How to String a Floyd Rose

TC-TUNE

We often receive inquiries at our store about changing Floyd Rose strings and how to string a Floyd Rose.
We imagine many of you are struggling with issues like “I don’t know how to string it” or “the tuning isn’t stable.”
So, in this article, we’ve put together an easy-to-understand guide to the Floyd Rose string-changing procedure and tuning adjustment methods.
Floyd Rose specifications and features vary depending on the manufacturing period and model. While there are many licensed models, such as the TAKEUCHI-style and Ibanez LO-Pro Edge, the basic principles of string replacement are the same for all of them. In this guide, we’ll use the current Floyd Rose Original as an example.

Placing a cloth between the bridge and the body before loosening the tension prevents the bridge from scratching the body.

Next, remove the lock nut to take off the old strings. The
Floyd Rose lock nut is the part that secures the strings at the headstock.
Use a 3mm hex wrench to loosen the screw and remove it completely. This will release the strings from their mount.

Next, loosen the strings and remove the tension bar.

What is a tension bar?

The tension bar is a small metal bar attached to the top of the nut.
By holding the strings firmly against the grooves in the nut, it helps minimize tuning fluctuations when the lock nut is tightened.

Use string cutters to cut all the strings. When you cut the
strings, the bridge will lose its balance and hit the body, but the cloth you placed there earlier will protect it from the impact.

After cutting the strings, use a 3mm hex wrench to loosen and remove the saddle.

With the strings removed, this is the perfect time to clean the fingerboard, frets, body, and area around the bridge.
Use a cleaning cloth to remove dust and dirt.

We recommend the specialized cleaning cloths from TCGAKKI and Advance Guitars. Since these are the same tools we actually use ourselves, you can use them with confidence.

• What’s the best cleaning cloth for instruments? What do professionals actually use on the job?

・We reveal the guitar polishes and waxes that specialty shops actually use on the job!

・If your fretboard is made of rosewood, moisturize it moderately with a specialized oil. Big
Bends/Fret Board Juice

Next, prepare your new strings.
This time, we’ll be using “Futra,” a coated electric guitar string available for an astonishing price in the 500-yen range. This is the first time a Japanese retailer has carried this product.

・Unbelievable! Coated electric guitar strings in the 500-yen range: Ultimated Coated Strings Stainless Steel [Electric Guitar Strings]

Cut the string back to the fold at the ball end.

Insert the string into the saddle and secure it firmly with a hex wrench.

Floyd Rose bridges have “saddles” where the strings are secured.
The metal blocks inside the saddles grip the strings firmly.

*Be careful not to tighten them too much, as this could cause the metal blocks to crack.

Wrap the end of the string around the tuning peg.

• Wind the string in a spiral pattern, imagining it gradually descending toward the base of the tuning peg.
• Be careful not to let the end of the winding overlap the beginning.

It’s easier to understand if you compare a photo showing the correct number of wraps with examples of over-winding and under-winding.

The number of wraps is just right

Correct setup for all strings

Once you’ve installed all the strings,
attach the tension bar. Lower the tension bar until the strings are flush against the lock nut.

*If you over-tighten the screw, in the worst-case scenario, it could pierce through to the back of the neck. Be very careful not to
over-tighten it.

Before tuning, perform the following preparations. Slightly increase the
spring tension so that the bridge is pulled toward the body.

Set the fine tuners to a position slightly loosened from their fully tightened state.

What is a fine tuner?

Fine tuners are small screws used to make minute pitch adjustments while the strings remain secured by the lock nut.
They allow you to raise or lower the pitch very slightly without having to make major tuning changes with the pegs.

Adjust the amount and position of the crosspiece to ensure the bridge is level.

Adjust the spring on the back so that the bridge does not rise above the horizontal plane, as shown here.

Tune the instrument.
If the bridge lifts up, retighten the spring each time and repeat the process of tuning and adjusting the spring.

Adjust the string height using the posts on the front of the bridge.

・String height = Distance
between the string and the fret (at the 12th fret)
* 1st string: 1.5 mm
* 6th string: 1.5–2.0 mm

* The guitar used in this guide is a type that uses a flathead screwdriver for string action adjustment, but many models are designed to be adjusted with a 3mm hex wrench.

Use a 2.5mm wrench to match the harmonic sound at the 12th fret with the sound produced when the note is actually pressed down.

When adjusting the octave, if you turn the screw while the string tension is high, the saddle will be pulled forward and move out of position, making it difficult to return it to its original position. Please repeat the following process: loosen the string slightly, adjust the octave, and then retune.

* If the actual note is too low → Move the saddle toward the neck
* If the actual note is too high → Move the saddle toward the body
* Check and adjust all six strings

With the guitar properly tuned,
apply the crossbrace. When the crossbrace is applied, the bridge is pulled toward the body, so loosen the spring until the tuning returns to the adjusted level, aiming for a stable position where the bridge remains level.

Once all adjustments are complete, reinstall the lock nut.

Use the fine tuners to make minor adjustments to the tuning.

The job is complete once all strings are stably tuned, the bridge is level, and the string action and octaves are properly adjusted.

Precautions

* Changing string gauge or manufacturer may cause the floating action or octave to become misaligned.
* Be careful not to injure yourself, as string cutters and the ends of strings are sharp.
* It may take a little time the first time, but once you get the hang of it, you can change the strings in about 10 minutes.

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