New to Floyds

[ibanez4life SZ!]

Hey guys!

I got my first floyd guitar today....and Ibanez RG520.....quick question....

When I use the trem, and let go, it seems as if the trem is not going back to standard position.....my entire guitar goes out of tune almost evenly...

Then, when I slightly pull back up on it, it will go back into tune perfectly, and stay like that until I use the trem again.....

There are 4 springs in the back if that helps!

Going out of tune isn't the problem here.....why isn't my trem going back to its original position?

 

[JamesD]

I have an ibanez S-series with trem and have close to same problems. Anytime i use the whammy everything just gets out of whack. I took it to get looked at and fixed to GC and the guy actually told me he wouldn't work on it because he hated working on Floyd's. Needless to say i am not a regular customer of that GC anymore. Any help with them would be appreciated.

 

[ibanez4life SZ!]

So far, I have been told to lube the posts....and that maybe the springs need to be replaced!

 

[Russ]

Those are the first places to try to fix it.

I would also suggest putting a set of fresh strings on but not expect it to stay in tune until the strings have stretched. The Floyd actually lends itself to relatively dead strings at least in my use. I found that it would stay in tune better once they had been played on several hours and let to rest a couple days and so on for about a couple weeks. Granted the tone kind of sucked from having deader than I would have liked strings but I could play it without it going out and it would return to 0 everytime. Personally, I like Kahler tremolos better. The action is nowhere near as stiff and the body route is nowhere near as much. This lends to better tone. Gary Kahler has actually restarted his tremolo business after a hiatus of several years. The internals and each individual part is customizeable for a truly unique tone.

 

[rs70chgrrt]

Check out this link. It should help you out. Once you get it right, the next time you change strings do them one at a time and stretch until they don't go out of tune when playing and using trem, then move to the next string.

http://www.ibanezrules.com/tech/setup/index.htm

hope this helps you

 

[MetalMatt]

String gauge can screw with the trem too, well it did with me. I would say throw in some new springs, and lubing it up wouldn't hurt.

Congrats! trems sure are fun...when they'er working!

 

[MesaENGR412]

Check to see if you have the locking nut is locked, as well as the bridge being flush. If it isn't adjust the two screws on the back of the guitar in front of the springs accordingly to get it flush (and in tune). It will take a while, but that may fix it. I've gone from 9-42's, up to 12-52's and back to 10-46's on my ibanez rg, and have done all the intonation and trem leveling to get it to sound pretty good. String guage will kill it lol. I'd check into a Hipshot Tremsetter, to keep the bridge from "warbling" and going out of tune when a string breaks. they're like 40 bucks. I aim to get one really soon.

http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Bridges...itar_tremolo_parts/1/Hipshot_Trem-Setter.html

Hope this helps. Good luck man

-AJH

 

[ylo]

Hello Ibanez4life

Try a Hipshot Tremsetter. This adds two compression springs in the cavity to restore the trem to center position. It improves the return to pitch when you release the bar, and reduces the pitch drop that occurs on the other strings when you bend a string to higher pitch with your fretting fingers. It isn't perfect, but sure helps on my guitar.

 

[tony777]

The knife edge on your floyd has to be thinner. For some time in the late 90's Ibanez made the knife edges too thick for the posts, so the trem doesn't return to neutral. you'll have to file them a bit so they fit into the studs. Check out www.ibanezrules.com for more info under tech.

Tony