Question on Floyd Rose

(My first post here)

Okay, so I've been looking in the local guitar shop for a new guitar. I've been playing for a year and a half and my Johnson Electric is getting... well, let's just say you can't make distortion noises out of it.

So I've come across a Squire Skull and Crossbones. It seems to be up to my playing ability. The action is a little high, but whatever. The only problem is, it has a Floyd Rose on it. I know nothing about Floyd’s, so can someone fill me in?

1) Does it work like a regular tremolo?
2) Can you use the tuners to tune the guitar, or must you use the rose?
3) Does it make changing strings easier/better?
4) Anything else I should know about it?

Hey

A floyd rose works like a regular tremelo, the only difference is really that you can wang it around loads because it has soft springs. Yeah you can use tuners to tune your guitar still, i dont think you can use the floyd rose to 'tune' your guitar like you can with a guitar tuner, you can adjust each individual string from the floyd rose but only by a small ammount.

When changing strings i found it to be more awkward to do at first but now once i have done it once its not that bad. First of all a floyd rose doesn't use the balls on the end of the strings, you cut them off and then loosen a bolt which releases the srting from the tremelo, then you put the end of the string into place and do it back up again. Above each of these bolts is another smaller bolt (a thumb screw type one) which you tighten to push the bolt down which effectivly tightens the string, you can also loosen it to loosen the string. These are used for fine tuning your strings and also its so much easier to maintain your guitar in tune. If you go out on a gig or some thing and and your guitar is a bit out of tune on one string you can just tighten or loosen that bolt a bit and there you go done, dont have to undo the string lock bit at the 'nut' (top of guitar neck incase you didn't aleady know) The only problem you might have changing strings on the floyd rose is when you have finished and your ready to tune up and play it the strings, of course, will stretch and you will have to tighten them again. Eventualy when the strings are tighter to be in tune the floyd rose lifts up. To level it back out again you take the plate off the back of your guitar and there you will find the springs for the rose, you tighten them to pull the back of the rose down and loosen them to bring it up, by doing this the strings become out of tune and you have to loosen or tighten them again, by doing this the rose may move to much again, so you just faf about like a prat for a while until you get it balanced.

thers nothing else i can think of that you would want to know if you where going to buy a guitar with a floyd rose other than the fact that you should! Floyd Roses are imense! I could never use a normal tremelo now i have experienced the god like ownage of the rose! :D

Jowin

1) It works like a normal tremolo , but with a wider range... That's essential for heavy metal lead playing (dive bombing, harmonics stuff ,etc)

2) You can use the normal tuners if you unlocked the nut , but if the nut isn't locked well , the strings may go outa tune when you use the trem bar a little wild (they're designed to be used wild while being locked).

3) It makes changing the strings more difficult ... But hey , it's only once every month or two (may be more if you don't change strings a lot).

4) It's harder to setup correctly for a Floyd beginner , specilay when you change the string gauge ... Anyway , once you get used and experienced with FR, you'll simply love it.

My experience with Floyd's is:
Fun to play, not so fun to maintain.

I know its not that much extra work, but for a lazy boy
like me locking tuners are the only way to go.

The Floyd is a cool piece, but I would be wary of that high string action if I were you. It could be as simple as a poor setup, or as bad as a broken truss rod in the neck. Either way get a good technician to give it a look over before you buy it.
Just because it's sitting in a shop, doesn't mean they looked it over carefully...

Thank you, everyone, for answering my question! I'm very much more informed. :)

And about the high action...yeah, it worries me a little. I was thinking about lowering it myself when I got home, but no telling if it would buzz or not. Probably the better option is just picking another guitar ('cause I have yet to buy it). But I'll definitly be looking into the Floyd Rose in the future. Thanks again!

Check out one of the NEW floyd rose's www.floydrose.com and never have to tune your guitar again!!

dude floyd roses are the bomb,
once you learn how to set them up they are a necessity.
especialy if you play any kinda metal and for lead players they rule big time. i have a ibanez rg-570 with floyd edge.
ibanez rg-770 with floyd edge(this guitar is hot pink lol)
and my usa made jackson has the licensed under floyd rose jackson trem on it and i love em all and have them all set up to do there own thing, i run 9s on my ibanezs and 10s on my jackson, the only thing with a floyd is if you change string gauges at all it screws your setting up tottaly but if you know how to set it up its realy know problem, ive had a prob with my rg-570 when i drop tune it to d the whole thing goes way the heck outta tune as the floyd pulls down a bit. but my 770 dont do this. does anyone remember the kahler flyer and the kahler pro, i still have one of each of those still in the box from my store i closed. those were pretty neat to, they didnt float like a rose though they were roller activated and flat mounted on the body.