Tuning a Floyd Rose equipt guitar

WantzChas

I recently acquired an Ibanez S540 wich is a brilliant guitar. When I bought it a week ago the previous owner played on a 7string tuning. Anyway when I tried to tune it to the normal EADGBE tuning I confronted my first Floyd, not knowing what I'm getting myself into. I'm so ashamed to say this, but after 2 hours and lots of swearing later, I went to a music store and payd a store technician R100 to basicly tune my guitar.

Please can someone give my pointers, cause I want to change the strings from the .011 gauge to .009 gauge and don't want to pay a tech R100 (I'm still pissed about it, but what can you do?) for something I can do myself. I asked the guy and he said you should tighten the screws holding the springs in the back and then tune it from the outside strings in.

Riaan-Combrink

My sympathies! ?

I had exactly the same problem with my Cort X-6 when I first got it. After struggling with it for a while, I phone a buddy. When he said I needed an Allen key to tune my guitar I said "what???!!!! ?

Basic issue is that the movement of each string affects the other. Think of sixguys standing on a plank balancing on a barrel. They move around until they're balanced. One gets off they're gonna fall if the others don't move slightly to compensate. It's that kind of idea, as I understand it. Most guys I know tune both the low and high E perfect, and then move inward in that sequence one string at a time (essentially E, E, B, A, G and then D). Before you start tuning, make sure all the little upright screws on the bridge are about 50% up. Then have to use Allen key to loosen the little stringguard thingy next to the headstock, and then you twiddle screw at bottom end of of each string.

Here's a few articles that I found useful:

http://www.glowingtubes.com/p/FloydTuning.htm

http://www.guitarists.net/lessons/view.php?id=107

http://www.guitarnoise.com/lesson/tuning-a-floyd-rose/

http://www.floydrose.com/settingtuner.html

PS: I no longer play the Cort X-6 at gigs for this exact reason. Bought myself a cool Ibanez SZ320 without a floater!!! ?

AlanRatcliffe

No shame involved - it's the usual result of someone trying to come to grips with a Floyd (or any double-locking floating trem) for the first time. There is a lot of back-and-forth when it comes to setting one up or tuning one as every adjustment affects all the other adjustments.

Basically if it's been setup for .011s and you want to go down a couple of gauges to .009s, you need to loosen the two spring claw screws to reduce the tension of the springs to match the lower tension of the strings. BTW, I find it's easier to tune from the bass side as adjustments on the bass side have more effect on the tension balance than the treble side does. Overtuning (tuning strings sharper than they need to be) is good as when you tune up the next string, the bridge pulls forwards and the string tuning drops.

I could go into detail, but everything you need is at the Jemsite Tech Setup & F.A.Q - well written and comprehensive.

Gearhead

When you change from .009 to .011 you are also likely to have to adjust the trussrod if you do not want to get higher action on the higher frets. Which means that if you cannot do that yourself, you will end up going back to your tech.

Methinks that apart from the initial hassle with setting up and coarse tuning, the Floyd Rose at full float makes for easy tuning because of the fine tuner knobbies. It also makes for perfect pitch after a wham at the bar, contrary to most tremolos.

Being able to do the setups etc, I feel the biggest issue with the Floyd Rose is the height it is over the strings. This makes it harder to palm mute and strum close to bridge. The Ibanez Floyd is even higher (at least my '80s one is).

AlanRatcliffe

Gearhead wrote: When you change from .009 to .011 you are also likely to have to adjust the trussrod if you do not want to get higher action on the higher frets. Which means that if you cannot do that yourself, you will end up going back to your tech.

Yup. The truss will need a bit of adjustment changing two gauges (note he's going down from .011s to .009s though). I do think that truss adjustment is something that everyone should know how to do themselves - especially the owners of skinny-necked Ibanez guitars who need to tweak them with every change of season.

Gearhead

Alan Ratcliffe wrote: note he's going down from .011s to .009s though

Sorry WantzChas, preoccupied with going to thicker guage ☹

Alan Ratcliffe wrote: the owners of skinny-necked Ibanez guitars who need to tweak them with every change of season.

The seasons might change less dramatically in Pretoria than they do in 'somewhere near the Cape"? ?

AlanRatcliffe

Gearhead wrote: The seasons might change less dramatically in Pretoria than they do in 'somewhere near the Cape"? ?

True, less of a dry season and a wet season than us. Aside from the slender necks, Ibby players tend to like a pretty low action, which makes them a bit more sensitive to climatic change too.

DaFiz

I'm not sure I'd go to 0.09 ona lectric guitar though. :-\
0.10 would be the finest for me and it would ease the action without going too soft.
Would you not stretch all the new strings as you bring them to tune and then tighten the allen key lock's aferwards with their adjustment screws about halfway.
allowing a delicate touch from there on? 8)

Gearhead

Robert Cray plays d'Addario .009s and he sounds good to me.

It is advisable to treat the whole springs - strings - locks setup thing as something you keep adjusting until stable. On new strings of another guage you should count on making two rounds of adjustments and a couple of hours stretching at least before you can assume it will play in tune for long.

Since the fine adjust on the bridge has limited range, you will wind up locking and unlocking the nut more than once anyway.
This is fine as long as you're tuning up with the tuners, because the flat spot on the string then goes towards the tuner. If you have to tune down more than the fine-tune allows (which is rare) you run the risk of loosening the flat spot over the nut (depending on the distance between nut and lock - longer on Ibanez's) which would lead to a lot more chance of string breakage.

AlanRatcliffe

Cray does sound good, but it's a different kind of tone, very clean, very bright. I'd rather have the heavy gauge string sound of SRV. ? Having said that, Floyds seem happiest with .009s or .010s to me.

I usually set up a Floyd with the fine tuners most of the way up. Stings stretch and detune as they get older and that gives me the biggest adjustment range. the only time a Floyd needs fine tuning downwards is when you clamp down the nut, which can pull the strings just a little sharp (sometimes not - it depends on the nut). Doing it this way, I find that by the time I run out of adjustment, it's time to change strings anyway.

WantzChas

I'll stick to the .011's for the moment. I need to harden up it seems

AlanRatcliffe

Something I forgot earlier - one advantage of heavier strings on a Floyd is the higher tension of strings/springs makes the trem a bit more stable, helping keep the bridge from moving too easily when you do things like palm mute or picking hard. More aggressive whammy bar work is more difficult than with a lighter set of strings though.