guitar guys...Floyd Rose opinions...

yzthumpa
Profile picture for user yzthumpa
Posts
1779
Joined
4/1/2008
Location
Slidell, LA, USA
yzthumpa
Edited Date/Time 1/27/2012 8:13pm
Got my Jackson RR3 the day before Halloween. As I said before, I've got the old flawless '81 Les Paul Black Beauty as my main guitar, but I moved all my other guitars and amp into my gameroom (former garage so window unit, no central air or heat). I just hung the guitars on the wall in there and the Gibson is staying in my bedroom and rarely leaves the case (where it can remain in good condition). So I bought something mid-range (paid $650, was tempted to go for the $1,200 one but didn't want to dump money into something that may be adversely affected by the humidity and stuff in the gameroom) - just need a cool guitar to mess around with since I'm just a hack and don't play in a band or anything.
Anyway, getting back to the point....I love the Jackson - bought it just cause I wanted a Randy Rhoads style V, but I after playing it a bit I like it way more than I did when I played it in the store, so no problems there. Looks good, sounds good for what I used it for, and love the feel of it. HOWEVER....the bitch won't stay in tune much. Now of course I know with any new strings there's going to be that period where you get your stretch or whatever and it won't hold a tune initially, but here's my question. I'm used to playing with my hand resting on the bridge due to the way the Les Paul is set up, but if I rest my hand on that Floyd Rose bridge on the Jackson it instantly seems to go out of tune. I don't even keep the tremolo bar on there, and I'm trying to adjust my playing style to keep off of the bridge. But in general, is a lower level Floyd Rose bridge like a $650 guitar is going to have going to give me constant trouble with knocking it out of tune if I'm contacting the bridge occasionally with my hand, or is the tuning deal strictly a new string issue since the guitar is only a week old? Anyone have bad experience with Floyd Rose stuff? I was between the RR3 and a Dean Dime Shadow when I bought it, and I actually liked the Dean a little better as far as how the shape of the guitar affects hand position, but I just always wanted a Rhoads style guitar so I went with it. Guitar Center has a 30 day return policy, so if the Floyd Rose bridge and the awkward shape of the Jackson is going to be a problem with keeping the thing in tune, I'd consider bringing it back and getting the Dean. Of course, I could always keep the Jackson and go get the Dean too...
|
jtomasik
Profile picture for user jtomasik
Posts
12895
Joined
8/17/2006
Location
Golden, CO, USA
jtomasik 11/7/2008 9:41am
11/7/2008 9:41am
Dunno. Pick your hand up, I guess. My buddy had one on his Les Paul, and it did pretty well. I'd sometimes play his, and it was relatively ok, for the short time I played it.

I'm getting away with the stock tremelo on my Strat, amazingly enough. I installed a roller nut and I have the speed-wind keys, and, for whatever reason, it holds up great to pretty much anything.

Not to trip up the thread, but with X-mas coming 'round, I'm thinking I need a new pedal/amp combo.
yzthumpa
Profile picture for user yzthumpa
Posts
1779
Joined
4/1/2008
Location
Slidell, LA, USA
yzthumpa 11/7/2008 9:52am
11/7/2008 9:52am
I'm making a little progress with getting my hand away from the bridge, but one of the volume knobs seems to be right in the way when I move my hand more to the middle. I keep thinking if I could move that one damn knob, I'd be totally loving the guitar considering it was reasonably priced. One thing about those Randy Rhoads V's though - the long point of the V is a friggin magnet for hitting crap. Both of the ones they had in the store had big chips on the end of the point, so I had one delivered to the house instead of taking one of those. But if you walk within 10 feet of anything, that V point is going to suck that object straight to it just begging to put a ding in it, it seems.
jtomasik
Profile picture for user jtomasik
Posts
12895
Joined
8/17/2006
Location
Golden, CO, USA
jtomasik 11/7/2008 10:04am
11/7/2008 10:04am
Just curious, what is it that you like so much about it? I think I picked up a V once, and it didn't wow me. Not to say that it isn't a good axe, just that I didn't get that "at home" feeling I did like when I picked up my Strat. I used to have a Les Paul. Nice action on the neck, but I hated the rest of that guitar. Yeah...I know....personal opinion. I did get some custom work to it that made it sound better (to me). I had them wire the rear coil so I could split it. I installed a push-pull pot on the tone knob for that pickup, so it looked stock. It would get the chop sound of the Strat, sorta, when ya pulled the knob.

Wish I could help ya. Sounds like a lot of work-arounds. You must really like that guitar.

This one's similar to my present axe:

motogeezer
Profile picture for user motogeezer
Posts
5573
Joined
4/1/2008
Location
Yorba Linda, CA, USA
motogeezer 11/7/2008 10:14am
11/7/2008 10:14am Edited Date/Time 4/16/2016 9:09pm
I have a Floyd Rose bridge on my Yamaha Custom Shop guitar that I never play.


The damn thing is too complicated, and a pain in the ass.


Too many moving parts.


I've got Kahlers on my other two tremolo guitars, and love 'em.

The Shop

See All »
CamP
Profile picture for user CamP
Posts
6826
Joined
8/16/2006
Location
Colleyville, TX, USA
CamP 11/7/2008 10:24am
11/7/2008 10:24am
A good luthier can install a block of wood behind the Floyd to keep it from going sharp when you rest your hand on the bridge.
augiedog
Profile picture for user augiedog
Posts
89
Joined
10/31/2006
Location
Loveland, CO, USA
augiedog 11/7/2008 10:40am
11/7/2008 10:40am
Yep, I had a Floyd Rose bridge on my Ibanez a while back. I think I had the same problem in the beginning, but after while you naturally learn to adjust your hand position. It was a great guitar but you had to make sure that you replaced the strings with the same gauge each time. Other wise the bridge would lift creating way to much action on the neck. Then you had to start f ing around with all of the spring loads in the back. (that's when it got real fun)
yzthumpa
Profile picture for user yzthumpa
Posts
1779
Joined
4/1/2008
Location
Slidell, LA, USA
yzthumpa 11/7/2008 10:59am
11/7/2008 10:59am
jtomasik wrote:
Just curious, what is it that you like so much about it? I think I picked up a V once, and it didn't wow me. Not...
Just curious, what is it that you like so much about it? I think I picked up a V once, and it didn't wow me. Not to say that it isn't a good axe, just that I didn't get that "at home" feeling I did like when I picked up my Strat. I used to have a Les Paul. Nice action on the neck, but I hated the rest of that guitar. Yeah...I know....personal opinion. I did get some custom work to it that made it sound better (to me). I had them wire the rear coil so I could split it. I installed a push-pull pot on the tone knob for that pickup, so it looked stock. It would get the chop sound of the Strat, sorta, when ya pulled the knob.

Wish I could help ya. Sounds like a lot of work-arounds. You must really like that guitar.

This one's similar to my present axe:

I went with the Rhoads V simply because I was a huge Rhoads fan when I was in high school, and a buddy of mine who played in bands for years ( Phil Anselmo was the singer in his band Razor White when we were around 16 years old before Phil bolted for Pantera) had a sweet looking tiger-striped Jackson Rhoads V. Aside from looks, definitely not my first choice for a guitar - whether you're playing it sitting down or with it strapped on, it creates all sorts of "logistical problems" because of the shape. Just one of those things where I always liked the looks of it, it's just to toy around with, so I finally got one. While the Les Paul is a quality guitar, I never was a huge fan of it - too damn heavy and I thought the neck was nice but I've played many other guitars that had a better feel to it. I don't take it out the case much, just try to keep it in good shape because the value of it will only continue to grow. I really liked the feel of the Dean, and while the Dimebag guitar shape isn't my favorite I think it looks okay, so I may end up just buying one of those too. My kid loves the Jackson (his guitar is one of those cheap starter Squier Strats), so the RR may end up being "his" guitar if I go back and get the Dean.
jtomasik
Profile picture for user jtomasik
Posts
12895
Joined
8/17/2006
Location
Golden, CO, USA
jtomasik 11/7/2008 11:03am
11/7/2008 11:03am
Wasn't the Jackson the guitar that Steve Vai was playing in that movie where he was the guy who sold his soul to the devil...or something like that...and when he couldn't play the riff, he took it off and dropped it? I kinda remember something like that...and I remember my heart hitting the floor when that guitar did. Jacksons can be very, very nice guitars.

I'd like to have a Tele and an SG. Never played an SG, but I dig it.
OldTiddler
Profile picture for user OldTiddler
Posts
630
Joined
4/16/2007
Location
Longwood, FL, USA
OldTiddler 11/7/2008 2:39pm
11/7/2008 2:39pm
There's a couple things that may help, set-up wise.

One thing is the height of the bridge--the higher it is, the more likely it is to bear more of the weight of your picking hand as you play. If the bridge isn't the kind that's recessed into the body it will be more prominent still.

Secondly, but less likely, is the tension of the bridge in relation to the strings and the springs. If you have super light strings and/or springs (or are missing one), this might make it move easier than normally would, and go out of tune more easily. Generally guitars come set up so that this isn't the case.

If you are used to playing fixed-bridge guitar, it is probably a matter of adjusting your playing position though. You just can't put any pressure on a floating bridge setup (unless you want to) or it will change pitch. I play such that my picking hand is fully supported by the inside of my forearm against the top edge of the guitar body.

bll
Profile picture for user bll
Posts
89
Joined
7/23/2008
Location
Atlanta, GA, USA
bll 11/7/2008 5:08pm
11/7/2008 5:08pm Edited Date/Time 4/16/2016 9:09pm
dude i remember razor white!

i forgot one of the guitar players names but he was into moto and at one point i was going to teach him how to ride and he was going to teach me how to play.

the name matt rings a bell.

anyway....enjoy, not razor white.




yzthumpa
Profile picture for user yzthumpa
Posts
1779
Joined
4/1/2008
Location
Slidell, LA, USA
yzthumpa 11/7/2008 6:32pm
11/7/2008 6:32pm
bll wrote:
dude i remember razor white! i forgot one of the guitar players names but he was into moto and at one point i was going to...
dude i remember razor white!

i forgot one of the guitar players names but he was into moto and at one point i was going to teach him how to ride and he was going to teach me how to play.

the name matt rings a bell.

anyway....enjoy, not razor white.




Yeah Matt was in one of the later versions of Razor White. Intelligent dude. The guy I'm talking about who was in the original version of the band used to race MX and was one of the faster local guys when we were kids - in fact going to camp out at the races with him and his family is what got me into MX years later. Before my friend was in Razor White, we used to go see Matt's previous band, Deus Vult. After Razor White, Matt was in Crowbar, who ended up getting pretty big (especially in other countries that were metal-starved), but Matt left the band early on. Matt was still in Crowbar when some of their early stuff was on Headbanger's Ball on MTV though. One of the other guys that was in Crowbar with Matt is also in Down, Phil Anselmo's side project when he was in Pantera and now his current gig. In fact in a couple weeks Phil and Down are opening for Metallica (got tickets for that one). Most of the metal bands from New Orleans were a lot of the same guys recycled over the years from different bands.
bll
Profile picture for user bll
Posts
89
Joined
7/23/2008
Location
Atlanta, GA, USA
bll 11/8/2008 6:06am
11/8/2008 6:06am
thanks for sharing yz, i grew up in new orleans and raced all the local tracks from mid to late 80's. barry weinberger (rip) introduced me to matt. i still take to danny marino and brett beauchamp.

Post a reply to: guitar guys...Floyd Rose opinions...