Floyd Rose Bridge
Floyd Rose Bridge
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Differences between a Floyd Rose Bridge and Tune-O-Matic Bridge?
I bought a Dean DB Razorback, and i kinda think i should've gotten the razorback with a floyd bridge...
So, besdies the whammy bar and locking system; what are the differences between them?
eg. Sound, feel, sustain, and how it affects sound output?
Thanks guys
The differences between a standard tune-o-matic set up and a Floyd rose are huge. Technically, the mechanics are completely different. A tune-o-matic uses a standard adjustable bridge set up like that of most Gibson style instruments. The Dean version does not use a tailpiece, instead opting for a string through body approach.
The Floyd uses a double locking system with a tremolo mounted with a two point fulcrum system that uses rear loaded springs to counteract the string tension.
The fact that the tremolo system is such a massive piece of metal with the ball ends of the strings removed and clamped in place, means that the guitar strings vibration is directly coupled to the entire bridge, spring system, and to the body by virtue of the fulcrum points and by the spring claw. This large amount of metal definitely affects the tone and sustain of the instrument. Increasing both. The standard tune-o-matic set up only has the two points of the bridge to couple the string vibration with the body. This is augmented by the string through body approach, which does impart some of the vibrational energy from the amp back through the body and into the strings. This is less direct than the energy imparted to the strings in the tremolo setup.
Another facet in the tremolo set up is that the springs themselves act somewhat like a "reverb" tank and store some of that energy within them. When performing dive bombs or using the tremolo set up, some of that energy is retransmitted through the bridge and back into the strings. This adds sustain and some "brightness to the apparent tone of the guitar.
The tune-o-matic set up has a warmer, somewhat "darker" tone. The Floyd Rose set up has a brighter more metallic tone. This is directly because of the amount of metal involved as compared to the tune-o-matic set up.
These statements are made from decades of working on all sorts of guitars. I do not consider either to be superior to the other, just different. They both have their advantages and disadvantages.







