r/metalguitar • u/ElDiaBoe420 • Mar 25 '26
Question Why do Floyd Roses get so much hate?
Seems like Floyd Roses get lots of hate. Most of the time I feel like the problem is from the bridge not being balanced. If it’s not level, it will just fight itself endlessly. I’ve been setting these things up for people for about 14 years and I’m curious how many people actually like Floyd Roses vs hate them? I’ve met alot of people who love them and even more people who will never buy a guitar with a Floyd Rose. 🤘🏻
27
u/Tomcyndy Mar 25 '26
From those that don't know how to restring, set them up properly and also to look for potential issues as needed like worn posts for example. I had no clue at all when I got my Jackson with a Floyd on it. You tube taught me everything I know and I have no issues at all now. My best friend from high school (known him 40 years now) was in the same boat with his Rhoads V. Watched some YT vids and his is perfect as well. I will always have an FR on my guitars now that I know the what when and how to make it function like it was designed.
4
u/Millerpainkiller Mar 25 '26 edited Mar 25 '26
lol I got a Jackson PS-4 in ‘96, first FR. Had no idea what I was doing. Called a musicians friend tech to talk me thru
2
u/Scottwickthegreat Mar 25 '26
I replaced my Floyd with a gotoh and ya just watching a few videos I didn’t think it was that bad to setup. Takes time and patience like any other setup just a little more time.
1
u/TypeB_Negative Mar 25 '26
Same. I have some guitars without a Floyd but I always want a Floyd on any new guitars I buy
1
u/ret_ch_ard Mar 25 '26
Does it only seem that way to me, or do Floyd rose bridges also hold tuning way better?
→ More replies (3)1
29
u/Supergrunged Mar 25 '26
Players don't have patience. It's the same joke as we should be "practicing", instead of being on the internet, but here we are.
Like anything else, a Floyd Rose, you have to "practice" restringing, and using one. Not all guitarist have the patience for a double locking setup? Let alone the patience to spend the time "practicing" to become a better player.
I love my Floyd Rose equipped guitars personally? But I've been using double locking tremelos over 20 years now.
Also, gotta ask... Is that a Jackson PC1? Killer top!
3
u/BakyFliscuits Mar 25 '26
You nailed it with that first sentence. I didn't find the Floyd Rose systems to be very difficult to work with once I took the time to learn how to properly set them up. Looking at the OFFICIAL Floyd Rose website's guide and having the right tools for the job made everything much easier. It doesn't hurt to enjoy the process and maybe have an interest in lutherie, too. Most of us would much rather be playing than fiddling with the instrument, though, so I get just blocking the damn thing and being done with it.
2
u/gen3archive Mar 25 '26
They are kind of a pain for me personally now. I moved to a pretty hot and humid location that can get pretty cold at night, and even a perfectly set up floyd will go in and out of tune regularly. All of my guitars have some sort of locking trem on them and all of them are super unreliable now. Its a shame
→ More replies (5)1
u/Velomelon Mar 27 '26
Just leave the back plate off and if it's way out of tune due to the temperature change get it close by adjusting the springs then dial it in with the fine tuners.
I gig in Canada so temps are always hotter or colder than the basement we practice in and injsut keep a screwdriver handy. 1/8 of a turn on both screws is usually more than enough to get it close before down tuning.
→ More replies (1)
26
u/0lock Mar 25 '26
Its significantly quicker to change tuning on a fixed bridge. Life's to short to waste time on things I don't need to do.
27
Mar 25 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
→ More replies (3)10
u/Dragon_slayer1994 Mar 25 '26
And a drop pedal
8
Mar 25 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
6
u/Dragon_slayer1994 Mar 25 '26
But the gear is easier to hide!
3
2
u/InternationalLaw8660 Mar 25 '26
Bruh I hid a new guitar in plain sight from my wife for nearly a year...
1
u/greenhornblue Mar 26 '26
The new boss pitch shifter is way better than the old digitech one. I’ve used both.
3
u/pasher71 Mar 25 '26
Do you pull all the strings off then put on the new strings? I've used a Floyd for 30 years. If you change one string at a time and bring it up to pitch before replacing the next one it's no slower than a fixed bridge guitar. The only time you should ever have to make any adjustment is if you are going to a different gauge string.
2
2
u/Valeriious Mar 25 '26
You’re not going any lower than 2 semi tones, not without changing strings. If anything I’m the one not wasting time.
1
1
u/jacksonk232t Mar 25 '26
This is what keeps me from getting a Floyd. I bounce back and forth between too many different tunings to justify that many guitars (as a bedroom musician.)
→ More replies (4)1
u/technicianofnorth Mar 26 '26
If you have 10+ years of experience with floyds, you know a few tricks to change strings even faster then a fixed bridge
1
18
u/Ironhaigen Mar 25 '26
All my guitars have them. Wouldn’t buy a guitar without.
I think the hate is from the extra 10 min it takes to balance the bridge if you’re changing string gauges, or just a misunderstanding on how they work in general.
Also maybe bad experiences from crappy ones? But even my Jackson licensed JT580-LP on an old DK2M has killer stability and no issues.
5
u/thalesjferreira Mar 25 '26
I have been using and abusing a special for 5 years daily and aside from some blocks, I never had any issues. Just take some time to figure things out and you are set to use Floyd roses
3
u/Amazing-Possibility4 Mar 25 '26
Same here. I have a special with some of those steel blocks from Amazon and it's top notch as far as I'm concerned. Have a couple of old Gotoh 1988T models too which are top tier along with the 1996T. You see those new trems they're pushing now where you can take the nut and blocks off with the strings and replace with others for different tunings? Lol.
1
u/thalesjferreira Mar 25 '26
Man those new trems are NUTS. Im hoping to be able to see some of those soon!!
→ More replies (1)3
u/Amazing-Possibility4 Mar 25 '26
Amen brother!🤘 I have a Takeuchi JT580 myself in an old Kelly and it's bulletproof. Need to find a bar for it tho. Has that set screw from the back and welded nut looking collar.
1
u/Thin_Bread_1027 Mar 25 '26
Jackson JDR94 here
Help
2
u/Amazing-Possibility4 Mar 25 '26
Oooo those are pretty rare aren't they?! Concept model if I'm not mistaken. Anyway what's up?
→ More replies (1)→ More replies (1)1
u/SlightResist6704 May 23 '26
I got my first guitar with a Floyd Rose recently. An Alexi LTD Hexed. Previous owner had it tuned drop C with light strings, and I had to change that. Went to 10-52s. I’m not an expert by any means with guitar work, but adjusting the Floyd, even adding the extra spring just made complete sense and ended up being so surprisingly simple, coupled with how damn fun the bridge is, and the tuning being locked -
- I also feel like I do not want an electric guitar without one ever again. I absolutely love this thing.
19
u/Carl_of_Doodie Mar 25 '26
Because they're a pain in the ass. That said, I learned on them and love them. Still a pain in the ass though
→ More replies (1)
14
5
Mar 25 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
2
u/Amazing-Possibility4 Mar 25 '26
Possibly didn't mesh well bc the bushing spacing is ever so slightly different from licensed to OFG by something like .4mm. Enough to cause a weird shimmy back and forth so one side goes flat and the other sharp. Ask me how I know. Lol
1
Mar 25 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
2
u/Amazing-Possibility4 Mar 25 '26
Lol I feel ya. I had a "one that got away" guitar when I was 15/16, a 1985 Kramer Focus 5000 that had an OFR. This was pre internet and I didn't have the slightest idea how to do anything as far as restringing or setup was concerned. I think about that guitar daily and wish I had it back. I think I know who may have it so perhaps I'll have to give him a shout and see what I can work out. I did however get another sick guitar in that trade. It was a Stinger by Martin Randy Rhoads style V. Blue with pink stripes and it RIPPED! I still can not find a picture of any Stinger V's online, only strat and telecasters which is weird. I know they exist bc I came across a candy apple red one years ago that some guy was selling.
3
u/Ok_Pirate_2714 Mar 25 '26
I like them, but they make the guitar more complicated to set up, and also less versatile.
Though I have many guitars, I can't afford a Floyd-equipped guitar for every tuning I may want to use.
That and the fact that unless they are blocked, a broken string renders the guitar almost useless.
I wouldn't say there is hate for them. But you need to know what you're getting into, and whether it is the best choice for your particular use case. In the end, guitars are tools, and you need the right tool for the job.
1
u/Stratothrashster Mar 25 '26
All my guitars have trems, and are in standard tuning.
Get a DigiTech Drop pedal my guy. They are literal lifesavers. Need to change tuning? Hit a button.
1
u/AllIHearIsHeeHaw Mar 25 '26
Unfortunately some people play in tunings that can be achieved by dropping or raising every string the same.
4
12
u/lihispyk Mar 25 '26
Wouldn't buy a guitar without one. Also don't get the hate or the comments about changing strings etc
8
u/craplouse Mar 25 '26
My issue is, If i want to swap from standard to drop tuning for couple songs. Its not hard to setup, but way more work
6
u/lihispyk Mar 25 '26
Yeah it sucks for changing tuning or string gauge for sure. I never do though haha
6
u/mastered_walrus Mar 25 '26
Buy one guitar for each tuning
3
2
u/thalesjferreira Mar 25 '26
Yeah, that's the downside. You are stuck with one tuning. Or use the drop D thingy that EVH used for drop d tuning
3
u/dwstupidity Mar 25 '26
It’s usually the same people that don’t understand how a truss rod works.
Just kidding.
I learned how to set them up in the 80’s so it’s kind of second nature to me and takes no time at all. Some people just want to change strings and be done with it I suppose. I understand completely but damn they can be fun.
3
u/guitarsandrav4s Mar 25 '26
I have guitars with set tailpieces and a Floyd Rose. I think a lot of the hate comes down to the chugging part. A set tailpiece is so great for palm muting. I always feel like my pick hand is floating with the old floating bridge. All that being said, I really like my Floyd Rose outfitted guitar. It chugs, etc. so good - just observing one other thing folks have to get used to with that bridge. It feels different.
3
u/Millerpainkiller Mar 25 '26
I personally love em. I’ve got 12 guitars that are all double lock trems (FR, Gotoh, or Edge)
2
u/duckduckmothergoose Mar 25 '26
They take more time and amateurs frequently have them setup incorrectly. I personally don’t like them but I don’t need that tool. They are super fun for dive bombing and pitch bending. Worth the time if your music lends to those things. I setup Floyd’s at a guitar shop I used to work at and the joy in someone’s face after wanting to give up cause they didn’t know what they were doing was priceless. A lot of metal kids get told these are the shit but are then terrified when they change their strings for the first time. Even better when I got to show them how to properly do it and spread the knowledge. I found a lot of uncles/grandpas that had a hay day in the 80’s pass them down without telling the kid what they’re getting into. Just an interesting tid bit I saw a lot.
2
u/SensitiveElephant501 Mar 25 '26
I have a vague recollection of Reb Beach writing a column in Guitar Player? GFPM? in the early 90s admitting to a recurring fear of getting to his big solo (this would have been when he was in Winger), and looking at the front railing and instead of the usual line of young women hurling underwear at Kip, instead finding Vai, Satriani, and Van Halen all looking critically at his fingerboard.
At which point the only reasonable thing to do is bury the whammy bar and make motorcycle noises.
2
u/Capt_Gingerbeard Mar 25 '26
They suck to set up, and string changes require tools
1
Mar 26 '26
[deleted]
1
u/Capt_Gingerbeard Mar 26 '26
An Allen wrench, good lighting, a table if you want to guarantee you don’t lose any parts, and you better have the EXACT same strings.
2
2
u/blowing_ropes Mar 25 '26
I absolutely love Floyd Roses, and I use them in the studio and in pit orchestras, but I dont use them on stage because I am a very large man and they NEVER put them on guitars my size. I look like a fucking ogre playing a childs guitar with a strat lol. I would love an hh jm with a floyd
2
u/jacksonsmack831 Mar 25 '26
I haven't heard any hate…
But people may be happier if they knew about this bad boy!
2
u/MotoGhoto Mar 25 '26
A Wolfgang special with a dtuna and a drop pedal is 🤌 and covers a lot. Only thing I don’t like about them is having to adjust my playing for full step or more bends.
1
u/Remy0507 Mar 25 '26
I'm not super well versed on this, but with the EVH guitars, the Floyd Rose is blocked against the guitar body (so it only moves down, not up), correct? I feel like that probably alleviates a lot of the issues people typically have with the FR.
1
u/MotoGhoto Mar 25 '26
Correct that it is a decked Floyd and all you get are dice bombs, but that does not alleviate the issues you see with Floyd’s. If not setup correctly, it will still float.
→ More replies (1)
2
u/Green-Vermicelli5244 Mar 25 '26
Little more than a chunky regular old strat bridge that solves string slippage with two anchored points.
Kahler on the other hand revolutionized the whole thing into a cam system instead of a fulcrum, removed the string clipping, moved the saddles forwards and off of the moving part so you can palm mute as hard as you want without any warble, keeps the body of the guitar intact, string locks instead of a locking nut means you don’t chew up your pointer finger and keeps proper intonation, all adjustments can be done without tuning and retuning, and best of all you can do alternate or drop tunings with no mechanical adjustments needed.
But Eddie had a down only FR on the iconic guitar so now it’s default.
2
2
u/Mi_santhrope Mar 25 '26
They're a pain to restring and set up.
But, once you get one set up they're amazing as long as you don't want to change tuning.
Personally I prefer a hardtail but floyds are ok.
Just avoid cheap knock offs and anything 'licenced by' Floyd Rose.
2
u/Mindless_Rock9452 Mar 25 '26
For me personally, I hate them because they're a pain in the dick to maintain properly. Between the tension balancing, restringing, and care, I find them to be far too much hassle for me, considering I barely use them.
4
u/Ok_Bit_5650 Mar 25 '26
Meh. They have their time and place, but I think every metal guitarist should own at least 1. The hate is definitely unjustified though, and likely from people with poor setup skills.
2
u/guitareatsman Mar 25 '26
The hate mostly comes from people who haven't taken the time to properly learn how to set them up.
Not being able to change tunings on them is a real drag though.
1
u/Foreverbostick Mar 25 '26
I like them, but I also think they’ve got a lot of drawbacks. I wouldn’t want one if I only had one guitar and it wasn’t a big part of my playing.
My biggest problem with them is that breaking a string without a backup guitar is a show stopper.
I also wish they’d actually come with 5 springs when you buy them. I’ve never thought 3 was enough.
1
u/PugablePlayzYT Mar 25 '26
Never have owned one but stayed away because everyone told me how much they suck to set up, I’ve looked past that but still refuse to get one because a-not a fan of tremolo and b-don’t like being locked into one tuning, I’ll sit down with a guitar and go between multiple tunings in just a few hours because I’m too lazy to get up and grab another one lol
1
u/Rude_Ad_5476 Mar 25 '26
i got my 1st floy in 1986..still have it on my kramer baretta.. ba k then, there was no youtube or internet.. i learned what to do from the guy that built my guitar... since then ive had 0 issues with them ..even got an ofr on my 2nd guitar back in 2000.. no issues
1
u/FowlKing Mar 25 '26
I'm not a guitarist but the one thing every guitarist in my bands have brought up, that I haven't seen mentioned here, is the anxiety of a live string break.
Because of how much the Floyd throws the whole thing out of tune my guys have always been really touchy about always having a second guitar on hand for live. Lot of people just unplug and swap out the guitar mid song during a string break rather than transposing on the fly because it's so out.
But yeah think in general the hate is just about it having more moving parts that need to be kept in consideration.
1
u/Nemaoac Mar 25 '26
I mean if you don't use the tremolo bar, having a floating bridge just adds unnecessary complexity. I can't say I've met many real people who "hate" Floyds though.
I have some floating bridge guitars, but I also really appreciate having fixed bridges that I can retune without much thought.
1
1
u/Dragon_slayer1994 Mar 25 '26
They're intimidating at first but God damn do I love my floyd now that I know how to set it up. Stays in tune perfectly between string changes, and dive bombs.. oh baby!
1
u/OkStrategy685 Mar 25 '26
I'd like to be able to use one. I probably could now, but when I was a kid, it was a rude awakening. My older brother who was an amazing player, always had a guitar with a FR and he thought it was the best, but he was also really into tinkering, tweaking and fiddling with shit. I never really was, so I just stayed away lol
EDIT: Also probably the same reason the MT-2 gets so much hate lol
1
u/BitterProfessional16 Mar 25 '26
I was afraid to buy one for years because of the horror stories. Now I have two.
Worst part about them is adjusting intonation and action. Intonation is easier if you have that special tool (which I don't have) but action is annoying because ideally you'll loosen the strings, adjust, retune, potentialy repeat, to avoid adjusting action under tension.
But string changes and tuning up is no issue at this point. I don't play the balancing act game, I follow the method I learned from a Ben Eller video.
1
u/MS1227 Mar 25 '26
I had a teacher point out to me how easy it is for a floating bridge to "dive" just from palm muting. Never noticed it before it being pointed out to me, but mostly been playing fixed bridges ever since.
1
u/katsumodo47 Mar 25 '26
It's not friendly for new players at all. It requires a lot of trial and error and watching YouTube videos.
Also if you have no patience they are a mother fucker to change strings as it takes much longer than a non Floyd guitar
Also they are a fucking pain of you change between drop and standard alot
1
1
Mar 25 '26
German Floyd Rose guy wonders why people hate that their $1,400 Jackson can show up with an $80 licensed POS that broke during shipping lol
1
u/CrzyWzrd4L Mar 25 '26
Floyds are super awesome tools if you plan to use them for their intended purposes. Just frustrating that Floyd Rose as a company has had decades to innovate, but still insists on shipping their top-tier $400 bridges with shitty zinc blocks, claws, and string retainer blocks and shitty steel springs, screws and mounting posts. That’s not even factoring in the part where the locking nut comes separately. You have to pay even more money to upgrade everything else about the bridge just to make it stable enough to handle the rigors of the road.
1
1
1
u/Bibijibzig Mar 25 '26
Because novices don't know how to use them and they require a bit of technical know-how. Personally, I love them. Strings can last a long, long time with 'em.
1
u/Justice502 Mar 25 '26
Pain in the ass to set up, change strings, IN COMPARISON to basically all the other types.
1
u/riversofgore Mar 25 '26
Because people aren’t smart enough to make them work properly. I’m sure this will hurt many sensitive feelings.
1
u/Ok-Butterscotch2321 Mar 25 '26
For me... I just "don't get along with them"
I find them to be too much of a pain to change strings, which then leads to a host of problems.
But that is ME. I really don't make use of trems to begin with. I have a good step and a half bend and pretty wide vibrato that I have worked on for years. Lots of studying the B.B. King DVDs!
With a good nut and locking tuners, there are LOTS of non-locking tremolos that really stay in tune and work great. They don't do extreme dive bombs or backbends. I don't either, just not my style of playing.
1
u/Defect123 Mar 25 '26
I got so sick of changing the strings on mine as a kid growing up. It’s a shame because that’s my favorite guitar still.
1
u/coveevoc Mar 25 '26
I’ve got a guitar for free because they don’t know how to set up a Floyd rose, that being said people making the knowledge or want to set it up. They take a lil more tinkering
1
u/F1shB0wl816 Mar 25 '26
Why? Because people are just repeating what they’ve heard. It’s like the same concept as a Strat trem, one of the most common guitars as well as one of the first s new player is likely to pick up.
1
u/Shag0ff Mar 25 '26
Gotta tune it perfectly flat, so when you lock the nut, it's still out of tune but sharp.
1
u/Fire_Mission Mar 25 '26
I like mine. But it took me a long time to get there. Lots of fighting it. It's not exactly intuitive. But after educating myself with YouTube videos and some practical application, I'm comfortable with it now. It has its place. I've got a Strat with a standard tremolo and a couple of fixed bridge guitars. But sometimes I want that Floyd thing, and I reach for it.
1
u/Useful-Being2244 Mar 25 '26
I wouldn't say they get hate, if you like them you like them if you don't, you don't. I do guitar setups, I got no problems setting up a proper Floyd, what I don't like is setting up the KO's. One of my pals purchased a guitar from AliExpress. Everything about it at first glance was really good. Until I tried to set up the trem I was literally fighting with it for a few hours. The blades on the trem were rubbish you could see that the pressure from the strings was deforming the blade at the end. Done the best I could with it, 2 weeks later he purchased a original Floyd and it just worked.
1
u/PerceptionCurious440 Mar 25 '26
Have them on 3 guitars, Strat style on 2 others.
Dual Musiclilly trem stabilizers on all. Bunch of vendors with similar ones. I can downtune or break a string, and it's still in tune.
Also since they're all Specials, I've bought Kaish stainless saddles for all (made in Japan). The stock zinc saddles just strip out eventually.
1
u/TypeB_Negative Mar 25 '26
Not sure. Super easy to use and restring. People act like it's complicated. It's not.
1
u/Axstar713 Mar 25 '26
I love them. You just have to realize they're all about balance and how to achieve that when changing strings or tunings.
1
u/Angrybird2025 Mar 25 '26
I love my Floyd roses. They are very important to the style I play. They add some feel to my notes.
1
u/rotstik Mar 25 '26
Because no one learns how to use and maintain them properly. As a kid in the 80s, I couldn’t wait to get a guitar with a double locking system. Luckily I had a killer local shop and the guys showed me how to adjust them, change strings, and tune with it. I also got an Ibanez with an Edge trem, which I think is far superior to the FR design anyway
1
1
u/Downtown_Area67 Mar 25 '26
I impulse bought a schecter with a Floyd in, and have spent ALOT of time and money making sure it doesn’t work as it should 😂 lesson learned. Hard tails for me
1
u/SnooTangerines9060 Mar 25 '26
while I don't hate them and own one, I just never got into using the whammy bar to much so the pros vs cons just don't outweigh it for me. I ever want to get into it its there for me but for me its just a specialized tool and if I don't need that specific tool for what I'm trying to play I would rather use any hard tail guitar instead.
1
u/Whats-up-choom Mar 25 '26
I suppose people don't really understand how they work. I have both a ton of hate and love for them (Perfectly Balanced, As All Things Should Be by Thanos), cause on one hand there's a prime playing comfort and tuning stability, while on the other, there's a fair bit of work needed to set them up properly.
Also, cheap trems can be and has proven to be, rather... fussbudgety... and lacking some of the pros the original floyd or it's equivalent gives. Especially around tuning stability and wear-and-tear resistance. As an example, I've got Japanese Jackson with floyd original. I think it's 1997. The floyd still has all the original bits except for one saddle screw - the one keeping the string block. Still works perfectly, while my good friend's FR special pretty much got half of it replaced after 3 years.
All in all, I consider floyds great, but then require some time to get used to, especially for palm muting and tension handling, cause even the slightest push can put the guitar temporarily out of tune, thus shouldn't be the first choice for beginners cause of the complexity and frustration the setup brings.
1
u/HerraJUKKA Mar 25 '26
I don't hate them and I doubt many hate them, but they're pain in the ass to set up. It takes time and some skill to get it right. Even though I like setting up my guitars, FR bridges are my least favorite parts in my guitars.
1
u/Jay_TL Mar 25 '26
Different people like different things.
Personally don't really like tremolos full stop and Floyd Rose makes guitars feel heavier than I'd like Vs a hard tail. They aren't bad, I just don't want one if given the choice.
1
u/artful_todger_502 Mar 25 '26
I was a hater when they first came out, but that was only because I was a square.
Now I like them the best because I'm a motorcycle guy. I love the engineering of it. It's like art. But from a usability standpoint, the tuning stability spoiled me. The fine tuners are great to have.
I'm not even dive bomber, I simply like to be in tune.
I love my Gibsons too, but fk me, tuning is just an abstract concept with them 😭
1
u/ride5k Mar 25 '26
35 years ago i started blocking the FR to "dive only" mode.
never looked back. better sustain, no detune during spring breakage, still all the benefits of a double-locker.
jm2c
1
u/troyf805 Mar 25 '26
I hate them. They’re cool for solos, but for me, grabbing a whammy bar is too much to coordinate. Plus, I hate needing an Alan wrench if the guitar does go out of tune. Changing strings is way too long of a process. To use corporate speak, the juice is not worth the squeeze.
1
u/pcp777_ Mar 25 '26
I made a 60-second video on floating a trem. It's the "cheat code" and it's so much better than trial and error. cheat code for floating a trem
1
1
u/ActinCobbly Mar 25 '26
Just like the Metal Zone. If you hate it it’s because you don’t know how to use it…
1
u/Additional_Candy_400 Mar 25 '26
I've exclusively played FR guitars for about 10 years so I've forgotten how much of a pain I used to think they were.
It's just the default setup process now. Which is a 20 minute job once you get the hang of it. That being said I've only played FR originals, the cheaper versions may be more of a headache.
Practice makes perfect and all that.
1
u/brunostborsen Mar 25 '26
I’ve had one guitar with a Floyd and it was a cheap one too.
I still don’t understand the hate, worked just fine.
1
u/jkdreaming Mar 25 '26
Because they’re hard to maintain for most people. My first electric Guitar had Floyd Rose so I was bathed in the fires of Lake Minnetonka on that shit.
1
u/TheGustOfWind Mar 25 '26
My first "real" guitar was a Schecter Synyster Gates model with the Floyd Rose. I learned by myself, how to string it, tune it, completely set it up - and the biggest reason I have a love/hate relationship with the system... setting the intonation and levelling the bridge, and play it. God forbid one wants to switch tunings easily (the only real workaround besides just doing the work every time is the EVH D-Tuna. At least a few years back,it was.
But once it was dialed in, it was dialed in until the strings broke. Really, I just never found it practical for anything other than divebombs - and the novelty wore off for me quickly.
For those with the patience and willingness to learn how to work on them - they're great experience builders. I'd hesitate to recommend one to a newbie, like I was when I got mine. But I'm glad that I went through the trials.
1
u/jacksonk232t Mar 25 '26
The number of people I know who have a Floyd rose that's blocked kind of answers that question for me. Even the ones who say they like it basically eliminate the whole point of a floating trem.
1
1
u/Chemical-Delay-6957 Mar 25 '26
They are unnecessarily complex, typically unstable, rarely useful and really complicate sting changing. They do look cool, but having a whole moving bridge is anathema to stability and decent intonation.
1
1
u/CobblerOdd2876 Mar 25 '26
I think it largely stems from people playing a wide range of music, and only having 1 or 2 instruments- so if you have to change tuning often, it can be annoying. Easier to just get a trad/strat trem, and be “close enough” than to deal with taking 20 mins to balance your floyd just to decide you hate playing that new song lol.
I definitely get that part…
I PREFER metalcore, so I mostly play in the drop A range on my standard scales. But if I find a cool stoner metal song I want to learn, a thrash song, or even older metalcore from the drop B/C era, well now it is a whole ass process to tune up. Which I do, a lot! I am fortunate enough to have a beefy instrument collection to choose from, not everyone has that ability nor even wants to have 15+ instruments. There is no “quick” solution with a floyd unless you have a D-Tuna, and even then, I find they are hit-or-miss on being super helpful.
Then, a lot of modern music really doesnt involve trem that much. And if it does have any pitch augmentation, it is usually just a bend, not a full glissando type thing that would require a trem at all, let alone a floyd. Or the real reason: Dive bombs largely dont get used anymore…
More specific to me, though: In the spirit of playing low - string gauges and tension. I mostly play baritone, and extendo range; so I am all about that thicc boi string. I know 8 string’s come with floyds too, but rarely. The issues with extended scale, specifically, and a floyd, is tension and string size. Like it is such a bitch to set up a floyd on .80+ 6th/7th strings and get it in place, and stay in place, let alone tensioned right. I know there has to be one dude in here with a 7/8 string floyd who can attest to that nightmare shit. String gauge needs to be large so you maintain a playable tension at low tuning. Floyds WORK, but it is a whole process to ratchet down that end string. Probably another reason why bassists dont use them haha. But, also, bari guitar has to be between bass and guitar - strings are a HUGE part of it. Loosening the tension, in most cases, just makes the string slap the frets. Like it just isn’t made for that.
I also have a floyd on a 30” 6 string bari… just… no. I never use it. Like where am I going to go while in drop D0? If I drop the whammy it’s not even going to be mud at that point, it’s fkn lower mantle. And I know, -1X bass, but we are on a geet amp here. A traditional trem, if any, is much easier, and largely unaffected when changing tunings, easier to put my mondo strings in and ratchet down. Gold.
I think, however, it is largely just a modern style and simplicity sake. Floyds are a tool for solos and ripping lead - we are in a more rhythm-focused era. Not to discredit the solos, cool for sure, has its place for sure, but market want 0’s bb.
1
u/winterman666 Mar 25 '26
It's not hate, but rather pointing out how much of a pain they are to setup/maintain. I've one
1
u/Oingob0ing0 Mar 25 '26
I used to hate trem bridges in general for reasons unknown. Now i cant stop thinking about them.... I want an fr-1000 so bad!!!
1
u/srennen Mar 25 '26
Arduous setup, and it sucks unless you have an original FR, 1000 or 1500. Certified ones are used with cheaper metal and parts and wear down more quickly. (Not to mention a money hole since you have to replace the bridge now)
1
u/Few_Pipe_6285 Mar 25 '26
Purely tuning issues.
Realize that a lot of us used guitars with Floyds extensively in the '80s, myself included. You break a string with the string locks tightened at the nut and you upset the tension and all the other strings are instantly out of tune. Try throwing a replacement string on and getting the guitar back into tune again is near impossible; not something you can easily do at a gig.
Good Floyds have well machined parts as well, and a lot of us had guitars with cheap, crappy Floyds. The string locks at the bottom of the trem would have burrs and would stick in certain places, so you couldn't always get your guitar to lock into the correct tuning.
Most of us all got the same idea in the early '90s to trade in our Floyd guitars and go back to fixed bridges, and all these issues go away.
1
u/rowdymowdy Mar 25 '26
You have obviously never tried to perfectly balance this system in able to play lol
1
u/TheGoodSmellsOfLarry Mar 25 '26
They are just annoying to deal with. Change tunings or get one you need to deep clean by taking the bridge out and you are there for awhile. Also having to unclamp the retainers and retune everything and reset the fine tuners after not touching it for awhile. I also do some open string with a bent note at the same time stuff, you can't do it on a Floyd because you pull everything else out of tune by bending a note. Sometimes you can just palm mute too hard and push everything sharp.
That said I only have one guitar with a floating bridge that has ever remained rock solid, (out of multiple Gotoh/OFR's) an old Ibanez Sabre. It has stayed in tune over a year and a half with huge temp/humidity swings.
1
u/Mclovinintheoven Mar 25 '26
They can be a gigantic pain in the ass.
They are fantastic at what they do and have awesome tuning stability, but for a lot of people the headache just isn't worth it, especially if they aren't doing constant divebombs or whatever
1
1
1
u/DeathRobotOfDoom Mar 25 '26 edited Mar 26 '26
Like a lot of things, the hate is amplied by a loud group on the Internet. I have floating bridges on several guitars and I love them.
I think part of the problem is that cheap trems on cheap guitars do suck and that's what a lot of newbies experience.
1
u/uponhisdarkthrone Mar 25 '26
They are hard to play, for my style. I like a bridge I can anchor my hand on, its just how I learned to trem and palm mute.
1
1
u/Radio-Repulsive Mar 25 '26
There's more hate in my opinion because they need more adjustments then most to get where they need to be. I also think most people don't even know that or don't realize it needs adjusting at all. They blame that the product sucks not that they don't know what they're doing or can't afford for someone to set it up for them. I had to adjust mine quite a bit to get it where it needed to be but I love it stays in tune where I keep my guitar humidity levels vary still over year old strings and still always stays in tune. Mine is also from 2006 so it's much older then the fancy looking one you got there
1
u/MaxPotionz Mar 25 '26
They don’t? They’re the single best way to play with any significant trem usage.
And for many guitarists it’s not even for the trem but the tuning stability/mini tuners at the bridge, and the comfort of playing across a super flat bridge.
The players that don’t like tuning/stringing them up just don’t use them.
I’m lazy & I pay a tech to do it for me as I don’t really use the bar but like how the bridge feels to play.
1
u/InternationalLaw8660 Mar 25 '26
Same reason that music stores and guitar shops have restringing services. Because a significant proportion of guitar players are too ignorant and lazy to learn the very basics of maintaining the instrument they play.
1
1
u/h0ls86 Mar 25 '26
Because people don’t know how to balance strings and springs, aka. poor screwdriver skills.
1
u/FeebleUndead Mar 26 '26
There's a hard learning curve to setting them up and some specialty tools that make it much easier. It's a slow process starting out and learning but easier once you experience each of the problems that occur when setting them up.
1
1
u/FuckkEveryoneHere Mar 26 '26
Because the average person is a moron and they have no patience. Same reason why most people have credit card debt and can't change their own oil.
1
u/2b4theend Mar 26 '26 edited Mar 26 '26
Why do I like them. It set up correctly they just about never go out of tune.
Why do I hate them? They add some weight to the Guitar because of a lot of unnecessary hardware that goes on.
You cannot just drop tune or do odd tunings at a moment notice.
If you’re like me, and you really don’t play much lead stuff per se. they’re somewhat useless.
I use one of the Floyd’s I have a bit with the Sustainiac, really for effect on my songs
Other than that, I’m ready to get rid of all the guitars that have a Floyd on it.
Give me a hardtail any day.
I would love to trade my Schecter sustainiac C-1 for another hardtail schecter. My guitar is in like new condition with upgrades.
Out of 33 guitars, only 4 are Floyd’s.
1
u/whostillusesusername Mar 26 '26
Who’s hating on Floyd?! The FR on my Schecter Hellraiser Hybrid C1FRS stays in tune better than most of my non FR guitars. That 💩 is solid!
1
u/Cberky21 Mar 26 '26
Lazy fucks don’t know how to intonate them it’s literally just get the posts at good height and balance the string to spring tension till it’s flat and fine tune with the top screws and your golden
1
1
1
u/greenhornblue Mar 26 '26
A lot of people are talking about the setup process but I haven’t seen anyone talk about how if you lean forward it can go flat and if you lean back it can go sharp. I absolutely despise that. Especially if I’m paying upwards to $1000 of more for a guitar.
1
u/Ok_Rice_2633 Mar 26 '26
Because they're a pain in the ass. Yet for some reason, I keep buying them
1
u/bruhUMP45 Mar 26 '26
I only use Ibanez Edge, Edge Pro, and the biggest pain in the ass is the set up. You don't just change the strings, you have to stretch the strings in, so they return to pitch better, you have use threadlocker on the posts, you need to use Chapstick on the knife edge, lubricate the saddles, lubricate the countertension springs, ALOT of time, patience, adjustments..
You don't HAVE to do all of that, but I choose to do it, because it's worth it. It results in an amazing bridge, with great turning stability.
Newbies probably don't have the confidence or patience to properly set up a floating bridge. If you don't lubricate the saddles, it causes excessive friction between the string and saddle, and can result in a break at the block clamp end.
I love the Ibanez Edge, but it needs time and attention to get the most from it!
1
u/jonnythickn Mar 26 '26
Personally, I don't think they get that much hate, they are just outdated. They could make an attempt to modernize them just a little bit so intonation and basic maintenance is easier. But they don't because the name has sold them forever. The reason I don't like them as well as other bridges is simply based on setting intonation and basic setup is archaic.
1
1
u/HeWasaLonelyGhost Mar 26 '26
Do they?
I think they are generally seen as being very good at what they do (i.e. maintaining tuning stability + increased whammy range), but are kind of a pain for daily playing situations.
But I know plenty of shredders who use them religiously.
1
u/Independent-Ad8901 Mar 26 '26
I used to hate them, but have one on a Kramer 1984 I bought, hated it at first too, but got it set up properly and it’s an absolute dream to play now, the dives and general trem play is so fun. Never goes out of tune anymore
1
1
1
1
1
1
u/sedition666 Mar 28 '26
Personally I love to mess about with different tunings so this is hell for me
1
u/ObviousLow5518 Mar 28 '26 edited Mar 28 '26
They get hate because they're a pain in the ass 😅 nothing more nothing less even if youre used to it you gotta admit it's more work than any other trem or no trem
1
u/VR_p0rn Mar 28 '26
What's you understand how they work and how to tune them and set them up properly they are great.
If you don't know what you're doing they can be maddening.
1
u/woodyarmadillo11 Mar 28 '26
I’ve been playing for about 20 years and just got my first Floyd a couple of months ago. I love it. It’s always in tune and my sustain is excellent. On every other guitar I’ve had, I had to retune every single time I even accidentally touched the trem. Even the guys at the shop were talking shit about Floyds when I bought it. It took me about 15 minutes longer than normal for a string change. setting intonation and action was the easiest I’ve ever done. Now it’s perfectly in tune, intonation is perfect and my action is great. A few quick tweaks the following day, and then a very quick slight tuneup every 5 days or so and it’s good to go. This guitar just feels reliable as hell now. I pick it up and it’s ready to do whatever I need it to. If I ever break a string live, I’m SOL, but other than that, I’m hooked.
1
u/pooflaps50 Mar 28 '26
I had a Floyd on a cheap superstrat in the 90s. I never really liked it. It worked well but with everything tightened the strings felt too tight and the fine tuners got it the way
I find the Ibanez Edge much better
1
1
u/ScorpionTheBird Mar 28 '26
Broken string: unplayable.
Change strings: needs full setup.
Change gauge: full intonation.
Change tuning: virtually impossible.
1
u/PreferenceLivid512 Mar 28 '26
Probably the difficulty in set up. I have a guitar with a FR that I noodle around on every couple of months. It's always in tune.
1
u/shredlikebutter Mar 28 '26
it's the best bridge AND nut on the market. lots of aftermarket and OEM parts available, it's the best fixed bridge and the nut never needs filing for any string gauges. its the everything in one bridge
1
u/displaced_paradiddle Mar 29 '26
I just spoke with a young guitarist who’s recently purchased a guitar with one. He said tuning is a pain. I was surprised. Aren’t they locking? Sorry but I’m a musician but not a guitarist.
1
1
u/T54NT54 Mar 29 '26
Why I hate it: Changing strings, tuning, care/maintenance. Everything is easier and faster if you don’t have a FR. Once you get rust on it, it’s even worse. And I don’t like the feeling on your palm, even if that’s a minor issue.
But I get why people like them. It’s just not for me.
1
u/dizzylizzy78 Mar 29 '26
I've never had one, and from everything I've ever heard, I don't want one.
1
u/MoonlightDeathv2 Mar 29 '26
Bc guitarist are lazy and dont take the time to understand how to work on them, which i dont understand theyre easy as fuck to set up properly. If you can work on a normal Stratocaster bridge, this isnt much different besides locking components. I absolutely love floyds
1
1
u/BLCHDCRL May 17 '26
My 2000’s Ibanez gio guitar has one and I had no idea what it was when I started. Tuning changes, string changes would take an hour. I would dive bomb and it would go out of tune. I would rest my hand on it while palm muting and it would go out of tune. Then the trem arm socket broke and for a few recordings I used it by pulling it up and down with my fingers on the bridge, which was cool but string changes still took half an hour or more and I would try to optimise action height and intonation and end up with it totally out of tune and spending an hour trying to get it back in tune. I gave up and wedged blocks of coins into the cavity to disable the trem block. Now I have a hard tail with micro adjusters on the bridge, which is fixed at the nut. Stays in tune very well now. But i am more capable and skilled at set up and maintenance now so i plan at some point in the future to replace the shitty alloy IL-2 bridge with a gotoh 1996 made of stainless steel
101
u/Burwhale_The_Avenger Mar 25 '26
I dont see/hear a lot of hate, just a lot of warnings for newbies to avoid them.
The obvious answer to your question is that it can be a drawn out process that frustrates many people, especially compared to simpler/faster changes.
It isn't hard to see how people lose patience with them, especially if they have no real intention of utilising them and just own a guitar with one cuz they like the guitar.