If I might add a comment.
My primary instrument is drums. I gig most weekends and play guitar during the week and am fairly familiar with the FR system on an Ibanez. First thing I'll say in its defense, if I can tune it successfully, anyone can.
Here's the one I have...
Closer ups of the system itself.
So what I do is loosen the nut locks. Center the tuning screws on the FR bridge. Tune the guitar. Recenter the tuning screws and check tuning again. Tighten the nut screws and fine tune from the bridge. Once it's in tune only fine adjustments need be made at the bridge.
I have found that from season to season I have to do that unlocking tune. But for day to day, hardly have to mess with it at all.
If you have an interest, I have been thinking of selling this one.
If interested, PM me. ;)
Bish
"I play live as playing dead is harder than it sounds!"
My good buddy, a studio engineer, has a Ibanez with Floyd Rose, and he hates it. Mostly because of the problems that come with changing a broken string in the heat of the moment. Nice system, but I see the problems....
-MG
Floyd systems can be a real pain in the butt if you don't take the time to learn how to set them up. I have always used floyd rose systems, and Ibanez guitars, and I wouldn't discourage anybody from using them provided they take the time to set them up.
When I break a string I generally am back up and running within 5 minutes. All of the guitars I have had I prevented the bridge from 'floating' which will immediately remove a lot of headaches. If I break a string on stage I usually don't go out of tune too much and can at least keep in the game until I can grab another guitar. I block off the unit usually with a hard piece of wood, which means you cannot pull back on the bar, and who really needs to anyway. I'll take a pic of it someday and post it. Right now I have an Ibanez RG770 and actually have a real nice piece of plastic between the trem unit and the body where the sprigngs are, which I use 3 (springs). Because the bridge will not move back when a string breaks the bridge does not move back. Floyd systems are awsome, and my style of playing heavely relies on it, is almost like a different instrument really. I have always thought the biggest flaw was making them floating.
Your blocking for bend-down only applies to all floating trems, and is quite effective. I don't think you mentioned that one needs to "crank up" the spring tension a bit to make sure the bridge presses firmly on the block.
Minor point Some "purists" (e.g., Alan Holdsworth) have noted that a floating trem gives the ability to create create symmetrical vibrato around the fretted note -- something that cannot be done by string bending (up only) or by extension, a bend-down-only trem (obviously bend down only). But it's definitely a YMMV.
-=tension & release=-
Hey, thanks for that post because you made a point that I think is affecting my guitar right now. That is the spring tension, think I need some tighter springs. I am not very good with the tech aspects of guitar. Also, something else I would like to point out with Floyd systems, and this may seem really stupid. It is the position of the volume knob. That knob can get in your way when using the bar, it may sound stupid, but it is true. I am actually going to replace the knob itself because the one I have is too 'high' and gets in the way when using the bar. Sounds dumb, but it is true.
