floyd rose question

[eiopago]

hi,
just 1 question about the floyd rose setup.
i read everywhere that the floyd rose has to be parallel to the body of the guitar.
while that is clear, i have a doubt.
has it got to be at the same level of the body or can it be slightly sticking out of the cavity ( but still parallel to the body) ?

how is yours?

thanks in advance

[Nazgul]

can it be slightly sticking out of the cavity ( but still parallel to the body) ?

Yes.

[charvel750]

Yes.

Correct. Parallel to the body regardless of height above it is the ideal. You can set it up anyway you want, but that's how it was designed to be.

[eiopago]

thanks everyone.
this makes me think that i can try to have a straighter neck, as i can have the floyd rose a bit higher up the body level.

[scotty]

Once you get your trem setup and your neck adjusted you might want to check your intonation.

[Model1VH2]

A flush mounted Floyd (no recess) should rest flat and parallel to the body, not above the body.
If your reasoning for raising the bridge is to achieve a "straighter neck", chances are you need to shim the neck.

[zeegler]

A flush mounted Floyd (no recess) should rest flat and parallel to the body, not above the body.
If your reasoning for raising the bridge is to achieve a "straighter neck", chances are you need to shim the neck.

That makes zero sense. First off, if the Floyd is flush with the body, and there is no recess, then that basically means your baseplate is resting on the body. What would be the point of having a Floyd?

If you don't have a recess, then the trem will actually sit higher out of the body, than if you have a recess. The recess allows the trem to sit lower (closer to the body) and still allow room to pull back.

There is no right and wrong. It is down to personal preference. If you have your action adjusted how you like it, and you're comfortable with the height of the bridge, then leave it.

[Model1VH2]

That makes zero sense. First off, if the Floyd is flush with the body, and there is no recess, then that basically means your baseplate is resting on the body. What would be the point of having a Floyd?

The basplate rests flat on the surface of the body, meaning no recess.
I can't make it any simpler than that.

What's the purpose? ... tuning stability for one.
Some may debate better tone and resonance as well.

If you don't have a recess, then the trem will actually sit higher out of the body, than if you have a recess. The recess allows the trem to sit lower (closer to the body) and still allow room to pull back.

Was it ever stated whether or not the trem was recessed or not?
If so and it was in fact recessed, I apologize ... I shoulda read more carefully.

There is no right and wrong. It is down to personal preference. If you have your action adjusted how you like it, and you're comfortable with the height of the bridge, then leave it.

My point was ... the reason given for wanting to raise the bridge in the first place was to try to correct the pitch of the neck. At least that's how I read it ... and yes, that is the "wrong" way to correct the problem IMO.

[toejam]

That makes zero sense. First off, if the Floyd is flush with the body, and there is no recess, then that basically means your baseplate is resting on the body. What would be the point of having a Floyd?

If you don't have a recess, then the trem will actually sit higher out of the body, than if you have a recess. The recess allows the trem to sit lower (closer to the body) and still allow room to pull back.

There is no right and wrong. It is down to personal preference. If you have your action adjusted how you like it, and you're comfortable with the height of the bridge, then leave it.

I agree. A Floyd is a floating trem, it's just going to sit higher off the body with more of a tilted neck angle (like a TOM bridge on a Les Paul). Though, for people who do want it sitting on the body so you can't pull up (like me), you'll need to shim the saddles up in order to be able to have the trem resting on the body, otherwise the strings will be so low and fretting out.

[toejam]

The basplate rests flat on the surface of the body, meaning no recess.
I can't make it any simpler than that.

Ever see an old neck-thru Jackson or Charvel with non-recessed trem? It's still floating above the body. Even my new Charvel Star has a non-recess and was still floating above the body when I got it. That's just the way most people keep it. It just puts it higher off the body with more of a tilt to the neck. Guitars with recessed Floyds have no neck tilt, so they're closer to the body and give you more room to pull up.

[Bengal]

So I should have my non-recessed Floyd on my Soloist all the way down against the body? Why? Better tone? Debatable. Tuning stability? If you know how to set up a Floyd, there are no tuning stability issues...

Sorry. Don't see that arguement. First, like Toejam said, if I had it that far down, my strings would be sitting on the frets making the guitar unplayable. And second, you couldn't pull up, big no-no for me...

[Model1VH2]

I agree. A Floyd is a floating trem ...

No ... a Floyd is a trem, period.
Floating or non-floating would depend on the guitar and/or application.
If the guitar has a recess route, then the guitar is designed for the Floyd to float. If no recess route, well ... you can rig it up to float, but that's not how the design was intended.

... it's just going to sit higher off the body with more of a tilted neck angle (like a TOM bridge on a Les Paul). Though, for people who do want it sitting on the body so you can't pull up (like me), you'll need to shim the saddles up in order to be able to have the trem resting on the body, otherwise the strings will be so low and fretting out.

Agreed, and that's my point.
eiopago asks if his Floyd should sit above the "cavity".
What cavity? The recess cavity? or the cavity for the block?
If he means the cavity that the block sits in, and there is no recess route, then the proper way to adjust the action would be to shim the neck, not "raise the bridge".

[Model1VH2]

eiopago, please post pics.

[scotty]

Children please!

http://www.warmoth.com/hardware/bridges/pdf/Original_Floyd_Rose_Diagram.pdf

[Spivonious]

I have to agree with Joe and Zeegs. All Floyds are floating bridges regardless of whether or not they're recessed in the body. Otherwise there would be no point in having a non-recessed Floyd. Why not just use the Fender-style bridge with a locking nut? The whole point of a Floyd is to be able to pull up.

As far as my take on the OP's question, the baseplate should be parallel to the body, you're correct on that. And yes, it's okay to have the bridge up out of the body a little. Bridge height is used to adjust action. Depending on the condition and quality of your neck, you might have to have it higher to avoid fretbuzz. Mine, for example, is about 1/16" above the body.