Floyd problems??

[jettster]

All right, I've heard people talk about this problem before but, experienced it first hand last night. When I went to bend the high E, it dropped pitch big time. I noticed the saddle had dropped as far as the screw would let it. When I went to re adjust the saddle and tighten everything back down, the screw just kept spinning.

So, I guess the base is stripped?? What options are there? Just replace the base unit?

This is a Hamer labeled Schaller unit, can you still get those from Hamer or just order one from Stewmac?

To make matters worse this is on my prize possesion maple Cali, dammit!

[Scooter]

I've been there. Had to replace the base plate. What a pain! The good news is that any Schaller plate will work, or do like I did and toss the whole thing and get an Original Floyd.

[shredmeister]

I agree with scooter about an Original Floyd as long as it will fit.

Will set you back about $250 though.

Floyds have more hardened metal and stiffer springs giving you a little better tone than the Hamer units. Although the Hamer units are not bad. IMO the Californians would have been better with Floyds or Kahler Steelers.

[stonge]

So, I guess the base is stripped?? What options are there? Just replace the base unit?

sometimes the threads on the screws are worn and don't catch in the baseplate. I have been able to swap in new screws and fix the problem without replacing the baseplate. I have a bag or two of the correct screws lying around, so PM me with your snail mail address and I will send you a few (no charge) so you can at least try the easy (potential) fix before the costly one. I have a Floyd that I have to swap the block on (the original one was too tall) and the luthier who added the backplate and the Floyd didn't realize they collided - I am dreading stripping out the Floyd and rebuilding it (and the full setup etc). At least a single screw is a 5-minute attempt - if it doesn't work, onto plan B...

[jettster]

sometimes the threads on the screws are worn and don't catch in the baseplate. I have been able to swap in new screws and fix the problem without replacing the baseplate. I have a bag or two of the correct screws lying around, so PM me with your snail mail address and I will send you a few (no charge) so you can at least try the easy (potential) fix before the costly one. I have a Floyd that I have to swap the block on (the original one was too tall) and the luthier who added the backplate and the Floyd didn't realize they collided - I am dreading stripping out the Floyd and rebuilding it (and the full setup etc). At least a single screw is a 5-minute attempt - if it doesn't work, onto plan B...

That is a good suggestion and I think there may be a few of those already at the house. I ordered a bunch of the inexpensive Floyd replacement parts just to have, a few years back. (from Stewmac) If I don't already have some, it wouldn't be too hard to swap one of the others to see if it works. Shouldn't be too difficult to see if any of the threads are shot. Hey at this point I don't have anything to loose since the guitar is already unplayable.

Looks like it's pretty difficult to find just the base plates?

Does the Hamer factory not have them?

What about Heli-Coil?

Thanks for the help guys

[stonge]

the screws that hold the saddles down are a standard metric size, and the last batch I ordered cost about $4 per 100 screws (before shipping) from an industrial supply house. I'll post the spec and a link when I get home tonight in case anybody wants a couple hundred for their parts bin. If anybody wants just a couple, pm or email (stongemonataoldotcom) and I'll mail out a PIF package to you.

I hate that clunk when the trem comes back up but the saddles don't. Almost threw my Chap into the backyard when it did that (right after I paid somebody to set it up properly). Argh...

[silentman]

Still proud to never touch a saddle screw on a floyd, LOL. It's probably been 20 years and 5 or 6 guitars with floyds!

[Jem]

Looks like it's pretty difficult to find just the base plates?

Does the Hamer factory not have them?

What about Heli-Coil?

Thanks for the help guys

Kaman are actually Schaller importers, i'm sure they must carry spare baseplates. On the screw notion, replacing the screw sometimes works sometimes not but always worth a try but not then a real bodge that i've done once is to get a longer version of the same screw and put a nyloc on the other end and do it up F...... T.... !

Jem

[Guest JackButler]

Still proud to never touch a saddle screw on a floyd, LOL. It's probably been 20 years and 5 or 6 guitars with floyds!

Ditto for me! I've had to adjust them for students and customers, but never on my personals.

[Disturber]

Still proud to never touch a saddle screw on a floyd, LOL. It's probably been 20 years and 5 or 6 guitars with floyds!

Ditto for me! I've had to adjust them for students and customers, but never on my personals.

You never had to intonate the guitars?

I have never tried this on a floyd base plate, but I have done it a few times on pickup base plates when the screw holes were too big to fit standard pickup screws. (Pickups that had been directly mounted etc).

Try taking some small kind of metal rod with a round base, and a hammer. Then try hit the area around the screwhole, on all sides, to make it smaller. This might take some time and Im not sure it will work as the bassplate metal might be to hard. But there is a chance that you are able to tighten the hole enough to make the screw fit again. I would try this before buying a new plate.

[Dutchman]

Here's some Floyd Parts, You might try asking on the Charvel Forum also, those guys are always working on older Schaller Floyds. They might have some parts.

http://www.guitarnucleus.com/gnstore/tremolo.html

http://www.guitarnucleus.com/gnstore/floyd_saddle_info.htm

[guymandude]

I recently ran into the same problem on my Jackson Soloist. The G and the B string baseplate holes were stripped. I tried putting new screws in but it didn't work. My local music shop called all around and couldn't help until I suggested that they call Jackson. Luckily they said that they had one left and sent it out. I think it sucks that they used such low quality parts on there high end guitars. Anyway, I would contact Hamer first and see if they have anything available. Good Luck!

[silentman]

Intonation is for pussies. I mean it!

Still proud to never touch a saddle screw on a floyd, LOL. It's probably been 20 years and 5 or 6 guitars with floyds!

Ditto for me! I've had to adjust them for students and customers, but never on my personals.

You never had to intonate the guitars?

[BCR Greg]

Intonation is for pussies.

Couldn't resist.

For a quick fix at a gig on one of these Floyd bases strip out deals....

Take a pair of pliers and clamp down HARD on the threads of the screw. This will bung them up, and then you can reinstall and lock it down ONCE. The boogered threads will cut into the boogered baseplate, and friction is your friend. Replace the bridge plate as soon as possible, but this will getyou thru for a while.

[KH Guitar Freak]

I would replace it with a Schaller Floyd myself... the OFRs seem to have less travel...

[Guest JackButler]

Honestly NEVER had to intonate ANY of my personal guitars.. can't explain it. Plenty of customer/student guits, but never my own. I do check them often and with every string change, but never had to touch a saddle adjustment on one of my own.