SOLVED | What is a Floyd Rose Special?
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- Опубликовано: 5 фев 2023
- What really is a FLOYD ROSE SPECIAL?? The world of floating trems is super confusing, but this video will clear some of it up!
Link to Licensed Floyd Rose Video: • What Are LICENSED Floy...
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Great video what I would do is use the Special until it started playing up the get a replacement as long as the user is careful changing strings and you put a little oil or a lubricant on the knife edges and the lock nut screws it should last longer
Thanks
What kinda lubricant would you recommend?
@@muratopozturk5211 3 in 1 oil is superb on the lock nut screws use a q tip and don't flood the knife edges
@@muratopozturk5211 Teflon based
It's still junk. I've had 3 in 2 years. I had to replace the saddles with stainless peaces on all 3
I have an LTD M-401 sporting the Special. I've put half a million miles on. For almost 13 years, I gigged, practiced and recorded with that thing. Other than oxidation from repeatedly being sweat on, it's took a tremendous beating and it doesn't yet need replaced, though I may sand blast and refinish it one day because of the pitting in the plating. Guitar still holds tune after years of dives and climbs. If someone wants to save a few bucks, I say go for it.
That’s what’s up!
This was a great video. I got my first Floyd Rose equipped guitar recently (after playing for over 20 years), and it cleared up some questions I had about the Flyod Rose Special it came with.
Thanks man! I really want a Kramer Striker in Jumper Red, but was confused/concerned about the Floyd Rose Special. You cleared it all up and gave me an upgrade plan!
I have special in my Jackson and I do not have any issues: keeps in tune, that the most important. Also have Chinese Edge 2 in one of my Ibanez guitars, also no problem about it. One rule in my life: if I earn playing music, I can spend the money for equipment, if not: I play only on what I can afford treating it as hobby.
The original name was "Special Inferior" but the marketing team voted against it, so it was shortend... 🤣
Dang that’s a good bit of info!! Thanks dude
lol seriously? Only fucking engineers will think that name is fine.
The Special is basically the brand new version of the low end OEM models shipped on non-custom shops or a manufacturer's non-flagship guitar series. Many people mistakenly downgrade their stock bridge with a Special because they incorrectly assume that it is better. In most cases the Special ends up becoming the same rusty old uncared for bridge that you originally replaced it with $99 ago... but hey, everyone loves new stuff the day they bolt it on.
I’ve changed the saddles and block on a couples of specials, and that sound great
"Get it, abuse it, replace it" is exactly what I did with the FR Special on my Fender HM Strat reissue. That hunk o junk actually took all the careless pounding I threw at it, and held perfect tune. Even though I eventually replaced it with an OFR, it didn't get tossed in the trash.
Stuck a Schaller Lockmeister on my HM Strat reissue. Money well spent.
I have a floating bridge, and it's my only electric guitar. My uncle gave it to me and while I figured it out a heads up would have been nice lmao. I remember trying to restring it and being like "What the fuck, how do I even put strings on this thing without it taking an hour and a half" and turns out, the big secret is you stick something under it to hold the spring tension. That way it only takes 30 minutes to put new strings on so you can use the hour you saved to tune.
The real secret is one string at a time. Next tune going down then retune going up and then down one more time, lock the nut and get the fine tuners to even out from their. If you invest in a bit screwdriver and string winder/cutter you can speed run it in 10 minutes. What a lot of people get wrong is they dont tune the guitar in the position they play and they end up off several cents.
Change the low E, then high E and B, then A, G, D. In that order. Also tune it in that order. Never had a problem. I tune all my guitars in that order now regardless of bridge.
@@frothycarapace969 Doesn't matter much cause I can't play anymore, but generally using the floating bridge I'd end up having to tune it anywhere between 3-6 times to get it right. This does include the tiny difference that only my ears would pick up. Floating bridges do suck only cause you have to tune them a few extra times. Better than my 12 string though.
Thank you so much!!!
My guitar had a Jackson system.
Floyd Rose Licensed but the saddles are broken!! I can now buy a 1000 Series system from guitars that have had.
very useful video and all the information shared. THANK YOU!!!
I bought one of those reissue Fender 80s Strats, It has a "Special" on it, it didn't have a brass sustain block stock, it does now along with steel saddles.
So I have a Ibanez black and yellow 350dx with a hard casebut I wanna trade it for a Jackson x series rhoads rx-24 with a hard case. Do I keep the Ibanez or trade it?
I had one on my Jackson 7 string I will say dont forget to change the post for the floyd as well but when I got my OG Floyd 7 string the nut was the wrong size and they dont offer any other sizes for there 7 string floyd rose tream for the nut at the time and not sure if they do or not so I had to but shims under the nut to get it to work right
what is the best upgrade for a JT 490?
can you do a video on a floyd rose fr20
it seems its like the special but im not sure if i want to buy a guitar with it
I have a Schecter Super Shredder with a FR Special tremolo. Do all FR saddles fit it? Are the sets of 6 that are around $85 what I need? What would you recommend? Thanks.
im planing to replace my licensed with a special? is it worth it?
The Sustaine block on the FRS is not brass. It’s Zinc and sometimes it’s nickel plated Zinc. You also got the baseplate wrong, it has SPOT Hardened knife edges.
The 1000 series is exactly the same as the old original as it’s made with the old tooling from the German factory… OFR has newly designed saddles and those are made on CNC machines.
The information comes from FR HQ and now all the information is on their website for each model.
Depends on which special. The schecter hot rod version has stainless screws and the brass block
Not sure if the FR Specials base plates are all the same, but here’s my experience.
I’ve added Graph Tech Piezo saddles to 2 FR specials. In order to do so, one must enlarge a slot with a dremel solid Carbide bit for each saddle for each piezo wire. With a brand new bit, it took me 15-20 MINUTES to create each slot in the Steel FR special baseplate. It barely wanted to cut.
By way of comparison, I previously tried the same on a cheap Import Licensed by Floyd rose baseplate and was able to cut the slot in less than 1 MINUTE!
While I’m no metallurgist, I’d say that suggests the ENTIRE baseplate of the FR Sprcial is fully hardened.
And yes once the saddles are upgraded, it works and stays in tuned the same as the German Floyd’s which I have as well…
Yes, the strings dig into the zinc saddles so I just ordered a set of Schaller all-steel saddles. The users say the tone will be brighter, that seems obvious, but also the tuning could be more stable. I'll see.
Make a video about hot rod series FR please. I have so many questions about it, I believe it has lower profile which makes it more comfortable for hand and you’re not hitting that circular screw bolt
Edit: Does it have the same construction and looks as Fr 1500?
Dimanakah saya bisa beli saddle tremolo floyd rose spesial original???
Ya I got two f.l. special's, and I do need parts! Who do I send to to get spare saddles?
I got schecter sun valley super shredder last year December I thought of changing string after a month and my 2nd and 3rd string can’t be tightened anymore floydrose special is not good at all
Great content! I bought an EVH Wolfgang Standard that came stock w a Floyd Rose Special on it and it plays and sounds great! No problems so far…..I’m wondering if the choice in using zinc was more than just a cost saving option and possibly used bc it’s less likely to be subject to erosion? I happen to hear u mention in another video something about a zinc coating etc… thoughts? Keep up the great work!
Hey buddy thanks for your kind words and for stopping by. I’m not sure about erosion, but I know zinc options are overall softer, the strings eat up the saddles for sure
@@nikaxeguitar thx for the tip, I decided to give the EVH to my son, he’s just beginning on guitar so it plays really easy for a beginner to start on and I just got an Epiphone Matt Heafy Origins Custom Les Paul. I have to say that it plays better than some of the Gibsons that I’ve owned over the last few decades! And the Fishman pickups are Amazing! Keep up the great content! I’m grateful that someone is taking the time to cover the questions a lot of us have but find it difficult to come across such detailed answers. I really do appreciate it!
@@SpaceAceScott Hey man. Thanks for your kind words. I would love to try a MH Epiphone! Have fun with that one!
I just replaced all of the saddles on my WG standard with stainless steel. $40 kit from Amazon. Second FR special I’ve owned that’s had the hole on the back of the saddle strip and you can’t tighten down the block. A few small upgrades and they’re a decent unit
@@BrandonEht I usually have the screw heads on them strip out. I keep a pack of extra screws for the nut, saddles, and string retainers in my toolbox just because it's going to happen sooner or later.
Got a ltd mh327 with a special fr, I blocked it with coins, tired of the strings popping out and detuning, also saving to replace it with a gotoh Stratocaster bridge
I'm looking to put a stopper in a Floyd Rose so I can use a D tuner. Can the claw still be changed the same way for the Special?
Yeah dude close to the same design of an OFR, just cheaper build and lesser quality
Will the “Original Floyd Rose” made from Germany have a direct fit onto the Jackson JS32 Dinky which is currenly using the “Jackson Licensed by Floyd Rose” bridge? Please advise. Thank you 🙏🏻
Yes it will, the Jackson Licensed Floyd is made to the same dimensions as the OFR, as is the Floyd Rose Special, I have a Jackson JS32M with a chrome Floyd Rose Special installed in it, it originally came with a black Jackson Licensed Floyd, the Floyd Rose Special was practically a drop-in fit.
If it doesn't say special is it a special I have a few Jackson's with a patten by floyd rose not a word special or a S on it so what are they I know 1 is a jt580 but what are the others
is there any specials that are only branded "floyd rose" instead of "floyd rose special" ?
Specials have a thin zinc block but can be fit with a brass block from Floyd Rose. Also if you do replace make sure to replace the posts too.
My 2 cents is that it's a POS. I have 1 guitar with a special, and I've had to replace all of the saddles as the locking screw stripped on 2 of them. I don't use the guitar much as the guitar is more of a collectors piece, but when I eventually have spare money I'll just put an original or 1000 on it.
I thought so lol. I heard him say brass and had to double check the vid
I put a 37mm FR fat brass on a special for a project build and plan to upgrade the saddles later. Fingers crossed I hope I can make it special.😅
I replaced all the old satin chrome hardware on my Ibanez rgt42 with black hardware, and replaced the lo trs2 trem with a Floyd rose special, the post inserts are bigger on the Floyd, so I’m still using the factory posts and inserts, I’ll get to that at some point but the trem works well, I don’t use the bar a lot anyway , and the guitar look’s much better with black hardware
Just recently got my hands on a Jackson X Series RRV that has a Special on there. Looking to swap it out for an OFR down the line. Just wanted to do some more research as, it was already confirmed to me that they're a perfect swap, just wanted to know if there's anything for me to do in the mean time.
Hey buddy. Usually not. Make sure you get the proper studs tht actually come with the OFR. Also, there might be some minor routing for the new bushings. Bout it
Don’t waste money on an OFR for an X series. Just buy a stainless steel parts kit
The FRS not come with brass sustain block, it comes with zinc alloy, and the base plate is bended with heat, that´s why it has those edges where the bend was made
i have a relatively expensive Stratocaster with a FRS on it ,and it put me of Floyds. but I will replace the saddles and give it another go .
Every guitar I've bought with a "Special", I've upgraded to an Original Floyd Rose with a Big Brass Block. There is a staggering difference you can feel if you've been playing Floyd's for 40 years.
I have a question- I have a FR copy trem on a Greco guitar. When I use the trem, the 6th string gets stuck flat and I have to pull up to get it to rest in tune. What's the issue?
In trem triage, the first thing to check is the lubrication of the knife edges. throw some teflon lubricant on the knife edges and see if that helps. I can help you if it doesn’t.
@@nikaxeguitar thanks for the reply. I will get some.
@@danvankouwenberg7234 Yessir!
I Have FRS for 10 years, if you tught up all screws and lubricate blades with machine oil sometimes, FRS stay in tune nicely. But! After 10 years my saddle broke and now im thinking about Gotoh GE1996T
The FR Special gets too much bad rep because it's conflated with badly made licensed vibrato systems. It's a decent system overall. I have one on my Kramer and I don't see myself replacing it within the next 5 years. I'll probably wear down my frets first before I have to consider replacing parts on the Special.
Yo dude! I've been considering replacing an old and cheap licensed Floyd with the ORIGINAL original Floyd Rose that has no fine tuners. It's said to not need a locking nut and you can drop tune with it but I'm not certain if I should get that instead of the regular Floyd. It's made in Germany and made with the hardened steel. What's your take on this thing?
yo if your gettig a floyd rose you definitely need a locking nut, ruins the idea of "double locking" tremolo system, i don't know exactly what you meant but feel free to ask!
@@bul1362 Tell that to Guthrie govan
@@BrandonEhtGuthrie Govan does not abuse the trem the same way other famous floyd rose users like Steve Vai, Syn Gates, Dimebag, EVH, and more do
I got a dean from hell and I absolutely love it. The only thing that pisses me off is that it constantly goes out of tune and I don't have enough money to replace the tremolo. Would putting new saddles on it be worth it? Or should I save up for a big boy floyd rose? And weirdly the g string on it is the first one to break/pop out of the saddle. Edited: I did buy the guitar used and it was abused by it's previous owner heavily.
perhaps the string retention blocks are worn?
@@BadMotivator66 i checked the g string one and it was worn out
I attempted to replace the saddles on my Floyd Rose Special 7-String with a set of the Original 7-String Saddles (Steel ones) recently. Though they are the same shape, they are NOT the same radius as the special and 1000 series. The original saddles fit on my special series, but the radius was way off. You will need to shim the original saddles to the same string radius of the special/1000 series for it to be a direct swap.
I've had a Floyd Rose special on Ltd for over 15 years, without any problems or having to replace bits..
It doesn't have the same dimensions, you notice that when you try to install an EVH D-tuna and it doesn't work.
I really find hard to understand why manufacturers do savings on stuff that is ridiculously cheap against the final product selling price. And they do....but don't get it. I mean a kg of carbon steel is less than 1 USD and the floyd weight is what ...200 gr? The only thing that would make sense rather than the cost of material itself is the processes each material undergo being drastically different. A zinc alloy trem I assume has to be mold casted while a carbon steel one probably undergoes through several machining stages. Just speculating. Thanks for the video!
Jt580 is from my Japanese jackson EMG model the others are from Indonesia and China
My left handed Kramer striker in majestic purple has a Floyd rose special
I think the main takeaway is you don't need to run away screaming if you see a guitar for sale with a floyd rose special.
first floating Trem came out in the 50s, 6 point Fender trem
I had a guitar with a Korean Floyd Rose and I ordered a German Original just so I could compare for myself.
Here's what I saw.
The Korean saddles were much nicer, with cleaner machining; the German ones had some scruuuffy machining. The Korean saddles had casting lines but they still looked better.
The German baseplate looked perfect and while this doesn't affect anything, the Korean showed marks where it was formed into shape.
The fine tuner tension plate was a stiffer material for the German one.
The fine tuner screws were much nicer on the Korean one. Both factories make it so the screws can't fall out. The German one looked like it was just hit with a hammer, and the Korean one looked like they used a special tool and they were less likely to flal out.
I think I saw that the German factory redesigned the saddle so maybe they have clean cut threads now.
Korea makes good stuff. Whichever one you get make sure to get the old style arm for it.
The sustain block is also zinc. Not brass! You are mistaken. I have a few so I know
Just replaced my Floyd Rose Special. It only lasted 5 months on a new guitar with light playing. The strings started popping out of the saddles. I looked at the saddles and the strings wore a groove in the saddles. Took a file to every piece of the FRS, and Every piece of that bridge is soft including the base. Bought a new Floyd Rose Original to replace the FRS. In my opinion the whole bridge is hard, but the the reason why it is hard is not because they harden the metal and polish it, they dip the metal bridge and all of its components in chrome. That's why you can buy a Floyd Rose Original in different colors: gold, black, and chrome.
Great info. Thanks!
The string popped out of the saddle is the most ridiculous experience with FR special .
@@johnrobert385mm ugh thats so frustrating. That zinc alloy is just so soft. It would happen to me with licensed Jackson FR as well. Bummer
@@nikaxeguitar yea , first time i installed on my jem 555 , it seems to be just fine , stays in tune , fluttery .But after a slight abuse,. The trem evidently shows how low quality it is. Stiff , non flutter , and string strat to popped out of the saddle almost every time i pull the bar up . I wonder why they named it " special " .
@@johnrobert385mm Marketing lol
Floyd rose UN-special !!! Perfect, thank you
Yessir!
The Floyd Rose special are real Floyd Rose they are on $1,300 guitars many content creators seem to leave that part out
The floyd was not the original floating term, the standard fender was. According to it's design patton it it meant to be installed floating... but it sucks. My point is there were a lot of floating designs before the floyd. Better to refer to them as the original double locking trem.
When I see a nice guitar with this bridge it makes me weep. Why does this even exist when you could get a gotoh?
I wouldn't even purchase a Guitar with this bridge, even to replace.
The material used in the special is after time not strong. it is is a 79 dollar unit. Weak and the points wearable are just this . The Gotoh 1996 is a great replacement trem. If you have an expensive guitar still say the 1996. Equal to the FR1000.
The licensing wasn't for the design of a "floating" trem. A strat trem can be and is often set up to float. The design element that is patented is the double locking design. The string locks at the bridge saddle as well as at the nut. Nobody had done that. The first FR trems didn't have fine tuners, see Brad Gillis, they were added and it became a hit. Anyway, cool vid, the history portion is a little sketch.
The special actually has a zinc sustain block, not brass.
It depends on the options the guitar maker chooses. The available blocks includes zinc (default), brass, steel, and tungsten. My guitar came with zinc and maybe the guy's Epiphone came with brass block OR if he bought the guitar used maybe the PO upgraded the block before selling.
I threw in a tungsten block in my Agile. Same sized as the zinc but at least 4 times the mass. Because it is the same physical size as the skinny zinc block I can do deeper dives and pulls. I LIKEY!
1:58 "and all that shit" lol
Just set my Ibanez with a gotoh bridge… that thing is a beast!!!
Hell yeah!
Same here. Got the GE1996T in an Ibanez Jem Jr. Made a world of difference.
@@JoeR203 That is such a good term! Nice.
So if I get a FR special and then replace the zinc saddles with OG saddles, what would be the difference between a special with original saddles and just a regular FR original other than the price differences?
You’d have to change out the block too. But that’s expensive. Also, there’s a benefit in the OFR as it’s all QC’d together at the same spot and point in time in Germany
@@nikaxeguitar Alright, that makes sense. Thank you!
A polished turd is still a turd. Just get the real thing. Original is about $220. Special $100. Adding the saddles brings you to about 180. Then you add the block your at $205. It's not worth it to save $15 and still have an inferior product.
@@kwh3645 of course
@@johnhruby6205 I see where you are coming from
I upgraded to Special on my bandmates guitar. I thought it was good for the money he paid. He wasn't as keen on it but I'd fit one no problem.
Thankyou bro
Yessir!
Bought a used RRXMG and I love it, it plays really good great action, had to level some frets but nothing major, EMG's are made for just one thing, and they do it nicely, it's heavy but really well balanced, looks insanely good, chicks love it 😂😅 but man THE FUCKING BRIDGE SUCKS!
I'll try the saddle upgrade if not enough I'll just upgrade to an original one which kind of sucks 😂😂
You have a rockabilly slapback delay on your voice recording
Yeah I know! I’m traveling so I’m working with what I got. 😆
I have three MiM FR Charvels and none came with a special.
Nice video 👍. Too much reverb in the voice tho!
Ugh. I know. I’m traveling and still trying to make videos with what I have! Thanks buddy
Check out my MikeMade guits...sound samples coming.
Note original (or "authentic") saddles DO NOT FIT Specials.
audio has an echo
Is it possible that you meant that the Special has a Zinc "sustain block". A Fat Brass Block is the preferred Floyd Rose upgrade.
This is a quote from the Floyd Rose site about the "Special"
"The Floyd Rose Special maintains the design and features of an Original Floyd Rose, while utilizing zinc alloy saddles in place of steel and a zinc alloy sustain block in place of brass."
Thanks so much for this. Yes sir
Oh it's "special" all right... It even tastes like sunshine and rainbows if you lick it! 😂
That being said, I currently have a Korean made Floyd special and the saddles have worn out like you have mentioned, and I can't tighten the string inside of the saddle anymore, it slips right out as soon as I apply tension. I think I might just swap everything for all original parts, and go for the brass trem block. I have a brass trem block in another guitar, and it was a MASSIVE shift in tone. More dynamics, it sounded a lot clearer when I dug into notes, it seems to totally improve the resonance of the guitar as well. Overall the guitar just feels... louder? Like it can make more noise acoustically, but it absolutely translates when you plug it in with some nice lead gain.
Go Buckeyes! ;)
floyd rose left alot of money on the table, he should have made guitars to imo
Special as in Special Needs
It's a KRAP !!! I Have released all my "specials" to the original ones
It is the queen family truckster of Floyd
K7's & K5's
The Floyd Rose Special is the worst trem they make. Go with the Original Floyd Rose, can't go wrong with it.
Fellow Michigander ? Go blue!
Special does NOT have a brass block. sToP spReAdiNg miSiNfOrmAtiOn
Or... buy a gotoh for around 120 and call it good
Seriously!
Probably one of the worst trems ever. Replaced mind with a Schaller Lockmeister. What a difference!!!
Answer: Junk
Don't ever listen to this guy. Floyd Rose Special is really great if you are on a budget. And even those "soft" metal parts, I don't know why does it have to be hardened steel... or whatever. Even KO33 stainless steel or 4404 which is considered A4 that is extra soft can withstand that little bit of pressure and movement that your bridge makes when you bend... I CNC-d my custom bridges out of hard plastic (poliamid/docamid), brass, silver, regular steel, stainless steel, and aluminum or aluminium however you want to write it, even my plastic trem is still intact after 7 years of use, does it sounds interesting with the plastic system, a littlebit, but for funky it sounds hilariously awesome, and for mellow blues.
Wow. How informative 😂
Special like Forest Gump
False........The Special DOES NOT have a brass block. Its shit pot metal. I just changed my EVH wolfgang block to a FU-Tone 34mm Brass block.
The Floyd Rose Special is cheap pot metal junk. It will last a month or so but sooner or later the screws will strip. For 100 bucks you can upgrade it with steel saddles, steel string blocks, steel screws, and a brass block but at that point you are better off to just buy an FR1000 or Original.
No, Floyd Rose Special does NOT have a hardened steel base plate. They are shit. Don't waste your money on them. If you want to sound like Jimi Hendrix after a divebomb, go ahead and use a FR Special. I scratch the bottom of the base plate with a file and it scratches easier than a rifle barrel. If it's hardened steel, it isn't very well hardened.
Zinc saddle isn't as big of a problem as you think, but baseplate being made out of cheese is a big problem.
I tried scratching the base plate of an original Floyd Rose. You can't do it at all. If you can scratch it with a file they are shit.
I might be able to fix a special by grinding off the knife edge and hard facing them (TIG weld build up the knife edge and use guitar strings as filler metal, guitar strings are hardened steel), then grinding the knife edge back in.
You must have a knock-off. Floyd's site clearly has "Hardened steel" as the base plate on the Special.
Can you show me floydrose not special...😂
That is what we in the south call a POS.
This is the most mislead " Special " . Because this trem is nothing special at all .
It’s a “replace it with a real Floyd” special.
The Special is always said to suck. Why? Zinc alloy. The saddles are sh#t. Throw them in the trash. The plate itself is "Spot hardened" steel. The FR Original model is completely made of hardened steel. If you put the stripped down Special plate itself, and the nut parts in the oven at 400* for 3 hours then let it cool down slowly in the oven overnight, then do it AGAIN the next day, you will have completely tempered the plate and it will be hard as any FR original plate if not harder. The tempering also alters the color of the plate. Reassemble w your own own upgraded block, better saddles, and Titanium parts, and you have a high end, custom, hard as bedrock trem. All at a slightly lower cost than any bone stock FR Original model, since the pandemic price increases...
The Floyd Rose Special ist that bridge that turns your guitar and valuable piece of wood into a piece of SH*T !!!!!! Trust me, it turns your instrument into a worthless waste of time!