Keeping a Floyd in tune....

[Thoraby]

One of my geeetarz with a OFR has some tuning issues. It has the old schoole wood screw posts, and there is no play in them, neither are they worn. The knife edges are almost perfect(just a little of the paint scuffed off).

The nut is tightened hard, and I have even done the "tune the strings down with the tuners on the headstock with the locking nut tightened thing", and the strings remained tuned(maybe dropped a teeny weeny bit in pitch, but that was most likely the effect of pressure-release). The neck is also on tight.

The problem is that when I'm playing, and using the trem all the strings change pitch. It's only by 2-3 cents sharp or flat. And it's not the old "worn-knife edge" problem, because there's nothing wrong with them knife edges. And the pitch changes aren't like they would be with crappy knife edges. They are more haphazard and random.

When I bought the guitar, it came strung with 9's, and it held tuning perfectly! I mean flawlessly. Didn't have to touch the fine tuners for 3 weeks-perfectly! Then I strung it with 10's and this hell began. Help?

Q: Maybe the strings aren't stretched Thoraby.
A: Yes they are. If anything they're overstretched. It's been like this for 3 sets of strings now.

Q: Springs might be old or whatnot
A: Yes! Could it be bad/old springs that are causing the problems? It's the same springs as when it had 9's on it though... so I doubt it.

Help? Help? HEEEEEEEEELP?

Thanx a million
/Thoraby

[PowerTube]

Re: Keeping a Floyd in tune....

Unless you're into doing pullups, I would recommend blocking the trem to dive only. Not only will it increase the tuning stability 100%, but it'll add a bit of sustain, too.

[Thoraby]

Re: Keeping a Floyd in tune....

[ QUOTE ]
Unless you're into doing pullups, I would recommend blocking the trem to dive only. Not only will it increase the tuning stability 100%, but it'll add a bit of sustain, too.

[/ QUOTE ]
You are both just and wise powertube, but I readily enjoy trem-wanking.

[Ace]

Re: Keeping a Floyd in tune....

Did you set up your spring tension to adjust for the heavier strings? Truss rod?

[DonP]

Re: Keeping a Floyd in tune....

Tremsetter?

[Thoraby]

Re: Keeping a Floyd in tune....

Ace; the floyd is level. I'm not THAT dumb. Truss rod is adjusted(I paid 10 bucks for the adjusting thingy!!!)

I actually have a tremsetter in my drawer, but I am in no shape to install it(not good with powertools). Also I don't want to drill in my Nightswan. [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

[Ace]

Re: Keeping a Floyd in tune....

Hmmm... I'd have to take a look at it to go from here...

I'll tell you what, you pay for my plane ticket and I'll come fix your axe for free!! Hell, I'll even replace your OFR and buy you a beer when I get there!!

[img]/images/graemlins/toast.gif[/img] [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]

[Thoraby]

Re: Keeping a Floyd in tune....

I could send you a pair of speedos and you could swim over. And that beer sounds pretty damn good right about now.

[atomic charvel guy]

Re: Keeping a Floyd in tune....

this is a silly question, but did you intonate the guitar when you put the heavier strings on?

[Thoraby]

Re: Keeping a Floyd in tune....

[ QUOTE ]
this is a silly question, but did you intonate the guitar when you put the heavier strings on?

[/ QUOTE ]
No, because the intonation was dead-on after I changed string gauge. Weird, but still rightfully so.<--- that sentence makes no sense.

Could intonation actually have a effect on tuning stability?

[Ace]

Re: Keeping a Floyd in tune....

[ QUOTE ]
I could send you a pair of speedos and you could swim over. And that beer sounds pretty damn good right about now.

[/ QUOTE ]
I'll fuckin' need it!! The closest sea route would be the northwest passage, provided it's not frozen over this year.

[atomic charvel guy]

Re: Keeping a Floyd in tune....

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
this is a silly question, but did you intonate the guitar when you put the heavier strings on?

[/ QUOTE ]
No, because the intonation was dead-on after I changed string gauge. Weird, but still rightfully so.<--- that sentence makes no sense.

Could intonation actually have a effect on tuning stability?

[/ QUOTE ]

absolutely , i would think.

[dfvxc]

Re: Keeping a Floyd in tune....

you must be missing something? follow thru the standard set up routines from start to finish... Even my licensed floyds stay in tune.

Try the chapstick lipbalm lubricant trick? (On the contact area between knife and post)

[Thoraby]

Re: Keeping a Floyd in tune....

[ QUOTE ]
you must be missing something? follow thru the standard set up routines from start to finish... Even my licensed floyds stay in tune.

Try the chapstick lipbalm lubricant trick? (On the contact area between knife and post)

[/ QUOTE ]
I was going to grease that area up, but I couldn't find my tube of grease for tractor engines.

I KNOW I must be doing something wrong, because all other Floyd-equipped axes I've seen and felt I could've thrown of a cliff and without them going out of tune.

Here's how I set the Floyd equipped axes up with a string change:
1. Block trem, remove strings, clean fretboard.

2. Check neck for straightness, adjust truss rod until neck has enough relief for it to be straight when strings are on.

3. Install strings by cutting of their ball ends, putting one end of the string into the Floyd and then tightening the string lock screw. Then run string through nut and under string retainer bar into the tuner. Attach string as described in Dan Erlewines book. Repeat for all strings.

4. Tune up to pitch, stretch the living crap out of the strings and make sure bridge is either level or with slight forward tilt(which is better btw?).

5. Check intonation, if off, detune string and adjust saddle until i'm in the ballpark. Repeat for all strings

6. Retune the bitch, restretch the strings(just in case), then lock the strings at the nut. Not too hard though, just enough so it's snug(learnt that the hard way [img]/images/graemlins/tongue.gif[/img] )

When I'm done the floyd is level, strings are stretched, and intonation is set.
It should be ready for battle now, right?

Thanks a million
/Thoraby-pirate

[VitaminG]

Re: Keeping a Floyd in tune....

have you tried some new springs? I know you've considered that factor, but springs don't cost much and if they're not the problem, you've got some spares.

Maybe the increase in string tension was enough to put your old springs over the edge.