Impact of a Floyd Rose trem in the sound of a strat

[fechart]

Hey guys,

Got a question specifically for those who have installed a Floyd Rose style trem in a strat: how would you describe the before / after in terms of sound? How about the attack, spank, quack, etc.?

For a bit of context, I'm not a die hard strat player forever, which means I love strats but of course, if I'm posting this, I'm not after a vintage super true strat sound and feel! lol. I'm asking because I have an HSS strat that I love (with a modern 2 point trem) but as a huge Floyd fan and user, I'd love to go full superstrat. My guitar is a 2016 American Deluxe that I modded; it has CS Fat 50s, and a Duncan JB in the bridge. Sounds amazing, and it gives me the best of both worlds (at least for the styles I play).

I know there are fantastic superstrats with Floyds available outtthere (Suhr, Charvel, Fender, etc.), but I'd like to know specifically your thoughts if you have done this mod on your lovely strat

Thanks!

Strat 1

 

[Rod]

My experience with Floyd Rose terms that I had installed in the 80’s on a Hamer Phantom that came stock with a regular trem...and a Strat.... before Floyd.. nice balanced tones, good bottom end . Warm highs...
With Floyd.. no bass, stingy high end, less mids.. and forget about double stop bends and if you whack the guitar live, it would shudder...... big mistake...and tuning and string changes took 3x as long.......lesson learned.. I use Bigsbys on a few of my Airlines these days with no tone loss,,, vibramute for really easy string changes and a high roller and a soft spring .. great in tune stability.... easier to control....

CEF9695B-3245-4B5F-AA5C-E47414FFAA2C

• Rod
• Feb 5, 2020

 

[mnemonic]

That’s a nice looking strat.

I put a Schaller Lockmeister (same as floyd rose) on my ‘06 American deluxe strat. The stock two-point was fine, but it just never seemed that stable (I’m pretty picky about tuning stability), it wasn’t comfy (square saddles), and the intonation range was pretty narrow.

One day I got pissed off with it so I just ordered the lockmeister.

it was a couple days between playing it for the last time with the stock two-point, and playing it with the Floyd, since it took me some time to disassemble, measure and drill the stud mounts, route the nut, etc. I also didn’t do any recording comparisons. But my first thought upon playing the guitar though the amp was that the low end was a bit deeper, and ‘piano-like’ in the sound of the notes as they sustained. That was the main difference I noticed, not a night-and-day thing, it still sounds like the same guitar.

The baseplate/saddles of the floyd are a lot larger, and the block is brass, compared the generally smaller bridge and steel block of the two-point. Also I shimmed the neck since the floyd sits higher than the original two-point.

it’s also incredibly stable now, I love it. I will take longer string changes in exchange for the guitar just being in tune more often, and not going out while playing.

(Pay no mind to the mismatched pickup covers, just what I had on hand when I recently swapped the pickups but mistakenly assumed the new set would come with covers)

 

[Oinkus]

If you do it correctly and learn how to use it properly there most likely won't be a huge difference in the sound. I went from Kahler Spyder to a Floyd on my HM Strat and it was a good decision. All in a good setup , my guitars with Floyds are very stable and sound wonderful. Compensate for a bigger block in the cavity if you plan on that too much easier to do before you install it.

 

[Matt L]

I’ve done it....some guitars will sound different, some won’t. You cannot say definitively it will harm or help tone, because it is variable and subjective. Also, a Bigsby is hardly an alternative for a Floyd Rose, but I digress...

 

[Gig Young]

Hey guys,

Got a question specifically for those who have installed a Floyd Rose style trem in a strat: how would you describe the before / after in terms of sound? How about the attack, spank, quack, etc.?

For a bit of context, I'm not a die hard strat player forever, which means I love strats but of course, if I'm posting this, I'm not after a vintage super true strat sound and feel! lol. I'm asking because I have an HSS strat that I love (with a modern 2 point trem) but as a huge Floyd fan and user, I'd love to go full superstrat. My guitar is a 2016 American Deluxe that I modded; it has CS Fat 50s, and a Duncan JB in the bridge. Sounds amazing, and it gives me the best of both worlds (at least for the styles I play).

I know there are fantastic superstrats with Floyds available outtthere (Suhr, Charvel, Fender, etc.), but I'd like to know specifically your thoughts if you have done this mod on your lovely strat

Thanks!

Strat 1

your Strat!

 

[pfrischmann]

To me, the big difference is if your trem is flush with the body or floating.

 

[vds5000]

Hey guys,

Got a question specifically for those who have installed a Floyd Rose style trem in a strat: how would you describe the before / after in terms of sound? How about the attack, spank, quack, etc.?

For a bit of context, I'm not a die hard strat player forever, which means I love strats but of course, if I'm posting this, I'm not after a vintage super true strat sound and feel! lol. I'm asking because I have an HSS strat that I love (with a modern 2 point trem) but as a huge Floyd fan and user, I'd love to go full superstrat. My guitar is a 2016 American Deluxe that I modded; it has CS Fat 50s, and a Duncan JB in the bridge. Sounds amazing, and it gives me the best of both worlds (at least for the styles I play).

I know there are fantastic superstrats with Floyds available outtthere (Suhr, Charvel, Fender, etc.), but I'd like to know specifically your thoughts if you have done this mod on your lovely strat

Thanks!

Strat 1

What is it about a Floyd you like - the extra mass, the feel, the tuning stability, the extended range of dive bombs? Answering this question will help determine your next course of action.

You may want to consider buying a Fender Strat that came stock with a Floyd before hacking up your current Strat. Then sell the one you like least.

Another option is try to find the 'Fender Deluxe Locking Bridge' that Fender started using on their Strat Plus Deluxe and Strat Ultra models back in the mid-90s. They were direct drop in replacements for the trem you currently have, except with different saddles where you would actually cut the ball ends of the strings. These were designed by Floyd Rose and were a decent compromise between your trem and an original Floyd.

https://picclick.com/Fender-Strat-Plus-Ultra-Floyd-Rose-Deluxe-Locking-132961872450.html

 

[guitarchitect]

(Pay no mind to the mismatched pickup covers, just what I had on hand when I recently swapped the pickups but mistakenly assumed the new set would come with covers)

It actually looks really cool that way!

 

[jlcogar]

I’d done this, original Floyd rose with brass block. my experience was similar to the post above with the lefty. Subtle decrease in mid and a bit fatter bottom. Most everyone likes a fatter bottom. Sustained better, that was a surprise

 

[Matt L]

Here’s one of the ones I swapped a Floyd onto-

I think I tried three different trems on that guitar, and several pickups. It was a bit of a guinea pig for parts. I recall the Floyd having great sustain in that one. It was an older non-fine tuner model, which are very solid units.

 

[fechart]

That’s a nice looking strat.

I put a Schaller Lockmeister (same as floyd rose) on my ‘06 American deluxe strat. The stock two-point was fine, but it just never seemed that stable (I’m pretty picky about tuning stability), it wasn’t comfy (square saddles), and the intonation range was pretty narrow.

One day I got pissed off with it so I just ordered the lockmeister.

it was a couple days between playing it for the last time with the stock two-point, and playing it with the Floyd, since it took me some time to disassemble, measure and drill the stud mounts, route the nut, etc. I also didn’t do any recording comparisons. But my first thought upon playing the guitar though the amp was that the low end was a bit deeper, and ‘piano-like’ in the sound of the notes as they sustained. That was the main difference I noticed, not a night-and-day thing, it still sounds like the same guitar.

The baseplate/saddles of the floyd are a lot larger, and the block is brass, compared the generally smaller bridge and steel block of the two-point. Also I shimmed the neck since the floyd sits higher than the original two-point.

it’s also incredibly stable now, I love it. I will take longer string changes in exchange for the guitar just being in tune more often, and not going out while playing.

(Pay no mind to the mismatched pickup covers, just what I had on hand when I recently swapped the pickups but mistakenly assumed the new set would come with covers)

Damn, I love your guitar! Funny, I also tried mismatched covers on mine, but yours looks definetly much better!

Thanks for the input, your observations about the tone before and after are interesting. There's a lot of sensitivity when it comes to this topic, many Floyd haters and true strat conservatives ha. What I'm a bit worried about, is loosing the open and sparkly aspect of the tone, because I'd like the singles to remain sounding true to the strat sound, or at least the most possible, even when I also like the HSS hotrodded thing, with hot single coils and stuff. But on this guitar, I like having the "true strat" sound on positions 3, 4 and 5.

More bass is definitely something I wouldn't want to get, dunno why, this strat has much more low end than any other strat I've tried, even with the same fat 50s. Thanls again!

 

[fechart]

your Strat!

Thanks bro!

 

[redgold]

Wilkinson now makes a bridge with locking saddles.

 

[fechart]

To me, the big difference is if your trem is flush with the body or floating.

Interesting, I was thinking of recessed, because I wouldn't like to shim the neck, but on the other side, I prefer Floyds set up for dive bomb only. If I do this, that will be a tough decision to make.

BTW I know you can go floating or dive bomb only when not recessed. I'd like your opinion /experience on this!

 

[Oinkus]

I am 100% in the recessed group. I just don't like a decked Floyd at all and I have zero problems with anything because I learned how to install/setup/work it properly. Only real problem that presents is you can't use a D Tuna if you float the bridge which is kind of annoying. Bought one been in the box for 10 years now. I have a third guitar with a Floyd that requires routing and not thrilled or that worked up to do it anytime soon mostly because it is in pieces not being played. Easiest path would be to get a used Strat that has one already installed.

 

[pfrischmann]

Interesting, I was thinking of recessed, because I wouldn't like to shim the neck, but on the other side, I prefer Floyds set up for dive bomb only. If I do this, that will be a tough decision to make.

BTW I know you can go floating or dive bomb only when not recessed. I'd like your opinion /experience on this!

There is a huge difference in the tone of a floating floyd versus one that is touching the body. Guitars with floating floyds sound thinner.

 

[Matt L]

Wilkinson now makes a bridge with locking saddles.

I’m thinking of trying one if my Charvel DK24 with the Gotoh 510 starts misbehaving again. Lubing at the saddles helped a lot, but it’s still not perfect.

 

[fechart]

I am 100% in the recessed group. I just don't like a decked Floyd at all and I have zero problems with anything because I learned how to install/setup/work it properly. Only real problem that presents is you can't use a D Tuna if you float the bridge which is kind of annoying. Bought one been in the box for 10 years now. I have a third guitar with a Floyd that requires routing and not thrilled or that worked up to do it anytime soon mostly because it is in pieces not being played. Easiest path would be to get a used Strat that has one already installed.

I have both in my guitars, they all work perfectly if you really know how to set them up (Ive been doing that myself for years). I agree on the Dtuna! I blocked one of the recessed to use the Dtuna, I'm more of a dive bomb only guy anyway haha

 

[Sociophile]

Mine (year 2000 American Deluxe, purchased new) sounds great with the Floyd. I own something like 15 strats, and it’s in my top five. It’s my only Floyd-equipped guitar aside from a Schecter 7 I purchased for a project that dissolved, and though I love the tuning stability the extra hassle changing strings keeps me from buying any more.