how to tune a floid rose guitar?

Answer 1

theres definitely a science to understanding a floyd rose system. i'm gonna start as if there were no strings on the guitar, that way, it will help you understand how the whole thing is working.

ok, you'll notice the part that has the "whammy bar" on it. thats the bridge. this piece is attached to springs that are mounted inside the guitar itself. they're fixed on one side and that side wont move, but when you move the whammy bar (the proper name is tremolo arm) the springs stretch and the bridge dips down a little. if theres strings on the guitar, that action would make them loosen, so they drop in pitch and create a lower note. then, when the bar raises again, the strings tighten, and regain their original pitch. we need to make sure that they go back to the same pitch every time, so the idea here is to remove any variables that would make it go to a different pitch than the one we want.

to save time later, look at the little fine tuners on the bridge. they look like screw ends with little ridges around them for grips, there should be one at the end of each "saddle" (the things the strings come over at the bridge). set them all so that they're not all the way up, not all the way down, but right in the middle. this will allow you to fine tune up OR down if you need to later.

now, if there were no strings on the guitar, imagine you were putting the thickest string on. just as the springs inside are fixed at one end inside the body, the strings are fixed at the headstock by the tuning gears, and once the string is tightened those parts arent moving. BUT, since the bridge moves a little bit (due to those springs inside stretching) when you tune the guitar up the bridge will lift just a little bit. you tune the string, and you're happy. then, you put the next string on the guitar, and again it moves the bridge. now, since the bridge moved again, the string you already put on is no longer in tune. then, when you put the next string on, the 2 strings you put on are out of tune a little further. this repeats until all the strings are on the guitar and properly tuned. SO, when you get all the strings on there, you'll need to retune the entire guitar, you may need to do this 2 or 3 times (even a little more with some guitars).

once you've got the guitar to a point where its staying in tune to itself, you need to address a few other things. the first is stretching the strings out. when strings are new, they need to work out the stretch in them, kinda like new sneakers or a pair of jeans. to do this, you can just give the string a gentle tug, or bend the string as if you were playing somewhat forcefully. then, listen to the note of the open string, it will be lower than it was previously. just retune it and repeat the process a few times, it should stretch less after each try, and go away after a handful of times.

then, theres the little locking thingies. if your strings are pretty much tuned to pitch, you can lock the things at the nut (the part where the neck meets the headstock). you may need an allen wrench for this, which should have come with the guitar. tightening those locks might have made your guitar go a little sharp, but you can adjust that with the fine tuners on the saddle (the thingies we talked about earlier).

and if all is well, you should be able to play your guitar, use the bar and do drastic dives with it and come back to pitch every time. this takes a long time to really get used to, and every guitar is a little different, so if it doesnt happen for you right away, dont worry. its just gonna take some time to get to know your guitar, and what it can get away with.

good luck, and if theres any questions, just give me a shout!

Answer 2

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