SL2H: Block the Floyd to dive only?

[PowerTube]

I didn't put this in the Tech section because it's really not a "tech" question. I already know how to block a Floyd and I've done it on a couple of other guitars. I just block it so that it can't pull up. I'm wanting opinions on whether I should do it on the SL2H. Specifically, can you think of any drawbacks to this? The only one I know of is the slightly stiffer whammy bar action, since the springs are adjusted tighter.

Thoughts?

[phill_up]

I have only had one guitar that someone did that to and it took me a bit to figure out why they did it. Had a little piece of wood glued under the trem and the claw springs tightened tighter than shite. You could still dive down but it was stiff as hell. Easy to change strings because the floyd didn't fall back. I'm guessing it supposedly gives more sustain?

I like the floyd the way it is on my SL2H, I can let my finger slip off of it under
pressure and get a nice little dribble out of it that I cant get out of my other "licensed" Floyds and I pull up on mine as much as I dive.

[Axewielder]

You can get a wider vibrato with a full floating trem without going flat on notes.

[phill_up]

I didn't even think about that, I would think you could even do a deeper string bend with a full floating trem

Edit: I wish Grover Jackson would get his ass on here at least once so I could tell him how much I love this guitar

[toejam]

Edit: I wish Grover Jackson would get his ass on here at least once so I could tell him how much I love this guitar

What year is your guitar and what did Grover Jackson have to do with it? He left the company in 1989.

[lynchfan6]

I block the trem from pulling back on all of my guitars, including my Jems and SL2H. You can still adjust the trem springs so that it isn't so stiff to dive notes. I just love the stability when it comes to tuning, or if you break a string. I never got into pulling up on the whammy much, so it was worth the trade off to me. Also, the guitar feels more solid somehow.....it's all connected. Once I read that EVH does it, I gave it a try and never went back to floating trems . It's all personal preference, and it is very easy to remove .........not a permanent or damaging modification for sure. I just make my shim, glue it lightly in place. A few hard taps is all it takes to knock it out again, should you desire to.

[Foulacy]

just get a tremol-no and you can have the best of all worlds.

[DonP]

I have no issues with my SL2H (or other guitars) having a floating trem.

I did block a trem in a KE3 but I don't have the whammy bar for it so it didn't really matter.

[phill_up]

What year is your guitar and what did Grover Jackson have to do with it? He left the company in 1989.

I thought Wayne Charvel left the company and Grover Jackson started all of these ass kicking neckthru's? If Wayne left it to Grover, then Grover leaves in 1989 How the hell has J/C remained the Killer guitars they always have been?
This whole time I thought that Grover was steering J/C up until Fender bought it.
I cant remember what year my soloist is, somewhere between an 05 & 07

[Axewielder]

I'd love to do a build with a non-recessed Floyd, blocked to dive only, and with a D-tuna. Someday...

EDIT: Err, I wouldn't block it per se, I would rest it on the body...

[pro-fusion]

just get a tremol-no and you can have the best of all worlds.

I have a Tremol-No in my custom Stealth-7. It works great for completely blocking the trem, but I've found that the 'blocking screws' slip badly when you try to set it for dive-only. It's easier to just block the front of the trem block cavity if you want to do dive-only. You don't have to get fancy--I've successfully used a bunch of guitar picks taped together as a block. They just have to be wedged in there tightly enough.

[Newc]

Personally I couldn't think of a good reason to block a floating trem, even though plenty of people mention this mysterious string-breakage and "issues" with bending.

Bend a little higher, and don't hamfist it when you pick. If you're pounding the strings to get sound out of them, you need a thinner pick, or a better amp or pickup.

The only guitar I've ever broken a string on in a live setting is my LP Standard, and I wasn't hitting the strings that hard.

[pro-fusion]

I've mostly done it on guitars where the trem didn't accurately return to zero pitch. Nowadays, I just sell 'em or fix 'em if that happens.

[Axewielder]

Personally I couldn't think of a good reason to block a floating trem...

I guess for me I see the following benefits:

- Ability to do unison bends without bridge pulling up (have to set springs pretty tight though)
- Switch in and out of drop D easily
- Tuning doesnt go out of whack when string breaks

It is a compromise, of course. Most of my trems I keep set up to float.

[toejam]

I thought Wayne Charvel left the company and Grover Jackson started all of these ass kicking neckthru's? If Wayne left it to Grover, then Grover leaves in 1989 How the hell has J/C remained the Killer guitars they always have been?
This whole time I thought that Grover was steering J/C up until Fender bought it.
I cant remember what year my soloist is, somewhere between an 05 & 07

I forget the dates exactly, but Wayne sold his interest to Grover I think in '78, then Grover merged with or sold to IMC (International Music Corporation), then it was sold to AMIC (Akai Musical Instrument Corporation), then AMIC sold to Fender in '02.