Floyd rose, tuning....

[elite83]

I recently bought a Randy Rhoads V, (I believe its a DX10D model) anyways, the guitar plays fine, and it has been professionally setup and tuned to D, I recently had some trouble with a string going out of tune so I tuned it up (this is my first guitar with a floyd rose, so sorry for any n00b-ish questions) I used the fine tuners to tune it, but no matter what I do, I can't get the 2nd and 3rd string to sound good together (what would be a and f respectively) it sounded fine lastnight, but since I've tuned it up I just can't get them to sound right, my ear for tuning in D isn't good (I can tune to E by ear fine, just not anything else) but it sounds right and my tuner says the notes are right, but I still get the clashing sound when I play them together... everything else is in tune, is it possible to tune in D by harmonics? maybe a more precise tune would help? Any help on this would be appreciated, and sorry for such a n00bish post

[Sunbane]

What you have, is an RX10D, not a DX10D (which would be a Dinky).

It sounds to me like the guitar is poorly intonated or that the nut slot is slightly off(?). How does the notes go together further up the neck?

Btw, I often just "wing it" with the tunings. I tune it with a tuner first, and if I find notes that sound sour, I just tweak them by ear until I'm happy.

[CharvelRocker]

Sounds like your Floyd Rose isn't blocked. Try tuning it like this:

Tune 1st String
Tune 3rd String
Check 1st String Tuning
Tune 4th String
Check 1st, 3rd Strings Tuning
Tune 2nd String
Check 1st, 3rd, 4th Strings Tuning
Tune 5th String
Check 1st, 3rd, 4th, 2nd Strings Tuning
Tune 6th String
Check 1st, 3rd, 4th, 2nd, and 5th Strings Tuning

That way when you tune one string it should knock the others flat/sharp as much.

[Dreamland_Rebel]

sounds to me like the strings were not stretched enough when the intonation was set.

a proper initial setup to your brand and gauge of strings takes much longer than a pro tech wants to put into it. so they usual half ass it so they can move on to another guitar and make their money.

you really got to stretch the hell out of em and retune over and over again. and when they start to settle (pretty much come back to close to being in tune after you stretch them) set your action and angle on the floyd. then stretch and retune. then set the intonation. (the distance from the 12th fret to the bridge sadle.) and you have to extremely detune the string your working on, losen and move the saddle, then tighten it back down and retune the whole thing again and see if open and 12 are the same note on the tuner. and repeat until they are.

the key is - the longer the string, the lower the note.

i. e. note is in tune open, but sharp fretted at 12. so it needs to be lower from 12 to the saddle. move the saddle back to make the string longer.

it is time consuming because you just kinda have to guess how far to move the saddle. and if you change your action or bridge angle you have to re-intonate. so always set all that stuff up first.

and NEVER set your intonation on a set of string that are 1. not stretch properly and 2. more than a week old.

[Special-K]

Is the locking nut tight enough?...
Stretch the strings(specially if they are new)

[elite83]

The locking nut seems to be tight, the intonation on all the other strings are fine, the 2nd and 3rd (f, and a, or g and b on standard tuning) seem to play fine and in tune all the way up the neck, the 12th fret harmonics are all dead on, I don't know what problem is, if its a problem with setup I can take it back to my tech and have them set it up again, everytihng is in tune, I don't know what the problem is

[max]

GP: Does the Floyd Rose keep the strings in tune as much as players claim?

EVH: It's hard to get in tune perfectly. Any guitar. A guitar is just theoretically built wrong. Each string is an interval of fourths, and then the B string is off. Theoretically, that's not right. If you tune an open E chord in the first position and it's perfectly in tune, and then you hit a barre chord an octave higher, it's out of tune. The B string is always a motherfucker to keep in tune all the time! So I have to retune for certain songs. And when I use the Floyd onstage, I have to unclamp it and do it real quick. But with a standard-vibrato guitar, I can tune it while I'm playing.

[technogumbo]

First, if your low-E (or Drop-D in your case) string keeps going out of tune, either the string was not stretched enough (if it is new) or it is about to let loose on you.

Make sure to block the tremolo when you change strings. I use a new paint stirring stick to block my trem, and it works perfecto mundo. If you change more than 1 string at a time on an unblocked floating bridge setup, you will be dancing with the other strings getting out of tune all night long (tune one and the other heavy-gauge strings are out of tune). This kinda sounds like what must be going on.

You can experiment and learn it yourself. If you do not have an evening free to learn the ins and outs of floating bridges, take your axe to a decent tech and ask to hang out while he slaps in a new set of strings.

[Special-K]

My guitar keeps all strings great in tune and I use the Floyd Rose (too) much!

[elite83]

I haven't set it up or changed strings yet though, thats the problem, I just got this guitar the other from my local shop and my tech set it up for me, I guess I might take it back and have them re-set it up and see if I can watch them doing it so I can learn a bit more, I'm not going to attempt to fix it myself so, I'll just take it back to my tech tomorrow morning

[mhalsey]

Lots of sound advice here. The key to Floyds is learn the basics and have tons of patience and it will serve you well.

[Dreamland_Rebel]

yeah i'll spend 3 or 4 hours on the initial setup to my string gage and brand. stretch and retune over and over again.

A. once i get the strings on i'll tighten them up so that they'll sound a note and not be touching the fretboard or pickups. and bring all the fine tuners to center positon on the bridge.

B. then i like to grab at 12 and pull the string up and just kinda hold it there till it heats up in my hand. i'll do that to every string and tune up for the first time.

C. then i'll grab at 12 and pull up and return and pull up and return a few times on each string and retune.

D. then i'll start at 12 and pull up while pushing down behind that with either my thumb or other hand and do that as i slide towards the bridge on every string. then i'll retune.

E. then i repeat C & D untill i barely have to retune after i stretch.

F. at this point i set the action to where it feels good always retuning after each adjust of the action screws (floyd posts).

G. then i adjust the sping screws on the spring claw on the back cavity of the guitar under the big rectangle cover. to make the base of the Floyd sit level with the body. but always remember to retune after each adjustment. you can't do it by eye because its a balancing act between the sTring tension and the sPring tension.

H. after all that is to my liking i set the intonation. i strike each string open and then at the 12th fret. the trick is to move the sadle to make the string intune at both locations. you must be consistant on how hard you press down at the 12th fret. you must thoroughly detune the string before you move the saddle or the string tension will pull the saddle towards you.

just remember: the longer the string the lower the note.

I. after you get the intonation set. lock the nut and retune at the fine tuners. done

[elite83]

Well I just got it back from my tech, he re-intonated it, problem is, I personally still can't get the 2nd and 3rd (g and b, f and a on my tuning) to sound good together, (IE, if I do a power chord with the root note on the 3rd string) or even just sound good open, , they sound fine with al lthe other strings though, it makes no sense, I can play the 3rd and 4th string together, and the 1st and second together as well, in all sorts of combinations, no problem, I try to play the 2nd and 3rd and it just comes out like crap...

[elite83]

And I'm not talking about my low E (counting 2nd and 3rd strings from counting upwards from the floor, in standard the two strings would be g and b)

[elite83]

And again, the harmonics on those 2 strings are all right, the 12th fret plays the two notes fine (even the harmonic is right), but even when I play them open it sounds out of tune... this is really frustrating, I've brought it to my tech 2 times, all my other guitars set up by him are fine, I don't know what the problem is... my tuner and my ears both tell me each string individually is in tune and plays fine down the neck, just these 2 strings sound out of tune when played either open together, fretted, in a chord, anything... its really starting to get frustrating, I can't afford to keep taking it to techs