Floyd Rose - Worth It?

**amp360** · 07-19-2012, 08:11 AM

I don't think I have ever owned a guitar with anything other then a conventional tremolo on it. The first good guitar I got as a kid was a Les Paul and I put a Bigsby on that in the 89 or 90 the year after I got it then I had an Am Std Strat then a bunch of old Strats and Gretches. I have a few Mosrite guitars as well.

Having never owned a Floyd I always found them complicated. I remember playing a bunch of guitars with them in stores in the late 80s/early 90s and never being able to get used to them. I have a Charvel Jeff Beck model that has one but it's in storage and I bought it more because I kind of wanted one then to actually use it (but if it didn't have a reverse headstock it would be a neat guitar).

So I always thought they sucked tone, but I watched some Louie Shelton videos and he uses one and sounds great, so I think that may either be less the case then I thought or it may not matter.

So anyone have one and if so what are your thoughts? I don't have any issues with tuning on any of my Stratocaster guitars (they all stay in tune fine after they're setup) but according to a guy I know he had his Kramer in a case for 5 years and it came out in tune.

**J.T. Guitar** · 07-19-2012, 09:56 AM

I have a Suhr Modern coming that is going to be my "whammy bar guitar". I contemplated a Floyd, but every Floyd guitar I've ever owned has been noticeably thinner than a comparable axe with a standard style bridge. I choose to go with a 2-point Gotoh with a body route. If Pete Thorne can play Eruption with a Gotoh and not run out of wriggle, I think it's going to be fine for anything I would want to do.

Just for the heck of it, here is Pete's video.

**amp360** · 07-19-2012, 10:11 AM

Cool. I had a friend that had a Pensa Suhr (not a MK) guitar when I was in college and it was really nice. IIRC he built a Strat that I have when he was at Fender and it's a really nice guitar. I have not tried any of his own models but they seem to get really high marks from everyone that does try them!

**LVC** · 07-19-2012, 11:34 AM

"I want You Back" vs "Eruption"

Man talk about two ends of the spectrum ....

Never --- I mean never ... liked guitars with Floyd Rose installed in them. Pain in the ass to setup and maintain. I guess if you are a serious dive bomber than a floyd might be right for you --- personally I want my flights to be level and turbulent free!