Chinese Floyd off Ebay

Dave_Vader

Just got over-excited at finding a Floyd Rose A Like on Ebay for 15 quid so ordered one for my super-budget frankenstrat which currently owes me no money.

Anybody else ever got one? Bad Idea? Or am I guinea-pigging this for you guys?

Will let you know.

randella

I have an Original in one of my guitars - it's very nicely milled and all but the prices are a bit tasty these days (as I guess you know!).

I looked at the 'Special' which has cast zinc saddles - not overly bothered by that as I have a 90's USA Strat with the two post trem which I've been playing the hell out of for years.

I found the sweet spot for me was the Schaller-branded stuff - it's an exact copy of the original Floyd, which is no surprise as it was them who made them for Floyd all the years until his patent ran out.

I never got around to finishing the project though so it's all on hold.  I'd be interested to see how you get on with the cheapy - if the guitar owes you nothing you've either got a working bridge or lost the price of a round of beers I guess.

Maynehead

I'm sure it'll be fine at first. The question is how long will it last

I think the main difference will be the hardness of the metals and accuracy of the casting. So don't over tighten the screws, or try to turn the bridge posts while under string tension. If you treat it with care it should work just fine.

Dave_Vader

If I go through one a year, say, then I can get a good 18 years worth before buying a real one would save me any money, and I'll be 60 then, and probably have gone off all the dive-bombing anyway.

Maynehead

Dave_Vader said:

If I go through one a year, say, then I can get a good 18 years worth before buying a real one would save me any money, and I'll be 60 then, and probably have gone off all the dive-bombing anyway.

The theory is valid, but in practice, after a couple of years when you start to get tuning problems, you can't be arsed taking it all apart to replace the bridge, and the guitar will just end up in the "I'll work on them later" pile indefinitely.

Funkfingers

Maynehead said:

after a couple of years, when you start to get tuning problems, you can't be arsed taking it all apart to replace the bridge and the guitar will just end up in the "I'll work on them later" pile indefinitely.

A friend of mine has a 2011 or 2012 MIM Charvel San Dimas with exactly this issue. The genuine FR Special wants either blocking off or replacing with something better. My friend nods as I explain this for the umpteenth time then, balks at the price of a full-on, German-made vibrato.

Dave_Vader

Honestly, if this guitar keeps sounding as nice as it does right now, I might end up investing in a proper Schaller eventually.

It has no right to be as good as it is.

vonLayzonfon

I put an £18 ebay Floyd on a guitar I built years ago.  I don't recall any issues with it but I never really got along with the guitar itself and it eventually got deconstructed.

I don't know what happened to the bridge because I bought a slightly more respectable £44 licenced one from Axesrus for the next project.  That's been going strong for about 6 years now.

Dave_Vader

was there much difference between the two? I've found usually when you buy a mid-priced version of something it's just the chinese one with a sticker on it.

vonLayzonfon

Not a massive amount, from memory.  They were both black and as I recall the pricier one was finished better.  In the end I'm not a heavy Floyd user, so they've neither of them been tested too hard.

Dave_Vader

Good news, thanks.

I am a whammy idiot and will probably break it inside a week and buy a real one.

On the other hand, my 35 year old original Ibanez Pro Rock'r still works just fine.

It's only been mine for the last 5 of those years though.

prowla

I had one of those some time ago; it was OK, except the trem bar's fitting failed.

Fortunately I was able to get a Schaller part and fit that.

andy_k

Thing is, the idea behind the Floyd only really works if it stays in tune.
You spend an age getting the thing set up the way you want, either floating or decked, and then when you lock the nut down, you have to rely on the fine tuners.
I have a few originals, and I have them set up both ways, the original is the only one that works well over time.
I have tried out cheap knockoffs and the Kramer branded ones, and I find I have to take the bar off, essentially stop using it as a vibrato, because they will not return to pitch, at least floating you can pull up and make it work.
Yesterday I took an original off a backup guitar that had been in a soft case for about a year, it was still in tune and working fine ( floating), and spent almost a full day getting the floyd installed and set up on a guitar that had been stored for about the same time without strings, so it still isn't set up until the neck settles, but it is floating and staying in tune, not bad for a 30 year old OFR, and it felt good putting it back on the guitar it was originally fitted to, an 83 Fender squire that i Frankensteined,
I wouldn't waste my time trying to set up a copy, or even a Kramer branded one for serious use.

Dave_Vader

Problem one

Trem block is too short for full depth body so springs scrape on the wood

Solution

Hack bit off old Squier block and drill through the bridge so the holes line up

There will be no pictures, it is not pretty and as yet I have no idea if it works

It was only 15 quid so it doesn't matterif it doesn't

Maynehead

How high is the block that came with it? I'm sure someone will have a spare block of the right height lying around...

Dave_Vader

I hunted the interwebs, you can get Floyd blocks of the right height (37mm) but all the far east knock-off ones (with the right 16mm screw spacing) are 32mm, and the replacement Floyd ones have 17mm screw spacing.

The Pillar drill at work and I have come to an arrangement which is ugly, but hopefully functional. Will find out when I get home.

Dave_Vader

Latest update

The block pulled away from the bridge under string/spring tension

It gets three more bodges and then I'm buying a gotoh

I can't believe there are no bigger blocks for licensed Floyds without getting Kev Hurley to make me one

Dave_Vader

Update

Used bigger screws and got the block to stay on (this is my bodged bigger Squier block)

Springs still scrape on the cavity due to slightly higher position of the Floyd.

Snapped one of the retaining bolts on the back trying to get the top E to stay attached without slipping.

Mate sent me another bridge he couldn't get on with, so now bodging the two together.

Current advice, more hassle than it's worth. Buy a Gotoh.

(Still persevering, but more for curiosity's sake than anything else now)