I actually bought my special because it didn’t have a Floyd even though a decked Floyd could be cool and solve the issue of the cheaper tuning machines. Anyway I’m sure I’m in the minority but an 80s style guitar without a Floyd is cool too just ask Jake E Lee
@@Dad-Gad if was an Edge original or Edge lo pro. Something wasn’t dialed in correctly or it had worn knife edges, posts, or springs. A locking nut that’s just a little loose will cause you more tuning issues than you’d think also. Some of the cheaper Ibanez bridges might not be great but the Edge and Lo Pro edge are are rock solid and nearly impossible to knock out of tune if functioning and set up correctly.
@@jukka9333 got a Jackson Rhodes guitar that has a string though body and basic tail piece and I'm thinking about putting a chrome Floyd on it just had to watch a couple videos about how to do it I've done it before already once but not on a Jackson Rhodes yet.
Yeah you got a steep learning curve ahead of you buddy. If you really want to get into modding and upgrading guitars I would suggest hitting up some garage sales. I'll say this I've seen worse hack jobs on the installations of these wonderful awesome whammy bars that we all love. Good luck have fun ✌️
I'm surprised you were able to use shims under the locking nut and get proper nut height....assuming R3 nut. Normally the R3 nut will be too high and need more wood removed, not added. But I still have to do mine so I will know more then.
Yeah, the tuners are utter crap on mine as well🤣 I got my baretta with the intention of fitting a floyd on it and giving it an Eddie makeover🤘🤘 but wanted to keep as is for a year or two but the time has come now so i will get started in the next couple of months.. I will also fit some Gotoh tuners which i got for another project but then changed my mind🤣🤣
@@SavyBajaBuster I´ve done at least four of the EVH makeovers, and maybe my next would be the Bumblebee and then it has to be a different base guitar. Good luck with your project!
Yra. And afterwatds I learned that it would have been better option to just replace the block with a taller one....no need for chiseling and the springs would have been in an optimum line too for the trem action...
I remember my Father installed a Kahler Trem on my BC Rich NJ Series Warlock back in 1984, he didnt get the string alignment perfect unfortunately, what i wouldnt give to have that original Warlock now.
Great job Man! Can you detail more about the process of calculating the right position for the Floyd bridge? To me appear to be the most critical step of the whole mod! (I'm in the way of pulling the trigger on a low-cost Baretta Special and mod her in a "Theatre of Pain" model )
Go for it! I just drew a line from both sides of the fretboard to position the bridge in the middle. Point two is to measure the distance from the nut to 12th fret, and from 12th fret to the centerline of the bridge saddles, they have to be same distance... that is it. Good luck!
I've been thinking about getting one of these. Besides the fact that Kramer guitars usually kick ass, a nice "plug and play" guitar is nice to have. And an easy project guitar. I've just never played a Beretta. Played a Nightswan, 84, and their V, loved those a lot. I imagine the 84 amd Beretta are extremely similar?
Hi there! Baretta Special is a good guitar. I have owned a 84 too, and to my surprise, I think Baretta Special is nicer overall to play. At least my 84 was heavy and kinda stiff to play, could have been that I did not set it up well enough.
I was drilling up to 10mm I remember, that is what the mounting stud inserts measure. It could be better to drill a little less to get the holes tight enough, it is not ideal to drill too much...
I purchased the template and shims you mention. The template worked pretty well, the alignment pins need through holes for drilling. The template would be better with slotted holes for fine adjustment. The shims were pretty good, the only suggestion I passed on to the seller was to add holes for the nut. They are brittle and can break.
With that Block being too short you should have bought a big brass block that is longer. FU tone sells different big brass blocks. The main thing is the block has to be level with the springs for the trem to feel smooth and easy to dive. the way you did it with a slight angle the trem will feel very stiff making dives and trem use harder..
@@Murphy_R9 one thing I want to add, I owned a Kramer 84 and I didn't bond with it. It was kinda stiff to play no matter how I set it up. This budget Kramer is quite easy to play and I like it more than the 84.
@@jukka9333 That's great to hear actually! the 84 is a LOT more money and i do not like the headstock as much. I would rather have a Baretta anyday.I might grab a Kramer Baretta vintage re-issue for $699 new@ sweetwater music. They have the all maple body and original neck shape. plus a OFR and a Duncan JB. OR i could buy one of these specials and mod it? I have a JB already and i have the Floyd. have to think it over? In really am loving that silver Baretta at sweetwater!
Nice work, however, I would have either Just bought a Gotoh 1996t (way better then a Floyd Special, or 1000, just as good as an original), or got a 40mm block for the floyd rose, instead doing all the Trememlo cavity modifying.
Yes you ara correct there that Gotoh is a great trem, I have used it with another project. Had to drill the post holes a little larger in that Sterling body. This project was to just go with the parts you have, and I took the Floyd from my Harley.
Man this is an amazing work. But be honest: does it really worth for a 180 bucks guitar? I'm telling that because I'm quite used to the upgrading low end guitars thing, and generally, it is very fun to do, but it doesn't worth. By the way, I really like this guitar, even if it definitely reflects its price.
Thanks, XPhantomLord! This upgrade was made from my own guitar use to make it stay in tune. Probably these don't add much value to the guitars them selves, but it is worth doing because the playability improves....and I find this tinkering fun and relaxing.
I think it is worth it for those that have a extra Floyd laying around but to have to spend another $200 for a Floyd really is not logical. I would however buy a $75 Floyd "special" for one of these. I have tons of pu's laying around including a few Duncan JB's so IF i bought a Beretta for $175 and then bought a new Floyd special for $75 i would have a pretty damn good guitar for $250 that had a locking trem and a duncan JB. The Higher end version of this beretta with a floyd from Kramer is over $700. so this one is cheaper even after mods.
@@Murphy_R9 this is exactly what I wanted to know. Basically, stock hardware is shit, and it isn't worth if you don't have extra parts in the closet. Basically, just like any other budget guitar, like Yamaha Pacifica or those new Harley benton.
Gold video! Thanks bro ! I’m going to do exactly what you did in this video.. does it stay in tune real good after abuse with the whammy bar? What model is the Floyd u installed?
Was wondering would I have to route for the Floyd to push and pull back on ? And was wondering if the Frankenstein humbucker will line up with the Floyd rose ? I heard it was smaller .
@@satchrules101 You mean floating action? I have it floating and there are free space for movement on both directions. About Frankenstein humbucker, I remember the EVH guitars have a Floyd, so I think it will line up just perfectly...
All you had to do is buy my product and you wouldn't have had to do any of this. No changing anything and it stays in tune even if you dive bomb all day ...... and.... you can drop from standard to b if you want too.. $42.95 but hey... you did it man...
I like Floyd but it is a pain and unless you have several instruments ready to go or a tech, you're kinda screwed. I designed the tuning system to fit pretty much any guitar that has the tremolo system as well as the LP hard tails.
Hey Tyler,what product do ya have?I've got 2 baretta's.One stays in tune alright,the other one,4get it.Nothing I've done to it helps at all.Just got another tremolo for it,han't installed it yet,but it don't look much better.
So you took out one shitty bridge just to do all that work to put in an equally shitty bridge? What you should have done was sell the Harley benton on reverb for as much as you could, and invest in a floyd original.
@@jukka9333 I know I'm right... let me ask you this... after 1 year, how many string lock blocks and saddles have you went through? Honestly you don't even need a floyd original get a gotoh 1996t use the locking nut from the special, I would eventually upgrade the posts to floyd originals but I wouldn't install the gotohs because of how fat they are. You can get a gotoh for about 115 bucks, and a new set of posts for about 15.
@@jukka9333 not may be right, I know I'm right. You don't even need a floyd original, get a gotoh 1996gt. These are just as good if not better. Use the locking nut from the special and eventually upgrade your posts to floyd originals. Don't install the gotoh posts because you'll have to make those holes way bigger, the floyd posts will work just fine. You can get a gotoh for about 115 bucks without a nut and string retainer. Then a set of posts for about 15. Good luck bro!! Floyd specials aren't worth the box they come in, they're good to familiarize yourself with a floyd but that's about it.
@@jukka9333 nice! Good to hear!! I'm actually transitioning from floyd originals to gotohs this month. On my two ltds in my profile pic, I've gone from one floyd special and one floyd 100 to floyd originals but now I'm going to go to gotoh. May just be a lateral move but I'm ready for a change. Also I'm taking out the seymours and putting in dimarzios. It's not a question of sound but a question of quality and customer service... in two years I had two screamin demons and a JB crack in the EXACT SAME PLACE across the bobbin, with ZERO help from SD. They're statement was "well does it still work" well yea but I didn't pay 120+ dollars for cracked bobbins.
One of the best things about the Baretta Special is seeing all of the great videos like this with all the super cool mods. Nice job!
Thanks for your comments!
Good video mate , thanks for taking the time to film
Thanks!
A Baretta without a Floyd is just not a Baretta.
it can still dive and squeal up if someone knows how to set it up..
Yeah why Kramer did not offer these with a Floyd special for $50-$75 more is a real mystery?
I actually bought my special because it didn’t have a Floyd even though a decked Floyd could be cool and solve the issue of the cheaper tuning machines. Anyway I’m sure I’m in the minority but an 80s style guitar without a Floyd is cool too just ask Jake E Lee
I had a Floyd on my Ibanez , set it up perfectly following up RUclips and it would never ever stay in tune , Floyd's suck imo 👍
@@Dad-Gad if was an Edge original or Edge lo pro. Something wasn’t dialed in correctly or it had worn knife edges, posts, or springs. A locking nut that’s just a little loose will cause you more tuning issues than you’d think also. Some of the cheaper Ibanez bridges might not be great but the Edge and Lo Pro edge are are rock solid and nearly impossible to knock out of tune if functioning and set up correctly.
Nice Floyd Rose you put on there been thinking about doing that to a guitar that I got as well...
@@patrickshannon4516 it was a test, I was wondering if you could build a "proper" Kramer out of that, and the answer was "yes".
@@jukka9333 got a Jackson Rhodes guitar that has a string though body and basic tail piece and I'm thinking about putting a chrome Floyd on it just had to watch a couple videos about how to do it I've done it before already once but not on a Jackson Rhodes yet.
@@patrickshannon4516 Nice guitar! Go for it and good luck!
Good job !! And u can actually play,like me!!Love the chisel work and no Dremel,old school!!! And..can actually PLAY,like me!!! Lol
Thanks! I'm old school, so it's natural that I use chisel 😁
You did a beautiful job, you are a craftsman 👍
Thanks, Dave! I'm trying to learn things as I go.
@@jukka9333 you are welcome, very nicely done ✔ 👏
Yeah you got a steep learning curve ahead of you buddy.
If you really want to get into modding and upgrading guitars I would suggest hitting up some garage sales.
I'll say this I've seen worse hack jobs on the installations of these wonderful awesome whammy bars that we all love. Good luck have fun ✌️
Just bought this guitar and thinking about doing the same
Go for it! Good luck with the project.
AWESOME!!! You did very well. 👍😎
Thanks!
Sounds GREAT.
I'm surprised you were able to use shims under the locking nut and get proper nut height....assuming R3 nut. Normally the R3 nut will be too high and need more wood removed, not added. But I still have to do mine so I will know more then.
Good luck for your project, have fun!
Did you leave the factory tuners on the guitar ?? Mine won't staty in tune at all . I'm going to put a Wilkenson Bridge on it .
Yes I did. It does not matter what kind of tuners there are because of the locking nut.
@@jukka9333 You are correct sir , it doesn't
matter on your guitar
Yeah, the tuners are utter crap on mine as well🤣 I got my baretta with the intention of fitting a floyd on it and giving it an Eddie makeover🤘🤘 but wanted to keep as is for a year or two but the time has come now so i will get started in the next couple of months.. I will also fit some Gotoh tuners which i got for another project but then changed my mind🤣🤣
@@SavyBajaBuster I´ve done at least four of the EVH makeovers, and maybe my next would be the Bumblebee and then it has to be a different base guitar. Good luck with your project!
which Wilkinson bridge version ?? I was thinking same thing
Looks like a nice piece of mahogany when you were chiseling the cavity for Floyd
Yra. And afterwatds I learned that it would have been better option to just replace the block with a taller one....no need for chiseling and the springs would have been in an optimum line too for the trem action...
@@jukka9333A stock Vintage Baretta has the cutout for the springs. Probably 1/4”, my bumblebee yellow one does
Excellent video. Great job
Thanks!
I remember my Father installed a Kahler Trem on my BC Rich NJ Series Warlock back in 1984, he didnt get the string alignment perfect unfortunately, what i wouldnt give to have that original Warlock now.
What a nice story. Yep, I know the feeling!
Great job Man! Can you detail more about the process of calculating the right position for the Floyd bridge? To me appear to be the most critical step of the whole mod! (I'm in the way of pulling the trigger on a low-cost Baretta Special and mod her in a "Theatre of Pain" model )
Go for it! I just drew a line from both sides of the fretboard to position the bridge in the middle. Point two is to measure the distance from the nut to 12th fret, and from 12th fret to the centerline of the bridge saddles, they have to be same distance... that is it. Good luck!
@@jukka9333 Tnx Man!
I hope you replace the volume potentiometer and input jack
I didn't find anything wrong with them.
I've been thinking about getting one of these. Besides the fact that Kramer guitars usually kick ass, a nice "plug and play" guitar is nice to have. And an easy project guitar. I've just never played a Beretta. Played a Nightswan, 84, and their V, loved those a lot. I imagine the 84 amd Beretta are extremely similar?
Hi there! Baretta Special is a good guitar. I have owned a 84 too, and to my surprise, I think Baretta Special is nicer overall to play. At least my 84 was heavy and kinda stiff to play, could have been that I did not set it up well enough.
@@jukka9333 fair enough lol I've been looking at the purple one. Not enough purple guitars in the world
Hi! I’ve a question … do you have any trouble with the access to the truss rod installing the locking nut?
The locking nut does not affect the accessibility but after installind the string retainer, you have to have a longer hex key for sure.
You definitely inspired me to do the mod myself! Looks like a fun project. What size drill bits did you use to drill the post?
I was drilling up to 10mm I remember, that is what the mounting stud inserts measure. It could be better to drill a little less to get the holes tight enough, it is not ideal to drill too much...
sounds awesome dude
Thanks!
That tool you used for the drill.
Where can i get it?
Where do you live? Google "drill guide"...
yeah but you end up guing ply wood on the headstock paint to extend the space for the nut...I'f have replaced the whole neck
Yes, there are many ways but my idea was to do it "the hard way" so I could learn something...
QUESTIONABLE GUITAR MODS sells a jig for a Floyd and the locking nut called the TREMALONE. It's for modding the Baretta Special. Check it out
Thanks for the tip. I no longer have that guitar, but if I am to do another mod on the same model, it is good to know.
I purchased the template and shims you mention. The template worked pretty well, the alignment pins need through holes for drilling. The template would be better with slotted holes for fine adjustment. The shims were pretty good, the only suggestion I passed on to the seller was to add holes for the nut. They are brittle and can break.
Do you happen to know what the Floyd Nut size is?
Sorry, did not measure that and the guitar has been sold...
The correct nut for this one is R3.
great job, some handy tips in there. great playing also
Thank you very much Matt!
With that Block being too short you should have bought a big brass block that is longer.
FU tone sells different big brass blocks. The main thing is the block has to be level with the springs for the trem to
feel smooth and easy to dive. the way you did it with a slight angle the trem will feel very stiff making dives and trem use harder..
Thank you for the info! That was a new thing to me. Good to know!
I may change to a longer block now that I can see the "light"...
@@jukka9333 👍
@@Murphy_R9 one thing I want to add, I owned a Kramer 84 and I didn't bond with it. It was kinda stiff to play no matter how I set it up. This budget Kramer is quite easy to play and I like it more than the 84.
@@jukka9333 That's great to hear actually! the 84 is a LOT more money and i do not like the headstock as much. I would rather have a Baretta anyday.I might grab a Kramer Baretta vintage re-issue for $699 new@ sweetwater music.
They have the all maple body and original neck shape. plus a OFR and a Duncan JB. OR i could buy one of these specials and mod it? I have a JB already and i have
the Floyd. have to think it over? In really am loving that silver Baretta at sweetwater!
Very cool !
Nice work, however, I would have either Just bought a Gotoh 1996t (way better then a Floyd Special, or 1000, just as good as an original), or got a 40mm block for the floyd rose, instead doing all the Trememlo cavity modifying.
Yes you ara correct there that Gotoh is a great trem, I have used it with another project. Had to drill the post holes a little larger in that Sterling body. This project was to just go with the parts you have, and I took the Floyd from my Harley.
@@jukka9333 correct! The post holes are 10mm for Floyd, and 11mm for Gotoh.
Man this is an amazing work. But be honest: does it really worth for a 180 bucks guitar? I'm telling that because I'm quite used to the upgrading low end guitars thing, and generally, it is very fun to do, but it doesn't worth. By the way, I really like this guitar, even if it definitely reflects its price.
Thanks, XPhantomLord! This upgrade was made from my own guitar use to make it stay in tune. Probably these don't add much value to the guitars them selves, but it is worth doing because the playability improves....and I find this tinkering fun and relaxing.
I think it is worth it for those that have a extra Floyd laying around but to have to spend another $200
for a Floyd really is not logical. I would however buy a $75 Floyd "special" for one of these.
I have tons of pu's laying around including a few Duncan JB's so IF i bought a Beretta for $175 and then bought a new Floyd special for $75 i would have a pretty damn good guitar for $250 that had a locking trem and a duncan JB.
The Higher end version of this beretta with a floyd from Kramer is over $700. so this one is cheaper even after mods.
@@Murphy_R9 this is exactly what I wanted to know. Basically, stock hardware is shit, and it isn't worth if you don't have extra parts in the closet. Basically, just like any other budget guitar, like Yamaha Pacifica or those new Harley benton.
@@XPhantomLord Yeah i agree
@@XPhantomLord just dive into casual pickup manufacturing at home and you will be golden 90% of the time!
And in 10 easy minutes you are Floyd-ready!!
Even faster if you add speed to the video!
Gold video! Thanks bro ! I’m going to do exactly what you did in this video.. does it stay in tune real good after abuse with the whammy bar? What model is the Floyd u installed?
Thanks, watch this ruclips.net/video/az6-CEEDPfw/видео.html. It is a Floyd Rose Special from my other guitar....
Was wondering would I have to route for the Floyd to push and pull back on ? And was wondering if the Frankenstein humbucker will line up with the Floyd rose ? I heard it was smaller .
@@satchrules101 You mean floating action? I have it floating and there are free space for movement on both directions. About Frankenstein humbucker, I remember the EVH guitars have a Floyd, so I think it will line up just perfectly...
ok now let's paint some stripes :-)
It is cold here in Finland, next painting season is a few months away. I can only paint outside...
Woooooo!
It's sound like it's too sharp not sounding like before perhaps intonation is the last set up there sir 👍 then your good to rock out 🎸😎🤟🤘✌️
Mine stcck Beretta sounds as good as that mod Beretta 🤔🤘🎸🎸🎸
It was interesting video but I wouldn’t do this😁
You didnt show the trem working . I would of like to seen you dive bomb it acouple of times at least to show it stayed in tune .
Ok, I will shoot a dive bomb video with the Kramer...
@@jukka9333 Other than that good stuff . Been considering getting a that same Kramer .
@@josecantu5753 It really is surprisingly good guitar for the price. Vid coming up soon..
@@jukka9333 Keep it rocking , Like I said good stuff . Keep making the videos . Informative and enjoyable . Whats next on the list ?
@@josecantu5753 thanks Jose! Trying to figure out my next project...
I put some wood stain on the fretboard to make it look like an ebony board. It really made the guitar look more premium.
Well, that is a neat trick, I haven't used it on my repairs but surely I will at some point.
watching liking
The way the trem was installed, it could only dive bomb? Thanks for the video.
It had a little bit wiggle room, but not recessed.
All you had to do is buy my product and you wouldn't have had to do any of this. No changing anything and it stays in tune even if you dive bomb all day ...... and.... you can drop from standard to b if you want too.. $42.95 but hey... you did it man...
Feel free to share what you have!
mine doesn't stay in tune yet with some oof the other vids I've seen on youtube
I like Floyd but it is a pain and unless you have several instruments ready to go or a tech, you're kinda screwed. I designed the tuning system to fit pretty much any guitar that has the tremolo system as well as the LP hard tails.
Hey Tyler,what product do ya have?I've got 2 baretta's.One stays in tune alright,the other one,4get it.Nothing I've done to it helps at all.Just got another tremolo for it,han't installed it yet,but it don't look much better.
Jumping on another person's channel to shill your wares is so uncool. You should be ashamed.
🤨
🙄
So you took out one shitty bridge just to do all that work to put in an equally shitty bridge? What you should have done was sell the Harley benton on reverb for as much as you could, and invest in a floyd original.
You may be right on this....
@@jukka9333 I know I'm right... let me ask you this... after 1 year, how many string lock blocks and saddles have you went through? Honestly you don't even need a floyd original get a gotoh 1996t use the locking nut from the special, I would eventually upgrade the posts to floyd originals but I wouldn't install the gotohs because of how fat they are. You can get a gotoh for about 115 bucks, and a new set of posts for about 15.
@@jukka9333 not may be right, I know I'm right. You don't even need a floyd original, get a gotoh 1996gt. These are just as good if not better. Use the locking nut from the special and eventually upgrade your posts to floyd originals. Don't install the gotoh posts because you'll have to make those holes way bigger, the floyd posts will work just fine. You can get a gotoh for about 115 bucks without a nut and string retainer. Then a set of posts for about 15. Good luck bro!! Floyd specials aren't worth the box they come in, they're good to familiarize yourself with a floyd but that's about it.
@@stratkiller2531 yep. The guitar has moved on, and I have used Gotoh and it really is a very good system. Absolutely amazing quality for the price!
@@jukka9333 nice! Good to hear!! I'm actually transitioning from floyd originals to gotohs this month. On my two ltds in my profile pic, I've gone from one floyd special and one floyd 100 to floyd originals but now I'm going to go to gotoh. May just be a lateral move but I'm ready for a change. Also I'm taking out the seymours and putting in dimarzios. It's not a question of sound but a question of quality and customer service... in two years I had two screamin demons and a JB crack in the EXACT SAME PLACE across the bobbin, with ZERO help from SD. They're statement was "well does it still work" well yea but I didn't pay 120+ dollars for cracked bobbins.
Slop