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Justin1238

Blocking a floating trem

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What guitar/vibrato (Floyd-Rose..? Bigsby..? Other..?)..? Most vibratos work behind the bridge, just changing string tension, so don't affect string height (action...). It's probably safe to block as you wish, with no effect on action. You could measure this yourself, of course. B|

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If you're tightening the claw screws all the way so that the trem block moves towards the claw side of the cavity and the base plate is flush with the body, I'm thinking that this would potentially lower the action a fraction and make the speaking length longer, possibly requiring an intonation adjustment. Whatever you do may require a tweak to your set up.

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On a strat-type vibrato it would effectively lower the action a touch and make the strings ever-so-slightly flatter in pitch because it would lengthen them a bit and lower them, meaning you might have to raise the action a touch and possibly adjust the intonation slightly' on a Bigsby, it'd make no real difference since the lever action is after the bridge (although as you say, it's a floating type, so not a Bigsby).

 

I do that on my LP with a Bigsby - i.e. lock it back by spinning the vibrato arm all the way round to jam it in position on the bck of the mount because I have that vibrato on the guitar for the effect extra mass of it has on the tone, rather than for actually using it. And because you have to have at least one LP with a Bigsby on it (I'm pretty sure that's the law):

 

jAal0kz.jpg

 

 

Edited by Musical Mystery Tour
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On 16/02/2024 at 17:42, Musical Mystery Tour said:

On a strat-type vibrato it would effectively lower the action a touch and make the strings ever-so-slightly flatter in pitch because it would lengthen them a bit and lower them, meaning you might have to raise the action a touch and possibly adjust the intonation slightly' on a Bigsby, it'd make no real difference since the lever action is after the bridge (although as you say, it's a floating type, so not a Bigsby).

 

I do that on my LP with a Bigsby - i.e. lock it back by spinning the vibrato arm all the way round to jam it in position on the bck of the mount because I have that vibrato on the guitar for the effect extra mass of it has on the tone, rather than for actually using it. And because you have to have at least one LP with a Bigsby on it (I'm pretty sure that's the law):

 

jAal0kz.jpg

 

 



What is the gold top? Nice looking machine. 

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23 hours ago, EdwardMarlowe said:



What is the gold top? Nice looking machine. 

 

That is a Fazley Midas FLP318GT. Fazley is Bax Music's own in-house brand of guitars; they are pretty decent guitars for the money, and that one sounds great. Mahogany body and neck, poplar fretboard. I was considering swapping the P90s on it when I ordered it, but when I plugged it in, the  P90s surprised me with how good they sounded, so they are staying. I will be putting some Grover tuners on it though and I might stick some upgraded wiring, pots and switches in, but for the moment it's doing okay as it came..

 

Considering they are 143 quid new (I paid a 126 quid for that one because it had a minor blemish on it), you can't really go wrong with them. I paid a ton for a second-hand plywood Columbus Les Paul copy with a bolt-on neck nearly forty years ago, so it just goes to show how far we've come these days in terms of bang for your buck.

 

:

 

 

Edited by Musical Mystery Tour
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On 09/03/2024 at 12:16, Musical Mystery Tour said:

 

That is a Fazley Midas FLP318GT. Fazley is Bax Music's own in-house brand of guitars; they are pretty decent guitars for the money, and that one sounds great. Mahogany body and neck, poplar fretboard. I was considering swapping the P90s on it when I ordered it, but when I plugged it in, the  P90s surprised me with how good they sounded, so they are staying. I will be putting some Grover tuners on it though and I might stick some upgraded wiring, pots and switches in, but for the moment it's doing okay as it came..

 

Considering they are 143 quid new (I paid a 126 quid for that one because it had a minor blemish on it), you can't really go wrong with them. I paid a ton for a second-hand plywood Columbus Les Paul copy with a bolt-on neck nearly forty years ago, so it just goes to show how far we've come these days in terms of bang for your buck.

 

:

 

 


Thanks. Wow, looks like something much pricier - there's no obvious "budget" tell up against, well... something much pricier right beside it! Sounds like a HB type approach. Enjoy! How are you finding the poplar on the fretboard? 

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9 hours ago, EdwardMarlowe said:


Thanks. Wow, looks like something much pricier - there's no obvious "budget" tell up against, well... something much pricier right beside it! Sounds like a HB type approach. Enjoy! How are you finding the poplar on the fretboard? 

Well, when I first read on the specs that it had a poplar fretboard, I was a bit 'oh, erm....', because poplar isn't a particularly hard wood as far as I'm aware, but in fact it's fine. Dunno whether they've treated it in some way to make it tougher or something, but it seems okay

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9 hours ago, Musical Mystery Tour said:

Well, when I first read on the specs that it had a poplar fretboard, I was a bit 'oh, erm....', because poplar isn't a particularly hard wood as far as I'm aware, but in fact it's fine. Dunno whether they've treated it in some way to make it tougher or something, but it seems okay


Poplar does have the reputation, though Fender used it in Mexican made guitars for years on the bodies, so it can't be all that problematic! Bee interesting to compare it to laurel and rosewood. I've got both of those in fingerboards on different guitars, and I'm not convinced there's any particularly appreciable difference. 

 

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On 12/03/2024 at 14:12, ezbass said:

As do/did Music Man.


Basswood is another one a lot of people get sniffy about, though Fender Japan used that in a lot of solid colour bodies over the years. Mosrite too, as I recall... both the original US guitars and the Japanese product that later adopted the "Mosrite of California" name. I have at least one guitar I know to be basswood, and it's grand. 

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