Jem777DY and Original Floyd Rose

Rip · #1 11-09-2006, 10:39 PM

Hey guys,
I have a Jem ive owned since '89 thats been in pieces for literally
the last 10 years. (took it apart to repaint it and never finished it)

Currently im finally getting the guitar back in order.
(bought all the spray gun equipment and nitro paint and repainted it to a factory finish)

My Edge tremolo is beyond beat..and i 100% need to replace it.
Because of the paint scheme i did..(frankenstrat)
I REALLY want to use an Original Floyd Rose in the Jem. (chrome)

I've emailed numerous venders..floyd rose..etc..
went to a floyd rose dealer.
and no one can answer my questions.
Im really hoping you guys can help me along.

Perhaps some of you have put OFR's in your jem? (long shot i know)

---
Are the pivot points (knife edges) at the same width? (just a simple drop in of the new tremolo?)

Would the correct Floyd nut be the R4 to try to keep similar to the original jem nut?

I was told the R4 DOES mount from the rear..but are the screw holes the same distance as the original jem nut?

I cant get the pivot post anchors out of the guitar..
so will the floyd pivot posts screw into the original anchor?
(i see floyd rose has 2 thread sizes..one that seems close..and the other is "ultra fine")

Any other issues I might run into?

If you have ANY or ALL of the answers i would GREATLY
appreciate the help..as I mentioned..im not having any luck.

Im hoping someone might know of a successful floyd rose switch over in the Jem.

Thanks!!

waylay00 · #2 11-09-2006, 11:14 PM

No offense, but I have no idea why you would want to switch an Edge for an OFR...not to mention on a JEM! That is a sin around here.

Well to each his own. AFAIK, you cannot successfully retrofit an OFR to any Ibanez that previously had an Edge, without modifying it or having additional routing done.

Rip · #3 11-10-2006, 12:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by waylay00

No offense, but I have no idea why you would want to switch an Edge for an OFR...not to mention on a JEM! That is a sin around here.

Well to each his own. AFAIK, you cannot successfully retrofit an OFR to any Ibanez that previously had an Edge, without modifying it or having additional routing done.

Well as you said.."around here" im sure you guys like to keep things a certain way.

My edge is no longer useable from wear and tear (and a horrible guitar repair person i took it too years ago..who messed up the knife edges)

I decided I wanted something totally off the wall and unique to a jem..
So im turning it into a factory finish frankenstrat replica.

Eddie and Vai were my 2 big heros growing up and what better way to honor that than to combine their guitars into one.

Im sure most of you (as you said) would concider it a sin..
but hopefully a few will understand and "get it"

Here's a pic of where im at. I finished up 9 coats of clear the otherday with nitro..so its yet to be wetsanded and buffed.

I will be mounting the pickups direct to the body
and only have a section of the pickguard left over the electronics.

I want the floyd as eddies was..an OFR.

An open mind is a good thing..remember that.

guitvai1 · #4 11-10-2006, 12:40 AM

Nice job- very cool.

It kills me on this site how people classify mods that they don't like to JEMS and Universes as sins or that you've done something terrible. In my opinion WHO CARES, it's your guitar not Ibanez's, not Steve Vai's, and not anyone eles's on this site - so be original and modify the heck out of it.

crevis · #5 11-10-2006, 01:36 AM

The stud spacing is the same, i would stick to the original locking studs, theyll work much better and i belive that they are too big to replace with out filling in wood. Im not sure of the specs of the R4, it should be 43 mm, theres diagrams on richs, ibanez and OFR site with the spacing for they bolts on the toplock. Looks good, hope it goes well. I just put an edge on one of mine and i had to go buy a bigger drill bit than is in any of my 3 sets because the studs were so huge.

mi2tom · #6 11-10-2006, 02:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rip

Damn man! That is sweet

Rich · #7 11-10-2006, 04:14 AM

In the event you would have to do some fitting to put the OFR in, maybe it should have been done before it was painted

Looks nice though, looks a little orange peely, but the squiggly lines break up all the straight and add a nice touch.

Rip · #8 11-10-2006, 08:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rich

In the event you would have to do some fitting to put the OFR in, maybe it should have been done before it was painted

Looks nice though, looks a little orange peely, but the squiggly lines break up all the straight and add a nice touch.

Thanks guys for the nice comments
and the help on the tremolo

It definately still has the "orange peel" effect right now because of all the different layers.
But as I mentioned i have 9 coats of clear which built it up nicely so when I wetsand it there will be plenty of clear left over and be perfectly smooth.

I'm going to let it cure though for another week before I do that.

I might have to resort to using the original nut...and
the original posts. (came to that conclusion last night).
They both seem in "ok" condition, but they aren't chrome but more
of that black chrome look.

The only part of this that im a little leary doing (but have no choice)
is i have to paint the pickups. terribly faded pink pickups just arent going to work, but im not giving um up! I've always loved the sound of the paf pro's.

I already painted the cover for the single coil (you can see it in the pic)
but that was the easy one. (just a slip off cover)

The HB's are going to be tricky.

jkahrs · #9 11-10-2006, 10:52 AM

Just a suggestion, but have you thought about using a chrome Edge tremolo? That would be a compromise that would keep original Ibanez parts on your Jem, but give you the overall look of the chrome Floyds EVH used.

As far as the pickups, I wouldn't paint them. It never holds up and ends up looking ratty. Check out Bobbin Toppers. --Jason

http://www.universaljems.com/cart/bobbin.htm

Drow Swordsman · #10 11-10-2006, 11:20 AM

I agree, I'd just get a Chrome Edge if I were you. Most people probably wouldn't know the difference at first look, and you'll notice the better tuning stability.

http://www.ibanezrules.com/parts.htm

Rich has 3 of them in right now.

Jem#5150 · #11 11-10-2006, 01:40 PM

i definetly agree. just buy a new edge and you'll just have a better and more stable trem overall. i like the paint job. nicely done. i understand when you say vai and van halen are you two biggest influences.

nyck · #12 11-10-2006, 06:41 PM

Yeah....it's very very very original and unique to do the VH pait job on a jem.
http://www.theguitarboard.com/legacy1.htm

Drow Swordsman · #13 11-10-2006, 06:57 PM

Well lots of people have been doing EVH paintjobs on various guitars, just because it isn't neccessarily "unique" doesn't make it any less special to the owner.

Rip · #14 11-10-2006, 07:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nyck

Yeah....it's very very very original and unique to do the VH pait job on a jem.
http://www.theguitarboard.com/legacy1.htm

How lame of a post is this?
Attacking for no other reason than attacking.

tell me one thing..how many Dessert yellow Jems are out there..
and tell me how many "correctly" done EVH jems are out there.

My guitar im doing has nothing do to with that guitar in that link
other than they are both red black and white.

Mine will be totally different..

Rip · #15 11-10-2006, 07:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Drow Swordsman

Well lots of people have been doing EVH paintjobs on various guitars, just because it isn't neccessarily "unique" doesn't make it any less special to the owner.

Of course people have..
Ed's guitars have been around for going on 30 years.
I am HARDLY claiming to be the first ever to put a EVH paint job on a guitar.
But i definately think im taking it farther than the guitar in that link.

Its funny that im new here but it sure seems like people enjoy trying to
insult someone else at any chance possible.
Must be a lot of kids here.