costs around $70.00?? (I think), but can easily be removed without damaging the guitar, if anyone ever wants to use it again. Wood-blocking also can obstruct the "fine-tuners" in some bridges.

[Dave Wellman]

I am a professional "luthier", and have done many of these.. The ALLPARTS "tremol-no" unit works well, but you can also do a low-budget conversion as follows: Drill and tap a #10-32 hole in the trem. block just above the springs. Insert a 1" 10-32 allen- screw into this hole, pointed toward the neck. Install a small metal 90-degree piece where the screw hits the wood, and put in five springs. Tighten the springs so that the bridge and new screw are pulled securely against the metal piece installed just above the springs. This arrangement can also be used and adjusted so that the bridge ONLY goes-down in pitch, but NOT "up", by using three springs.

[Caevan O’Shite]

Hey, welcome to the GPF, Dave Wellman!