How To Tune Floyd Rose

Ok, I have a Floyd Rose bridge on my guitar, and I learned the hard way. (I broke 4 high E strings (Ernie Ball's too!) the first time I tried to string my guitar.) What you do is, (if it's already got the strings on) you it 6th string, 1st string, 2nd string, 5th string, 4th string, 3rd string. BUT, you must tune the first 2 strings about half a step up, the second 2 about in between half step sharp and perfect tune, and then the last 2 strings you tune must be perfect tune. The reason you do that is: the tightening of one string will loosen the others due to the floating tremolo bridge, so you want to start off a little sharp so those have room to flatten out and still be near a good tune. But make sure the screws on the bridge are exactly half way screwed in (with the low E string 3/4 in) So once you do that, you just make little adjustments until all of them are perfectly in tune. Then you lock the screws at the top of the neck. Make sure the screws in the back are tight too! Then it should be just a little out of tune. Now remember having the screws half way in? This is why; after locking the nuts, the guitar should be just a little out of tune, you use those screws to "Fine Tune" it. Tightening = sharp, loosening = flat. (The reason you wanted the low E string a little tighter to start is so you can drop D without unlocking the nut.) (Only you can never truly drop D without retuning a Floyd Rose because of the whole one string looser means other strings tighter deal...) So once you have it fine tuned, and the strings were all stretched out, it should stay in tune no matter what you do to the bridge. (Just remember not to buy Ernie Ball's the first time you try to string the guitar)

Ok, now if the strings aren't on it, you have to make sure of a few things first. So you don't make my mistakes. First, on most Floyd Rose, you must cut the balls or bullets or rings or whatever off the ends. Then you lock them into the bridge, and wind normally. Just make sure you keep all of them loose. When putting the strings on, only tighten them enough to keep a little tension, not fully tune. Once you have all the strings on the guitar, they should be loose enough that the bridge is still all the way back, and the strings should be flush against the frets. Now, use your tremolo bar to hold the bridge down like a divebomb, slackening the strings so you can tune them at the top. Keep the bridge just a little past flush with the body of the guitar, so when you let go, the string tension should hold in place. Then follow directions above for tuning.

Comments

[Yongyot]

sounds ***ed up...never gonna have a guitar with a tremolo!!!

[110]

This article was quite poorly organised and makes it sound much harder than it is. I have no idea how you managed too snap 4 strings, even if it was your first time.
I strung my first Floyd equipped guitar up no problem, I even sorted out the trem angle and and intonation with just a bit of reading and common sense.

[bleed_the_freak]

i hate putting strings on a guitar with a floyd rose i have one and it is a major bitch

[CvPrEpKiLLaH]

110, it was my first guitar. I didn't know anything about it. This is raw instruction. More like tuning for dummies.

[Bubonic Chronic]

NOPE!

Change one string at a time from the old set to the new set for easiest re-stringing. Each time, stretch the new string.

Occasionally, you want to remove all the strings and wipe the gunk off the fingerboard, but even when you do this, you want to pretty much get all 6 strings going at once. Start with all of them floppy, then slowly increase the tension of each one, switching strings frequently, so the bridge will slowly float into position. Now if you are using the same brand and gauge of strings, you should be in the ballpark (also don't forget to stretch all the strings, too, as a part of this process.) Once the bridge, and the action, is where you need it to be, lock the nut and fine-tune it. You may have to unlock one more time to give yourself more fine-tuner slack, but usually you'll be ok to lock it and fine tune all the way.

Basically don't lock it until all six strings are relatively close to where they should be

[RatiugLink]

I have an EdgePro on my Ibanez, and you don't have to cut the ball ends.

[dubbadee]

Floyd Rose's can come in great handy but are a bitch to get just right. I had one on my old Ibanez... it was such a pain. You couldn't pay me to use one again.

[110]

Most peoples perception of Floyds come from badly set up guitars, usually because the owner dosen't have the brain capacity to correctly set it up them selves or are too lazy too take it too a tech.
Once a Floyd is set up properly, it will stay like that unless you start messing around with it without knowing what your doing. Granted, getting them set up properly can take a very long time, but if your a regular whammy abuser, they are a godsend IMO.
Also some Floyd copys do not stand up to an OFR ata ll, which again gives them a bad image.

[daemonsbane1]

I agree. My Floyd Rose II on my Kramer is a godsend. It never comes out of tune once I put it in, I can and often do put it in drop D (where did his comment about drop d come from), I don't have to cut the ball ends off, and I can fine tune without unlocking the nut. The worst problem I ever had was trying to put too high gague strings on it when I first got the guitar, because it was set for .09, and someone told me just to go down a gague or get a new setup and it would be fine. It doesn't take this annoying process to tune either. Everyone really has a horrible impression about Floyd Rose tremolos that isn't deserved.

[cuzn_it]

i saw this idiots article on the electric guitar forum, I told him to learn more about floyds before he submitted this article, guess he didn't listen. oh yeah RatiugLink and daemonsbane1, I told him you could string a floyd up so that you don't have to cut off the ball ends, he said I didn't comprehend logic, THEN when I presented him with pictures that proved you didn't have to cut the ball ends off, he said I was contradicting myself. It seems that most people agree that this guy is a dumbass who knows nothing about floyds, I would like to see one of these by SV300 he knows everyting about floyds

[Metalology]

omg, all you have to do is loosen the nut lock then you tune it and you dont cut the heads off to string it that's on the olf original floyd rose

[cuzn_it]

omg, all you have to do is loosen the nut lock then you tune itand you dont cut the heads off to string it that's on the olf origianal floyd rose

actually you can string probably 98% of the floyds and floyd copies without cutting the ball ends off

[hololos]

Ah, that was confusing. I just screwed up my Floyd Rose, and now my intonation is kinda wrong too. I have to get it fixed. Poor article in my opinion, it was confusing.

[xstephenx]

i have an ibanez rg270 and its not that hard to restring, you made it sound way more complicated than it is... stupid article, made me more confused than anything.

[metallica_dan]

I have an Ibanez with Edge Pro 2 and its easy to re string, if you snap a string and replace it with one which has the same tension, tune that string and you'll notice that because your guitar was in tune before u snapped the string, when u tune htat string up the rest of the guitar will go in tune, it will probably beb slightly out by maybe half a semitone or so, but its much quiker than tuning each string individually starting from the low E!!!

[Blizfist]

I think I may fall in that 2% who actually does have to cut those balls off. I play an ESP F-200 (Discontinued model) with an old Floyd Rose. I love it, but I remember it being a nightmare for me when I first got it.

[novemberlima]

you are a FOOL if you take all of the old strings off first, and then put the new strings on. each time you take 1 string off, replace it, and move onto the next string.

[110]

There are reasons too take all the strings off at once, like if you wanted too clean the board and apply lemon oil or something along those lines. You just have too support the trem with something that will conform too the claw.

[MetalMaster666]

i dunt kno how to change my strings with floyd rose so my daddy dearest does it for me

[slash_andrew]

The First Real Useful Article I see since:

"Why an Acoustic Guitar Its Better Than Electric One"

, or:

"Five Things To Do When You are broke"

or:

"What not to do when starting a band"

or:

"So youre going on stage: What t-shirt to wear"

or:

"10 reasons to start playing guitar"

CONGRATULATIONS! CvPrEpKiLLaH

spam deleted.

i got an idea.... DONT GET A GUITAR WITH A FLOYD ROSE PIECE OF ASS. solves all your problems right there. doesnt help sound, and you pay more for it, so why bother?

[biohazardous56]

one more reason why i dont dig floyd rose tremolos

[cuzn_it]

everybody who's saying that they will never get a floyd because of this article, don't let this idiot who can't string floyds correctly influence your decision, floyds are not that hard to string, but it's asstards like this that make it sound confusing

[TwR]

I dunno, I have a floyd and it isn't that bad. The first time I restrung it I didn't have any problems, and it didn't take me too much longer.

I just cut the ball end off, stick it in the slot, tighten it, then tune it normally. No ones complained about my guitar.

[earlswoll]

i got a floyd rose on my jackson dx10...and its awesome, i wish i had gotten one sooner. I put the strings in reverse, and just cut them off down at the bridge. The tremelo system can't be beat, and its really convenient. sure, it does take some gettin used to, but i think that the strings stay in tune better. I like it, and i would suggest it.

[earlswoll]

(I broke 4 high E strings (Ernie Ball's too!) the first time I tried to string my guitar.)

i hate double posting too, but i had to comment on that,

1)why, after the first or second string, did you not call the place u got the damned guitar from and ask them how to do it, because your too much of a moron

2)Ernie balls!? big deal...those are like, 4 bucks a pack...i'd be upset if i broke elixirs...or d'addario...but ernie ball?

whatever...i think what i got from this article is..."don't get a floyd rose if you don't know shit about guitar"

[metallicarulz89]

whatever...i think what i got from this article is..."don't get a floyd rose if you don't know shit about guitar"

well i got a floyd rose after only 2 months of playing guitar and to tune it all u have to do is have common sense u odnt need to do all that shit.

[eastern_riffs]

floyd rose?oh darn you can buy any other type than this one.just another elec would do.

[Zakkzzy]

ITs SUCKS

[1Ibanezibanez85]

dude, my fixed bridge just went on the fritz. and i have this seven string floyd rose i haven't touched. now i have no choice and this article doesn't help.

dude, if you're a nu-metalist that does nothing but barr- don't buy a floyd rose

[KirkHammett8]

its not that hard changing strings with a floyf rose you get used to it after a while it was confusing to me at first but it gets easy

[R00k13]

floyd rose if for soloists..if your not into soloing...just dont bother going for floyd rose...it is a pain in the ass so if your not sure about going the extra mile to impress the fans with the whole pull the hell out of the strings and release the sh** out of them...just dont do it...

I agree with KirkHammett8, you just get used to it..it used to take me 45 minutes to change strings...now it takes 15..its a habbit..

[northsongs]

My Jackson has the first Floyd Rose I've ever used. At first I was not too sure whether I liked it or not. It does take some getting used to, however, now I love it. Once it is set up right, and practice does make perfect, the guitar stays in tune better than any other guitar I've ever owned. I don't use the tremolo a lot, but it's there if I need it. And the fine tuning knobs on the tremolo make it easy to get 'accurate' tuning at any time. I love it ... but it does take some getting used to. Also, you really need to keep it clean, they collect dust and it does affect its playability when it's dirty.
Don't rule them out until you at least give them a fair chance. Once you get used to it, it's one of the most stable and easy to use trem setups around.

northsongs

[DrnknMnky]

etc the list goes on, seem to use them so i'm more than willing to take the risk, but the general consensus is that this guy who started the thread doesnt know what he is talking about...so would someone who is CONFIDENT in tuning and maintaining their Floyd ROse please redo this?

[DrnknMnky]

SOrry bout that the begginign of that was supposed to say "My next guitar that i have my eyes on is an Ibanez RG320FM with a ,YOU GUESSED IT< FLoyd ROse Tremolo..now i've heard all kinds of bad things even froim a friend...however alot of great player use them such as Steve Vai, Joe Satriani, Alexi Laiho " and thats where the 2 entries meet

[julian2k4]

*** that. floyde rose is a need... dont listen to dumbass ppl.. everytings got a down part in life ...so just chill out and live it... i got a guitar with floyde rose....nothings wrong with it...its good as new

[julian2k4]

what? nu-metalist only need floyde rose? man i should slap u

[The_New_Slash]

ill just stick to my Ibanez RG250DX then....

[LeoKhenir]

Well. Every time someones writes an article entitled "How to" there are always someone who knows BETTER, it seems. Like said before in the comments, when you change your whole set of strings, you take off one string at a time and replace it with the new, tune it so-so then proceed to the next. Taking off all strings and then putting all back on can actually damage your neck if you are really unlucky. This due to tension suddenly removed and applied again.

[yonder92]

I just got a new floyd rose,
when i tune 1 string on my floyd rose the 1 before goes out of tune! it drives me mad. also when all the strings are kinda tight roughly in tune my bridge lifs up way high (like as high as it wud go) some help on this please! or i'll just take it too my local guitar shop to get it fixed
MAny thanks

[r0b_89]

^^ what is that guy on, when i first got my floyd rose(r) bridge i didnt know what one was, i thought it was like a normal bridge with a bit of give in it o_0. It took me about 2 hours to set it up after reading a good article (unlike this one) including tuning. now it takes me about 8 mins to restring. also ernie balls cost about £6 where i get them in the uk, thats $10

[r0b_89]

yonder92, you have to adjust the srews in the back of your guitar (after removing the back plate) to tighten the springs and bring the bridge lower, you won't see it move till u retune so dont overdo it, after that its trial and error to get the bridge level tightening or loosening and retuning.

[gtr_prsn_89]

it stays in tune great... but to tune down u have to loosen the claw which just sucks

[Jerry Roca]

Here is the solution to all of your tremolo tuning issues. www.rocamusic.com check out the Tremlock1

[Jerry Roca]

Fix... www.rocamusic.com "tremlock1"

[Klistrad]

(I'm a totally new with floyd guitars)Yesterday I got this Ibanez RG550ex with floyd, when I first got it was out of tune, so I tuned it.

Then when it was in tune, I played it but like 5 minutes later it was out of tune again and the E string was like C...

Why? Could someone please help me?? I don't understand...

[Timebomb24]

Nice thing about floyd rose is that I just pop my strings in backwards. If they break it always happens at the bridge and you just unlock, unwind, repull it and tune. Takes 1 min max.

BTW there are quite a few reasons to totally disassemble a floyd rose, especially during a restoration. People who say you are a moron for taking all the strings off are atleast 1 notch lower than morons. A good from scratch guide can always come in handy, though this gent's was a bit cryptic and not entirely accurate. Good effort though. Really its interesting cause reloading a FR is alot like changing a tire... I prefer the star method heh. Oh and women and little girls complain about how difficult it is too. LOL.

[kennethdave]

Honestly i think this article is a bit helpful.especilally the tuning which string first and how much. u saved my day.5 stars

[lejusmaroon]

umm, yeah... for all of you people that are calling this guy an idiot, you should really check this out:

[lejusmaroon]

umm, yeah... for all of you people calling the person who wrote this an idiot, you should really check this out: http://www.floydrose.com/originaltremolo.html it says basically the same thing as what the author of this little tidbit said, so quit giving him/her grief... they're just trying to help out.

[WalstromT]

floyd roses are sweet and cutting the balls off your strings is a ****in waste of good strings, just slide em though the black tube thing on the bridge

[Schecter_tabber]

Man that sounds pretty messed up im sorry i might get that bridge when im 30 and i am more experienced, right now i wanna spend my time actually playing my guitar and not spending 3 hours on the damn thing tuneing it but i will get one eventually

[Vagabondstar]

Here's a tip keeping a FR in tune and steady as a mofo..I rarely use a whammy but when I do, I usually bend up rather than down..... Place a small block of wood in the cavity right side of the springs..Might have to cut and shave it to size but this will totally keep you in tune and keep the tremelo stable. Works for me.. "If it's stupid but works, it's not stupid".....

[Vagabondstar]

*All this "moron" talk needs to stop.. Whether people know what they're doing or not, we all started playing guitar somehow and FR tremelos are a pain in the butt at first... What the author wrote in this article is straight on according to Floyd Rose instructions and keep in mind there are many FR tremelos out there.. So all you hotshots putting down others need to zip it.. You are the ones who would get laughed at in front of pros.*

[millerdrr]

Who is this mysterious Ernie Ball, and why do you guys want to cut his balls off?

[wisemanjay225]

guys, im really quite sick of my guitar locks. i have an ESP ltd f250 with em on, and they are not working for me. i tune my guitar with them off, then put em on! but when i put them on, they screw with my tuning ! and they dont stay in tune, i took it in for servicing the other day. he tuned it well, put on the locks. 3 days later i start playing some chili peppers and the strings become completelu ou of tune. if anyone knows what im doing wrong, pls let us know, cause im really getting frustrated...

[cold_metal]

I recently bought a bc rich, with a floyd rose tremelo from a friend with , it came with no strings on it. I had never owned a guitar with this setup before but managed to tune it with a bit of help from the internet. Ignorant people seem to be the only ones complaining about this type of setup because, with a little common sense and patince you should be able to tune it in no time. Please stop crying about set ups you don't know how to use.

[BongVader]

Ok, first of all getting a guitar with the floyd rose is based on personal opinions. i myself have a Jackson with the floyd rose. when i first got it, i was lost as ****. it is alot different then a normal guitar. it takes a little bit longer to get it into tune, but it stays in tune alot longer then a regular guitar. Second of all, whoever said the floyd doesnt make different music is obviously a dumbass. the floyd can do a million things, IF you know how to use it. If you guys listen to a band called Children of Bodom, they use the floyd rose alot and for a shit load of different things. the floyd can hit deeper pitches and higher pitches then any wammy bar on the market. it is a kick ass whammy bar, maybe not for everone. Oh and by the way, **** ernie ball strings, they are good for bass. get some ****ing dean markleys. ive broken maybe 3 strings and ive been playing for about 2 years, the reason you broke 4 e strings is because when u first tune it, you cant turn the bracket that fast, cause the string has to stretch slow or it will snap. anyway like i said, the floyd rose is all about personal preference, but if you play metal and use alot of pintch or natural harmonics, i suggest getting one, cause they kick some major ass.

[BuCkFuTT]

u broke 4 E strings ur first time!? u suck!

[jimpklop]

Floyd Rose bridges are much better than the standard for staying in tune, but agreed getting them in tune can be a long and tiresome job for a newbie, but any one with patience and that cant stand having to re-tune every time you pull your guitar out of your case ( Bit of a contradiction but you know what i mean) would see the benefits of having a Floyd Rose arrangement.

James

[v0icelessEchoes]

ok so im a lil new so i need a quick refrence...im trying to drop my guitar tuning from standard E on whole step down. when i tune down i tune like a quarter step low so they will glide in tune. but my bridge keeps collapsing and it like no longer floats. so how do i tune it but keep the bridge parallel to the body and all. i know i must sound retarded but i have had a jackson half v which a tech told me was ****ed up anyway and now i have a dinky DXMG. anyone have somw tips...much thanks.

[Bplay915]

Floyd rose guitars are not that hard guys Its just more loosening and tightning than a regular guitar just that sometimes its takes a while to get it right and its a pain

[Bplay915]

Floyd rose guitars are not that hard guys Its just more loosening and tightning than a regular guitar just that sometimes its takes a while to get it right and its a pain

[murder667]

wow dude,
well, if you change tunings ALL the time or your string gauge All the time, yeah then i would hate my floyd too.

[The George]

all the work is worth it though
i mean my guitar never goes out of tune unless it gets cold lol
i love my trem

[Ben^]

Floyd Rose For The Win!!!!

[roksta101]

iv got this locking trem on my ibanez...it seems fyn...snapped a few strings...(i get inspired ok!) ...but my bar seem to come loose to were its attatched...the srew in thing is ****ed..i dont know how to fix it or anyting...iv tried some things but it doesnt work...i wana take it to the shop...

[Ganey]

stringing one is no way near as hard as its thought to be. i ahd mine set up in the sho[p i bought it from, and i realised they completely screwed it up. the floyd wasnt parralell to the body, abuot 4mm out infact. its so simple to change yet im annoyed they didnt.

[ronniedeenwho]

Commenting on whether you like floydy's or not doesn't hold water. It's confined to the parameters in which the guitarist plays, or likes to play. That's why some of us buy telecasters, and others buy ESP M-II's.

They are only shit if you buy a cheap ass guitar with a copy of a copy trem, or you don't know how to set them up correctly. Once set up to a decent standard, these trems keep their tuning til you are ready to change strings again. I recently dug out my jackson PS1 after 2 1/2 years of neglect, and it's still in tune!

Learn how to set it up correctly, and it will always serve you well.

[silverstar01]

:o how did you break four strings at once? One is understandable.
Your walk-through for tuning the floyd rose guitars makes it sound super complicated. :S You're scaring the beginners :P

[Mushroom08]

you dont need to cut the balls of the end.. just put the strings on backwards through the headstock down the body and trim the tips to the fine tuners.. and then put the strings in.. you dont need to cut both ends off..

[Blindblackfoot]

Floyd Rose's are easy, this article just makes it confusing. Also Floyd Roses are good if you have weak fingers and aren't good at bending.
Heres an easier to understand instructions:
1. Cut off ball/round end of strings.
2. stick one end in the 'saddle' of the tremolo.
3.stick through tuning things like on any old guitar.
4.make sure you loosten the fine tuners enough now.
5. Tune at head of neck.
6. lock 'em
7. fine tune
8. Repeat
=]