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tom
18-10-2015, 04:31 PM
Hi All,

Has anyone had any luck retrofitting a floyd rose tremelo onto a strat body? I've been thinking about tinkering around on an old squier and adding a floyd rose, but looks like I'd either have to rout the guts out of the body or try and hunt down a pre-shaped body... anyone had any experience with this?

Cheers,

Tom

dingobass
18-10-2015, 06:38 PM
It's doable, all you need is the correct routing template and hold your tongue in the right place :p

keloooe
18-10-2015, 06:52 PM
It's doable, all you need is the correct routing template and hold your tongue in the right place :p

While balancing on one leg of course!

jarrod
18-10-2015, 06:53 PM
Definately possible but as DB says it will need routing and so will your nut recess for a locking nut. I would expect you will need to respray the entire guitar again for a proper job.

DrNomis_44
18-10-2015, 07:55 PM
Apparently it is do-able, I seem to remember reading somewhere that Floyd Rose, the inventor of the system, designed it as a retrofit for a Stratocaster, Stewmac sell some special routing templates for routing the Trem cavities:

http://www.stewmac.com/Luthier_Tools/Types_of_Tools/Routing_Templates/Tremolo_Routing_Templates.html

Worzel
19-10-2015, 07:20 AM
Oh, it's definitely "do-able!" I did it about twelve years ago. I didn't have templates just measure twice cut once! I'll have to dig it out and take a picture. At the end of the day it's just a Strat with a Floyd rose!

DrNomis_44
19-10-2015, 07:36 AM
At some stage I'm going to get a mate of mine to install a Floyd Rose Trem system on my PRS SE Custom 24 guitar as I really don't like the stock trem that's on it because I only have to rest my hand on it and it throws the guitar out of tune.

dingobass
19-10-2015, 08:29 AM
Thats the problem with most trems... If not all of them.

keloooe
19-10-2015, 12:44 PM
Nah rest your hand on the saddles of a Floyd and it's fine!

DrNomis_44
19-10-2015, 01:35 PM
Thats the problem with most trems... If not all of them.


As it is, the stock trem on my PRS SE Custom 24 is practically unusable, the strings randomly end up being either too sharp or flat after I use the trem, also, the trem arm has a nasty habit of coming out of the socket, I've tried all the usual fixes, replaced the original tuners with lockers, lubricated all the string slots in the nut, tried checking the trem setup, nothing fixed it, hence the reason for the Floyd Rose trem installation.

And trying to tune each string accurately to pitch is an exercise in frustration.

wokkaboy
19-10-2015, 01:43 PM
Floyds have to be the hardest trems to setup but once they are they are excellent.
Important to have the correct spring tension so the bridge sits flat when in tune

jarrod
19-10-2015, 03:28 PM
Locking nut is essential with a Floyd

Gavin1393
19-10-2015, 04:40 PM
As it is, the stock trem on my PRS SE Custom 24 is practically unusable, the strings randomly end up being either too sharp or flat after I use the trem, also, the trem arm has a nasty habit of coming out of the socket, I've tried all the usual fixes, replaced the original tuners with lockers, lubricated all the string slots in the nut, tried checking the trem setup, nothing fixed it, hence the reason for the Floyd Rose trem installation.

And trying to tune each string accurately to pitch is an exercise in frustration.

As long as its not a Floyd Rosd......

dingobass
19-10-2015, 05:27 PM
Yhep.
Thats why I refer to them as detuning devices...
Only useful thing I have come up with for them is to use them as fishing sinkers.....

wokkaboy
19-10-2015, 06:36 PM
pretty heavy sinker DB, hope the line is strong enough !

jarrod
19-10-2015, 08:10 PM
Come on DB where's ya sense of adventure. There's nothing better than every member of your band giving you that "your out of f@#king tune again look"

keloooe
20-10-2015, 01:15 PM
Come on DB where's ya sense of adventure. There's nothing better than every member of your band giving you that "your out of f@#king tune again look"

Ah Jrod, that happened to our lead guitarist at a gig (bear in mind he was playing a Tele, dunno how the whole guitar went out of tune in an instant...) and the look we gave him wasn't a good one, but I didnt realise for a few minutes, was too in the moment haha!

DrNomis_44
20-10-2015, 02:07 PM
I reckon that even if you have the intonation all perfectly adjusted, and everything perfectly set up on a guitar, and with the strings perfectly tuned to pitch, a guitar will still never be in tune no matter what you do to it.

Gavin1393
20-10-2015, 02:32 PM
... and the look we gave him wasn't a good one, but I didnt realise for a few minutes, was too in the moment haha!
You're a bass player!!! Don't be too hard on yourself!

keloooe
20-10-2015, 05:43 PM
I reckon that even if you have the intonation all perfectly adjusted, and everything perfectly set up on a guitar, and with the strings perfectly tuned to pitch, a guitar will still never be in tune no matter what you do to it.

Yep and it is all down to the very fundamentals of the guitar and the fretboard.


You're a bass player!!! Don't be too hard on yourself!

Nah Gav I'm not being hard on myself at all!