Re-tuning Floyd Rose...

Hey,

I bought some allen wrenches to attempt to re-tune my ESP guitar. But none of them fit! What size do I need?

The hardware is probably metric.

I got some metric ones, and it still doesn't work. I think the screws are stripped... :mad: What now?

Originally Posted by: Guitardude61951I think the screws are stripped...

If that's the case, you're stuck with taking it to a tech.

Sorry. :(

yeah i have an esp floyd rose too. It can be a bitch to find the right allen wrench. I forget exactly which one I have been using. like 3mm or something. the other thing is they strip easy so yours may be stripped. Make sure you use a size that fits perfectly otherwise it will when you put pressure on it and strip the head. I think I found that 1/10 inch and 3mm work well. also it is beneficial to cut of a bit of the short end of the wrench. At least with my guitar it can be hard to get the wrench into the head straight without doing that, not getting it in straight is another great way to strip the head.

It's kind of a bad design, but my bridge stays in tune pretty nice so I am nt gonna replace it, but as far as adjusting it and changing strings, it is always a bitch.

Don't have an ESP, but a 3mm fits all my Floyds.

If its stripped, just use a pair of pliers or Vise-Grips to take em off. I did that a few times before I bought a allen set, works fine. If you bought a cheap set or a small set, theres a chance the size might not be in there.

Hey GT,

a buddy of mine saw them before I attempted to use any allen wrenches, and said they're stripped. my reply of course was, "no way, man." It looks like this white lining in the head of the bolts, so the signs are there. Bogus. I'm taking it into the store I bought it from tomorrow.

How much do you think it's going to cost me to get these things replaced? I dont know anything about Floyd Rose bridges but it looks like those bolts run all the way through. So it's going to be some expensive surgery, isn't it?

The bolts themselves shouldn't cost that much ... maybe a couple of bucks apiece. Don't know what they'll charge you labor-wise if you have them do it, though.

You should just undo them yourself, take them to the store, and get new ones. No need to pay someone else to do it when you can do it yourself.

Took it in, and he gave me a pair of allen wrenches that work. Guess I was just using wrong size.

When I re-tune, am I just supposed to unlock the nut locks? Am I not supposed to even touch the bolts by the bridge? I'm finding very little information on it, and the guy at the music store didnt really help much.

My main problem is the A string. I took off the the nut lock covering the E and A strings, and tuned them with the actual tuners on the headstock. Then, I re-applied the lock. It stayed in tune for all of 15 minutes maybe, before dropping flat again.

Is there a lesson on GT for Floyd Rose bridges for newbies? I can't find one, and I think it would be a good contribution.

Assuming these are new strings, are you stretching them before you lock the nut? Sounds to me like a case of the strings stretching.

Unlock the nuts on the neck, get it in tune with the tuners on the headstock, lock the nuts and fine tune it with the tuners on the bridge. If you've stretched out the strings pretty good before you lock the nuts, it should hold tune well. You shouldn't have to touch the tuners on the headstock again until you change strings. I rarely have to do any real tuning on my Floyds. If the strings are stretched and you're still having a problem, it may need an adjustment.

Not sure if you're full access or not, but if you are, you might want to ask some questions in the Ask a Guitar Tech section.

Edited to add: If you're talking about the bolts at the very back of the bridge, the only time that you should mess with them is when you're changing strings. They tighten the blocks that hold the strings in place.