Conference napalm::guitar

    First of all you can't put strings in a Floyd rose without cutting
    the ball off...since it clamps into the bridge the windings won't
    come undone (if done properly) anymore than they come undone onthe
    other end of the string.
    
    Everyone breaks more strings on tremelos than on non-tremelos,
    typically the unwound ones, especially the first or high E string.
    There is very little that you can do about this on a rose trem.
    
    Two common breakage points:
    
    1. At the locking nut
    2. At the locking bridge
    
    unless he's breaking new strings every day....most likely nothing
    is wrong with the guitar.                                        
    
    dbII

    
    Ahem.
    
    You can put a string in a floyd without cutting it...
    
    
    You string it in backwards!
    
    This avoids screwing up the windings, which can ruin tone and
    longevity.  Like dbII said, unless you're breaking them everyday,
    its kinda normal.  You'll also find if you use .009's, you'll break
    a lot less strings than if you use .010's.  Have your friend experiment
    with different string brands...some stretch more than others.  I
    generally use D'addario strings...they usually last me thru a gig
    full of tremolo abuse of the third degree.
    
    Also, depending on hwo many springs you have in the back (read tension)
    will affect string breakage.  I use three springs on my floyd, so
    it `floats'. I know Kramers usually put 4 or 5 springs in their
    units so they flush mount to the back of the guitar (like VH's).
    You can only puch down with this, no Vai pull ups here. But, it
    has more tension pulling the strings in this situation.
    
    A tremolo unit these days is definitely something to grow into.
    It took me about two months before I figured out how to get the
    thing to tune to pitch properly!!
    
    Have faith,
    Buck

    re: not cutting them...simple as it seems it would heva never occurred
    to me...but since I've noticed no degradation of sound by cutting
    them I'll probably still cut them off...
    
    re: tuning to pitch...it can be a bti tricky...what's your personal
    'trick'?
    
    dbII

    
    	Thanks for the help folks. I'll pass this info on. I know what
    you mean about "only being able to drive down" on the FR trem and
    not being able to pull up a (Vai or Satriani) riff. Oh well, like
    they say S*it Happens............... 
    
    DJP
    

    
    Never fear DJP,  if you (or your friend) removes a few springs,
    you'll til the arm foward a bit. This in conjunction with some 
    height adjustments could provide you with an upward pull anywhere
    from a whole step to a perfect 4th (on the G string).
    
    

    Well, me, I ain't got no Floyd, I've got a Kahler.  When I bought
    this particular "fiddle" [is nothing sacred], the whammy would only
    do the usual downward push, no upward mobility.  So, like WJB has
    suggested in .5, I adjusted the height at which the whammy unit
    rests (with the Kahler you can vary the spring tension with a couple
    of screws inside the body).  Now I can get some pretty decent upward
    pull.
    
    joe (who_will_be_practicing_the_RIGHT_way_to_use_a_whammy_bar)

    re:.5  Is that a P4, without routing?  How much does that leave
    you to drop the pitch, still enough to slack the strings?
    
    I was wondering about this related the the Jackson trem (almost a
    Floyd) on the Charvels I've recently played, the bar seems really
    low to begin with, and there is a little upward range, not much
    though.  Is there a cure for the low bar, short of reducing the
    upward pitch bend or actually bending the bar itself?
    
    gh 

    
    Well, On my floyd, I can get a P4....up to a min6th at times, depening
    on setup (no back routing). I tried a friends charvel and it had
    like no `space' between the bar and the guitar, and seemed like
    it would be a tad harder to set up for Vai.
    
   

    This might be a little out of context, but on Floyd's, do you find
    an appreciable amount of tone loss as opposed to Kahler's??  I have
    a Kahler on my plank and after fiddling with a Floyd, it just seems
    as if the floyd makes the guitar sound tinny, w/o as much sustain
    as a kahler.  Just a thought, perhaps this might be another note...
    
    Craig.
    

    Hmm, I always wondered what the rollers (Kahler system) did to the
    sustain of a guitar. It's certain that the sound of my old Lead 1
    changed when I put a kahler on it. It became tinny. Personally I don't
    think the Rose is any worse (or better) then the stock fender whammy
    that my strat had on it before, it sounds about the same to me, except
    I can get radical and stay in tune... 
    
    dbII

    
    Re: -2
    
    On the contrary, a floyd will increase sustain over a Kahler or a
    regular fender.  It has to do with the mass of the bridge.  The
    Kahler (IMO) really stinks for sustain, and its for that metter
    that I'm seriously considering ripping the kahler I have out of
    my guitar and putting a floyd in.  I think the kahler problem comes
    in the rollers.  i get lousy harmonics and overall sustain from
    my Kahler no matter how much gain is present.
    
    Just my findings...
    
    Buck