Which Floyd Rose Nut is Right?

How to choose the correct Floyd Nut options for your next build.

[@eddiejr540]

@4:25….”these nuts are not gonna drive you nuts”…thats pure gold 🤩

[@KahnuevsKrake]

Schallers Lockmeister, which is almost identical to the German Floyd Rose, offers R2 and R3 locking nuts on their website in 8, 10, 12, 14 and 16 inch radius, so you're not limited to just a 10 inch radius if you want a straight 16 fingerboard for example.

[@Scott__C]

I just saw that too, but looks like you have to order them directly from Schiller.

[@KahnuevsKrake]

@@Scott__C Ordering from Schaller separately was a bit of a pain when building my Warmoth, but boy is it worth it. the Lockmeister is cheaper to buy than the Floyd Rose if you're from the UK, plus I was able to get a nut and bridge that perfectly matched the 10-16 fretboard radius. And that was before they offered the various options.

[@Scott__C]

@@KahnuevsKrake So you got the radiused bridge and nut? Cool. The 10" only never made sense to me. How long from order until delivery?

[@KahnuevsKrake]

@@Scott__C I got mine 2 years ago. At the time the Lockmeister had a 12 inch radius (16 if you take the shim out) and the nut was 10, so it turned out to be the perfect fit, so I chose the 10-16 radius accordingly. I think it was about a week for delivery to the UK from Germany?

[@moxythepirate1281]

Some other subjects I would love to hear you talk about: Floyd recessed vs non recessed, Floyd vs Kahler, Which Floyd is best, Original, Schaller, Gotoh?! do it!!!!!

[@FrazySting]

That I would also love to see.

[@mahdiyussuf9804]

Hell yeah! Another vote for exactly these topics!

[@gingataff]

I’m up for a OFR vs Schaller tone test. I have a Schaller Floyd on a guitar that has a really pronounced mid honk and I’m really thinking it’s the bridge.

[@eddiejr540]

I have the Gotoh 1996 and it is a fantastic trem…and “usually” a straight swop out for a floyd!!!!

[@montauta]

GOTOH FOREVER AND EVER

[@bot-uz9ph]

From Schaller in Germany you can order more radius versions. 8, 10, 12, 14 and 16

[@mahdiyussuf9804]

This came at the perfect time for me as I'm about to embark on my first FR journey. Thanks, Aaron!

[@tractordirt]

Thanks Aaron…extremely helpful. I like that you provide a concise yet thorough run down of the facts, and are willing to give your own opinion. Interesting about Warmoth’s position on nut mounting. I like the idea of top screws because they don’t remove wood that could possibly weaken the neck. And fwiw, Suhr uses the top screw method, and I trust his judgement.

[@warmoth]

Yes, John knows a thing or two about building guitars. So did Ken, and he had a different opinion. That's OK. Intelligent people can disagree.

[@eddiejr540]

Aaron…excellent stuff as always my man…this is getting into the nuts and bolts (pun intended)…love it👍

[@fuzzymuppet1990]

Geat vid Aaron! Thank you for doing what you do good sir!

[@moorecreativ]

good stuff Aaron. all my guitars have floating terms and i agree, the R3 with 1 11/16 nut is my favorite option. my favorite Warmoth neck as made to match my favorite ESP neck at 14" radius and those are the best playing necks I've ever owned. also agree on mounting the nut from the backside. I've always wanted that because that's how the Wolfgangs are built and if its good enough for Ed, its good enough for me :)

[@4ofwands]

Keep these videos going!

[@pulkitdesai4094]

Good Job! I appreciate it.

[@danriley5848]

Great video with some great information, I have always used Floyd Rose tremolos and consider them to be the best imho. ✌🏻

[@tylerhanson]

Especially if you have binding along the neck the R3 helps it pop if you have good lighting on your fresh strings.

[@peterschaefer1665]

Thanks Aaron!

[@oceanaxim]

Damn! love that Matthias Jabs Explorer!

[@warmoth]

That guitar has made me more money than all my other guitars combined! I've played all over the USA with it. Sadly now that band is on hiatus, so it is retired.

[@vesean4141]

Great video Aaron,I have one guitar(soloist) with a Floyd Rose and I can dive bomb like a fighter pilot and come back in tune but, my favorite guitar is my warmoth walnut strat (no contours) EMG SA’s ,warmoth super wide fatback neck (6100 frets,graph tech nut) Killer Guitar Components (RIP Sandy and Rick)brass mega mass block,brass claw,vintage springs ,this is totally custom to my specs but,everyone that plays it wants it (not happening)Warmoth is the best and that super wide fatback neck is my personal favorite.

[@zAvAvAz]

Thank you so much you are so helpfuL. i am confident that i can order from warmoth for a happily recieved product.

[@pjstamm2112]

Great video! Thanks for the explanations. On a side note, I am amazed at how some major manufacturers that install FR's at the factory can't seem to get it totally right. I bought a new non-Warmoth guitar last fall that I absolutely love now, but right out of the box, I couldn't figure out why it just wouldn't stay in tune...then I heard a rattle coming from the nut end of the neck and discovered that the two rear nut bolts weren't even close to tight! A couple of turns with the wrench, and problem solved. Another issue was that I have another FR-equipped guitar (from the same manufacturer, oddly enough) that didn't have the string tree behind the nut screwed down low enough. Thus, it didn't provide the slight downward angle at the back of the nut to keep the strings properly in tune, and I suspect that this could be a much more common problem, since I've also seen it elsewhere.

[@SSSleeplesss]

which manufacturer did you have this issue with??

[@pjstamm2112]

@@SSSleeplesss That would be EVH. Other than those two Floyd-related oddities, the two guitars are nothing short of spectacular. Great instruments.

[@SSSleeplesss]

@@pjstamm2112 ahhhhh interesting yeah they seem like great guitars i’d love to get one at some point!

[@pjstamm2112]

@@SSSleeplesss I extremely recommend them! I can't swing for a USA EVH but I have an Indonesian Wolfgang and a striped that was made in Mexico. Other than the Floyd weirdness, the fit and finish, feel, tone, etc., are great with both of them.

[@warmoth]

That's ironic!

[@riniones]

Eddie also preferred mounting the nut with the bolts coming from behind the neck. He definitely road tested all Floyd variations and that's what he came up with.

[@fuzzymuppet1990]

I know its a little off topic and this doesn't apply to warmoth since they dont carry these, but i still love the behind the nut locking mechanism that were on the kahler equipped charvel model guitars and the clones like the peavey nitros in the 80s. They still make em and you can retrofit them on most headstocks

[@michaelkrutz5737]

I have 5 of those Charvels and I like the kahler string lok way better.

[@barnettg66]

I used to have a MIJ Fender Strat with a locking nut mounted behind the actual nut and the now despised System 3 tremolo. It was my first real guitar, so at the time I thought nothing of it being different. It was also the early 80s and there were multiple odd tremolos on the market. Proves that Darwin's survival of the fittest applies even in guitar world....only the Floyd is left standing. When I see pictures today of those MIJ Strats with the oddly placed locking nut, I can't help but chuckle.

[@brettdemarco274]

Truth be told, I’ll probably never own a guitar with a Floyd. But if Aaron’s in the video, I’m watching it!!!

[@loopernoodling]

Wanted to quickly thank you for this, because I've got an old Charvel Desolation (discontinued 2011) which had the top E too close to the edge of the fretboard, and kept sliding off. I tried to reposition the whole bridge fitting by filling the stud holes with dowelling and re-drilling them a tad 'north'. But I just don't have the precision equipment needed, so after all that hassle, the strings had barely shifted 0.5mm. It was better, but hardly worth the effort. I watched this, and remembered I had a generic Floyd Rose type nut in my box of bits, and it is 42mm, as opposed to the 43mm original. I think that 1mm will make all the difference. I'd never have thought of it if you hadn't mentioned top E strings sliding off the fretboard.

[@flyonwall360]

I have a similar problem with a Fender Rollernut on a Korean made 2004 Fender Stratocaster Special Edition. The low E can slip off the fretboard. I'm used to it, but it would be great if they made a slightly narrower Rollernut.

[@moorecreativ]

similar problem for one of my LTDs after i swapped the bridge. not every FR bridge is made to the same dimensions and can vary in string spacing. you'll probably want to just find a bridge with "narrow spacing", which I'm not sure if FR still makes or not.

[@ReVeRbx-fe5wr]

Does your floyd routes fit the Gotoh locking nut GHL-1 and GHL-2? I like a 16 in radius and the Gotoh is a 400mm radius which is 15 3/4" which is pretty close to 16. I'm just wondering if the route will work. I believe the Gotoh GE-1996T is a direct swap for an original Floyd Rose. Thanks Aaron. Love the videos.

[@b.scottfarthingsworth]

What about needs for [and which are avail] shims, setup for Buzz Feiten, or installing on vintage strat/tele radii?

[@Jeffy2n]

Great Video Arron. Q: How about a shootout Floyd Nuts VS. Roller Nuts with locking tuners?

[@michaelcottle6270]

Great suggestion - I didn't get on with the locking nut that came with my Kahler so I switched it for a graphite nut. Switching strings is a breeze & tuning is stable. I'd love to see something more systematic - with Aarons variety of tones...

[@AnonContributor]

Aaron, answer this... what is the depth of the shelf cut into the neck for an R3? What is the measurement for how deep they rout it?

[@francescodamico7903]

Thanks for this video ! But i have a question: what kind of nut is needed for Floyd Rose Non fine tune tremolo and/or for a Shaller vintage tremolo ? Something like Ebanol nut which is not anymore available? As you can imagine i'm thinking of taking off from my guitar the locking nut and put on some locking tuners, change bridge (from Gotoh floyd type) and nut. What should i choose ?

[@diogorenato]

Dayunnnn I didnt know the lefty version of the R3 was L3. #today_I_learned

[@GerryBlue]

Great video, please make one on how to change strings on the damn thing :p Peace

[@kospandx]

Is there any chance that Warmoth might be convinced to start offering the unusual but righteous R1/L1 nut? This, after all, was what Vivian Campbell had on his Warmoth-built Buddy Blaze/Kramer Nightswan.

[@D.T.V83]

I have a floyd rose 7 strings and on my Jackson RR7 string but it was a Floyd rose special so I upgraded to a original 7 string but the nut in the box was wrong it shorter in higth how can I get the right one

[@user-wn1oy2kn7v]

What about nut depth? Are there veriations in nuts for height? I've got an issue with my nut being too tall thereby leaving my string spacing between first fret and string too high.

[@EyesOpen369]

I have an esp LTD f-50 and its 13.75 radius. What nut is the size for me?

[@heikoschwammle4650]

Are there differences in the height of the strings for different Floyd Rose nuts? I had to underlay mine to get the right height.

[@moorecreativ]

i dont think the FR nuts are different, but on my Warmoths, i also add shims to them to get the proper height. my assumption is they do that on purpose. best to cut it short and shim it than be stuck with a nut too tall

[@russlgtr]

Great info. Thank you ! Question, what's the black thing behind the a string tuner on a few of those guitars?

[@b.scottfarthingsworth]

string retainer, it's for non-angled/tilted headstocks

[@russlgtr]

I mean on the back of the headstock on the first green guitar Aaron showed there is something between the a and d string tuners

[@b.scottfarthingsworth]

@@russlgtr allen wrench for locking nut

[@funpants9448]

Is there a Floyd Rose bone nut

[@raymondforbes4295]

I always choose 16" or 17" radius for my builds. How would you set the nut up to deal with that?

[@zanzabar4ky7]

The r10 is 16.4" radius

[@drpastormartinosempa8930]

Do you think it's worth having a brass shelf nut installed before the floyd nut for slightly better intonation? Thanks.

[@warmoth]

It's not something I would ever do.

[@jeffreyrivers1983]

Everybody rock your body Backstreet back all right ❤

[@warmoth]

I don't know what this means.....but I like it!

[@smc8144]

It always amazes me that no one talks about how little wood is left at the neck to headstock transition of the bolts go all the way through the neck for a Floyd loving nut. The Truss rod route plus two holes in a 1 5/8” space. Does that not make anyone else uneasy?

[@necrojoe]

So if the 10" radius nut works with 9-12" radius fretboards, what happens with necks with a 16" radius?

[@kesamek8537]

Great question!

[@ReVeRbx-fe5wr]

Maybe get the Gotoh GHL-1 or GHL-2. If you get an original Floyd Rose the trem is for 10-12 in radius as well. I think the Gotoh GE-1996T is a direct swap for the original Floyd Rose but don't quote me on it. It is 350mm which is 13 3/4 in so should be fine. Plus, they sell the shims. A good tech will have brass shim stock and can match any radius. Or you just buy an Edge Tremolo from Ibanez and use that. Original Edge Tremolo is 430mm which is 17 inch radius. It's a direct swap for an original Floyd as weel.

[@moorecreativ]

you should be ok, i believe that what Jackson fretboards are?? i have a couple made at 14" and they play great. if you really wanted to, you could replace the middle 2 saddles for a flatter bridge radius, though I'm not entirely sure thts necessary

[@Nick-ul2nu]

Floyd rose special r/l3’s are still 12” radius

[@catcancrunch7260]

The one that has been arraldited in so the bloody thing won't move!!!

[@jaakkokunnas]

So Gotoh has quit offering their 15" radius locking nut? 🤔

[@EyesOpen369]

All this talk about 🥜 nuts and mounting 😂😂😂

[@martinclayton7260]

Please can you give the measurements in millimetres, as imperial measurements mean nothing to most of us!

[@cdnpunk2270]

Idk inches bub.

[@robinleebraun7739]

It seems to me that the whole Floyd Rose system and others like it are more trouble than they’re worth. Maybe in a studio where you have time to break out a toolbox to tune your guitar but not for playing live. I could be wrong but simple is best.

[@warmoth]

Everyone has their own preferences. I have gigged with Floyd's for decades and prefer them over anything else for live performance. In a live situation I want to KNOW that I can use the bar without going out of tune. The scenario of having to break out a toolbox on stage is not a reality IME.

[@Steinstra-vj7wl]

Booooo...you never mentioned the wonderful non-fine tuner Floyd Rose in combination with a Graph Tech nut and staggered locking tuners.

[@luislanga]

R5 is for ogres

[@warmoth]

LOL

[@helio1055]

Rear mounted locking nuts will crack over a long period of time. It's not a matter of if, but when. But that takes over 20-30 years. My guitar tech always mounts mine on the top, he says it's a much more stable and longer lasting way. I don't mind either way to be honest it makes no difference to me, but if I wanted a guitar for a lifetime I'd tell my tech to plug the rear holes and just mount the locking nut on the top.