So, you’re wondering whether it’s possible to install a Floyd Rose on your Strat without routing? If that’s correct, we’ve got a lot of things to discuss today! In the text that you’re about to read, we’ll show you all the necessary info you deserve.
There’s a good chance some of you don’t know that a Floyd Rose is, even though we’ve talked about it right here. Anyway, whether you’ve heard of the Floyd Rose tremolo system or not – we’re pretty sure you’ll find some valuable information below. As always, stay tuned!
Know that you’re actually able to install a Floyd Rose on a Strat without routing. However, also know that this doesn’t stand for all Floyd Rose models, since not all of them share the same shape. Anyway, you’ll want to opt for a Floyd Rose Rail Tail Tremolo! It’s made to retrofit Strat-styled guitars with 6-point bridges.
Can you simply read just the preview without going through the whole thing? Well, you can, but it’s not like we’d recommend doing such an action. Therefore, feel free to delve deeper into today’s subject matter.
Table of Contents
What’s or who’s Floyd Rose?
Before we direct our attention to solving the issue proposed by the title of this article, it’s best we consider some basic info concerning the name Floyd Rose. So, what’s or who’s Floyd Rose?
You’ll be happy to know that it’s both a what and a who. We’re talking about a tremolo system that a certain someone name Floyd D. Rose invented in the late 1970s. Keep in mind that it’s not an overstatement to say that it pretty much revolutionized the whole industry in less than a decade after its “birth”. If you’re having a hard time trusting us on that one, just picture the two earliest proponents of the Floyd Rose tremolo system: Steve Vai and Eddie Van Halen.
So, yeah, Floyd Rose is both a person and a tremolo system used by guitarists from all around the world.
What’s so special about the Floyd Rose tremolo system?
Okay, so you might wonder: what’s so special about the tremolo system in question when the aforementioned rock legends used it?
Here’s the thing: the Floyd Rose functions very much like a vintage-style tremolo system, the ones you can find on the Fender Strat ever since the 1950s. Alright, and what’s so interesting about the tremolo system you can find on Fender Strats? Well, it enables you to raise or lower the pitch just so you’re able to achieve the so-called vibrato effect. Now, you should keep in mind that the Floyd Rose tremolo system raised the bar a bit, taking this whole talk one step further.
So, what does a Floyd Rose system have that others don’t? It lets you lock the strings in position at two points of your trusty instrument:
- your guitar’s bridge.
- your guitar’s nut.
The bridge comes with the so-called locking saddles. That’s where you’ll insert the strings and fix them into position by tightening the bolts on the back of your bridge. You’ll handle the process by using an Allen key/wrench. Additionally, you’ll also notice that the bridge possesses fine tuners (one for each of your strings).
What about the nut?
On the other side of your instrument, you’ll stumble upon the so-called locking nut which is placed instead of a typical bone/synthetic nut. This type of nut locks your strings (two at a time). With this addition, you’ll never go out of tune once you begin playing around with your whammy bar. All in all: Eddie Van Halen couldn’t have played all the other-worldly sounds he did without going out of tune if it wasn’t for the Floyd Rose tremolo system. Oh, and speaking of locking nuts, here’s an article you’ll find pretty useful.
Alright, that’s about it when it comes to basic Floyd Rose info. Let’s consider the focal point of this text: can you put a Floyd Rose on a Strat without routing?
Can you put a Floyd Rose on a Strat without routing?
Since we’ve already talked about how Floyd Rose tremolos can remind you of the ones you’ll find on a Fender Strat, it’s only natural one might assume you’re to put a Floyd Rose on a Strat without routing. Wait, what is routing anyway? For folks that are seeing this term for the very first time, here’s the definition of routing:
- It basically means cutting into your guitar body in order to accommodate parts that weren’t originally built into it. It’s like putting a Floyd Rose bridge into a TOM (Tune-O-Matic) guitar, for example.
Therefore, our main question of today might also sound like this: is it possible to put a Floyd Rose on a Strat without having to cut anything? Let’s find out!
You’ll be happy to know that you CAN actually install a Floyd Rose on a Strat without routing. That’s right, it’s absolutely doable! However, this doesn’t stand for all Floyd Rose systems since not all of them share the same shape. Anyway, you’ll want to look up a little something called Floyd Rose Rail Tail Tremolo! It fits the Strat-styled guitars with 6-point bridges (it will also fit 2-point bridge guitars, but you’ll have to do some drilling).
So, what’s the deal with a Floyd Rose Rail Tail tremolo?
Here we’ll show you some of the awesome characteristics this tremolo system has:
- It’s a full-contact, dive-only tremolo.
- It’s designed to retrofit (meaning: the addition of new technology to an older system) your Strat-style 6-point tremolo. That means there’s no need for alterations to your guitar or anything similar.
- Its wonderful design blends the feel & reliability of a hardtail bridge together with the adjustability of a tremolo system.
- It will guarantee you a splendid performance plus appearance, without cutting short on anything in order to compromise for it.
- It’s meant to be installed with ease.
- It fits a vast variety of guitar bodies.
Of course, there’s always something that we’ve unintentionally forgotten to mention. Here’s the thing: the Floyd Rose Rail Tail tremolo plate rotates around a precision rail that is installed straight onto the guitar body. The plate keeps the entire rail in check with plenty of precision, just as they were a single unit. That’s also how this item boosts your overall sound quality and tuning stability. What does this tremolo plate consist of:
- It’s made of slotted string block mounting holes. Not only do they accommodate installation, but they also allow the string block to be placed forward for better rotational range. In other words, this means they allow them to dive up to 15° more than your average tremolo systems.
Lastly, let’s not forget to mention that, before you install the Floyd Rose Rail Tail, it’s recommended that your guitar is equipped with locking tuners and a quality guitar nut. If you’re wondering whether a quality locking nut will work with a Strat, click on the highlighted text.
Okay, so now that you’ve figured out it’s actually possible to put a Floyd Rose on a Strat without routing, let’s see if there’s some additional info we’d like to mention before ultimately saying goodbye!
What to do if your Floyd Rose goes out of tune?
So, you’ve noticed that your guitar with a Floyd Rose goes out of tune pretty regularly? We’ve gathered some info about why that might be so and how to take care of the issue! Here’s what we’ve found.
#1 Inspect the screws
One of the most common factors why your guitar might be going out of tune lies in your Floyd Rose screws. Fixing this is pretty simple: you’ll only need to change their tightening a bit. If you notice they’re loose, that is. If you notice they’re overtightened, just try to tighten them in a modest manner.
#2 Adjust the saddle
There’s a fair chance that your guitar’s going out of tune because the Floyd Rose saddles are too loose. As was the case with the issue above, this one’s also pretty easy to fix. All you’ll need is a hex key to make some adjustments to the tightness of the Floyd Rose saddles.
While we’re on the topic of saddles, here’s how you’ll remove glued guitar saddles!
#3 Locking nut pads?
This might even be the most common reason behind Floyd Roses going out of tune. Yup, we’re talking about the locking nut pads. Anyway, what’s the deal here? You’ll have to ensure that the order & orientation of your locking nut pads are the same as they were once they came off. If your nut grooves are getting deeper and deeper, that will easily cause your strings to slip. Try lubing your grooves with graphite, for instance, to take care of the issue.
Speaking of tuning, here’s a piece on using locking tuners like regular tuners.
The bottom line
Alright, so that’s about all there’s to say about the can-you-put-a-Floyd-Rose-on-a-Strat-without-routing topic. Hopefully, you’ve had a fun read, besides learning some additional info about the tremolo system known as the Floyd Rose. Anyway, if you’re on the lookout for more interesting guitar info and various useful tips, click right here.