Floyd Drop in Replacement on a Steve Stevens 1

[bcsride]

Apologies, I know the answer is on this forum somewhere, but I can't find it.

I'm thinking about replacing the Floyd Rose tremolo on my Steve Stevens. There a few small things less than perfect with it (the replacement saddle, one of those little square metal blocks that hold the strings in is cracked (but it still works), and the arm doesn't screw in that well - it is either loose or tight).

So. I'd like to replace it with an Original Floyd Rose - I thought - but.

The guitar has a 1 5/8 in. nut and a 14 in. fingerboard radius. OFRs don't have a 14 in. radius. The Schaller Floyds at Stew-Mac have a 14 inch radius and a 1 5/8 in. nut. But I googled around and some sites said that some of the dimensions were different on the Schaller version and the route would need to be modified. I checked the Floyd Upgrade site and sort of couldn't figure out how to just buy a tremolo set and what their dimensions are.

I'd like to replace everything except the bushings in the body - so I'd need mounting posts with the correct thread size/pitch.

Anyway. What are my options. I want something of the best quality. Is the Schaller Floyd at Stew-Mac the way to go? Is the Schaller Floyd at Stew-Mac made in Germany, Japan, Korea, China, Indonesia, or where? The Schaller Floyds at Allparts say there are 12 in. radius - where are these made. Why are they different?

I'd take pointer to a good source of information?

Thanks.

Pics of the guitar are in the thread below.

http://www.hamerfanclub.com/forums/topic/56641-bcsridess-midlife-crisis-guitar-steve-stevens-1-ss1/

[Bobby Marshall]

Unless you expect optimum intonation I don't think you need to worry about it. There are several different size locking nuts to match the neck. The locking nuts don't have a radius. EVH even used an R2 nut on a neck should of had an R5 nut (the jump video Frankie). YMMV. I would try the OFR and the oldest one you can find. I use them on guitars with a 7.25 radius just fine.

[Victor (Fret Friend)]

Gotoh are the very VERY best IMO. Better than OFRs...

[Jem]

The body's not routed out so within reason you could chuck an OFR, Gotoh or a Schaller in it they should all pretty well sit the same although the backside of the arm is quite deep on the Gotoh, don't think it would be an issue. As Bobby mentioned, to be honest people mix and match trems and lock nuts, it's all a wee bit of a comprimise as i've seen the same trem on major manufacturer's guitars with a variety of different nuts (R2 is 1 5/8, R3 is 1 11/16, R4 is like R3 but wider string spacing and R5 is 1 3/4 - from memory guys so check if your that worried) and with a board radius range of 12" to 16". The fact that they list the nuts with 12" or 14" radius, depending on who you ask, seems a trifle irrelevent.

Personally i'd slap in an OFR because that's what it came with, actually if it was mine i'd put a Schaller Lockmeister in it, steel plate but with the shorter (if you ask nicely) lock screws in the back, saying that i prefer the saddles on the Gotoh.

With regard to Schaller, if it says 'Schaller Made in Germany' then it is, they have never outsourced anything. The only slightly confusing one is the Floyd Rose Special that although actually marked Floyd Rose it's thier own 'import line' and is made by Ping or someone in Korea i think - saying that i haven't heard anyone saying anything really that bad about them but then again i haven't looked.

And just to remind you that genuine OFR parts are available so a saddle, a set of six blocks and a new arm assembly including the bit that screws into the base plate would probably be no more than say $50 - worth a consideration ?

[atquinn]

If I was going to get a new bridge as a replacement, I would definitely go with the Gotoh Floyd.

-

Austin

[Victor (Fret Friend)]

+1 ^^^

I had a Diablo import (Korean) & had the rout filled in when I got it resprayed so I could top-mount a Gotoh FR. Itt was superb...

[Victor (Fret Friend)]

I used to import/sell FR Specials. They are very good but not as good as an OFR/Gotoh etc. The Special has zinc saddles & a zinc block (rather than steel/steel or steel/brass) + the baseplate is thinner. Good for a seller guitar but I'd go with a top brand for my own guitars...

[Bobby Marshall]

Lots of good points on here. I did forget to mention I like to have things period correct when possible.

If I were going new, the Gotoh Floyd does seem to get the biggest thumbs up, but I don't own one.

[Victor (Fret Friend)]

Lots of good points on here. I did forget to mention I like to have things period correct when possible.

If I were going new, the Gotoh Floyd does seem to get the biggest thumbs up, but I don't own one.

Don't be unsure with the Gotoh man. My luthier, Ade Culley (does all the work I can't) took one look at my Gotoh & straight away said these are engineered better than OFRs (super thick steel & the fine tuners have much more range and are twice as thick [buttons] than an OFR). Precision engineering & worth every-fkn-cent...

[Bobby Marshall]

That unsure emoticon was about me. Not about the gotoh. Again, if I did not want a period correct bridge I would get the gotoh, no question. John Suhr says its the best along with those in this post. That is good enough for me.

[bcsride]

Thanks all. I'll fool with the bridge this weekend. I might do replacement parts. I'm pretty sure the pivot posts on my bridge are M8X? thread - not the M7X0.5 that seems to come on the OFR and Schallers. If I can believe the Gotoh drawings, it looks like they use an M8X? thread on the post. But I'm not sure about the thread pitch as they don't include it.

But, from googling around, I have this strange feeling I have the Jackson JT-6 posts. Does that make any sense at all?

If I have to pull and reinsert the anchors, I'll probably just go replacement parts. I need to give the plate a good look over and see if the knife edge is still good, but I think it is.

[Jem]

Thanks all. I'll fool with the bridge this weekend. I might do replacement parts. I'm pretty sure the pivot posts on my bridge are M8X? thread - not the M7X0.5 that seems to come on the OFR and Schallers. If I can believe the Gotoh drawings, it looks like they use an M8X? thread on the post. But I'm not sure about the thread pitch as they don't include it.

But, from googling around, I have this strange feeling I have the Jackson JT-6 posts. Does that make any sense at all?

If I have to pull and reinsert the anchors, I'll probably just go replacement parts. I need to give the plate a good look over and see if the knife edge is still good, but I think it is.

Well i've just measured the thread width on a Schaller post (6.87mm so i suppose M6) and a Gotoh post (7.87 so i suppose M7). I will say that i use Schaller post's with Gotoh floyds because the Gotoh's insert's are huge by comparison, in both width and length, and it's all i can do not to break into the trem cavity which in my mind negates the use of a bigger post as there's less wood around it.

And yes, they do look like Jackson posts - not that i know a lot about Jackson - and as they used Schaller quite a bit (i'm not saying the JT trems have anything to do with Schaller) chances are they're the same thread.