OFR with the word "Original" etched in baseplate...how old?

[Chad]

I'm getting a guitar that has an OFR and on the baseplate it has the normal "Floyd Rose" etched in, then below it has "original" also. From what time frame were OFRs made like that?

Also, have you ever seen an OFR with studs that adjust with a flathead screwdriver? Every OFR guitar I've owned has had studs that adjust with an allen wrench. And most others I recall looking at were also allen wrench.

Thanks.

[Trussrod]

Also, have you ever seen an OFR with studs that adjust with a flathead screwdriver? Every OFR guitar I've owned has had studs that adjust with an allen wrench. And most others I recall looking at were also allen wrench.

Are ferrules pressed into the wood for the screws you described? The ones you mentioned remind me of the wood screw type studs that came with the earliest OFR's. These went directly into the wood. Someone may have replaced the bridge with a later model without replacing the original wood screw studs.

[warlok]

If it's an older charvel, the JT6 to OFR studs budman sells (OFR "v"cut but with JT6 size threads) are also flathead screwdriver.

[moku]

the stamped "original" ones are legit. they came on the scene from around (end of) 1988 to 1992ish. when "floyd rose pro" was introduced, the original floyd rose began to have the "original" stamp on them.

i own many kramer guitars and a couple of them have them. usually you see these on later Kramers.

the stamped "original" floyds are just as good as the ones without it--made in west germany by schaller. actually they're better than the later korean made ones, i.e., the ones you're referring to with the allen wrench floyd posts. if you look on the bottom of the baseplate of the ones you're referring to, they are not stamped with "Made in Germany" on them. only the OFR and the "original" ones are stamped with them. these older ones all came with flat-head wood screws for the posts.

hope this helps.

[Chad]

Thanks for the info fellas. The guitar is an ESP M-II Deluxe. I don't have it yet so I'm not sure if the posts screw direct into the wood or not. The seller was estimating the guitar was made in the late 80s or early 90s, so it sounds like that fits what you guys are saying. I once had a 1991 (best guess) ESP Custom Shop Mirage and it had the ESP "Synclair" licensed Floyd. People talk highly of those, but I didn't care for it. I should be much happier with the original Floyd. Here is a pic I got from the seller:

[ulijdavid]

Yeah...the first earliest Floyds used flat head wood screws. I had them in a Kramer Nightswan. You need to be carefull depending on the wood the body is made of. I noticed that the screws started to lean towards the headstock because of the softness of the mahogany. The screws were also a bitch to turn. I don't know if this was why they changed to inserts and studs. I also don't know if this was common. I just remember my guitar having this problem.

[RacerX]

I just got a Heartfield with this bridge. I believe it id from 1990.

[MetalMedal II]

I just got a Heartfield with this bridge. I believe it id from 1990.

Cool, assume a Talon, but which number? I've got a Heartfield Elan that has a Floyd Pro...a real one manufactured by APMW, the parent company of Kahler no less!

[RJF]

What you have there is, IMHO, the best Floyd Rose bridge out there. I have a REAL original, like yours, in my 1997 KE1 and prefer it. The machining seems better than the current Schaller Floyds and the trem bar is tighter and wears slower on the original floyd. Another bridge that to me feels almost identical to the real original is the Jackson JT590. I recently acquired a 1993 Kelly CS with a 590 in it. Again, I find the machining to be better on it, like the original, when compared to the current Schaller Floyds.

It's suprising how many people don't know about the real OFR.

[bucketbrian45]

My RR24s Floyd never goes out of tune is it korean?

[RacerX]

Cool, assume a Talon, but which number? I've got a Heartfield Elan that has a Floyd Pro...a real one manufactured by APMW, the parent company of Kahler no less!

Talon II

[moku]

My RR24s Floyd never goes out of tune is it korean?

i think so. the korean floyd is supposedly made of Zinc... not sure though.
but i know they work just fine and stays in tune as good as any of my german floyds. the only difference is the fine tuners... korean floyd fine tuners aren't as smooth as a german ones. it may be they're newer. not sure.