New vibrato system?

[Supasso]

Any know about this new vibrato system?

[sevser]

Re: New vibrato system?

Its the new "Speed loader" By Floyd Rose.

[Disco Dave]

Re: New vibrato system?

its a Floyd Rose Speedloader. You have to buy "special" strings with "bullet" ends or whatever. I dunno, they look stupid to me. I'm sure someone will have some better info on it.

[Explorer77]

Re: New vibrato system?

www.floydrose.com

[Supasso]

Re: New vibrato system?

Thanks guys!

[necrotechno]

Re: New vibrato system?

For you hardcore guys... Looks like it would be a cinch to mod that headstock into a strathead.

[AlexL]

Re: New vibrato system?

Did anyone read this on the Floyd Rose web site?

"[Note: Since the fine tuner adjustment set screw is made of hardened steel and the bullet ends of the strings are made of brass, the set screw will dig into the brass string end and possibly bind if you increase the pitch of a string when the string is at full tension (i.e. standard pitch)."

"Therefore we recommend that you temporarily remove the string when turning the fine tuner adjustment set screw in a clockwise, or pitch increasing direction. If when adjusting the set screw in the clockwise direction you over shoot and the string is sharp when reinstalled in the saddle, you may turn the set screw in a counter-clockwise direction or pitch decreasing direction with the string at full tension.]"

Pop the string out everytime you need to sharpen the pitch? If you're lucky, you'll nail it... otherwise, overtune and flatten the pitch as necessary? THAT doesn't sound like a royal PIA, does it?

- E.

[ January 18, 2003, 08:45 PM: Message edited by: AlexL ]

[toejam]

Re: New vibrato system?

What was wrong with the Original Floyd Rose system?!? Absolutely nothing!! People that are uneducated and always complain they can't set up their regular Floyd are still going to complain about this one. How hard is it to cut ball ends off a string and wrap strings around a tuning post?
The Speedloader is a complete waste of Mr. Rose's time and money, not to mention the public's. You're going to pay more for strings, you can't do different tunings since the newer strings are pre-stretched, you're still going to have to balance with springs, adjust intonation the same way by moving the saddles. I predict this system will flop and not be on the market for very long! [img]images/icons/mad.gif[/img]
Also, anyone else think they should just make every guitar with this system headless like a Steinberger? Something just doesn't look right with no strings going through tuning posts of machineheads. What a crock this system will be!!

Re: New vibrato system?

I agree with ya toejam..

I don't want headless guitars.. [img]images/icons/smile.gif[/img] I saw an ESP with a Speedloaderand that looked pretty cool actually..

[kirkslossar]

Re: New vibrato system?

Don't mean to curse, but Ibanez revamped their Edge (FR lisenced) trems as well. I don't understand this at all.

Do you guys remember back in the eighties/nineties when one of the string manufacturers tried to market FR strings that had square ends on them instead of ball ends? Now, where are these strings?

IMHO, there isn't really a need to improve on the FR trem (maybe in construction materials and practices.) But what could really make life easier with a double locking trem? So many trems have come and gone, but the original design is one that has always been (and probably will be) sought after.

I think it might be trivial, but just the *look* of an OFR is cool. I don't use my trem a whole lot these days, yet I still struggle with the idea of buying a guitar that doesn't have a double locking trem.

[ January 19, 2003, 02:43 PM: Message edited by: Kirk Slossar ]

[Evolver]

Re: New vibrato system?

I think you're slightly mis-understanding that quote about the Speedloader. You don't have to remove the string every time you want to raise the pitch.

Here's how it works: if you keep having to tune the string upwards (sharpen) then the brass "bullet" end of the string will keep getting closer to the threads of the screw you are tightening - and eventially start to dig into it since brass is softer than steel. When this happens you would need to pop the string out and "reset" the tuning screw to give you more room to tune up. It's similar to what happens on an Original Floyd Rose when you realise your high-E string is flat, but the tuning screw is all the way down - you can't tune up any further so you have to pop open the locking nut, reset the tuning screw to give you more room, and tune up at the headstock.

Using an OFR, this usually only happened to me when I put on a fresh set of strings and didn't stretch them out enough. I have to wonder about the Speedloader strings though...just how much slack do they come with? And how would that affect your tuning "window" once the strings have been stretched out for a few days...