Restringing a guitar with a locking tremolo (Floyd Rose).

[@pantsergeest]

Thanks to this calm explanation with attention to detail, I restringed my guitar in no time at all and it's completely in tune. Awesome!

[@chaplinnone1274]

The best restringing of a Floyd rose video on KZbin. Many videos don’t mention the fine tuners need to be backed off before retuning. Thanks.

[@rancherme]

Hi I'm the one this bought this guitar for my daughters boyfriend Matt. It was shipped to us in perfect new condition and plays like a dream. I would encourage anyone to purchase a guitar from Gordon's website you will save a bunch. Thank you so much for the wonderful deal and posting our guitar. If ever I need to purchase another one I will go to your site. P.S. We used your video you change the strings and it worked like a dream. Thanks.

[@ghazale9943]

I'm a self-thought beginner and I just panicked when my high e string broke and I had to change the strings because everybody said floyd rose guitars are so hard to restring. But I did as you said and I did it!!! It's in tune!!! I'm literally so happy thank you a million times!!^^

[@ragztheking]

This just happened to me! So you just restrung it one string at a time the high e ??

[@ghazale9943]

@@ragztheking yeah every instruction tells you to do it from low e but since my high e broke I thought I had to do it backwards and it was kinda the same but because you shouldn't tighten the bridge part completely as said in the video, applying the thicker strings made the thinner strings come out and it was scary 😂😂 so I guess you should just forget about high e and do it from the low e as instructed so you wouldn't have my problem!

[@ragztheking]

@@ghazale9943 so restring the high e then the low e and so on ?

[@ragztheking]

@@ghazale9943 is there anyway we can connect somewhere outside yt. shit is frustrating as f

[@ghazale9943]

@@ragztheking sure! Is instagram ok for you or maybe telegram?

[@burtonlumber6708]

I just bought a 1980 Washburn guitar with an old style Floyd Rose and had no idea what I was doing until I watched this so thank you very much.

[@achaarpickler]

Thank you sir. Great video, simple explanations, not too detailed and its hosted by a pleasant chap. Think I am ready for my first Floyd Rose bridge....

[@ferriswill4929]

achaarpickler 2 years into the future...how was it?!

[@Potatobrains_]

what about 3 years? that do anything for ya?

[@Zepla]

4? howed it turn out?

[@themdwboy]

This is enough proof i think to conclude Floyd's are life threatening!

[@omerutku8164]

I thought i was too,sadly it didnt go well :'(

[@StephenMcKynnley]

Gordon, this was the best demo I've seen so far for setting up Floyd Rose. Thanks for your help.

[@leewhitworth9142]

I seriously do not get how people don't like the Floyd Rose tremolo. Yeah, they're a pain to tune and they make the string changing process longer but how can you go wrong with a whammy bar you can PULL UP ON???? It's an awesome invention, way better than the conventional bars on Stratocasters.

[@varoujanyahyeyan4407]

Bro I was going to ask the same question! My whammy bar doesn't pull on but I want to know why? my whammy bar only can be pressed hard

[@riskyrecords1403]

Lee Whitworth I just prefer hardtails in general. A good idea would be to have a hardtail bridge with fine tuners and a locking nut. I'd buy that instantly

[@mouse_eater]

I hate Floyd Roses bridges, they significantly increase time it takes to tune and retune I only use whammy for gentle vibrato so Floyd's are completely worthless to me

[@georgethompson1535]

Mine came factory blocked so it sucks ass and there is no cavity

[@icevelvetzen]

I was all Floyd rose or bust in my youth. I eventually grew to hate it. Break a string live and your entire guitar goes out of tune. And I’m lazy, restringing is so much work, and try changing gauges...

[@benchristo1155]

Hey Gordon, huge thanks for this informed, well-taught and well-shot tutorial. Totally saved me at time of crisis!

[@Legoguylol4ever]

Thanks for posting this, it was really helpful. I'm planning on getting a Jackson JS32 with a Floyd, and it's much less intimidating than I thought.

[@AustinGuitarLessons]

Those are good guitars for the money.

[@Sakeroz]

yeah wth, i've heard all these nightmare stories about tuning/re-stringing these but it dident seem difficult at all

[@maconpittman9188]

Sakeroz it's mainly because a lot of people don't know you have to block off the bridge or it will shoot back from the tension

[@Walamonga1313]

Gordon Kahan They are? Nice! I was planning on getting one, hence why I'm watching this tutorial.

[@HuntingMontana]

Do you still enjoy that Jackson Floyd in the js32?? Buying one tomorrow but I am still torn on hard tail or floyd

[@WagTheDog_813]

Seriously dude i could not see how the strings went in ... Never figured they were cut and pinched .blown away. wow . thanks.

[@tonymasiellovids]

Thanks for this post. I just did my first string change on a Floyd Rose, and I must have used a different gauge than what was on there, because after my first pass, the back end of the tremolo was sticking up at a very high angle to the guitar. After watching your video a couple of times, I realized that I needed to increase the spring tension. It took me a few iterations, but now it seems I finally have the tremolo lined up with the body and the new strings in tune.

[@joema6550]

This is a very good point. From experience, I will tell you that on every Floyd I have ever used, strings always break right at the bridge. Therefore, if you leave the ball end on, string it through the tuner, then clip the string at the bridge end to leave only the desired slack, not only is it quicker, but if you leave enough slack on the tuner, when a string breaks, you simply let out some slack from the tuner and restring. Back when I was poor at GIT, I used the same strings for months. ;)

[@billy1858]

good video! just restrung my first edge pro bridge [quite a lot of adjustment at the end,turning the guitar on its front to adjust the 3 springs in the back then going back to the tuners on the front].took me a good one and a half hours !i wont be afraid to do the next one now . saved me about £40. thanks very much for posting this.

[@SergioBuilds2000]

someone brought this in to my guitar shop for restringing and as much hell as it is to restring it, it's definitely bringing us some business

[@numbers7889]

This was very helpful. It was much easier to tune a Floyd than a regular bridge guitar. You really helped me out with some tips. Thanks !!

[@johnclapham1371]

Excellent video. Great instruction. Very easy to follow. Thank you for sharing your knowledge of Floyd Rose guitar restring.

[@DonStrimbu]

Brilliant, Gordon. Thanks for sharing. I've found that you just can't rush final tuning; gotta "step" gently. Changing one string at at time makes it ten times easier, tho. Cheers!

[@spartanaerospace]

Great tutorial, simple with detailed video shots. First time changing out the strings this was exactly what I was looking for. Thanks

[@axekp]

That is one of the coolest explanations and a wonderful demonstration Ive seen! Thanks so much, and God bless.

[@johnwirk]

Did mine the first time without instruction....wrestled for 3 hrs....put it away for another day...went back....took my time, nailed it. Bridge is perfectly level, in tune with plenty of play in the fine adj. knobs....its a pain but worth it. Got a solid bridge guitar for my tune change when ever i want to play something heavy.

[@deberinaemelander9371]

On one part of the instructions, You said to 'unloosen' that .... wouldn't unloosen mean to 'make tighter?' ... just an observation....

[@meow_bastard]

You're a nitpicky fuck

[@rushpittsburgh4]

@@meow_bastard don't you mean he's as unparticular as virginity?

[@rushpittsburgh4]

@@meow_bastard tbh you're just not smart enough to hear how incorrect and stupid "unloosen" sounds. You show no class in more ways than one

[@macafromthewired]

@@rushpittsburgh4 shut up you pretentious bastard

[@Ears14U]

Great vid with the closeups. I've used a very small flat blade screwdriver to keep those graphite blocks in line. Thank you for the upload.

[@colletjeanbaptistefils4311]

i didn't know the Ryan's Reynolds dad play guitar. Good video,very instructive

[@jessepaulstudio]

You made this a lot more simple than most videos, thank you 👍

[@seizeimmunity4113]

this is very helpful, thanks mate. I bought a Jackson Js32 king V and i had no idea how to restring. Thanks agian.

[@iwontsubscribe]

Guys,This morning my uncle gave me a Ibanez guitar not the exact same model shown on the video.The following night I did some bridge adjustments and remove all the strings cause the A string was already missing.I decide to buy new one tomorrow so I leave stringless.The moment he said the graphite blocks can be easily removed when turning the guitar upside down I was like fuck!I threw the graphite block in the bin moments ago.So I dug up the whole bin for a hour and finally got back my graphite block.HAHAHAHA,Just something I would like share....:PP

[@achaarpickler]

You poor f*@# ha ha

[@marceloalejandro8228]

HAHAHA!!! i imagine your face like "FUCK FUCK FUUUCK D':"

[@viewingaccount9459]

Why would you throw it away to begin with? If something falls out of my guitar, odds are good that it belongs in the guitar. Idk maybe I'm the fucking moron here.

[@alexanderdragutinovic5151]

+Viewing Account Maybe he did not know that this was a guitar part at the first place.

[@viewingaccount9459]

alexander dragutinovic Then he shouldn't deserve this fucking guitar at all.

[@kevinpeterson4098]

Thank you for making this video! You helped me out my friend! I'll be waiting for some guitar playing help next!

[@StephenKilgour]

Thanks dude, best video I've come across for restringing floyd rose bridges

[@TheMeJustMe75]

I have played and owned a Ibanez with Floyd Rose for 24 yrs and always been afraid to do the string change myself. Now after watching the video, I think I'm ready to start doing the change myself for now on.

[@dieseldoctor415]

I should've watched this video first because I took off all my strings so I've been tuning for 3 hours and I'm still tuning -_- ( this is my first guitar with a Floyd so I'm new to it)

[@caseyjohnson9390]

Same dude! I put thicker gauge the first time (10-46) and then I put 9-42 the second time and now the a string plays a bit flat. I learn best from mistakes, and I usually make all of them the first time around

[@chenlankapulangames1990]

Go low e then high e a then b. You tune the string on the opposite side of the string you just tuned so the tension is even

[@R3d5ct3d]

(I’m aware this comment is seven years old, but) Also make sure to stretch your strings as much as you can while tuning because then you won’t have to keep retuning.

[@Logan-zo3lj]

​@@R3d5ct3dDo you deck the bridge while stretching ? My string easily go 1.5 tones flat with just a bit of stretching

[@patrickbryant8537]

Very Insightful and helpful,not sure why u don't block off the tremolo,put it in a fixed position, but video was very helpful,i bought a clip on tuner,amazing,and the cut string in middle has saved me so much time effort and frustration,i used to remove strings from the bottom then tuning peg,id always have so much trouble removing from tuning peg,the cut in middle method,basically the string just easily comes off,thank u so much,that was a major issue in me waiting a long time to restring, overall ur entire method is good

[@RadioHamGuy]

A lot of great tips thanks, especially on wrapping the string on the peg. I can never remember a good way to do that it seems.

[@paigeguitarplayer]

This video was so helpful gonna try this on my charvel san dimas this actually looks easy. Great video!

[@AustinGuitarLessons]

@13RGaun IMO you don't have to worry about taking all the strings off. Another trick is to just take the springs off and take the whole tremolo of the posts while the strings are still attached. This works well if you want to get to the fretboard but don't want to change the strings. If you have a anything but a maple fretboard, my favorite way to polish the neck is to use masking tape to cover the board, exposing only the frets. Use 0000 grade steal wool to clean them, makes them look like new!

[@aproctor1968]

All good advice, but it is worth noting that Ibanez bridges are a little different from the orginal Floyd Rose design. The original Floyd bridge seems to like being tilted back slightly.

[@AustinGuitarLessons]

@vi70h that's the new style Edge. Keep the ball ends on, pull the strings through so that they are pulling snuggly on those red clips, then tighten the nuts. Everything else works the same, you just don't have to cut off the ball ends. You can also remove the red pieces, if you want to go old school, they were just added to avoid the need for cutting off the ball end, they don't really improve the performance of the trem. Good luck, that's a nice guitar!

[@olikemp3543]

BEEN LOOKING FOR THIS FOR SO LONG I LOVE YOU

[@SwidishUsername]

Easy the best video for this out there! Nice work

[@AustinGuitarLessons]

@groovyhamster If you're guitar didn't move when you tuned really low, it was because the tremolo was no longer floating, it had settled all the way back. Some guitars go sharp when you lock the nuts so you might want to tune a little flat before you tighten the clamp. You also need to make sure that you are not changing the string gauge, that will affect where the trem sits. Sounds like you need to adjust the spring tension on the tremolo block.

[@TheRocknrolla12]

hi there, nice demo. Please note that, Ibanez Edge III Bridges will need appear a little tilted up to be setup flush to the body as these bridges are designed like the Original EDGE bridge rather than other floydrose bridge types. It does effect the tuning stability a lot in the long run. thanks

[@Blakullawitch]

Thanks for video, there are plenty of youtube videos about restringing floyd roses, but i was looking specifically for "Licensed" Floyd Rose set up, gdamn fine tuners are on the rear flap

[@Rickkelley365]

Two things: 1) I always tune up about a full step or even a tad more during the stringing process. This gives everything a good stretch. Then I gradually drop everything down as I do the final tension adjustments for the trem. 2) He really should have covered intonation. Most newbies don’t know what it is, why it matters, and how to deal with it. I always set intonation before locking everything down. Every set of strings is slightly different.

[@JamnThang]

Thanks for investing time teaching us so well. Most of us seem to appreciate you for it.

[@AustinGuitarLessons]

@Glazeman11 That adjusts the bridge height. The bass side should be lower because the strings are bigger. If you want lower action, screw them in a little but be careful, you might get string buzz or fretting out from this.

[@FreyaZeka]

Amazing explanation but after putting in the strings strumming any string is not making any proper note. The low strings are buzzing and the high strings sound like harmonics?

[@gokusgames]

Finally a proper floyd rose explanation

[@MsDavo123]

Just amazing video thanks a lot am i correct to say that with edge zero you would have much leas trouble?

[@interpolagent9]

What if I need to clean the fretboard? One string at a time seems to not leave much room for that. Just picked up a Kramer Assault but the fretboard is filthy. Ebony board to boot! Any tips would be great. This is my first FR guitar. Loved the video. The best one I've watched so far.

[@Vanes-NL]

Thanks for the great video! I have to change the strings on my Ibanez JS100 bk. Some good tips here.

[@miguelarce4929]

Solid video! Wish I had seen it earlier, I actually lost the graphite block for my high E string a little while back. A friend gave me an extra one that he had, but it doesn't seem to work, as soon as the string gets slightly in tune the block raises and releases the string. Do you have a suggestion on how to get an appropriate replacement graphite block? I play an LTD KH-330. Much appreciated!

[@timotheify]

Very good video. I love your rendition of "Nothing Else Matters" at the end. I got this exact same guitar; Xiphos XPT700 and I decided to change the strings out myself because I didn't like the ones that came with it. I've been using DRs on my other guitar and I'm used to the feel of them. I made the mistake of going a higher gauge (10's from 9's) and screwed up the tension and everything. I got it fixed but I'm planning to go back to 9's real soon just because they're better suited.

[@berniepritchard]

Probably the most useful video ever...

[@benedictmeyer6092]

First time ever changing strings and thanks to you no problems ! 👍🏻

[@Ja-mbi]

Thank you for this video. Saved me tons of trouble!

[@WMJ_OFFICIAL]

Thanks for the tip about winding the string on the tuners, it totally didn't ruin my 6th string

[@Zero_thehero]

great vid why do some techniques tell you to fiddle with the micro tuners to be in the middle? that always stumped me

[@Rickkelley365]

Nomlas Salmon the tuning can go either way, so it’s good to have options

[@thecheshirecat8484]

Good video, very instructive, without getting too complex.

[@maxviolence5604]

Thank you very much man that bridge is a proper pain in the ass

[@johnanoynomous9868]

Hello my friend. Was trying to find your web site. Is it no longer up? Thanks. Great video.

[@hawg427]

Just tried doing a string change on my FR mockingbird and flipped it over ( before I watched your video ) and of course they all fell out. LOL The little blocks have a small indention in them. Which way does the indention face when I put them back in, towards the rear or towards the headstock?? Thanks. I noticed that you didn't block the trem before like I have seen others do so it stays straight.

[@coarselyground]

+hawg427 The indentation on the blocks face the rear (towards the bridge). The screws on the back of the Floyd (the string lock screws) seat themselves into that little indentation.

[@RipplzMusic]

damn Im glad I watched this before I took out all the strings at once

[@SneekiCubone]

UGh, finally got mine in tune. Though my bridge isnt leveled and is up alittle too much. But i got it in tune, dont care.

[@deathmetalthrashmetal5746]

why do they always cut the string in half? I pull out the whole thing in one piece and turn it around my other string collection, there are maybe 70 string by now. the weight is 400lbs

[@elitebelt]

Because string recycling was far less common in the past, and keeping your strings was entirely pointless otherwise. Now you can take your old, rusty, disgusting strings that you've been playing on and return them to your seller like D'Addario (pretty sure they take mail ins for those.).

[@SouthernPrinceKenny]

I have a floyd rose set up on my '88 Jackson Soloist USA Custom.... What should I do if I want to remove all the strings and clean the fretboard? What's the very best/safest cleaners and procedures for a Ebony fretboard? Thanks, Kenny J

[@arturoalvarez_music]

Very useful video. Thank you, Mr. Kahan!

[@AustinGuitarLessons]

@TopshelfXPT700 You probably need to add another tremolo spring; there should be room to attach five back there. Good luck!

[@groovydjs]

You don't need to keep any tension on the neck. You can cut all of the strings off at the same time while the guitar is still in tune and then clean your guitar and neck, then start changing strings. Think about it......if you use your whammy bar and push it all the way down, like everybody does, that takes 100% of the tension off of the neck. They play that way over and over and over again. If string tension harmed anything, there would not be a whammy in the whole world. The strong neck with a steel truss rod is PLENTY strong enough to handle over abusive whammy techniques, it will handle changing strings with no tension.

[@Zanith50]

1.lift bridge forward (with trem bar) and jam something that wont scratch the finish under your bridge 2. reset fine tuners to middle unlock nut and tune to desired tuning then lock nut 3. loosen springs in the back panel a little remove what you used to jam under bridge 4. use springs in back to retune the guitar then fine tune and your done

[@alexandrehalley3791]

Great video ! I can now play with my old Jackson !

[@brianpitts310]

Awesome video. Explained very well. Thank you!

[@owenbailey4830]

this guy deserves subscribers

[@mrjohn6912]

So u have to tune it first then lock the strings? What if you want to tune lower to do you have to unlock it first or just let it be?

[@AustinGuitarLessons]

Yes, tune the guitar then lock the strings. It's a good idea to back out the fine tuners too since the strings are going to stretch and the guitar is going to have a tendency to go flat with new strings. If you're going to set it to a different tuning (lower) like Eb, Drop-D, etc, you will need to adjust the spring tension on the claw.

[@Zaknaberrnon]

thanks for this video! not too long, and to the point, as well as throwing in a few extra tips :)

[@bpattty152]

Just wanted to say thank you for your help!!!

[@maxyu4129]

Thanks for your tip about the blocks. My cousin got a free Ibanez RG because one block was missing (idk how he did it) and I'm about to fix it up to put back into use!

[@Eaon69]

Hey your video really helped me string my guitar, but I have tuned it wrong. Now the strings are very close to the fret-board and I don't know what to do in order to fix it? Do you have any advice? Thanks!

[@nekrohatred9547]

Fuck man I wish I didn't get rid of my floyd rose and seen vids like these before I kept fucking it up...bow ik craving another one and vids like this are a super help. Thanks for this bro!

[@AustinGuitarLessons]

@groovyhamster That's the way they work, what is called a "floating trem". The only way to fix this is to "block" it, which involves putting a small piece of wood behind the tremolo block so it can't move.

[@svenshredder]

Hey dude Great vid! U do it as just as me. There's just one difference I've put a small piece of wood between the frame and the floydrose. After that step i'm gonna change every string by string to keep the floyd in its position. What do mean to this method?

[@kadoshifilms]

The website that you plugged is just a site with a bunch of ads on it?

[@TheCJHowes]

Man, losing those small blocks is a bitch! I've been looking for it for over 5 minutes!

[@eddiem4868]

Laurent Jade it's been a year for me.

[@chanceshoemaker6332]

Ed Moreno I think after one year its long gone

[@GuitarsAndSynths]

so how do you clean the fretboard and polish it with changing one string at a time? Also how come you don't use a tremblocker for the floyd rose to keep it level?

[@andjustjizzforall]

Thanks man, people make out Floyd Rose maintenance to be something super difficult but really it just takes patience and you'll get it easy. That said, I'm glad I did get one when I first started, and still don't recommend it to beginners. But it's pretty easy

[@Editing72337]

Nice helpful explanation thanks for this!!

[@obicross]

man, you're good. seems like you really know what you're doing. i'll probably try the advice. got a question though. just in case somebody really did take all my strings off, and reinstall new strings, how do i keep it in tune? (assuming it's not on the right balance but the trem is flat with the body) when i play usually the b is sharpened or the whole thing just out of tune. how do you fix it? usually i just string one at a time but had to clean the frets. thx a lot

[@gabrielthomison1504]

Howdy, I just put new strings on my Ibanez with a Floyd Rose, but the strings keep coming out of tune, and I haven't even put the locking nut back on. Whenever I tune one string and then go to another, I come back and it's flat. What do I need to do to solve this?

[@Snowy0123]

Gabriel T keep stretching your strings and tuning until your tuning stabilizes. .most important part is to stretch the strings really good, and don't lock your nut until you can bend and still be in tune.

[@tristanavakian]

its a floating bridge. when you raise the pitch on one string you drop the tuning on all the others. you have to go keep going back and forth until they are all in tune. then you have to stretch them and do it again. it is a time consuming pain in the ass. but if you want to be able to pull up on the bar at all, you have to float the bridge. so this process is unavoidable. Give it a good 10-15 minutes on top of the actual string change.

[@creepyaxe]

After stretching your strings, tune the G string first, then the D string, the B string, the A string, the high E string and last the low E string. If this doesn't work check your guitar's intonation also.

[@broank5848]

Alex Williams this is what I do too but sometimes it feels like you still get stuck in a never ending loop of imbalances. What I do to counter this is tune the G 20 cents sharp. D also 20. B 10 sharp. A 10 sharp. Then dial in the two Es and test it. Tweak from there.

[@himjill]

Best Floyd lesson on You Tube. Thanks

[@azbasshead]

Don't the tension held down on headstock near tuning peg scratch the finish? It would seem especially the E A and D strings

[@midotvadventure504]

Wait what!! But the Floyd would rise up when you tune the strings! You didn’t put in or “lock” it in place..?!

[@zacharyandrews625]

So I have an Ibanez Ex Series guitar. The bridge makes it look like the strings can just be inserted on the body end of the bridge like on a fixed bridge, but it looks like the string bulb can be cut and inserted like the Floyd Rose in this video. I just wanna know for sure what I can do so that I don't have to get another pair of strings.

[@zacharyandrews625]

Never mind....

[@lvl9001Troll]

Yes cut them

[@dutsfoel9251]

lovely. thanks for the instruction. now I defenately want a guitar with a Floyd Rose bridge

[@TopshelfXPT700]

@AxesenseGuitarGym Why didnt I think of that, awesome thanks, any idea where I can get springs?

[@celicharvel]

I've had fear of high e and b string come flying out of the bridge during a string bend. This has happened to me before after recent re string. Then the last time i did a change on a Floyd special i poke the string kind of under the block where there is a tiny recessed hole directly under the block. I was wondering if this is how its really supposed to be done. It makes sense to me that it would. Just having the first 1/8 of the string between the block and the saddle, well I see why my string came out.

[@MegadethFan9000]

Here's a tip from me: I like to leave a little bit of winding of ball end on my strings, it is necessary for the 3 thicker strings, but the 3 thinner strings kept slipping out of Dimebag Darrell Dime O Flame signature ML guitar many times that's why I leave a bit a winding on the thinner strings.

[@DIS2RBER]

One question. Why don't You simply take in backwards? Without clippin off the ball end.Ball end will prevent string from "puling out" from string winder. Then just simpli cut the wire on right lenght. Or there is a reason why you must clipp off the ball end. Please explain. Sorry for bad english. :)

[@philw19642002]

Great video! Thanks for the great job!

[@zikkicharade]

with a floyd rose that only goes down do you have to put a rubber or something under the floyd when strings are removed?

[@scottiehozment6696]

Good Video simple and to the point , thanks

[@AzHarris]

Question. Ibanez has a number of floating bridge types. Is it standard to always have the bridge at that leave on all of the bridges? Or are there differences between the height in the different floatinf bridges? i can say my rg bridge does not look like that. Thanks in advance.

[@fpires21]

+AzHarris Generally you want the bridge to look like his, so do whatever adjustments needed at the back of the guitar to make it like that