Floyd radius

[potatohead]

Hey guys, need some help.

I just purchased a Carvin kit which came the other day. It has a Floyd, with locking nut. The kit has a 14" radius, but I am reading the OFR and the nuts have a 10" radius. Should I be adding shims to this thing? Weird thing is, my Soloist has the 12 - 16" compound board and I don't see any shims on the OFR on that thing at all.

Thanks for any help

[MakeAJazzNoiseHere]

Search, n00b.

http://www.jcfonline.com/threads/107747-Setting-bridge-radius?p=1355870

[potatohead]

The typical Floyd nuts are 10" radius (R2, R3, R4, etc.) and the stock Floyd bridge radius is 10" with the metal shim under the A/D/G/B saddles, which is included from the factory in a boxed tremolo. When you remove it it's more like a 15" radius. I have never unboxed a Schaller so, I don't know on those.

I have never found any shims in any of my Jacksons or Charvels with Floyds. So basically a brand new USA Jackson or Custom Shop Charvel comes with a 10" nut and a roughly 15" bridge radius and they play pretty nice like that.

You can shim the bridge a little flatter using a slightly thicker shim under the E's, a shim under the B/A, and none under the D/G saddles. On a 12 - 16" radius shoot for around 18" radius at the bridge.

Alright... This is the info I need, thank you.

I haven't taken apart the one on my Soloist, but I guess they have no shims at all in there? I took off the low E saddle of the Carvin Floyd this morning and there is nothing under there, but I didn't think to check the other ones. According to what you are saying, the center four should be shimmed on the Carvin one.

Edit: I just spoke with Carvin, their OFR's for six string are 12" radius. So, I either will have to take out middle shims if they are there, or add shims on the E strings. Either way at least now I know. Thanks for the help.

[Argos]

That isn't necessarily true: I have a DK-1 that was shipped from the factory shimmed. Keep in mind that radius measurements work backwards--the higher the radius is labeled in inches, the flatter the board is going to be.

If you want to shim your OFR so the radius at the bridge is 14", you'll need to shim both E strings .4mm and the A and B strings .2mm.

[potatohead]

That isn't necessarily true: I have a DK-1 that was shipped from the factory shimmed. Keep in mind that radius measurements work backwards--the higher the radius is labeled in inches, the flatter the board is going to be.

If you want to shim your OFR so the radius at the bridge is 14", you'll need to shim both E strings .4mm and the A and B strings .2mm.

Right, unless the way it is set up now, with 12" radius (I called Carvin to confirm this) has shims under the A/D/G/B saddles. I'm not sure if it's shimmed or if the actual saddles are taller. I'm at work so I'll check on it tonight, if it's shimmed that makes it pretty easy.

[Argos]

If it's an OFR, manufactured by Schaller (not to be confused with Schaller's own Floyd), there should be three different saddle heights (E+e, a+b and d+g). There shouldn't be anything under the d+g strings, and there'd be a 0.2mm shim under the E+e and 0.1mm under the b+a to achieve a 12" radius. If it isn't set up like this then something is strange.

[MakeAJazzNoiseHere]

Alright... This is the info I need, thank you.

I haven't taken apart the one on my Soloist, but I guess they have no shims at all in there? I took off the low E saddle of the Carvin Floyd this morning and there is nothing under there, but I didn't think to check the other ones. According to what you are saying, the center four should be shimmed on the Carvin one.

Edit: I just spoke with Carvin, their OFR's for six string are 12" radius. So, I either will have to take out middle shims if they are there, or add shims on the E strings. Either way at least now I know. Thanks for the help.

If you purchase a Floyd Rose that is in a box, a RETAIL BOXED FLOYD ROSE, it has a shim under the middle 4 saddles. It is about a 10" radius.

You take that shim out, and the bridge is about a 15" radius. That is how Jackson configures the bridge.

Unless Carvin is doing something weird with different height saddles than what comes stock, they are just incorrect about the 12" radius, like most people are that don't realize the Floyd isn't really 10" radius un-shimmed.

[potatohead]

If it's an OFR, manufactured by Schaller (not to be confused with Schaller's own Floyd), there should be three different saddle heights (E+e, a+b and d+g). There shouldn't be anything under the d+g strings, and there'd be a 0.2mm shim under the E+e and 0.1mm under the b+a to achieve a 12" radius. If it isn't set up like this then something is strange.

It's an OFR, says "Made in Germany" on the bottom. I spoke with Albert at Carvin who is the head guitar tech, and he said they are set up for 12" radius. Perhaps he was mistaken as Jazz said. I don't suppose there is any way Carvin is getting them with different saddle heights, that seems stupid (and expensive) when everyone else uses shims. He did say if I would probably want to shim the outside strings with the 14" radius.

If you purchase a Floyd Rose that is in a box, a RETAIL BOXED FLOYD ROSE, it has a shim under the middle 4 saddles. It is about a 10" radius.

You take that shim out, and the bridge is about a 15" radius. That is how Jackson configures the bridge.

Unless Carvin is doing something weird with different height saddles than what comes stock, they are just incorrect about the 12" radius, like most people are that don't realize the Floyd isn't really 10" radius un-shimmed.

The bridge came from Carvin, in Carvin packaging. I assume they buy them in bulk and repackage them. I just realized now after reading your post, that the shim is one piece under the four saddles, I thought it was four seperate shims. If taking that out gets me a 15" radius, that will work well I think. I guess taking that shim out, or putting more shims under the outer four strings accomplishes the same thing. Now, if there are no shims in there at all, I guess I will just have to figure it out once the guitar is together. I should have brought the damn thing to work .

[MakeAJazzNoiseHere]

You can print out a crappy radius gauge at pickguardian.com if you want to measure it - that is all I use since I don't do much with Strats or anything else where a radius gauge matters much. So long as you print it out on good heavy paper and cut it really carefully, you can make a pretty good tool for nothing... Or you can get good ones from Stewmac.

But yeah, all of the retail Floyds I've bought (from Warmoth, and Guitar Parts Depot) have had the 1 cm x 4 cm (roughly) saddle under the middle four saddles and are about a 15" radius when you remove that shim.

And all of the Floyds I have worked on, on Jacksons and Charvels, have been the same - a regular old retail Floyd with that factory-installed shim taken out; same three saddle heights, same 15-inch-ish radius.

I bet when you get your Carvin Floyd it will have the same shim under it. If you take that out and have the 15" radius on a straight 14 neck you will be all set.

[potatohead]

Well, just to prove JCF (and you guys) kicks ass, you were right. One single shim under the four middle saddles. I took it out and there is still a crown to the saddles, but much more mild.

Thanks dudes