How to upgrade key components of a licensed Floy Rose Tremolo?

[coffeeandbonghits]

I own a Jackson Dinky MIT, with a licensed Floyd Rose Bridge and locking nut. What I want to do is replace any of the cheaper parts with better parts, but I am not sure which ones I can and cannot do.

Maybe I should upgrade the nut also? Not sure what it's made of.

I don't want to swap out the entire bridge, I just want to replace the parts that wear or that could make the sound or sustain better without too much cost (swap soft metal or worn parts for better upgraded components purchased online).

So which parts should I swap out? For a better hard rock/classic metal type of sounding guitar?

[coffeeandbonghits]

I found some info so in case anyone else is curious, here is a list of some of the parts you can swap out for a little better sound but without replacing the LFR with an OFR:

1. Stainless steel nut clamping screws
2. Stainless steel saddle screws
3. Stainless steel string lock screws
4. Stainless steel sustain block screws
5. Sustain block (Brass)
6. Titanium string lock blocks
7. Replace nut with better one.

Anyone else got any other ideas? How do you know the difference and how can you tell when stuff needs replaced?

[Mudlark]

I can't help but feel replacing the tremolo with a better model may be cheaper? Say, for example, a used 01000 Series Korean made Floyd...same size/materials as the German Floyd.
I wouldn't worry about the nut and clamps if they aren't visibly worn. A better nut may require some grinding/sanding.

Made in Taiwan? Which model and trem? A pic would be helpful if you aren't certain.

[scole]

I think you’ve pretty much mentioned all the components you could replace. The only other part would be the actual springs.

There’s always a brass claw and brass claw screws but my luthier was pretty down on the brass claw screws I had provided to him for a recent build. The screw heads stripped easily while installing them so he ended up using regular screws (and the ones Inhad provided were from FU-Tone).

[rjohnstone]

It's generally cheaper to replace the whole trem.
Stainless parts add up fast, and forget Titanium.
All the stainless parts you list above will cost over $200, and depending on the bridge, might not fit anyway.
You can get a proper Floyd for less.

And remember, this is on an import Jackson. Trem will cost more than the guitar.

[coffeeandbonghits]

Well it's mainly the parts that the strings vibrate on that wear a bit and can lose some sustain, and upgrade the block and springs. That shouldn't cost too much. How is the LFR quality in the import Dinky's?

Which Floyds will fit in the import Dinky and about how much are they? I can see the routing is not really deep.

[Mudlark]

It will depend on the model of Dinky. There were a number of tremolos used over the years.

If yours is certainly a Taiwanese made model it would likely have some variant of the Schaller Floyd, or JT500, JT590 Jackson logo'd (and sometimes unlogo'd in the case of the cheaper JT500). There were very few MIT Jacksons and they were lower end JS models with a Strat style mostly.

The JT500 has a squared baseplate and long locking screws.
Other LFR's had short screws and an angled plate. JT580LP for example.

There were also some dealer run exclusives from that time (mid-late '90s) with upgraded specs more similar to the X Series. I expect you may have one of these, but a pic would confirm. Necks/serials can be swapped if you aren't the original owner.