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 replacement procedure and tuning adjustment methods.
Floyd Rose specifications and functions 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 concepts 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 remove 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 leave the strings unsecured.

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.
It ensures the strings are pressed firmly against the grooves in the nut, helping to minimize tuning changes when the lock nut is tightened.

Use string cutters to cut all the strings.
Cutting the strings will throw the bridge off balance and cause it to 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 saddles.

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

We recommend TCGAKKI or the dedicated cloth from Advance Guitars. Since these are tools we actually use ourselves, you can use them with confidence.

・What’s the best cloth for instruments? What do we actually use on the job?

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

・If your fretboard is rosewood, use a specialized oil to keep it properly moisturized.
　 Big Bends/Fret Board Juice

Next, prepare the new strings.
This time, we’re using “Futra,” a coated electric guitar string available for an astonishing price in the 500-yen range. This marks the first time it’s being carried by a domestic retailer.

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

Cut the string back to the ball end.

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

Floyd Rose bridges have "saddles," which secure the strings.
The metal block inside the saddle securely clamps the string.

*Please be careful not to tighten too much, as this may cause the metal block to crack.

Wind 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 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 too many or too few wraps.

The number of wraps is just right

Correct condition for all strings

Once all the strings are installed, attach the tension bar.
Lower the tension bar until the strings are flush against the lock nuts.

*If you tighten the screw too much, in the worst case, it could pierce through to the back of the neck.
Be very careful not to overtighten it.

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

Set the fine tuners to a position slightly looser than fully tightened.

What is a fine tuner?

A fine tuner is a small screw used to make minute adjustments to the pitch while the string is secured by the lock nut.
It allows you to raise or lower the pitch just a little bit without making major tuning changes with the tuning pegs.

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

Adjust the spring on the back so that the bridge does not rise above the horizontal plane.

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

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

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

* The guitar used in this tutorial is the type where string height is adjusted with a flathead screwdriver, but many models are designed to be adjusted with a 3mm hex wrench.

Use a 2.5mm wrench to match the 12th-fret harmonic with the actual note when you press the string.

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

* If the actual note is low → Move the saddle toward the neck
* If the actual note is too high → Move the saddle toward the body
* Check and adjust all 6 strings

Remove the cross while the instrument is in tune.
When you remove the cross, the bridge will be pulled toward the body, so loosen the spring until the tuning returns to the adjusted state, 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 tuned stably, the bridge is level, and the string action and octaves are properly adjusted.

Notes

* Changing the string gauge or manufacturer may cause the floating action or octave to go out of alignment.
* Be careful not to injure yourself, as the tips of the nippers and the 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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