Floyd to Fender-type trem

fivecoyote · Post by **fivecoyote** » Sun May 25, 2008 7:25 am

I searched the forum and didn't find this so...

Can a Floyd guitar (top mount, no behind-the-Floyd routing) be retrofitted for a Fender/Callaham-type bridge? If so, how? Pls share any widsom. Thank you. I have a good piece of wood that I want the Floyd off.

908ssp · Post by **908ssp** » Sun May 25, 2008 11:14 am

The pivot holes for the Floyd have to be plugged and then drilled for the 6 Fender screw holes. The outside two are in the same place as the Floyd pivot screws. That is all you have to do. But to make it look decent I think you would want to fill the cavity behind the bridge and have the body repainted. Not worth it the effort in my mind. Live with the Floyd or buy a new body.

JimiJames · Post by **JimiJames** » Sun May 25, 2008 2:22 pm

I've seen some cool new design threaded posts with a large bottom/small top stud in Premier Guitar Magazine...?
Could be worth looking into...

Tone Slinger · Post by **Tone Slinger** » Mon May 26, 2008 6:57 pm

If you get a Fender and/or Fender clone bridge put on the guitar after the floyd was on it, then you are doing a good thing. If the guitar could speak words,it would say "Thank You", Thank You". But since it cant talk with words, it will repay you wih GREAT TONE !

fivecoyote · Post by **fivecoyote** » Mon May 26, 2008 7:49 pm

Thanks guys.

908 -- Re: "the pivot holes for the Floyd" -- what are those? I have the two posts and then the hole for the bridge, that's it.

Also forgot to ask what to go with -- the vintage 6-hole Fender type or the newer Fender-type model. Pros and cons of each?

planetjimi · Post by **planetjimi** » Mon May 26, 2008 9:10 pm

You don't have to plug the holes. The floyd holes are on the outside of the strings. The vintage tremelo screw holes line up underneath each string. I would just drill the six holes for the vintage tremelo and slap it on.

908ssp · Post by **908ssp** » Tue May 27, 2008 12:17 am

planetjimi wrote:You don't have to plug the holes. The floyd holes are on the outside of the strings. The vintage tremelo screw holes line up underneath each string. I would just drill the six holes for the vintage tremelo and slap it on.

You're right I am wrong. I got confused there are host of other trems out there that use those outside holes on their two pivot trems but not the Floyd. It has been 20+ years since I put one of those on. Sorry I don't subscribe to the thinking that 6 bolt trems sound better than two pivot trems. On a 6 bolt trem there is rarely more than three screws taking any pressure anyway. But that is getting off the subject. Sorry.

Tone Slinger · Post by **Tone Slinger** » Tue May 27, 2008 5:40 pm

Fivecoyote, get the 'vintage' 6 screw type bridge. The two pivot point trem (ala 'American Standard strat) sound less warm and dynamic. They have a cleaner more 'sterile' clean to them, as well as a overall more 'scooped' sorta tone. The 6 screw ones are more acoustically resonant, cause the 6 screws pick up more of the vibrations going on. The two big 'pivot' points lose alot of whats between the 'bottom and top' of the tone, by contrast.

Actually, I'll put it like this, the vintage 6 screw trem is the best tone on a strat type guitar, and the floyd Rose is amongst the worst tone. The two pivot point trem. is inbetween these two tones. Go with the vintage style callaham bridge.

fivecoyote · Post by **fivecoyote** » Wed May 28, 2008 10:49 am

Awesome, thanks. So any advice on positioning (how to) the 6-screw vintage bridge? I just want to make sure all the strings/holes line up with the nut slots? Do you string the bridge first and then mark the holes with a pencil?

fivecoyote · Post by **fivecoyote** » Wed Jun 04, 2008 3:07 pm

Just bumping these questions, in case anyone has learned by trial and error:

Any advice on positioning (how to) the 6-screw vintage bridge? Do I just want to make sure all the strings/holes line up with the nut slots? Do you string the bridge first and then mark the holes with a pencil?