Floyd or Vintage?

[gtrbuyer]

Re: Floyd or Vintage?

I dunno - to my ears, I would be hard pressed to tell (distingush) the sound coming from a Charvel with everything else kept the same, with the only difference being the trem unit. I like the feel and LOOK of the brass v-trems (but I grew up on Bigsby's) but I really don't HEAR much difference to be honest and I don't really favor one type over the other.

Not sure what the target audience FMIC had in mind when reintroducing Charvel. I think, as Bret said obviously us who wanted them in our youth but obviosuly they (FMIC) is hoping that these will also find their way back into Rock Stars hands.

From what I see unortuantely, regardless of trem, very few people are grabbing/buying the new Charvels. Major bummer because they are GREAT..I love my HRF (NAMM) and my RI Bulls Eye. They hold up well next to my originals. The only downer on new ones is the $$$, they are a bit pricey.

[Badseed]

Re: Floyd or Vintage?

Hey trace, is the HRF(namm) the one you got from drumcity? I played it a few times and really liked it alot.My beef is the same as yours ,$$$. I can get an old pointy for cheaper.The same could be said for a parts mutt strathead. I guess its all what you want or need.

As for the trems, i really believe that either hardtails or v-trems have the best tone.Even kahlers are better toned since the trem sits on the body ulike the floyd that hovers above the body.Ah, what the hell do i know.lol

[gtrbuyer]

Re: Floyd or Vintage?

Yelp Dave that's the one...Jason over at DrumCity hooked me up real good on that one. Plays great, and although I prefer a 1 hum layout I gotta now admit that I enjoy having that neck pku for strumming me some Beatles. I am debating swapping out the gold tuners for black and I already got rid of that HUGE gold Jackson selector switch (hated the look of that toggle). Overall I am thrilled with her but yeah they are $$$.

[atomic charvel guy]

Re: Floyd or Vintage?

man, all you need is some pencil lead, graphite, etc. grease it up through the nut, and use a little touch on your bar use. this is for stratheads in my opinion. a little yank up on the bar after the use does not hurt either. i said a little yank, not a YANK!!!!!!!! have some touch and you'll be fine, you just got to get used to riding her until it's 2nd nature. my best pointy by far was my russian sub and it fukkin' ruled. there were times i could not put her down to go take a piss even. it had a floyd with the float to it. stayed in tune like a champ.
where am i going with all of this? just more sh1t from the thread wrecker /hijacker of all time.
thankyou very much,
tommy

[83SanDimas]

Re: Floyd or Vintage?

I am a brass snob and I admit it. I think they sound great but they are not always the best trem for the job. In some applications I do prefer a floyd or Kahlers sound over the vintage. A maple body with brass trem and a hot p/u can be very brittle. I do love them on a mahogany body..

I think the target audience for these guitars are the 30+ age group with some Charvel nostalgia haunting them AND some disposable income. It is not trying to be "state of the art" as much as it is trying to be "art", at least to the target. At 1500 - 1800 the 25th would have sold like hot cakes... Higher than that it is wall street and fanatics only.

The vintage trem is a must on these guitars but a Floyd Rose should be an option. Most of us who played these guitars live needed a locking trem back in the day or we were sunk no mater what tricks and tips we used. Eddie was the best vintage trem player I ever heard and he is all Floyd now.

Imagine if AC Cobras were offered in a limited edition 50 car run. They would sell best as close to vintage as possible and they would sell out before they ever hit a show room. Not state of the art, just "art"

[Badseed]

Re: Floyd or Vintage?

Cool Tracy,i have been friends with Jason for 12 some odd years.He's is all about the customer, always has been.I work there when he and tim go work the super bowl.By the way, he loves your site.

[toejam]

Re: Floyd or Vintage?

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A maple body with brass trem and a hot p/u can be very brittle.

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But isn't brass supposed to be warmer sounding than steel?

[dinkyjacksonman]

Re: Floyd or Vintage?

Brass trem bridges are killer and love the sound but for me, It just doesn't stay in tune.
I really don't use trem bar so I think all I need is a Brass bridge but with locking nut.
[img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

[Shawn Lutz]

Re: Floyd or Vintage?

I prefer top mounted floyds over any guitar bridge whether pointy or strat heads. I'm just so used to the look, feel, tone and pick hand position of a Floyd bridge that is what I stick to. I don't even use the bar very much but the tuning stability of a locked floyd is unbeatable, period and no need to debate it. Kahlers suck ass and whoever invented that thing should his finger nails peeled off..lol.

[Oregon Jason]

Re: Floyd or Vintage?

I prefer stratheads with a vintage trem. I dont have problems keeping the guitars in tune, as long as I dont try dive bombs or try to use it like a Floyd.

Floyds are best on pointies.

[neilli]

Re: Floyd or Vintage?

Sinlge humbuckers don't bother me: I'd have jumped at one of the Ltd stratheads if it had a floyd, just becuase it's what I'm used to and to me they do what they set out to (i.e. reduce the tension on the strings and return to pitch) better than a strat trem.....
That said, I'm seriously tempted by a r/w bullseye, and I guess there are enough of them to stop them being fantastically sort after, so sticking a floyd on might not be the end of the world.
I'm hoping that NAMM will bring with it a maple necked strat head HRF with floyd (we can but dream!)

[xenophobe]

Re: Floyd or Vintage?

Floyds are best on anything you NEED tuning stability. If you don't use a trem, the V-Trem works fine, but the point of having a trem is the features it offers (tuning stability, fine tuning, dive bombs, exaggerated vibrato, etc)...

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...but there isnt as much string breakage or frustration with setting up that comes with floyds.

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Personally, someone needs to set up a Snopes.com entry about Floyds. Setting up a Floyd may be frustrating to some, but string breakage isn't worse on a floyd compared to any other trem unless you abuse it. On most of my guitars which I use the Floyd moderately, the strings end up going dead before they end up breaking. I've had strings break more on TOMs and Kahlers than with floyds. That's just my personal experience though....

[nix]

Re: Floyd or Vintage?

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On most of my guitars which I use the Floyd moderately, the strings end up going dead before they end up breaking. I've had strings break more on TOMs and Kahlers than with floyds. That's just my personal experience though....

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I'd agree with that. (minus the Kahler, never had one)

[Wizard of Ozz]

Re: Floyd or Vintage?

Floyds all the way for me. The brass v-trems look nice, but after a couple hours of divebombs, you'll wish you had something better. Actually I'd like a single hum & Floyd combo.

[Zerberus]

Re: Floyd or Vintage?

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Vintage trems are for Strat heads
Floyd or Kahler for pointy

My 0.02 cents

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My preference as well [img]/images/graemlins/toast.gif[/img]