[How To] Installing a Floyd Rose

[DannyBoy]

wow i am in love with that strat hahaha mmmmmmm strattt with floyd rose ...... mmmmm [img]images/smilies/icon_dance.gif[/img] [img]images/smilies/icon_mrgreen.gif[/img] [img]images/smilies/icon_thumb.gif[/img]

Great Info.!
Actually, I'm a newbie here and this thread was the reason I joined! I'm refinishing/building a Strat and need information specifically on mounting the bridge. You mention "Line the bridge edge up with the existing screw holes from the previous bridge if available. This is your pivot edge.". My question is ... do you match up the (6) holes to the (6) holes on the Floyd Rose? Wouldn't that eliminate the step of having to use two strings to line it up? Also ... my Floyd looks identical to the one installed on your Strat, but it looks like the block may be a bit too long, or the hole too small, to dive properly. I dunno.
Help!

[El_jalepeno]

Welcome Dino. First off, the 6 holes is where you want the front edge of your Floyd to meet up. You still want to make sure you line up the bridge vertically becuase if you are off by even a hair, you risk having either a bass or treble string riding off the neck. As for the depth, if you can sit the Floyd in the trem hole and it doesn't stick out you are doing fine. Once you line up the bridge as described above, hold your finger against the edge and lift the bridge. You should see that you have plenty of clearance.

Let me know if you have any more questions, and enjoy the site [img]images/smilies/icon_thumb.gif[/img]

El jalepeno,

After taking a second look, I see the hole for the trem looks just fine. And I do understand the purpose of lining up the strings. But I'm still a little confused about lining the six holes up with the front of the Floyd Rose (?). Do I line the front edge of the floyd with the front edge of the holes (towards the neck)? Or line it up with the center of the holes? Or line up the edge of the floyd with the rear edge of the holes (closest to the trem cavity)? I'm guessing that it would make a big difference in acheiving the proper intonation (?). Sorry for all the questions, but I'm fresh out of "dowells". lol

[El_jalepeno]

Good point in asking [img]images/smilies/icon_thumb.gif[/img] The front of the holes, towards the neck, is where you want the edge of the bridge so you will have plenty of room to adjust intonation as needed.

Thank you so much!
I wish I knew how to post pics (or had your email address) because I took a couple pictures tonight of the Vintage bridge and Floyde bridge side by side. I still don't quite understand why the holes couldn't be matched up hole to hole (?). The spacing is exactly the same and even the location of the bridge saddles is pretty darn close which would cut down on any major intonation adjustments. If you're interested, I'll send you my pics.

Thanks again for a GREAT "how to" thread!

[El_jalepeno]

Glad to be of assistance. You can email me pics at EJ@guitars101.com and I can post them for you if you would like [img]images/smilies/icon_thumb.gif[/img]

As for intonation, you shouldn't have to do anything major once you install the Floyd as described, if anything at all. Trust me. [img]images/smilies/icon_mrgreen.gif[/img]

[Jedi McFly5150]

EJ, how low does the shelf for the nut have to be? The same depth as it is for the standard nut? My wolfgang's taking a beating, and now I'm considering getting an OLP and putting a floyd on it...just wanna make sure I can do this.

[El_jalepeno]

The shelf will be at least the same depth of the current nut, and then a little more. Nut depths vary, so you will need to route your shelf, then start taking off just a hair at a time on the depth and putting the nut on the shelf to check the height.

If for some reason you shave off just a hair more than needed, you can shim with a piece of sand paper or something similar, depending on the height.

Let us know how it turns out [img]images/smilies/icon_thumb.gif[/img]

[axeshredder]

Thanks Ed....alot of info that i needed. [img]images/smilies/icon_thumb1.gif[/img]

[Jedi McFly5150]

Okay, hopefully this sunday I'll be installing the bridge on my OLP. I'm gonna have a tech install the nut next weekend for $35. EJ, you said you used 6 drill bits from start to finish when drilling for the bushings, do you recall the sizes of the first and last drill bits? Thanks for all your help.

[El_jalepeno]

I don't have th sizes in front of me, but start with something failry thin, about the size of a toothpick, which will be your pilot hole, then gradually move up from there. Eventually you will want to end with a drill bit that is about (meaning almost) the same size as the bushing. Just a hair smaller than the bushing, not larger

Good luck, and post pics when you are done!
If anyone has the drill bit sizes, post 'em up please.

[Jedi McFly5150]

Installed the bridge today, didn't take long at all. Ran into a few problems though... The drill press wasn't big enough to get point on the guitar under the bit, so we drilled by hand. The way we drilled it, you can actual put a drill through the hole, and it'll come out through the trem cavity. It's not a whole straight through, but there's like a peice of the "wall" missing. Just enough to stick a 1/2" drill bit through...we saw it and figured screw it, there's enough wood everywhere else. I forgot to take down the drill bit sizes to post them here though. After all that, took me about 20 minutes to get the guitar all set up. Intonation was perfect, I didn't even have to touch it. Still gotta get the nut installed, probably taking it to the tech this tuesday. Here's a pic I just took of it. Huge thanks to EJ for all this tutorial and answering all my stupid questions.

[El_jalepeno]

Great job, Jedi! You did a great job from the looks of it. Glad to be of assistance, now where do I send the bill?

another thanks to EJ...

here's mine i installed it last friday.