Non-recessed Floyd question - Adrian Smith USA guitar

[Giffin]

Hi forum, I am new here, I was looking to get a Floyded strat, and I have an opportunity to trade a guitar I am trying to sell for an Adrian Smith USA Jackson. My only concern is the non-recessed Floyd on it, since I was thinking I would get a recessed one, it would be disappointing if I would have to use it one direction only. I should be able to pull up the trem by some two steps max, that is good enough, 1.5 might do as well. I am definitely no Floyd expert. So how well does the Floyd system on the Adrian Smith work floating? Not sure how the neck angle should be with a non-recessed Floyd and how to accomodate a floating set up, how it would feel playing with the bridge sticking up quite a bit high on the body, interested to hear about those sort of things. General opinion and observations on the guitar are welcome too. Thanks in advance.

[Number Of The Priest]

Try an angled neck shim to increase the angle and therefore increase the pull-up range of the Floyd Rose. According to a recent discussion (https://www.jcfonline.com/threads/15...rian-Smith-SDX) on the Adrian Smith SDX (the import version of the American Adrian Smith model) a 0.5° angled shim is the correct shim to order.

http://www.stewmac.com/Materials_and_Supplies/Bodies_and_Necks_and_Wood/Electric_Guitar_Bodies_and_Necks_and_Wood/Electric_Guitar_Necks/StewMac_Neck_Shims_for_Guitar.html

http://www.stewmac.com/How-To/Tool_Demo_Videos/Change_the_angle_of_a_neck_with_StewMac_Neck_Shims.html

[j2379]

I prefer the non recessed, not sure about the AS model but usually its a step or 1 1/2 of pull up. I do have a couple thats only a 1/2 step or so...but they are early jacksons, that doesnt have much neck angle.

[Giffin]

Hey thanks... I don't know why everything needs to get so difficult with me, but it usually does, I didn't even get the guitar yet but I am trying to learn about neck shims to fix it. Good info though. Maybe actual AS users chime in too.

[Number Of The Priest]

Forgot to answer your other questions since I was fixated on the neck angle & shimming issue.

So how well does the Floyd system on the Adrian Smith work floating?

It's an Original Floyd Rose. It will handle whatever you throw at it.

Not sure how the neck angle should be with a non-recessed Floyd and how to accomodate a floating set up, how it would feel playing with the bridge sticking up quite a bit high on the body, interested to hear about those sort of things.

I personally love playing guitars with a bridge perched way up high off the guitar body, necessitating a 4° neck angle. I just find it more comfortable for my picking hand/arm, and I don't mind if the volume knob is "too close" to the picking hand because the high height of the bridge makes my hand glide over the volume knob so I don't accidentally hit it when playing. This construction and angle is common on tunomatic-equipped guitars (example: Les Paul) but less common on Floyd-equipped guitars. An example of the high Floyd and 4° neck angle can be seen in the side view of my 1998 Jackson Shannon Soloist illustrated in the image below, which permits more pull-up than if there was zero neck angle and the bridge was situated closer to the surface of the body. I have two Charvel So-Cals (non-recessed Floyds) that have zero angles and the Floyds sit close to the body, limiting pull-up range. For those So-Cals, I would get the 0.5° shim from www.StewMac.com if I wanted to raise the bridge height for more pull-up ability.

[neilli]

Hey thanks... I don't know why everything needs to get so difficult with me, but it usually does, I didn't even get the guitar yet but I am trying to learn about neck shims to fix it. Good info though. Maybe actual AS users chime in too.

Which version are you looking at getting? The US guitar has an original Floyd, but the SDX has some sort of import version. I have 2 of the USA guitars and they have about 1 1/2 steps of upward travel which is fine for me, but at NOTP has said, if you really want more, you can put a shim in the back of the neck pocket to increase the angle of the neck and so raise the bridge while keeping the action reasonable.

[Giffin]

It is the US version. That much upward movement and the possible shim solution pretty much solves my problem. Thanks to each of you guys, I don't see how to do that on this site, that reading about playing on non-recessed floyds and tuneomatics was great too.

[Axewielder]

1 1/2 step pullup range should be no problem and you probably won't even need a shim. Other than the string height off the body the feel is identical. I prefer the higher string height. Go for it.

[Giffin]

Okay now string height consideration comes up... I don't prefer super-low either, but I guess with shimming one should be able to go as low as it goes no?

[CaptNasty]

I have an SL2H with a non recessed Floyd. On non-recessed bridges, neck angle is adjusted to ensure a nice, low action. I get 1.5 on pull ups.

I prefer non recessed. What I find is that the guitar feels less “cramped”. When I play my sons SL2 with recessed tremolo, my pick hand hits the body and I feel that I do not have sufficient room for my pick hand. The non recessed just feels better to me personally.

[neilli]

Okay now string height consideration comes up... I don't prefer super-low either, but I guess with shimming one should be able to go as low as it goes no?

That's just a question of lowering the bridge. Of course, when you do that, you reduce the amount of upward travel, but again, if that's a problem, you can shim the neck..

[Giffin]

This could well be a final consideration: do those Stewmac shims effect sustain in any negative way?

[xenophobe]

This could well be a final consideration: do those Stewmac shims effect sustain in any negative way?

No. At least they shouldn't. I do read some people saying they think adding a shim increases sustain, but how long do you plan on actually holding a note? lol

[Number Of The Priest]

Does anyone remember a JCFer named Shredmonster whose primary concern about a guitar was sustain? He would harp on sustain in what seemed like very one of his posts, and sustain seemed to be the primary deciding factor in guitars he selected to own.

[CaptNasty]

This could well be a final consideration: do those Stewmac shims effect sustain in any negative way?

Let's say for argument sake that a shim did reduce the sustain. On a guitar with a Floyd, there are things you can do to address this.

First, you can go with a heavier/more dense sustain block. I put a tungsten sustain block in all of my Floyd guitars. Adds sustain and in my opinion it really picks the tone of the guitar up.

Second, you can replace the stock tremolo claw with a brass claw. This will add some sustain and once again in my opinion sweetens the tone of the guitar.

Finally you can replace the springs with noiseless springs. This will add a small amount of sustain and get rid of the "reverby" spring resonating sound that stock springs have.

With all of this said (and everything contributed to this thread so far), I have to ask: why are you so worried about this? Your concerns seem to center around the idea that some how the non-recessed Floyd is going to have a higher action and for some reason affects the ability to pull up. You concerns about shimming, sustain, pull up travel distance seem to stem from the assumption that this will have a higher action. Have you seen the guitar? Is the action a concern or are you making assumptions? What leads you to believe that non-recessed == no pull up? I have a non-recessed, it has a 1.5 step pull up.

Jacksons with factory set non-recessed trems are created to factor this in. They have low actions and play superbly. The neck angle, bridge height, and nut height are set specifically for non-recessed installations. If the guitar you are looking at has issues, there is something goong on with that guitar.