How to String a Floyd Rose Guitar

Guitars with locking tremolos and nuts need to be strung differently from regular guitars.

Generally considered one of the most stable vibrato systems available for a guitar, the Floyd Rose double locking tremolo system is not without its problems. The upkeep of a Floyd Rose tremolo unit, including restringing, can be a pain, but most vibrato-bar inclined guitarists believe the tuning stability is worth the extra time and effort a Floyd Rose requires. A properly strung guitar with a Floyd Rose tremolo system will not go out of tune, no matter how much you manipulate the vibrato bar.

Things You'll Need

• Allen wrench
• Wire cutters

Instructions

1. Loosen the fine tuning screws on the bridge with an Allen wrench. Loosen them all the way.

2. Unlock the nut by unscrewing each of the three blocks. You do not need to completely remove any of the blocks.

3. Loosen the deepest string at the tuning peg as you would for any other guitar. Only loosen the low E string though, because with a Floyd Rose, you have to change the strings one at a time. If you replace all the strings at once, you may damage the tremolo unit.

4. Unscrew the long screw holding the low E string in place at the bottom of the tremolo unit.

5. Remove the low E string, taking note of the fact that the string has no ball end.

6. Cut the ball end off of the new low E string with wire cutters. Cut shortly after the string twines together.

7. Place the cut off end of the string into the bridge block and tighten the long screw at the bottom of the tremolo unit. Be careful not to overtighten this screw. This will lock the string into place.

8. Run the other end of the string through the locking nut and wind it through and around the tuning peg. Tighten the string until it is taut, but do not tune it yet.

9. Repeat this process with the other five strings, remembering to change them one at a time.

10. Tune the strings and lock the nut. Locking the nut will knock the strings slightly out of tune. You can slightly adjust the tuning via the fine tuning screws on the bridge.

Tips & Warnings

• Do not change string gauges when changing strings on a Floyd Rose-equipped guitar without tweaking the bridge setup. This will mess up your tremolo system. If you do not feel comfortable making adjustments to the bridge setup of your guitar, take it to a qualified repair person.

References

• Guitar Noise: Tuning a Floyd Rose
• "Guitar for Dummies"; Mark Phillips and Jon Chappell;1998