floyd upgrades

[Dmoney]

does anyone have any experience with the big block? the brass block upgrade for the FR?

I'm thinking of getting a guitar with a floyd but since i mess with tunings either usually between D and E standard and drop tunings in each step,  I think it might not benefit me to have a floating bridge that much. or would it?

do you think 'stopping' the trem would be better than 'stabilizing' it? The stopper looks simple, and the 'black box' looks pretty jazzy. Like the old Ibanez double barreled trem stabilizer Vai's EVO. 
again, I'm just looking at the floyd upgrades site and trying to work out effects of using different tunings and floyd setups (and so on and so on) on my playing if I did have a floyd.

The brass block looks like a legit idea.

[Transcend]

Im going to be upgrading to a brass block shortly.

But the Goldo back box is an absolutely great stabiliser and really does help a great deal and is super cheap.

I have just got a tremelno today for when i want to make quick tuning changes & drop tunings so ill give a review of that when its installed but heres the Goldo

http://www.thomann.de/gb/goeldo_blackbox.htm

its something i wouldnt be without on a guitar with a floating trem

With both you can have it stabilised then also have the choice of making it dive only,floating or fully locked

[FELINEGUITARS]

We do some upgrade blocks for floyd- I have oversize cold rolled steel ones on two of my own floyds and they are really good - they seem to have removed the tone robbing of the floyd - guitar sounds a lot thicker now.

As far as messing with tunings - always gonna be a nightmare with a floyd or other floating trem

[gwEm]

Regarding the drop tunings, I've played around with a tremlo-no and an EVH D-Tuna on a Floyd. Works pretty well.

[Denim n Leather]

Blocking a Floyd seems like a waste of a very expensive bridge to me, as well as defeating it's raison d'etre.

[Dmoney]

Blocking a Floyd seems like a waste of a very expensive bridge to me, as well as defeating it's raison d'etre.

True. I guess when I say 'block' I'd lean more towards stopping it floating.
On a guitar without the route behind the trem, it isn't going to go back very far... but still, it will a bit.
So adding a stop or stabilizer would mean i can tune lower while keeping intonation and the ability to dive the trem. I could adjust have stiff that dive is to taste without pulling the back of the floyd into the body.

Would the black box work to make the floyd 'dive only' or will it only do 'stable floating'?

I wouldn't want to block the trem permanently, like you say, you can do a lot with it and id like to explore those things. I'd be happy starting with a really tuning stable dive only trem. That would push me to do more in terms of playing... and then maybe once im familiar with that I could free up the trem and get some floating on the go. baby steps.

Johnathon, how do you think cold rolled steel and brass would differ? Is it worth changing the springs and claw at all?

[Jonny]

I only use a floyd, because well.. Ibanez, c'mon.. apart from the RGA, which are mighty fine.

If it's isn't fixed, I wouldn't change the tuning at all, imo.

And also, regarding the black box


It doesn't look like it stops it dead, but does the same as the Tremolno.

[Dmoney]

like it does the same as a tremsetter? a tremelno will stop it totally dead, right?

I'm gonna read the setup instructions for it.

[murraymurray]

Brass big blocks are sweet, a kramer i picked up used had one and it sounds so much better.
need to get some for my other trems but been slack

just dont get the L shaped block unless there is enough room in your cavity, my kramer has the L block and when pulling up too far it hits against the wood

[1reeper]

I got a brass block for my lo pro, oddly enough, I didn't hear any tone difference, but my flutter got MUCH better.  Maybe since I had to re-setup the thing after I replaced the block? 

As for the tremol-no, I would suggest NOT getting the pin version, I bought one and it was fine, but I kept thinking I was going to break the pin.  Not fun.

[Jonny]

like it does the same as a tremsetter? a tremelno will stop it totally dead, right?

I'm gonna read the setup instructions for it.

A Tremolno does two functions with screws perpendicular to the guitar body. One allows it to not sink but you can still do dive bombs. And having both screws tightened, you completely fix the bridge.

[HTH AMPS]

If you want to have your floyd so its not floating, the treml-no is spot on, really does work.  I have one here if you want it cheap (I like floating trems and it came fitted to my Mockingbird, so it was removed).

[Jonny]

And the fact that Tremolnos have bumped in price, bargain ^

[Dmoney]

is yours a clamp or pin one?
does it add anything to the sustain when in dive only?
the really simple dive only stopper on the upgrades site looks like it would transfer energy into the body more directly from the trem block to body, rather than along the springs and claw.

[HTH AMPS]

mine is a clamp one, yours shipped for £25.00 if you want it.