Blocking a Floyd Rose

[@louiperz3714]

You're absolutely right. Even with a "good quality" floating bridge, the benefits don't outweigh the cons. Thank you for your video. Best one out there on the subject

[@jamesbrady3180]

Alejandro Castro thanks man!

[@liamguitars]

man I love playing floyds , if other people own and set them up I have been messing with them for 26 years and while fun , I dont really care for bar tricks they are cool but I just spent an hour stringing and setting up my s series and let me tell you NOTHING kills the creative forces like stringing a floyd.Just imagine all the great riffs stringing up floyds has killed. A moments silence for all those that have finally got it set up in tune and level ,at long last strapped it on hit that divebomb and snapped a string.

[@offhandacoustic]

When a floyd is setup right it can be an amazing thing to play but once they get out of whack its a nightmare. I have spent 18 years fighting my guitar and today I am giving up and blocking off my floyd. I know how they work and I know how to completely set one up including string gauge change but I am done with this stuff. I just want to play.

[@alec7568]

I agree, it's so much fun to play, the floating bridge mechanism looks awesome but everytime i re string it i curse its tediousness.

[@andy_182]

@@alec7568 buy the tremwedge kid mAkes it super easy

[@alec7568]

@@andy_182 i ended up just blocking the bridge

[@MetalGodOfLegend]

​@@alec7568im just thinking to sell my guitar and buy the same one but without floyd. I wish i could refund it but 6 months passed

[@BasilAnthem]

I have been playing my Hamer Californian with Floyd Rose for over 30 years and I've never been able to find a guitar that stays in tune so well, I literally avoided guitars without trems as I felt they always went out of tune compared to the Hamer. This video is mad news to me !

[@permanentwaves4621]

I just found a Jackson I couldnt live without but it had a Floyd on it. Too nice and too good of deal to pass up. My buddy told me to buy this thing off Amazon for $20...but I was like theres gotta be an alternative way. Thanks. Just found it.

[@Thesamtvv]

What was the thing?

[@johndesteno6461]

I wish I thought of this years ago. 3 of my favourite guitars only came in floyd versions and Ive been paying to have them professionally setup on a regular basis to avoid the frustration. Having a good floyd rose certainly does not outweigh the cons unless you are someone like Dimebag Darrell or Syn Gates that has a professional guitar tech following you around 24/7. I think I am going to purchase one of those official blockers to try it out

[@metal_musician4458]

I have one of the old, discontinued Squire Showmasters, and this video is a godsend

[@mcboomsauce7922]

man......the funk sequence made this work so well

[@roadtonever]

Nice. I don't use trems, but I get trem equipped guitars for the tone, it's a bit deeper vs a hardtail.

[@alec7568]

I went back to playing my ibanez s series after a while of not touching it, spent ages setting up the guitar, balancing the tension of the speings and the strings, was so pleased with myself. Tried to pull up on a pinch and snapped my a string. I immediately pulled out every piece of spare change i could find and some tape. I can now enjoy my s series properly.

[@OldManJenkins23]

I've never understood people's issues with Floyd trems. Yes they're a pain to string and changing gauges/tunings can be a chore, but realistically you can set up a Floyd in 15 minutes if you have some experience. The tuning instability typically comes from people not fully stretching their strings before locking them down. There are other options than fully blocking the trem too. You can deck the trem (dive only) which eliminates the fear of going wildly out of tune when you break a string. A pretty common trick I've seen floating-trem guys do is leave a little block like the one you made on their amp or taped to a mic stand, and if they break a string in the middle of a song they divebomb the trem and stick the block in to finish the song. It's the trade-off for being able to whammy the shit out of your guitar and stay in tune. But the most obvious answer to fix your Floyd Rose problems... trade it in for a hardtail!

[@dkev0]

Or just block the Floyd.

[@carterpopple2534]

I’ve been playing for 12 years and I work as an instrument repair tech at a music store where I do woodwinds and guitar. I gotta say as long as you set the action right the first time you change gauges and stretch the strings right before you lock em down Floyd roses work exactly as advertised. My Ibanez rg5ex1 stays pretty much perfectly in tune and it’s a very average $400 guitar. My schecter diamond series is the same story. The thing I don’t think a lot of people understand is Floyd rose is completely reliant on that tension equilibrium so you just can’t do alternate tunings. Maybe it’s because I’ve always been a tinkerer but besides the fact that you’re stuck in a single tuning I really don’t have any downsides. All that being said my main guitar is a fender contemporary strat. It’s supposed to be floating but because of the way the bridge is you can set it so all you can do is dives and it works just like a hard tail or whammy system on steroids. Stays perfectly in tune as long as you don’t go crazy with the tremelo bar and you can set it to standard tuning and change the tuning to any drop tuning you want and you don’t have to change the setup at all I wish they made more floating bridges with that option🤷‍♀️

[@baadrqaaba9529]

In my case i couldn’t find a guitar with the specs i want with a hardtail , the only model i have found is the floyd rose special model . So am gonna block it as well.

[@73challenger5031]

The trick to changing strings on a floating trem is to change one string at a time and tune each string up as you go so you don't lose tension. It ain't rocket science.

[@kucykkucykowski3951]

I have the same done on LTD MH 350 FR and LTD H351 FR. The first one in D # with the descent to C # and the second one in D with the descent to C. I have it done in such a way that I only use a micro-tuner to lower the tuning. Very comfortable and stable in the outfit. I kept my floyd down to the whammy. I am blocked by a screwed metal plate on the side of the springs, thanks to which it is half functional.

[@eliaspap8708]

Thanks great tip, my worst decision was to buy a fender strat with a floyd rose. You mentioned there was a third party locking devise? Do you have the details were i could buy that?

[@gloomshrooom]

Best video I’ve seen for this…

[@crazydudejeff1701]

What if you wanna send a harmonic to the moon. I don’t use it much.

[@andrewhume9467]

I too am going to join the blocking off club. Like you all say, I just want to play!

[@KR4Qep]

i drop d to standard and back constantly and i can't get my d-tuna to drop the e properly when i change the e to drop d our back to e i have to spend 10 minutes tuning each string multiple times as a go from string to string to balance them all out. it's annoying. i thought about making my jackson the drop d guitar and my prs standard but i just want to play my prs so imma block the floyd

[@myleswagner7710]

Did you loosen the strings and springs when before you blocked it? I put a block in mine but when I down tune to drop c or more, the bridge starts disappearing in to the hole. Lol

[@timothyrussell2971]

Do I need to take the strings off to do this. I just replaced them and don't want to waste a good set of strings

[@jeffbizzle7180]

Was there a reason you sanded the wood block. Sorry for the stupid question. Thanks again

[@jamesbrady3180]

Not stupid at all. Just to smooth it out so it doesn’t mess up anything inside. Also to keep it flat

[@Randy-ul5hy]

Just curious...will the fine tuners on the bridge still work?

[@josesampaioramos3437]

Hi, good tips. Could you answer these questions? when you bend a string does it go out of tune once the nut is open? and, if I block the bridge just backwards and only go down the pitch (like a strat), does it go out of tune? Thank you.

[@justinTime077]

Thanks man I got a suite HM Stratocaster that I do not have any need for the floating bridge on but I just love the way the guitar played so I got it and took a risk on that but I’m definitely going to block it

[@Bflatest]

I remember in the 80s I had one that had a screw and it would block it

[@johnaranjo2059]

If your in standard tuning and jever change i can maybe see the pros out weighing the cons. However i will be blocking my floy rose as well i wanna be able to drop d without an allen key lol. Not to mention tuning in general takes wayy to long

[@Matthew750-4]

Will this damge the guitar in anyway by doing this??? By tuning down and up once and a while

[@jamesbrady3180]

I don’t wanna give just a blanket statement since every guitar is inherently different. But in my experience I’ve had no issues. I’ve done it to two guitars. No damage. And I’ve tuned up and down a number of times. Changed strings etc.

[@RC_Cola2020]

Do you take off the screwed down top for the nut?

[@jamesbrady3180]

You don’t have to. I left mine on

[@Matthew750-4]

​@@jamesbrady3180yo what about changing strings while having it blocked? Do I have to unblock them trem and start the normal process all over again

[@jamesbrady3180]

@@Matthew750-4 What I did is leave one string on for tension. Change all the other strings. Tune up. Then change the last one

[@Matthew750-4]

@@jamesbrady3180 smart 👌

[@c.f.pedraza4057]

Okay, I'm gonna have to make a video how to use a Floyd. I've seen too many people post videos of this blocking the trem thing, and its a damn shame.

[@osirisblaster]

Wheres the video. I have an edge 2 on an ibanez and I was able to set it up properly on 10s but switched it to 12s and I've lost hope.

[@c.f.pedraza4057]

@@osirisblaster I had to add springs for just 11s, but the bridge became too hard to pull and what not. I'd just stick with one particular string set, at 10 gauge. It's a compromise but adding extra springs just adds too much tension. Idunno how Stevie Ray Vaughn was able to do it on a Fender bridge with 12s. I just became content with 10s for a Floyd.

[@raserapps8230]

i love using them but i bought a preowned ESP recently with a floyd and it was a really good deal. unfortunately the previous owner had swapped out the floyd rose special it came with when new, for a cheap licensed under floyd rose copy. I think they were adjusting them pivot bolts and trem height under full string tension and it cut into the knife edges, and also probably the trem is made with cheaper quality metal. so it catches and grinds a bit on them pivot bolts especially on the bar side. I am going to swap it out when i can afford a decent one that fits, but for now, to be able to play it and stay in tune, i needed a quick way to just lock it off. Id already done this method though except not with wood. i just jammed some random small crap in there. i'll have it divebombing again soon tho 100%

[@DarkBlackReaper]

Is that possible with edge zero bridge? especially interested with that "coin side block"

[@jamesbrady3180]

Djordje Petric definitely possible. Although I explained it as a Floyd rose I just mean the type or bridge being a floating trem. This bridge is the edge zero and this guitar is still going strong with that exact block

[@DarkBlackReaper]

@@jamesbrady3180 Thank you for the quick reply! Good video man, keep it up!

[@RNicolasRuvalcaba]

People probably use this method to keep their Floyd in tune while recording..

[@standodge5536]

I have a problem palm muting my LTD black metal. Every time I touch the bridge I here the chords dive a little. Is there a fix other than blocking? It’s really touchy. I want to use the FR that’s why I bought this model.

[@jamesbrady3180]

Hmmm maybe your resting your hand to much on it or pressing down to hard. Try backing off a little if possible. Other than that I’m not sure what you could do. Maybe get a setup with heavier strings if you downtune. You’ll have to set the tension differently on the springs for the bridge.

[@TitaniusAnglesmith]

I recently got a Jackson RRX24 and have the same problem. I'll keep trying to adjust my technique but I've been playing on a fixed bridge for so long.

[@itaiitai8960]

What if i want to block but still use a bit of Tremolo ? i would have to leave a bit space between the wood and the block ? will it still give the same effect of tuning stability etc ?

[@XxStonedImmaculatexX]

Wow I didnt know you could just take off the top nut part? I had mine set up professionally and learn new things about it everyday including this today lol I had the luthier install a D Tuna for drop D and I use a Digitech Drop Tune for lower tunings but I really like having locking tuning keys, locking nut and bridge. I also blocked the bridge so it doesn’t float although you can bend it forward only, this is due to the D Tuna I believe. I haven’t had any issues so far and am really liking the setup I got going but I’ll keep in mind removing the top nut pieces for future reference!

[@RolandDeschain1]

I saw a guy just stick a AA battery under the floating bridge to keep it level. Is that basically the same effect?

[@jamesbrady3180]

I’m no expert lol. I guess it’s effectively the same thing. However since a AA is rounded it could possibly move

[@RC_Cola2020]

The AA battery will eventually leak battery acid

[@RichLunaMusic]

Oh man, this is the stuff right here. I was looking at the ESP LTD Black Metal Arrow since I love Black Metal and haven’t had a Floyd Rose since I first started learning how to play guitar many moons ago so that would be a huge plus but then I also saw the EC 1000 Duncan which comes with gold hardware so that looks a little more amazinger. The pro and con with that are the passive pickups. Since I also play more Pop Punk and Post-Hardcore, the non-V would probably be more appropriate and maybe more comfortable but a guitar is still a guitar, right? Anyhoo, I feel like the blocking trick would help become the medium between both styles of bridges. I could find some creative options with the whammy bar but I don’t listen to any artists or bands that actually use one except for maybe Dimmu Borgir’s earlier stuff. We’ll have to see, I guess ha. Keep rocking though! \m/

[@guitarchugs9191]

Any guitar can play any kind of music!

[@blakebrown1255]

I have a jiva 10 as well

[@brandonanderson2066]

Everytime I find the perfect ibanez it only comes with a floyd.

[@jay-pt8er]

aight. thanks for this. i'll be your 100th subs. keep rockin 🤘

[@jeffbizzle7180]

What did you do about the fine tuners? Did you have to mess with them?

[@jamesbrady3180]

After I blocked the bridge I just use the tuners on the headstock. Didn’t have to mess with the fine tuners at all

[@jeffbizzle7180]

Thanks!

[@DLCoker666]

Did you leave the strings on when blocking it?

[@lankynobr1m20]

I also have a Jiva 10 and I am going to get a Tremol-no do I get the small clamp of the pin type.(great content i subbed)

[@jamesbrady3180]

Thanks man!

[@justinTime077]

Love your fretboard. I almost got that one.. and

[@sneadmc]

James....after you block it...does it matter about the "old" tuner knobs on the floyd rose itself ? do you tighten them all the way down or leave loose...or doesn't matter ?

[@jamesbrady3180]

Mark Snead I put them all in a neutral position and left them like that. I believe they’d still fine tune. But I just use the actual tuning pegs.

[@sneadmc]

James Brady appreciate it

[@GimliSohn]

i just blocked mine off, put it roughly in tune and used the nuts and knobs for fine tuning. It works both ways^^

[@crazydudejeff1701]

Zakk doesn’t like the floating bridge

[@rjjrdq]

blocked it off and it isn't level. I can't see how to make it level.

[@johng2880]

Undo the locking nut. Remove your block (it's the wrong size). Get the trem level and in tune by loosening or tightening the screws in the cavity while keeping it in tune with the tuning machines. Once you've gotten it level, then block it again.

[@freevcards9290]

How would you restring it though

[@jamesbrady3180]

Free V Cards after its blocked the bridge stays in place. Change one string at a time. Same method as you would with this bridge. Loosen the hook, clip the ball at the end of the string, insert in bridge, tighten. And string it up.

[@billspmaxx6490]

I dont understand people having such hard times with Floyd Rose trems, they just are not that complicated, and when I hear someone admit they cant handle one it just makes me scratch my head. Do theses same people not drive manual cars? or do they have laces on thier shoes? Maybe you all use velcro to secure your boots... I'm guesing?

[@TitaniusAnglesmith]

I don't like spending 30 minutes just changing tunings, plus I find palm muting with a Floyd kind of finnicky

[@idontgivea1769]

Couldn’t you just leave the locking nuts in place? Looks weird without them

[@joao_miguel_lc]

Only after you get the strings in tune. Otherwise, they'll just block the strings from moving, and you won't be able to use the actual headstock tuners to tune them, which is the whole purpose of blocking the floating bridge

[@justinfendelet8675]

Being a,Lefty I ordered with a Floyd Rose ughh no try before buy ...Hate it ....I need the lock off glad it can just comes off I like behind the nut bends...

[@1912gaurang]

Thankyou so much

[@thinkofparis]

what tremolo/bridge is that? It looks cool. I have an older RG3550 which has the ibanez Edge Zero tremolo. Is that bridge the one that came with the Ibanez or did you replace it with an actual Floyd Rose brand bridge? I am curious of the year and model of that guitar? Ibanez S series, 2015?

[@jamesbrady3180]

Taylor Mabe It’s an edge zero 2. Made by Ibanez. It’s the original bridge that came with the guitar. I’m pretty sure this guitar just came out. So I think it’s 2018. It’s an S body. But the model is called Jiva 10. Nita Strauss signature. I have another video where i review the entire guitar

[@thinkofparis]

@@jamesbrady3180 It looks cool. I have a few older Ibanez guitars. I have a 2009 RG3550MZ and a 2012 Ibanez RG3250MZ. Both have the edge zero trem. I love it. I have blocked off one side of the trem so that it is dive only. That works great for me. I also have a 1976 Ibanez Les Paul copy. I LOVE that guitar. I got the sense that you play heavy music. You may dig this: kzbin.info/www/bejne/oIrVkqCAqaiZnpI Swift, metal band from North Carolina.

[@jamesbrady3180]

Taylor Mabe thanks man. I’ll check it out!

[@XManX102]

thx for the help

[@husseinramass3286]

Thankssss master

[@mamuli8410]

Wish I know this video before :C

[@crazydudejeff1701]

I don’t use the locking on my Rose. idenez

[@ymelfilm]

Nowadays u can buy a hardtail guitar for nuts. Why do u need a Floyd guitar if u block the essence? Leave it as it is and choose another additional guitar. U ll enjoy an NGD and dont mess up with the trem.

[@snypergaming1744]

I am watching this video because my edge trem in my Jem Jr cant take my 12-68 strings that are going to torture my fingers yay ! Thicker strings

[@WaleshiddenhistoryMD]

Why would you buy a guitar like that if you are going to block the Floyd just get a different guitar if you don't like floating tremeloes

[@SteepRZ]

Un fracaso de inversión para que algo que raspa desesperadamente por aparentar ser un éxito.

[@graou_paou]

DONT BUY THE TREMOL-NO. doesn't worth the money at all

[@jamesbrady3180]

Nikos P. I never tried it. Just saw a demo. What happened in your case? I’m curious.

[@graou_paou]

@@jamesbrady3180 I bought it. I paid 90€ with shipping. I set it up as the creator of the Tremol-no said, exactly like that. I'm making this statement cause he said many times that if it malfunctions it's cause we set it up incorrectly. Bullshit.. The "moving" parts don't grip well so it moves if u put some pressure. Also the joint part, wiggles for no reason. Please don't get it if you value your time and money. Some time ago I thought it was cool, but a week later problems started to appear

[@jamesbrady3180]

Nikos P. Wow. That’s crazy

[@roccanto86]

Mine works really good! Anyway I'll try to block the trem with the L block itself, anyone has try this?

[@SpunktAlex]

Second that. Bought it several years ago and on installing one of the little grub screws just casually "dug" into the piece- Did nothing, just normal hand tools. Quality was just shit. Maybe a bad batch/piece or something and I was just unlucky. Never tried it since. Wood block all the way.

[@harold1632]

BLOCK UR

[@TheRichiesambora]

It’s not a “Floyd” its an Ibanez bridge

[@73challenger5031]

If you want different tunings and different string gauges on a FR bridge guitar, just do what I did and buy or build more guitars and set them up once and you're done. Duh. Standard tuning, RG350MYE. When I want to play drop D with 10"s on it, I just pick up the black, Ibanez RG370. When I want to play slide, I pick up the Epiphone Cherry Burst Les Paul with the raised nut, tuned to open G, etc... It ain't rocket science. Man, after reading the comments on here, I'm very disappointed. Maybe it's just floyd rose owners but, I own 15 Ibanez RG's and JEMs and I've never had an issue with any Edge Trem on any of my guitars. I've got TRS, TRS II's Edge II's, Edge III's Original Edge , Lo Pro Edge and Edge Pro trem's and absolutely none of them have EVER given me a problem with tuning stability!!! I think you should all take the time to learn how they operate and have some patience. Do you really think that Vai and Satriani would put up with an inferior product on their money-maker? They use the same Edge systems that are on the production models so, I think they know what they're working with. Try harder people. PS. when you change strings on a floating trem, change one string at a time and tune each string up to pitch before changing the next string. You're welcome.

[@TitaniusAnglesmith]

Some of us are what is called "poor."

[@73challenger5031]

@@TitaniusAnglesmith Well, I'm not exactly what you'd call "well off" but, I've been collecting and building guitars for 45 years so, it's not like I bought them all at once. If you want it, you gotta put your mind to it and just do it. I hate to say it but, there seems to be a lot of negative energy toward locking trems here in the comments and I think all this video did was allow people to use it as a crutch and say, "I just can't do it." If locking trems were as horrible as people are making them out to be, guitar companies would stop producing them, don't you think? IMO, there are people who figured it out and quitters.