Floyd won't float level! Help!

[ChickenScratch]

Hey Guys, I need some help. I'm trying to tune my guitar that has an OFR but every time I tune to pitch the bridge is angled upwards! I've opened the cavity and turned the springs so that it lies level then tried tuning again but I can never get the damn thing to sit level!

I'm not good with the techy side of things so I'm completely baffled. I can only surmise that the last time I had it set up professionally he must have string up with 9's and adjustted for them but I usually use 10's. But does that little difference make it not sit level?

So yeah, any help would be greatly appreciated. I would love to get this sorted out by myself because my next day off work is Sunday and the luthier I normally take my guitars to is not at work that day.

[YetAnotherOne]

Re: Floyd won\'t float level! Help!

Add a spring.

[Number Of The Priest]

Re: Floyd won\'t float level! Help!

Yes, the difference between 9-42s and 10-46s is enough to make your Floyd tilt up when going up to 10s. Hell, I went from a 10-46 set to a 9-46 set and the Floyd sank down towards the body.

You say you had 9-42 on there before, and now you want to get back to 10-46. Put the 10-46 set on there, and tune it to desired pitch. The Floyd should now tilt up away from the body, exactly as you described. Open up the trem cavity and turn the two trem claw screws clockwise a quarter turn, making sure both are turned evenly. This tightens the trem claw. What you will notice now is that all six of your strings should be slightly sharp in pitch. To counter that, release tension on the strings by downtuning back to the desired pitch. Once pitch has been attained again, observe if the Floyd is still sticking up. If it still sticks up, tighten the two trem claw screws another quarter turn each. Basically, repeat this procedure of little fine-tunings until the string tension is relaxed enough so that the Floyd sinks back into the "level" position relative with the body. Takes a little getting used to, but once you do it, you never forget and it maybe takes you ten minutes at the most next time. I love the Floyd! [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

However, if you find that both the trem claw screws are cranked all the way in (clockwise), then you may have to add an additional trem spring. You shouldn't need to though... three springs is adequate for both a 9-42 set and a 10-46 set.

What I used to do when I sent my guitar for tech setups was to provide my tech with a set of MY OWN PERSONAL STRINGS for him to put on my guitar when the strings needed to be changed after installing pickups, or whatever I had him do to my guitar. This way, I can be 100% ABSOLUTELY SURE that I'll get the strings that I always play.

[ChickenScratch]

Re: Floyd won\'t float level! Help!

Thank you both for the input. Your advice was invaluable Priest!

Yeah, I'm the type who knows guitar playing ... that's it.

[noodlesatf]

Re: Floyd won\'t float level! Help!

Another great method I've seen for setting up Floyds involves shimming the bridge. You slack the strings, pull up on the bridge, and slide a shim under the back of it. Tighten up the springs a bunch in the cavity, then tune to pitch. The bridge should be sitting on the shim. Now, slowly release tension from the springs, a half turn a time per spring, until the shim loosens. Now the bridge is sitting where it needs to for the gauge you are using.