The Fate of the Floyd Rose Redmond Series

[hippietim]

Re: The Fate of the Floyd Rose Redmond Series

Before you dismiss the guitar because of the strings, ask yourself how much your time and effort are worth.

The strings I use on "normal" guitars cost me about $4.00 a pack (yes, I know you can get strings for $2.00 a set too - but I like what I like). I also use coated strings on some guitars and those cost $10-15. Speedloader strings cost about $9.00 - I got a bunch on sale for $7.00.

So it's about 3 or 4 bucks more to put Speedloaders on a guitar.

It takes 2 minutes to change the strings on a Speedloader. You're done. It's ready to go. IOW, you can start playing.

How long does it take you to change strings on a Floyd such that it is ready to go? Meaning you are done stretching strings, it's locked down, etc.

[jgcable]

Re: The Fate of the Floyd Rose Redmond Series

In addition to what Tim said, you can actually gig with 1 guitar. Just bring some extra strings. You can probably change a string and be up and running just as fast as unplluggin your guitar, taking your guitar off, running to the side of the stage, picking up the new guitar and plugging it in. My buddy changed his b string in around 45 seconds tops and he wasn't rushing. He was in relatively perfect tune when he snapped it in with only a tiny fine tuner adjustment.
Before you bash a Redmond you really need to play one. It has many of the same characteristics of the Steinberger trem. It is like guitar gymnastics. The whammy bar will truly become your friend.

[Shawn Lutz]

Re: The Fate of the Floyd Rose Redmond Series

I think they are good looking guitars but I don't like the headstock nor only having to be locked into one set of strings.

The time it takes for me to change strings and stretch is about 10 minutes. I usually play for about 2 minutes before I lock the nut. The reality of it for me is that is a non-factor becuae if I'm into playing and bust a string I just grab a different guitar. Same is true when I have dead strings, I just grab a different guitar until I have to change strings aon all of them [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

[jgcable]

Re: The Fate of the Floyd Rose Redmond Series

Shawn.. a 10 minute Floyd string change and a 2 minute stretch??? Dude.. you are my idol. [img]/images/graemlins/notworthy.gif[/img]

I have been changing strings on Floyded guitars since the very early 80's and I have never gotten down to that kind of speed. It takes me an easy 20 minutes and then an additional 20 minutes of stretching until I feel confident that it will stay in tune. Actually, I change my strings 1 week prior to a gig and will play my gigging guitars for around 5 minutes for a few days prior to the gig to make sure they are dead on.

[Newc]

Re: The Fate of the Floyd Rose Redmond Series

I don't change strings, I grab another guitar [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]
Or I sell it and buy another one [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

-20 minutes to actually get motivated enough to do it,
-10 minutes to remember where I put my spare sets of strings,
-15 minutes to look for my manual string-winder,
-3 hours to charge my mini electric drill that has just enough ass in it when fully charged to wind one set of strings with one of those Spin Doctor winders on it,
-5 minutes to find my wire cutters,
-10 seconds to cut the existing strings with said cutters,
-30 minutes to find the only allen wrench I have that will loosen the saddle lock screws,
-5 minutes to remove the strings from the tuners and recover from the sustained injury (damn G string always pops me in the cuticle and it hurts like hell),
-45 minutes to take a dump because it doesn't matter when or where or what I'm doing; if I'm busy, I gotta go [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]
-5 minute Smoke Break after the dump.
-1 to 10 minutes to watch what's on TV (1 minute if it's stupid, 10 if it's mildly interesting).
-3 hours to poke around the JCF and play with the Generators.
-20 minutes to get the motivation to continue restringing the guitar.
-30 minutes to decide if now is a good time to Newcenstein it or should I just Ebay it as-is.
-45 minutes to play around with different graphic ideas in Paint Shop Pro.
-20 minutes to scan Ebay for similar items to get a feel for how I should start the bidding or set the BIN.
-15 minutes to take new pics of it and create the listing.
-1/100th of a second to cancel the listing by closing the browser window.

1-3 minutes each string: String a tuner, lock it in the saddle, pull it tight and give the tuner a few turns with the drill/winder ( for the wound strings - unwound strings get the whole thing wrapped around the post), then string the others, rough tune it while holding the trem level by the bar, then finalize the tuning, lock it down and fine tune it.

So it takes me about 3 days to change strings [img]/images/graemlins/poke.gif[/img]

Seriously, if I had better things to do with my time than restring my guitars, I would probably have some concern about the amount of time that it does take me to restring a gutar (from unlocking the first nut to final fine tuning), but since there's absolutely nothing to do except change strings...

In a live situation I can have it restrung and stretched and tuned and ready to play in about 1 minute. At home, who cares?

Does time spent changing strings at home cost you money? Are your investments or your home depreciating at an increased rate the longer it takes you to change strings? Do the years left in your life pass like a fart in a dust storm as you wind the string around a tuner post?

I'm not dismissing the guitar solely based on the price of the strings, but I'm asking if the sheer novelty of the guitar's biggest design characteristic - the tremolo that eliminates the traditional tuners - is enough to warrant buying one or is it mostly the GeeWow factor?

[jgcable]

Re: The Fate of the Floyd Rose Redmond Series

I don't think the main buying feature is the time it takes to change the strings on a Speedloader and this is its problem. Most players who can afford to spend $1200.00 and up on a strat aren't really concerned about how much time it takes to change strings (as Newc so elequently stated). The players who are interested in the Speedloader are the players who buy $300-$500 for the import BC Rich with the crappy stamped Speedloader on it ( I don't think they have the "real" Ping manufactured Speedloader on them). Those guys need the Speedloader.
What appeals to the more seasoned player is the trem itself. The guitar itself didn't blow me away. It felt like a good american strat to me. What was most impressive was the response and feel of the Ping bridge itself. Its the only locking trem that I could compare as highly as the Ibanez Low Pro.

[hippietim]

Re: The Fate of the Floyd Rose Redmond Series

The string changing thing was just one advantage of the system for you guys that are bitching about the cost of the strings or being locked to one kind. They are good strings made by a very reputable string co.

John, the "real" Speedloader is made by Schaller. The cheap one on the import BC Rich's and import Floyd Rose Discovery series are made by Ping.

[jgcable]

Re: The Fate of the Floyd Rose Redmond Series

[ QUOTE ]
The string changing thing was just one advantage of the system for you guys that are bitching about the cost of the strings or being locked to one kind. They are good strings made by a very reputable string co.

John, the "real" Speedloader is made by Schaller. The cheap one on the import BC Rich's and import Floyd Rose Discovery series are made by Ping.

[/ QUOTE ]

I knew that Ping made one of them. The Schaller Speedloader is beautiful. The craftsmanship is top notch.
BTW.. the strings are made by Dean Markley and Floyd himself.

[neilli]

Re: The Fate of the Floyd Rose Redmond Series

Personally, I think part of it is that us guitarists are generally pretty cautious about new things, especially when they're pretty integral to the guitar (OK, you could change the bridge, but where will the machineheads go?!)

Secondly, the guitars seem pretty expensive for what are basically pretty plain looking instruments i.e. no figured woods, fancy inlays, graphics etc....

In other words the main thing that marks them out as different from many other superstrats is the trem, which we're all wary of!

[Shawn Lutz]

Re: The Fate of the Floyd Rose Redmond Series

[ QUOTE ]
Shawn.. a 10 minute Floyd string change and a 2 minute stretch??? Dude.. you are my idol. [img]/images/graemlins/notworthy.gif[/img]

I have been changing strings on Floyded guitars since the very early 80's and I have never gotten down to that kind of speed. It takes me an easy 20 minutes and then an additional 20 minutes of stretching until I feel confident that it will stay in tune. Actually, I change my strings 1 week prior to a gig and will play my gigging guitars for around 5 minutes for a few days prior to the gig to make sure they are dead on.

[/ QUOTE ]

thats a typo, good catch it would be impossible for me to be completly done that fast [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img] ...I meant I play 20 minutes before I lock the nut. I do the major stretching once all the strings are on. I then just play for 20 minutes, usually stuff that has a lot of bends and fine tune a bit then clamp the nut. What I find is even if you think they are stretched out enough they really arent. So I stretch strings, play, fine rune with tuners then lock when I feel its ready. I hate having to lock and unlock the nut. Once I lock the nut its usually locked until I change strings again.

[jgcable]

Re: The Fate of the Floyd Rose Redmond Series

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Shawn.. a 10 minute Floyd string change and a 2 minute stretch??? Dude.. you are my idol. [img]/images/graemlins/notworthy.gif[/img]

I have been changing strings on Floyded guitars since the very early 80's and I have never gotten down to that kind of speed. It takes me an easy 20 minutes and then an additional 20 minutes of stretching until I feel confident that it will stay in tune. Actually, I change my strings 1 week prior to a gig and will play my gigging guitars for around 5 minutes for a few days prior to the gig to make sure they are dead on.

[/ QUOTE ]

thats a typo, good catch it would be impossible for me to be completly done that fast [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img] ...I meant I play 20 minutes before I lock the nut. I do the major stretching once all the strings are on. I then just play for 20 minutes, usually stuff that has a lot of bends and fine tune a bit then clamp the nut. What I find is even if you think they are stretched out enough they really arent. So I stretch strings, play, fine rune with tuners then lock when I feel its ready. I hate having to lock and unlock the nut. Once I lock the nut its usually locked until I change strings again.

[/ QUOTE ]

Whew.. me too.

[necrotechno]

Re: The Fate of the Floyd Rose Redmond Series

Here's my procedure:

-Block the bridge with something
-Unlock the nut, adjust the fine tuners to the middle of their play
-Check the tuning, make adjustments at the headstock
-Change one string at a time, stretching by yanking them up about two inches off the board and letting go
-Get it all in tune
-Unblock the bridge
-Adjust the springs if necessary (rare)
-Check the tuning again, adjust at the headstock
-Lock the nut

Takes about ten to fifteen minutes, depending. As Newc pointed out. [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img] The key, however, is that I put locking tuners on ALL my guitars. Even the ones with a locking nut. Really whittles down the change time.

[bluebullet]

Re: The Fate of the Floyd Rose Redmond Series

the only thing i would be worried about is if they dont sell enough you end up with a guitar you cant get strings for

[quiksilver]

Re: The Fate of the Floyd Rose Redmond Series

I've always been able to get strings for my Steinberger, and that was a worse situation (only one company used the bridge, and it went out of business) than you'd be buying into with the Floyd, where several companies offer the bridge (Floyd Rose, BC Rich, Jackson, Charvel). With all of the specialty strings available that presumably appeal to small niche markets, I would guess this line will continue, too.

[atilla]

Re: The Fate of the Floyd Rose Redmond Series

I loved the Redmond when I played it, and not just because of the trem. It was one of the few guitars I've picked up and felt instantly comfortable playing. Very nice. Not $2,200 nice, though.

The looks take a bit of getting used to...I don't lie ANYTHING with a pick guard.