I think there is a floyd just made for the fender? It looks easy to install.

Hey All-

Been a long time, good to see the community is as strong as ever.

So...my main axe is an 02 American Standard Strat with tremolo, which I never use because it is not stable enough for the stuff I want to use it for (you know, the Van Halen, Vai-esque stuff). The more I've thought about it, the more Im thinking of throwing a floyd in it. I put locking tuners on it and they work very well, so i don't think I would be using a floyd locking nut. The guitar looks like a million bucks, sounds awesome, is a great player and is super responsive, I think a floyd would only enhance it. My questions are....

1) Who else has done this themself, and how much of a pain was it? I used to do tech stuff at a guitar store for a while so Im not a fool and know how to setup my guitar perfectly to my liking, but by no means know how to do everything.

2) To all that have done this operation, how happy were/are you?

Thanks all and hear from ya soon!!

-Andrew Nelson

 

Yeah, Fender has a Floyd Rose locking trem that fits right onto the existing posts. No routing/drilling needed at all. I'd really recommend going that route, if you just want to use locking tuners. It even looks very much like a stock American Standard trem. They're very cool. Contact you Fender dealer, or look on EvilBay. I've seen them on there quite a few times. Search for "Fender Floyd Rose", or "Fender Locking Tremolo".

Otherwise, for a normal Floyd, all you'd have to do is drill holes to relocate the studs. That's all there is to it, unless you want to recess it. I've had this done to MANY Strats over the years.

 

Here's what it would look like, on your guitar.

http://www.fender.com/products/search.php?partno=0101592764

I'm trying to see if I can find the part number for the trem itself, too.

 

You can install a wilkinson gotoh with no mods. It is a pretty stable non-locking trem. Search the forums on this trem, it is highly reguarded. Also, do you have the LSR roller nut? If so, you should be set when you get a new bridge. Hipshot also makes a high quality single locking bridge that will install into an american strat with no modifications.

http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Bridges...idges,_tailpieces/Electric_guitar_tremolos/Wilkinson_Gotoh_Tremolo_Bridges.html

http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Bridges,_tailpieces/Electric_guitar_tremolos/Hipshot_Tremolo.html

 

I've had both, on several guitars, and I really don't think the Wilkinson is any better than the two post Fender trem.

I'd definetly go with the Fender "Deluxe Locking Tremolo". That's the only way you'll get the tuning stabilty that you're looking for. The Wilk will keep it's tune fairly well, but not even close to a locking trem.

Just speaking from experience.

 

From measurements if i can remember correctly the vintage tremolo is around about 13mm give or take now the floyd is about 8 ,i'm talking about the section width of the part you place inside the guitar.This is for an original floyd and it fits fine(non-recessed).Any f-r should work, but if that section (the part fiting inside and coming out the other end) measures over 13mm you might not get those wacky dive bombs you surely probably like ...but it should work out fine with no routing that is if you want a non-recessed floyd.Just remember to get the right nut width.
1)no pain installing it just take your time
2)it works great no problems i'm very happy with it
moral: just take your time

 

Over the years I've ****ed around with locking trems in Strats, Les Pauls ans PRS's to name a few of the guitars I've raped.

Nothing -repeat- nothing......beats a real Floyd or Ibanez trem. Route the sucker and do it right or you will not be happy. Tom Morello has a Strat with an Ibanez lo-pro in it. He is quoted saying it's the best.

Those Fender after-markets trems work, but not great - I've installed 3 of them and IMHO they really suck compared to the real installs I've had done.
I hate Wilkinson's. I think the guy who designed that trem was smoking crack because it's not even a good design -but let me tell you how I really feel....

It's funny- my LP is now a signature model for Neil from Journey.....

 

I'm not a huge fan of the Fender Floyd type bridge that retrofits onto an American Standard Bridge. The one I saw, there was no way to set individual string height, like the Standard bridge. Quite a drawback, if you ask me. I like to mess with the height of the saddles on Strats...

 

I'd just like to follow up after giving it some more thought:

Strats were never really designed for the Floyd type locking trem. They were designed 50 years ago. They are beautiful, well designed instruments with a remarkable, unmistakable tone and playability that has won over players around the world for half a century. Mega-kudos.
Floyds and locking trem systems are for a specific style of playing, and so are the guitars associated with locking trems. Strats have a really curved fingerboard and don't do well with Floyds anyway- you need a flat board to maximize the trem.
IMHO get a guitar designed for shred and if necessary-Ibanez, Jackson,Charvel,etc...AND get a strat for the blues stuff.

One guitar for all styles does not exist. yet.

 

Agreed. All my Ibanez 7-strings are Floyds. My strat isn't. I still try to play everything with one guitar.:smile:

 

This guy managed to do it without too many mods.

http://www.guitars101.com/vb/showthread.php?t=14258

I too would like to have a strat w. a floyd but they are harder to find. In Europe they released the Iron Maiden Strat which had a floyd & great setup. Only place to get these now is on ****.

 

get a new warmoth body and spare your old body. i have a floyd on one of my frankenstrats and the time and effort are definitely not worth the benefit. especially when a warmoth body is around $150+, labor alone is that. i definitely love the floyd, but for just a quick swap, the fender floyd is better with sperzel/schaller lockers and graphite nut. actually, my robin smokes with the lr baggs x-bridge i have in it. you just have to know how to tune those testy beasts(dive the strings into pitch). i have sperzels and graphite as well, and it can dive almost as good as any double locker. to top that, it's a 6 point! the american standard trems are actually good trems to dive with because of the fact that they are 2 point trems. just my experience.


rich

 

Locking tuners and some lubricant at your nut will do wonders for tuning stability. The retrofit fender floyd is height adjustable the same way the original floyd is with saddle shims. but it should be properly radiused from factory depending on your strat model though