Help with my Floyd Rose, please?

[thearabianmage]

I think this is a common problem, but all the common cures I've seen for it don't seem to work.

Basically: when I use my FR, it doesn't seem to lock. . . very well.

When I pull the whammy up - the tuning stays up (about a semitone for all strings) and when I go down, it stays down. It's been like this for a very long time. I've just gotten used to depressing it before tuning, because you naturally go down a lot more than up.

But I want it perfect now. Any advice?

 

[TS808]

I think this is a common problem, but all the common cures I've seen for it don't seem to work.

Basically: when I use my FR, it doesn't seem to lock. . . very well.

When I pull the whammy up - the tuning stays up (about a semitone for all strings) and when I go down, it stays down. It's been like this for a very long time. I've just gotten used to depressing it before tuning, because you naturally go down a lot more than up.

But I want it perfect now. Any advice?

My guess (this happens sometimes with my strats with non-locking trems) is that your strings really need to be stretched before tuning. When I replace strings, I stretch them, tune, stretch, tune, etc. I probably go through this about 5 times until the guitar stays in tune for good.

Especially with new strings that haven't quite broken in yet, I notice that the guitar goes out of tune more and more when I bend strings, or use the trem. After a day or two, it's pretty stable.

 

[marnold]

When your trem is at rest, is it parallel to the body as it should be?

Is is an Original Floyd? I've heard of the knife edges of licensed ones dulling and causing problems like what you've described.

 

[markb]

The first thing I'd check is the spring tension. As Marnold says, it should be parallel to the body at rest. Adjust the claw until you get there.

 

[thearabianmage]

Right - first off, I've tried really giving the strings a bit of a stretching when I change them, and even though it helps, it doesn't solve the problem. Trust me, I've read many a guide on this so I spend roundabout 10-15 minutes just stretching.

Next - the level of the trem is nice - I've had a FR for years (first one when I had been playing 6 months) so I've learned how to set the level (it took ages, though. . .)

About the knife edges - I would expect dulling in the Korean-made trem on my BC Rich ('Bessie'. . .and she's got the same problem, too) but not with my Jackson. But, in all fairness, I don't know - is there a way you can test the sharpness of the knife edges on a trem? (As thick of a question as that is, I don't know how else to put it)

Spring tension - all has to do with the level, I thought. I put 10's in Poop quite a while back and haven't fully adjusted the intonation, so if anything I would have thought that was the problem, but I just don't see how that works (not setting intonation = locking trem not locking)

But hey, I don't know everything. Cheers for the help, thus far. If anyone has anything else to offer, feel free!!