Total Beginner

[RAG Inc]

Finished the STAF-1 but unhappy with the Floyd Rose - don't know why - I cant play a guitar anyway. Currently working on a PB Bass kit.
Can anyone point me in the right direction regarding replacing the Floyd Rose bridge on the STAF-1? I would like to replace it with a Strat style tremolo. I have no problem with modifying the cavity to suit. I would envisage removing the strings and the bridge, modify the cavity and install the replacement bridge. PBG appear to have quite a range of bridges - any ideas regarding the most suitable? Thanks.

[Simon Barden]

Because of the locking nut and the fact that the Floyd Rose has its fine tuners built-in, you'd need to replace both the trem and fit a standard nut. Fitting a standard nut isn't as easy as it seems because the locking nut sits on a much wider flat base than a normal Gibson-style end-of-fingerboard nut sits on. You'd never fit a more appropriate Fender-style nut, as that needs to sit in a slot in the fretboard.

You'd need to measure the width of the neck at the nut (normally 42mm or 43mm) and get one that's the same width and has sufficient height so that sitting on the flat base the locking nut currently sits on, the nuts slots will be the same height or slightly taller than the nut slots on the locking nut. You can always bring slots lower, but it's hard to make them taller. There will probably be a ridge of exposed wood without any finish on that you'll need to add some finish to.

Floyd Rose trems were originally designed to fit in a standard Strat trem cavity. The extra routing at the rear came later to allow for extreme pull-ups, and the routing at the front of the cavity on the top to allow the trem to sit lower to allow for the thicker trem base-plates.

So you should be able to simply drop-in a more conventional 2-point Strat trem using the exiting posts and inserts, just leaving you with a decision as to whether to fill-in the rout at the back of the trem or not. It's going to be more a visual rather than practical thing, as 2-point trems need to be set up to float slightly.

If you wanted a traditional 6-screw Strat trem, then the front rout would definitely need to be filled and the post inserts may first need to be removed and the holes filled if the two outer screws impinged upon the post positions, as you can't screw into metal.

Which makes the 2-post trem option the best bet IMO. What I don't know is the existing post spacing, so you'll need to measure the distance between the centres and look for a matching 2-post trem. they are generally very similar widths, but they can vary by a few mm. You need one that is designed for the correct width though, otherwise the saddles will end up offset to the left or right, and the strings will run at a skewed angle down the fretboard.

Some 2-post trems will quote a range of post widths, but this is very misleading. These trems normally come with a semi-circular cut-out for the post on the bass side, and a longer flat blade on the treble side. This allows the treble side post to be less accurately placed, but the bass-side post centre to the middle of the trem must be half the post to post distance. So it's probably best to look for a trem with two semi-circular cut-outs designed for the same post centre distance as the Floyd has.

Give us that dimension, and then we can make some suggestions.

[mrCharlesvat]

Hi,
Sorry if this question has already been answered, but I did not found the answer: I dont remember how to change the unit name.
Can someone help me?
thanks,
FLS

[Simon Barden]

Hi,
Sorry if this question has already been answered, but I did not found the answer: I dont remember how to change the unit name.
Can someone help me?
thanks,
FLS

I don’t think you can change your user name yourself. Use the ! in a triangle symbol available at the bottom of each post to alert and send a message to a moderator (who if anyone can change a user name they can) who can probably change it for you. But the forum software may not allow that, but they’ll let you know the best option if not.