Changing FR Special to OFR... questions

[saffirepro40]

Hello,

I have a Jackson Adrian Smith SDX guitar. I put the USA pickups in it and planned to keep it that way. However, the nut is horrible on this guitar, I ordered a Jackson replacement incase the FR R3 doesn't work filed down. Upon inspection, it does appear the knife edges are a little worn as well as the post.

Instead of fixing it, I just decided to get a real Floyd Rose... I've always wanted a Floyd Rose guitar that I could actually use the bar on and I've never owned one. They've all went out of tune. The problem with this one was the nut. I'd hear a creaking sound, (thought it was the knife edges) but it wasn't, confirmed it was the nut, then it would start popping as I pulled up, eventually this stripped the screws it appears. I did not tighten them too tight, so I can't find any other reason it would be stripped.

Since this guitar is a non recessed Floyd, will this be a direct replacement? I'm hoping not to drill for different post size or cavity for it to float.

Does anyone know what the USA model has on it as a nut? Is it an R3?

I really love this guitar and that's why I'm putting so much money into it. It's still less than the USA version, however I didn't expect having to replace the Floyd. But I'd rather just have the original anyway.

What is a good way to gauge how high the string tree should be on this? I read somewhere that if it's too high it'll go out of tune when using the bar? I haven't had a Floyd Rose in a long time and the ones I had before, I don't remember there being a straight string tree like this, if there was, it must have been set up properly.

[Number Of The Priest]

Yes, it will be a direct replacement. If your SDX is anything like my Charvel So-Cals (http://www.jcfonline.com/threads/149...highlight=40mm), it will require a 40mm sustain block. The Floyd Rose Special is identical to the Original Floyd Rose in dimensions and everything except the materials of two specific components:

-The Special's saddles are made of zinc alloy (the Original has steel saddles).
-The Special's sustain block is made of zinc alloy (the Original has a brass sustain block).

http://www.floydrose.com/catalog/tremolos/6:special-series/special

Essentially you could swap the Special's saddles and sustain block for the ones found in the Original and have yourself a functional "Original". Not sure if it's cheaper to replace those specific parts than to buy a whole new Original, but it is an option to consider.

If your locking nut is locked, the string tree is inconsequential in tuning stability. The string tree just needs to be low enough to exert minimal downward pressure on the strings between the nut and the tuning posts. I always eyeball it when setting it up, especially with guitars equipped with locking nuts. The height (and angle) matters more on a guitar equipped with a standard nut.

Not sure about your other questions. Hopefully someone else can help there.

[saffirepro40]

Yes, it will be a direct replacement. If your SDX is anything like my Charvel So-Cals (http://www.jcfonline.com/threads/149...highlight=40mm), it will require a 40mm sustain block. The Floyd Rose Special is identical to the Original Floyd Rose in dimensions and everything except the materials of two specific components:

-The Special's saddles are made of zinc alloy (the Original has steel saddles).
-The Special's sustain block is made of zinc alloy (the Original has a brass sustain block).

http://www.floydrose.com/catalog/tremolos/6:special-series/special

Essentially you could swap the Special's saddles and sustain block for the ones found in the Original and have yourself a functional "Original". Not sure if it's cheaper to replace those specific parts than to buy a whole new Original, but it is an option to consider.

If your locking nut is locked, the string tree is inconsequential in tuning stability. The string tree just needs to be low enough to exert minimal downward pressure on the strings between the nut and the tuning posts. I always eyeball it when setting it up, especially with guitars equipped with locking nuts. The height (and angle) matters more on a guitar equipped with a standard nut.

Not sure about your other questions. Hopefully someone else can help there.

Well I have already purchased the original Floyd Rose, just hasn't came in the mail yet. So you say the sustain block and everything is of the same dimensions? Nice, I was hoping to not do any routing, it is like a Charvel So Cal non recessed.

Do you have any idea what locking tuners would fit this guitar that wouldn't take drilling? I know of course it has a locking nut but I still like locking tuners on my guitars for string changes.

[Nightbat]

The stringtree in a floyd helps a little in detuning when tightening the locking clamps (the sharper angle lessens how much the strings are/need to be pushed on the nut before locking)

All in all, apart from the mounting studs the Special isn't a bad trem, it's not like it has inferior materials compared to the Takeuchi's of yesteryear,
but I have noticed the baseplate isn't as rigid and bends a little when applying pressure pulling up

[XSvmbraDensX]

I've swapped out the Specials in two of my import Jacksons(KV7 and RRX24-7) for OFRs and had no issues with the swap. If you need to change the nut though, I found out on both of mine that the screw hole placement varied slightly on both Special nuts. It wasn't very much, but I did have to dowel one of the holes in order to drill a new one to fit the OFR nut. Aside from that, the swap is extremely easy and well worth it. It made my two imports play just as good as my E-II ESP.

[Mudlark]

Aside from the screw placement the Special nut was identical to the OFR?

[saffirepro40]

I've swapped out the Specials in two of my import Jacksons(KV7 and RRX24-7) for OFRs and had no issues with the swap. If you need to change the nut though, I found out on both of mine that the screw hole placement varied slightly on both Special nuts. It wasn't very much, but I did have to dowel one of the holes in order to drill a new one to fit the OFR nut. Aside from that, the swap is extremely easy and well worth it. It made my two imports play just as good as my E-II ESP.

I plan on doing that with the nut. The nut I have is no good. I've already stripped the screws. When I pulled up on the bar the nut would creak (wasn't the knife edges or post) finally it just stripped them. I wasn't screwing them on too tight. I read that other people had the same problems with the guitar.

Mine has a Floyd Rose Special but it has a Jackson Nut. BH43. I ordered a new Jackson Nut just incase but I know the USA model uses an R3 so I'm thinking the R3 will work, I might have to sand it or change the screw position but that's no problem.

The guitar has been awesome for a 500 dollar guitar. I got the USA version pickups (Super Distortion and two Fender SCN's) used, never really been used though for 70 dollars total for all three. Now I paid 219 for the Tremelo.

Still comes out much cheaper than the two thousand dollar USA version. I would have liked it if they would have had one with the pickups and Floyd Original not made in the USA for around 1200 dollars but I realize that wouldn't be smart marketing.

I can't imagine the USA fretboard feels any better than this. I have much more expensive guitars that I have not fallen in love with like this Adrian Smith SDX. Even the stock humbucker sounded really good, but the two single coils didn't.

I couldn't get the Floyd Rose special to stay in tune good, I think it was mostly because of the nut but I figured I'd just change it all out and have it be the way I want it to be. It didn't go out of tune bad at first but as the nut wore it got unreasonable. I could hear it creak whenever I'd pull up then the screws on the nut would come loose. I tried to make them even tighter and that didn't solve anything.

This is the first non recessed Floyd Rose I've ever had. I'm surprised by how much I can pull up on it. It's floating about like a strat bridge. I don't think it can be decked on this guitar without shimming the neck. But I like it floating.

I don't even ask for the thing to go back in perfect tune, I just want it to be reasonable after hitting the bar. My Strat doesn't have a locking nut and it's just an MIM HSS strat and I can dive bomb or do whatever I want and it goes back to perfect tune. It's all stock except I put Fender locking tuners on it.

[saffirepro40]

BTW, I meant to ask this, totally forgot. The neck is 12 to 16 compound radius. The Floyd is 12. Do I need to shim some of the saddles? This might be one of the reasons the Floyd Rose Special wasn't doing well either and why my E strings were buzzing so much.

[XSvmbraDensX]

Aside from the screw placement the Special nut was identical to the OFR?

Yep!

[XSvmbraDensX]

BTW, I meant to ask this, totally forgot. The neck is 12 to 16 compound radius. The Floyd is 12. Do I need to shim some of the saddles? This might be one of the reasons the Floyd Rose Special wasn't doing well either and why my E strings were buzzing so much.

My Jackson's were 12-16 as well and I didn't have to do anything to the saddles.

[BenoA]

Awesome thread! I got a LTD Alexi 200 in a trade and I like the way the guitar feels but the Floyd Special drives me nut... Strings keep slipping out of the saddles under heavy usage, even if I screw the small blocks very tight. I have owned and still own many guitars with many Floyd types and this is my first experience with the FR Special and damn! So, thanks to this thread, dropping a real Floyd sounds easy as 1, 2, 3!