Forum Home Forum Home > Other music related lounges > Tech Talk
  New Posts New Posts RSS Feed - Floyd Rose fine tuner issue
  FAQ FAQ  Forum Search   Events   Register Register  Login Login

Topic ClosedFloyd Rose fine tuner issue

 Post Reply Post Reply
Author
Message
macguier View Drop Down
Forum Newbie
Forum Newbie
Avatar

Joined: June 09 2016
Location: Pennsylvania
Status: Offline
Points: 4
Direct Link To This Post Topic: Floyd Rose fine tuner issue
    Posted: June 09 2016 at 22:20
Hello! I'm brand new to the forum. I've been playing guitar since I was 12 (I'm 42), I've had every type of guitar imaginable, including several with Floyd Roses.

I recently purchased a Fender-made EVH Wolfgang Standard. I love it. I bought an original Floyd Rose and installed it to replace the EVH Floyd. I have it blocked with a stopper underneath, it does not float.

It works great. BUT. It's brand new, but for some reason the High E fine tuner feels loose and the High E will not stay in tune to save its life. 

Any thoughts on how to deal with a loose fine tuner (that's new???)?

Thanks for any thoughts. 
Back to Top
Atavachron View Drop Down
Special Collaborator
Special Collaborator
Avatar
Honorary Collaborator

Joined: September 30 2006
Location: Pearland
Status: Offline
Points: 64238
Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 09 2016 at 22:47
^ I assume it has no separate setting you'd adjust, a screw or socket/keywrench -

"Too often we enjoy the comfort of opinion without the discomfort of thought."   -- John F. Kennedy
Back to Top
macguier View Drop Down
Forum Newbie
Forum Newbie
Avatar

Joined: June 09 2016
Location: Pennsylvania
Status: Offline
Points: 4
Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 09 2016 at 23:08
No. The tuners push down on a metal plate that push the saddles up and down to fine tune after locking the nut. It's just a thumbscrew.
Back to Top
Atavachron View Drop Down
Special Collaborator
Special Collaborator
Avatar
Honorary Collaborator

Joined: September 30 2006
Location: Pearland
Status: Offline
Points: 64238
Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 09 2016 at 23:47
Only thing I can think is dropping $20 on a set of spare tuners; if it's simply worn threads on the peg, that's easy.   If it's faulty threads in the socket, I don't know -

Good luck

"Too often we enjoy the comfort of opinion without the discomfort of thought."   -- John F. Kennedy
Back to Top
Dean View Drop Down
Special Collaborator
Special Collaborator
Avatar
Retired Admin and Amateur Layabout

Joined: May 13 2007
Location: Europe
Status: Offline
Points: 37575
Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 10 2016 at 01:22

I would first try swapping the Top E tuner-screw with one of the others to see if it is the screw or the tapped hole that is the problem. I'd also check the saddle lock-down screw as the intonation adjustment affects the tuning so slippage in that would put the string out of tune.

There is one other possibility and that is the leaf-spring that the fine-tuner pushes against is broken or damaged. This is internal to the bridge itself so probably means sending the whole FR back to the supplier for replacement.


Edited by Dean - June 10 2016 at 01:27
What?
Back to Top
Atavachron View Drop Down
Special Collaborator
Special Collaborator
Avatar
Honorary Collaborator

Joined: September 30 2006
Location: Pearland
Status: Offline
Points: 64238
Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 10 2016 at 01:22
^ Good suggestion
"Too often we enjoy the comfort of opinion without the discomfort of thought."   -- John F. Kennedy
Back to Top
Dean View Drop Down
Special Collaborator
Special Collaborator
Avatar
Retired Admin and Amateur Layabout

Joined: May 13 2007
Location: Europe
Status: Offline
Points: 37575
Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 10 2016 at 02:32
On a slightly different subject (apologies for hijacking your thread Steve, but it's kinda related) - has anyone any experience of locking peghead tuners (aka Trim-Lok)? In principle these would work with a FR bridge instead of having a locking nut so each string could be unlocked individually, which would make tuning a touch easier and avoid inadvertently weakening strings when forgetting to unlock the nut before re-tuning.


What?
Back to Top
Dean View Drop Down
Special Collaborator
Special Collaborator
Avatar
Retired Admin and Amateur Layabout

Joined: May 13 2007
Location: Europe
Status: Offline
Points: 37575
Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 10 2016 at 03:43
After reading and posting in this thread I recalled that the subject of tuning problems with a FR trem/bridge has come up before. One of the ex-members of the forum was a luthier and one-time Stew-Mac guitar-tech called Tom (David may remember him as "Trademark") - a very outspoken person who was incredibly knowledgeable on all thing relating to guitar construction and had even written a book on the subjectTom was very anti-tremolo and specifically anti-FR so his advice was to not have them at all, however your blocking of the floating bridge so it isn't a tremolo negates most of his objections.

If my memory isn't failing me (since the forum search function currently is) I think he suggested several possible causes such as burrs on either the saddle or the nut which cause the string to jerk out of tune when bending the string during playing (though I suspect this would only really affect wound strings), or insufficient friction in the locking-nut so it's not actually doing its job. Therefore it may be worth checking that your locking-nut is actually clamping the Top-E string by slackening off the machine-head tuner to see if the string stays in tune. 

Just changing the gauge of your string may help here (go heavier if it is slipping in the nut or go lighter if it is a tension problem).

PS: this made me smile:



Edited by Dean - June 10 2016 at 04:37
What?
Back to Top
macguier View Drop Down
Forum Newbie
Forum Newbie
Avatar

Joined: June 09 2016
Location: Pennsylvania
Status: Offline
Points: 4
Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 10 2016 at 08:41
That's excellent advice, thank you! I will try it forthwith. And yes, that's basically what my underside looks like. Ummm, on the guitar.
Back to Top
Davesax1965 View Drop Down
Forum Senior Member
Forum Senior Member
Avatar

Joined: May 23 2013
Location: UK
Status: Offline
Points: 2826
Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 13 2016 at 05:15
Could the problem lie at the nut end ?

Whoops, already been said. Yep, with any trem, if the nut is sticky or badly cut or slightly misaligned, it tends to cause problems. Since you've got a microtuner at the bridge end, that just makes it worse as fine adjustments are more likely to throw the tuning out. 


Edited by Davesax1965 - September 13 2016 at 05:17

Back to Top
 Post Reply Post Reply

Forum Jump Forum Permissions View Drop Down



This page was generated in 0.113 seconds.
Donate monthly and keep PA fast-loading and ad-free forever.