How To Install A Floyd Rose (Kramer Baretta Special)

Hey guys here’s how I installed this Floyd rose special on this Kramer Baretta special. It wasn’t too difficult. Hope it was a help if your guys were interested in doing this same modification on this guitar or any guitar. Stay tuned for the Kramer Baretta 5150 build.
Materials
Floyd rose
www.amazon.com...
Ryobi Router
www.amazon.com...
Router bits
www.amazon.com...
Templates
www.ebay.com/i...
Instagram:
@jake_the_fate_
TikTok:
@jake_the_fate
Apple Music & Spotify:
distrokid.com/...

[@jmtbuilds175]

I hope Jake doesn't mind if I add a few things to what has already been said and done about adding a Floyd to a Baretta Special. First, for those attempting this mod without the use of a drill press. I recommend using brad point drill bits. They have a point in the center that helps to keep the bit from walking. Second, I used a 25/64" drill bit for the posts. Using a piece of Painters tape on the drill bit to help know when to stop drilling is not perfect. If you go too deep, you can use a number 6 flat washer to shim your post depending how far you drilled past the depth of the post. Third, there is an issue with these guitars at the nut. the truss rod route is very wide and as you see in this video, the bass side hole for the locking nut ends up straddling the wood and the truss rod route. I built a small bridge from a tiny piece of scrap wood and glued in place. It really helps and I still have access to the truss rod. 4th, buy a cheap set of calipers to measure everything during the build.

[@watchingthecrazyworld7761]

Your video caused me to do some research on this. You have a great example here. For a standard Floyd Rose 10mm stud, it is recommended to use a 9.7mm drill bit. The stud post shelf is recommended to be routed to a depth of 7mm. And for the fine tuning end of the FR it is recommended to route to a depth of 12mm. Maybe someone has these questions, and this will be helpful. Thanks again for the video.

[@kouki8334]

I can’t lie the purple with the chrome Floyd looks sexy asf! Rest in peace EVH

[@chrisa1125]

You did a great job with it dude, thanks for sharing your work! Very helpful! I have a white Baretta Special and have thought about doing this.

[@xeroinfinity]

Looks and sounds great man! Im in the process of doing my first Floyd install, on a Fender Strat. I think Ive watched a dozen other videos and yours was the best Imo. All those others jumped around and it seemed like they were just trying to sell me something. This helped me a lot! Thanks!!!

[@jakethefate]

Thank you man!! Yeah iv seen those where it Starts off “this what you need to install this” and the next clip it’s them “okay so after it’s installed make sure to do this” and it’s like wait I don’t know how you did that 😂 but I’m glad I was able to help my Brotha!

[@xeroinfinity]

@@jakethefate , thats exactly how those other videos go. 😂 And since there are several Floyd designs my measurements prob arent the same as those videos. So Im just gonna wing it! Lol

[@marvinwilson3207]

@@xeroinfinityyo if you haven't already I definitely recommend putting some kind of metal piece I think Darrell Braun's (sorry if I butcher the name) did that cause the floyd can bust the wood since on a regular strat it has not that much space between the pickup route and the posts.

[@xeroinfinity]

@@marvinwilson3207 I have removed the entire factory bridge mount area, and replaced it with a large piece of oak. Its all good now, and hopefully it will never break or rip out the posts. 🤞 I think when Im done painting, I'll make a short video about it all. short by no more than 1 hour long Lol

[@mercedese5507]

I just purchased a blue Barretta Special. I want to install a Schaller Floyd Rose. The Schaller version of the Floyd is far superior to the regular named Floyds.

[@ILLRICARDO]

You could have just purchased the Kramer Baretta original series which often goes on sale for 350, and it has a Floyd rose.

[@davespin9034]

But, those are $699 to $799, his cost $179 and he chooses which Floyd Rose and which color. $179 + $350 max for an original Floyd rose is just $529 and he did it his way. And they don't come recessed like he wanted it. And he will paint it his color. I bought the Bumblebee yellow one and love it, but wouldn't have chosen the black hardware, maybe black nickel. Doing things custom costs more in $$$ or time. He saved money and like me probably likes doing his own work.

[@stephenthegimp3256]

Instead of double sided tape you could also use normal tape on both pieces and apply ca glue on one side and accelerator / water on the other. Works just as fine.

[@Ophidicus]

That's sick, looks like it plays perfect. I did a top mount Floyd just like my Focus 1000 and it sits perfect, there's a guy from Greece that makes the floyd nut shim so you can install it without cutting or modifying the nut slot and floyd stud template for top mount and it's right on. I did 2 Specials and they both came out great.

[@ddactar]

Cool! I am currently setting up a work bench, should be fun.

[@jakethefate]

I hope so bro! Ganna make your guitar work a lot more enjoyable!

[@tuberocker69]

Looks like you had fun! I just bought a new Kramer Nightswan and the nut is too high. I'm afraid to sand it down - which sucks because I'm a fair ways away from any competent luthier, and haven't gotten to play it. I also own a couple of baretta specials and love them both.

[@krma1970]

Very nice job. Intimidating but you got it right!

[@jakethefate]

Thank you my brother! Yes it’s a very intimidating guitar to replicate just the letters EVH is intimidating 😂 but we have to keep his name alive

[@mikecooper8465]

I put a Vegatrem on my special no mods needed. It works just as good as a floyd. they are a bit pricey though. I would have gone with the gotoh 1996t instead of the floyd special.

[@jakethefate]

Yeah I was thinking that even an frx but I just wanted to try to see if I could even do it 😂 I might upgrade it down the road plus I got a Seymour Duncan goin in this too so it was almost more then the actual guitar in upgrades, which is not bad but I wants to upgrade it on a budget for now. But honestly dude I might do that on another Kramer Baretta special cus these guitars are awesome! Iv never tried a vegatrem so it’ll be interesting

[@zAvAvAz]

So kooL. Hey put in a SUHR thornbucker in there. Or a Dimarzio D Activator bridge. That would be cool. So would a seymour duncan Pegasus or Dimebucker. For molten metal and keeping the baretta thick sounding like the ibanez destroyer was with the thinner duncan custom SH5 in it on VH1 before it got cut up into the shark mouth guitar for an album cover picture with a thicker dimarzio.. If want more VH sound could opt for the EVO 2. That would sound good. 9:20 yeah you are correct Original floyd rose recessed has more cutout to the right side of the route shape. That is really important if you are doing a reverse flipped body shape style or a lefty, because it is Assymetrical because it is not even on both sides.

[@jakethefate]

Thank you man! Yeah dude the dimebucker is by far my favorite pickup I have a few on a few guitars and the Pegasus also on a few guitars, lost count and track on the EMG’s 😂 but I have tried a few DiMarzio’s but I just haven’t found the right one and it’s been years since I tired some but I might give those a try! Thank you man

[@DreidMusicalX]

You did a great job! It think the only thing I would have done different is filled those 6 screw holes before routing it, and then painted it. But great job!

[@bryanwillis4373]

Lol im waiting for my baretta for do this too, i hope to see more progress soon

[@frodogaming491]

Killer job bro u always on point any strat style guitar tutorial I come to ur videos awesome job man 🤙🔥🔥🔥🔥

[@1996smashing]

Love the tutorial man. I wanted to do the same to a Barretta Special

[@evilempire1808]

You did very well. The guitar maintains the tuning. That is the important thing. I am also installing a cheap floating bridge and right now I have to do the routing. What nerves. Your guitar looks very well painted and modified that mine hahahahahaha The only thing I do not understand is that it does not have two microphones. I don't understand those guitars. But it's a matter of taste I guess... Best regards!

[@MichaelDouglasSkewes]

Cool video, and Floyd Rose Special is the best as far as I am concerned, everything else does nothing worth the money ! At least you kept blessing the guitar by saying Jesus over and over again! On to your next video! I'm doing the same thing, same color guitar too!

[@kalvinmiller8233]

Nice job

[@adamkorzon2972]

They should have at least put the 2 pole standard bridge fender uses now.That way you can upgrade without a bunch of holes in the body.

[@jakethefate]

Yeah man I was thinking the Same I think even some of the newer Jackson JS series have the the two poles instead of all the 6 screws which is a lot more convenient if you want to do some kind of dives and stuff

[@bbqchickenwingsofredemptio449]

This looks alot harder than it looks and I'm no handy man, ill fuck it up

[@tyreekmurillo4524]

can you do an update video to show us if the floyd special is still holding tune or not? personally i would’ve just spent the money up front for a high quality tremolo.

[@jakethefate]

I made a video on a trem stabilizer not too long ago I put on this guitar and I kinda explain the effects adding a Floyd rose special

[@user-nc6cz6mf3b]

Is your headstock broken? I just want to do the same but I’m afraid for my headstock

[@ltcuaa]

intonation will be off, you changed string length by moving the nut closer to the bridge

[@bryancabrera-qz5yl]

Does it stay in tune after like a lot of dive bombs?

[@bacbkamyzehik7177]

Is it possible to install single pickup on this guitar?

[@jakethefate]

For the neck position? Or the bridge?

[@bacbkamyzehik7177]

@@jakethefate Neck

[@watchingthecrazyworld7761]

It looks like they marked the template upside-down.

[@jakethefate]

Dude yes!!! I literally did a route two days ago and I flipped it over and it seemed to spot on lol

[@oBIGTo]

Hate to say this, but the posts are too far back, and the wood will crack eventually. Not trying to bust your chops, but there are templates that you can but from StewMac that you can actually use two of the 6 screws to line it up properly.

[@jakethefate]

Your 100 percent right lol and I take it as constructive criticism so I can actually do it better next time, thank you brother!

[@jmtbuilds175]

I noticed that the posts look too far back as well. I measured from the nut shelf, 26-1/16" and that is the center of the post holes. My holes are much more forward. I also notcied the same issue on greg talks guitar floyd install video. I was concerned with intonation. @@jakethefate

[@mark006868]

jake the fate ...I love instructional videos made by people who don't know the first thing about what they are doing....lololololol

[@DanZedDannyboy6009]

Says the guy with 3 subscribers... Cute*

[@archangel156]

Holy crap!! You just destroyed a perfectly good guitar. Anyone who follows this tutorial will destroy their guitar as well. There's a reason the frets have certain spaces between them, if you move the location if the nut by cutting the fretboard, you just through your entire intonation off the entire neck. You measured your scale length incorrectly and then never double checked it before routing the bridge. Scale length is measured from the back of the nut, neck side, to the high E string saddle where the string crests over the saddle. That should be 25.5". After watching this and seeing other video make simular mistakes, I think I need to put a video up so this misinformation stops. Me: 40 years as guitar tech and 30 years Luther. Installed dozens of FR. Never ever like this. Video is pretty well done, just wish the info was correct.

[@TheRatman969]

Are you serious?Perhaps you should have in those 40 years as a tech and 30 as a luthier purchased a set of glasses... He didn't route the fretboard where the nut adjoins but the far side ridge towards the headstock even used a flushed piece of metal that router bearing would come into contact with and started a such. I actually watched whole thing after seeing your comments. Although not the cleanest install what your your crying about is dead wrong.... As far as measurements of scale length the saddles are adjustable you tool. As long as there exists enough movement fore and aft in saddles unto which Floyd's have multiple adjustment holes you should know with such vast experience the guitar will absolutely intonate and scale length remains unchanged.There is no such thing as a precision measurement of saddle location for so called scale length although most would use half the movement range or what template specification calls for location of bridge. From nut to 12th being half absolutely.Yes scale length is determined at break point of saddle but is only an average as all strings are in fact compensated for .. Care to argue? Which saddle would you measure to? Lol. the intonation location will vary from string to string and with tuning as well as gauge used as well.i challenge you to rewatch and apologize for trying to be a know it all when your totally wrong. I'll gladly disprove either of your complaints readily. Btw this is his first time he was doing such a mod ,he didn't mislead anyone even mentioned unsureness in areas.it's certainly not the cleanest,nut could be better supported,route not cleanest either but good for him to do a low buck project it's actually functionally correct. It's literally a piece of wood. How's evh Frankenstein play? 😂

[@DanZedDannyboy6009]

@@TheRatman969 Well put.. the amount of Jokers commenting negative sh*t about Jake's install just makes me shake my head!! I think he did a great job, and he's showing us that you can take a decent low cost guitar and do the mod's yourself (like Eddie did All of his mod's).. Good job Jake, Love your vid's and your energy man, thanks for the inspiration (I'm Actually gonna' attempt this)... Keep up the great work!!

[@MikeBall-sz2jf]

Just buy a baretta dude.