Neck radius and Floyd Rose

[Matt_B]

I'm getting ready to order a Floyd Rose for a neck that will have a 16" radius and 1 11/16" wide nut. After checking the Floyd Rose website, the nut I want appears to be the R9. However, the radius of of all OFRs is 10" which makes me assume that the bridge will have to shimmed (Allparts makes metal shims just for this purpose) to match the neck radius as closely as possible.

Please bear with me because it's been a while since I've dealt with OFRs but I believe I have everything right, I just want confirmation please.

[Dreamland_Rebel]

sounds right to me. shim away.

or not. i've got a 12-16 radius on my new musikraft neck and a new Gotoh floyd that i feel needs no shimming. the Gotoh might actually be a 14" radius though. i'm not sure. i need to go home and mesure mine.

[ulijdavid]

The Floyd Bridge normally comes with a shim that sits under the middle two saddles. For a 16" radius neck, you can take that shim out - 16" is one of the flattest radiuses and allows for lower action. All of my Jackon guitars with Floyd Rose trems have the shim removed. You will know when you set the guitar up. If the high and low E strings feel perfect, but the D and G strings seems to have higher action, you will probably want to remove the shim.

[Matt_B]

Thank you ulidavid! That's exactly what I needed. I know that an OFR bridge has a default radius of 10" which is why I was wondering how they were able to work properly with flatter necks. I was thinking the exact opposite, that one would have to add shims to the outer saddles to raise them up.

[Dreamland_Rebel]

i measured my new gotoh and it is infact a 12" radius.

[HiOctane]

I'm pretty sure that the radius of the Floyd Gotoh is 14' at the bridge and nut. This is the model that Suhr is now using on most of their Floyd guitars.

It's still a pet peeve of mine that Floyd won't offer some additional radius options.

[Nazgul]

I have 4 neck-thru Jacksons and they all have the same neck radius (I think...they're all the "typical Jackson neck" - bound ebony fretboard with MOP sharkfins).

One of the floyds has almost flat radius and that one plays like butter with the sickest, lowest action I've ever seen and very little buzz! The others all have some radius to the floyd saddles (all slightly different though) and they don't plays as good and have a bit higher action and more buzz.

If I set these 3 floyds so they have the same radius as the first one, will they play just aswell? I know how to set up guitars and I always set-up my guitars.

[ulijdavid]

I have 4 neck-thru Jacksons and they all have the same neck radius (I think...they're all the "typical Jackson neck" - bound ebony fretboard with MOP sharkfins).

One of the floyds has almost flat radius and that one plays like butter with the sickest, lowest action I've ever seen and very little buzz! The others all have some radius to the floyd saddles (all slightly different though) and they don't plays as good and have a bit higher action and more buzz.

If I set these 3 floyds so they have the same radius as the first one, will they play just aswell? I know how to set up guitars and I always set-up my guitars.

You might want to check to see of the other two Floyds have the shim in them. Also, in order to take the shim out, you may have to remove the saddles. Be careful when re-installing the saddles. The saddles are different heights. If you get them out of order your action can be all out of whack. If you forget which goes where, just look at them after you re-install them. It should make a nice radius. I believe there are three different saddle heights. The high and low E's are the lowest saddles, the A and B strings are medium height and the D and G Are the highest. If you are confident in your set-up skills it could be worth your effort to check it out.

[Nazgul]

You might want to check to see of the other two Floyds have the shim in them. Also, in order to take the shim out, you may have to remove the saddles. Be careful when re-installing the saddles. The saddles are different heights. If you get them out of order your action can be all out of whack. If you forget which goes where, just look at them after you re-install them. It should make a nice radius. I believe there are three different saddle heights. The high and low E's are the lowest saddles, the A and B strings are medium height and the D and G Are the highest. If you are confident in your set-up skills it could be worth your effort to check it out.

Thanks, but I already knew all of this . Funny thing is that none of the floyds have any shims under the saddles.

[ulijdavid]

I believe most Jacksons have a 16" radius or a compound radius from 10" at the nut to 16" at the heel. So, yeah there should be no shims in the Floyds.

[Nazgul]

I believe most Jacksons have a 16" radius or a compound radius from 10" at the nut to 16" at the heel. So, yeah there should be no shims in the Floyds.

No shims meaning no radius on the saddles?

[ulijdavid]

The saddles themselves make up the radius. The High and Low E saddles are lower in hieght. The A and B saddles are medium hieght and the D and G saddles are the highest in hieght. Look at at your saddles and make sure they are in the proper positions. I'll try to take some pics tonight to show what I mean. Take a ruler and measure the hieght of each string from the bridge base plate. That should clear things up a bit.

[Nazgul]

I know what you mean. None of my floyd saddles on my 4 floyds are shimmed yet they still don't have the same radius (some of them form a bigger, some smaller radius). They are in correct order. I find that the one with the flattest radius plays the best with lowest action .

[Dreamland_Rebel]

jackson standard radius is 12"-16".

OFR with no shim = 10" radius
with shim = flatter radius.

Schaller might have a 12" (not sure) radius and is the standard Jackson trem. someone check theirs to see.

sometimes instead of the long metal shim under the saddles, jackson or charvel will put small metal shims under each indivitual saddle, creating a custom radius.

[Matt_B]

Allparts sells OFR saddle shims.

http://www.allparts.com/store/bridge-parts-locking-saddles-bp-2214-001,Product.asp

The guitar I'm putting together will have a straight 16" radius so I'm trying to match up the radius of the nut and bridge as best I can. The closest nut Floyd Rose makes is the #9 which is a 1 11/16" wide with a 15" radius.