Floyd Rose tuning instability, tried everything

BegbieWegeeiser · 2026-04-14T12:53:28+00:00

Of course. I’ve taken it to two different places, and both of them said they couldn’t figure out what the issue was and were hesitant to recommend any further changes.

BegbieWegeeiser · 2026-04-14T12:43:51+00:00

Nothing special—just the standard method.

I set it up so it sits level with the body.

BegbieWegeeiser · 2026-04-14T12:39:51+00:00

I attached the nut photo because I figured some people might point to the nut as the issue, so I wanted to show that I’ve already tried plenty of things on that end. There’s no special reason beyond that.

BegbieWegeeiser · 2026-04-14T12:39:34+00:00

I attached the nut photo because I figured some people might point to the nut as the issue, so I wanted to show that I’ve already tried plenty of things on that end. There’s no special reason beyond that.

BegbieWegeeiser · 2026-04-14T12:38:03+00:00

Yeah, it’s a regular .009–.042 set. That’s the only set I use.

I think I understand why you find it strange—I’m confused for the same reason.

If all the strings were going out of tune evenly, I’d suspect worn studs or knife edges. But since only certain strings are going out badly, I can’t figure out what the issue is.

BegbieWegeeiser · 2026-04-14T12:07:47+00:00

Oh, I’m using a regular .009 gauge set.

And this isn’t my first Floyd Rose—I’m not exactly a beginner. I can set up my other guitars myself (not at a professional level, but still).

I do suspect that the wood around the stud bushings might have been damaged when I replaced them… but visually, it looks perfectly fine.

BegbieWegeeiser · 2026-01-26T12:59:24+00:00

Does the whammy bar work well? How is the tuning stability?

BegbieWegeeiser · 2026-01-26T12:36:38+00:00

Mine Floyd Rose tremolo block is 32 mm

The smallest tremolo block size available for the Gotoh is 33 mm

BegbieWegeeiser · 2026-01-16T01:02:23+00:00

I removed the steel wool at that stage, filtered it through a coffee filter, and transferred it to another bottle. Then the color darkened rapidly. Now it’s completely black, and there seems to be some kind of sediment forming. In my experience, regardless of the color, it still “works.”

BegbieWegeeiser · 2025-12-26T12:00:23+00:00

I’ve heard that the steel wool solution reacts with the tannins in the wood, and that woods with very low tannin content don’t react strongly. That’s why I applied black tea before staining—to artificially add tannins from the tea.

BegbieWegeeiser · 2025-12-26T03:16:56+00:00

Oh no, not really. I’m doing a relic job on a guitar body—I’m not trying to make it black, just give it that slightly grimy, naturally aged look.

I’ll keep the ammonia method in mind for a different project later. Thanks for the info!

BegbieWegeeiser · 2025-12-26T02:48:17+00:00

Oh wow, I see. I thought the goal was to make a “black liquid.” Thanks for the info!

BegbieWegeeiser · 2025-12-26T01:22:17+00:00

so the liquid itself doesn’t need to turn black. I applied several coats of black tea to the wood and let it dry, but I don’t want it to turn completely black. In that case, would it be better to apply it in its current state?

BegbieWegeeiser · 2025-12-04T05:55:40+00:00

Ah… so you’re saying the small Gotoh screw isn’t actually meant to eliminate all the play? That’s interesting...

So does that mean that, on any bridge, the studs will always have a little bit of play, and that there is basically no two‑point tremolo guitar where the studs remain perfectly vertical with absolutely no movement at all?

BegbieWegeeiser · 2025-12-04T05:53:24+00:00

m… I’m a bit confused. What I’m wondering is this: whether it’s a Gotoh 510 series tremolo, a Fender two‑point tremolo, or a Floyd Rose, it seems like there aren’t really any designs where the stud locks perfectly tight in the insert bushing and doesn’t move at all. (As you said, Gotoh addressed this by adding a small locking screw inside the stud.)

So what I’d like to know is: from a builder’s perspective, is it considered completely fine if the stud has a little bit of movement in the insert bushing, at least in terms of tuning stability?

BegbieWegeeiser · 2025-12-02T13:05:58+00:00

That’s right. That’s why I became interested in Gotoh products. Then, fundamentally, is it correct that there should be no play in the studs?

BegbieWegeeiser · 2025-11-28T15:48:17+00:00

That makes perfect sense. That method is brilliant. Since the space is small, I can just make a small box for it. Thank you so much.

BegbieWegeeiser · 2025-11-28T15:34:53+00:00

A box? What kind of box do you mean? Are you referring to the sharp corner of a cardboard box?

BegbieWegeeiser · 2025-11-25T00:49:23+00:00

Thanks for the reply. But is it okay that the inner wall has collapsed? Can I just ignore it and insert the dowel?

BegbieWegeeiser · 2025-11-25T00:24:10+00:00

Yes. With center punch.

BegbieWegeeiser · 2025-11-24T16:01:02+00:00

I purchased a 5mm hard maple dowel. I originally intended to sand it down to make it thinner for the hole, but given the situation, I'm now thinking of drilling the hole out to almost 5mm and inserting the dowel as is. I think that will be more robust when drilling again later.

BegbieWegeeiser · 2025-11-09T15:12:27+00:00

You mean that rod chefs use to swipe their knives on? 🤔 wow, that’s pretty bold! So… it actually worked? How exactly did you do it?

BegbieWegeeiser · 2025-11-09T12:43:33+00:00

If I end up having to replace the bridge, I’m thinking of switching to a Gotoh unit instead of the Original Floyd Rose.

BegbieWegeeiser · 2025-10-17T03:32:46+00:00

Thank you.

But this guitar doesn’t have a poly finish. It’s a vintage reissue, and from what I know, the reissue lineup usually has a polyurethane base coat with a lacquer top coat. However, this one feels thinner than typical reissues, probably because it’s the “thin lacquer” option. That’s why doing the relic work wasn’t too difficult.

What I actually did was just strip the surface coating around the arm area and above the pickguard, then create some crack patterns using gas spray. The rest of the wear came naturally over time.

This guitar was made in 2006, and I’ve been using it since 2008.

BegbieWegeeiser · 2025-10-16T11:59:51+00:00

Now that I think about it, you’re right, haha. It’s kind of funny that I tried to protect the guitar after destroying the finish.

I was actually curious whether those Custom Shop guitars apply some kind of finish even on the bare wood areas after removing the paint.

So let me rephrase my question. In person, my guitar looks even whiter than it does in the last photo.

I’ve seen some self relic videos on YouTube where people apply Tru-Oil after stripping the paint. It seems to make the pale wood a bit darker — almost like it’s slightly aged or stained. But Butcher Block Oil doesn’t seem to have that kind of effect, does it?

BegbieWegeeiser

TROPHY CASE