xiltoid Posted January 8 Report Share Posted January 8 I have this EVH Wolfgang 5150 striped guitar with compound radius 12"-16" and i think the bridge radius is same as the nut 12"? shouldnt it be more like 18"-19"? i dont understand why it is 12" when the fretboard is flatter at the last frets. should i shim it, would it be more comfortable to play? why wouldnt they do it in the first place before they sell.. https://www.evhgear.com/gear/series/guitars/striped/evh-striped-series-5150/5107902515 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
henrim Posted January 8 Report Share Posted January 8 Technically the “correct” radius would around 18” to 19” at the bridge, as you said. But set it to what ever you feel comfortable playing with. Unfortunately Floyd Rose is what it is, and shimming is the only way to set the radius. 1 hour ago, xiltoid said: why wouldnt they do it in the first place before they sell.. I believe it’s a cost issue. They just bolt the FR as it comes from the factory and leave set up for the customer. For their defense, they don’t know how each and every player wants to set it up. Although, I think a guitar at that price point should come with some complimentary shims. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xiltoid Posted January 9 Author Report Share Posted January 9 Do you know any guitar 12"-16" compound radius thats sold with shims? and did eddie van halen shim his floyd rose on the wolfgang guitars? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
henrim Posted January 9 Report Share Posted January 9 28 minutes ago, xiltoid said: Do you know any guitar 12"-16" compound radius thats sold with shims? and did eddie van halen shim his floyd rose on the wolfgang guitars? No, I don’t know answer to either. What I meant was, in my opinion Floyd Rose tremolo should come with some way to adjust it. Not so that you need to buy some extra parts to be able to adjust it. Though it’s easy to make the shims yourself if you have suitable material for it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bizman62 Posted January 9 Report Share Posted January 9 Umm... Aren't the bridge pieces individually height adjustable? If the actual base has a radius too tight, raising the outer pieces should straighten it. Also, you said you 'think' that the bridge radius is similar to the nut. But have you actually measured it? Eyeballing can be surprisingly accurate but sometimes our brains do tricks to what we see. Oh, and welcome to the forum! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
henrim Posted January 9 Report Share Posted January 9 36 minutes ago, Bizman62 said: Umm... Aren't the bridge pieces individually height adjustable? If the actual base has a radius too tight, raising the outer pieces should straighten it. No, not with set screws. But yes, with shims. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xiltoid Posted January 9 Author Report Share Posted January 9 I did measure it, its 12 radius with no shims. Ive played this guitar for long time and i love the playability, the acrion is set at 1.5mm bass and treble sides Question is would it make any difference if i shim it to be flatter, can i go lower string action? Ive never done it before, im going to start build my own guitars soon and just found out that the bridge radius should be more like 18-19. All guitars ive searched with floyd rose and 12-16 compound radius thats sold seems to be 12" radius, jackson soloist bridge is 12"... i guess its fine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
henrim Posted January 9 Report Share Posted January 9 (edited) 19 minutes ago, xiltoid said: Ive played this guitar for long time and i love the playability, If you like it as is, then don't change it. Or try shims. You don't need to buy FR shims to try it, just put something under the outer saddles to get the feel. Take ~0,1 mm stock, cardboard or something, and start with one layer under A and B strings and two pieces under E's. Or maybe more, I didn't measure, but you get the idea. The difference is minimal or non existent to some. But as with all playability related it may be a huge difference to some. Edited January 9 by henrim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
henrim Posted January 9 Report Share Posted January 9 (edited) 12" compared to 16" may sound like it's more than it actually is in fretboard radius. Here's a drawing that illustrates why the "wrong" radius at the bridge may not matter that much. Like said, it may matter to some people but others may not notice the difference. For someone sweep picking arpeggios at 20th fret it may be the thing. Yngwie with his scalloped Strat may disagree with that, though The upper drawing illustrates a compound radius, 12" at a (43 mm at nut) and 16" at the end of the fretboard (56 mm in this drawing). The other drawing illustrates the difference of a 12" and 16" fretboard at the end of a 56mm fretboard. Edited January 9 by henrim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bizman62 Posted January 9 Report Share Posted January 9 2 hours ago, henrim said: No, not with set screws. But yes, with shims. Ahh... Excuse me for my stupidity, I've never actually used a Floyd: What are those hex screws for? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bizman62 Posted January 9 Report Share Posted January 9 1 hour ago, henrim said: just put something under the outer saddles to get the feel. Pieces of a soda can work well with metal. A dab of super glue can be used to align several layers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
henrim Posted January 9 Report Share Posted January 9 1 minute ago, Bizman62 said: Ahh... Excuse me for my stupidity, I've never actually used a Floyd: What are those hex screws for? For setting and locking intonation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bizman62 Posted January 9 Report Share Posted January 9 9 minutes ago, henrim said: For setting and locking intonation. Oh... I've always thought that intonation screws are longitudinal only. New thing learned! So, now you made me watch a video about how to intonat a FR, not as straightforward as with a more traditional bridge! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
henrim Posted January 9 Report Share Posted January 9 1 minute ago, Bizman62 said: Oh... I've always thought that intonation screws are longitudinal only. New thing learned! Yes, that's a pain in the ass type of adjustment in Floyd Rose. 5 minutes ago, Bizman62 said: Pieces of a soda can work well with metal. A dab of super glue can be used to align several layers. Yes, that's a good source for thin aluminium. Clever engineering in the cans. Thickness is variable to minimal weight while keeping enough structural strength. Personally I use Precision Brand shim stock. Gotta love that brand name. Ok products too. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xiltoid Posted January 9 Author Report Share Posted January 9 1 hour ago, henrim said: 12" compared to 16" may sound like it's more than it actually is in fretboard radius. Here's a drawing that illustrates why the "wrong" radius at the bridge may not matter that much. Like said, it may matter to some people but others may not notice the difference. For someone sweep picking arpeggios at 20th fret it may be the thing. Yngwie with his scalloped Strat may disagree with that, though The upper drawing illustrates a compound radius, 12" at a (43 mm at nut) and 16" at the end of the fretboard (56 mm in this drawing). The other drawing illustrates the difference of a 12" and 16" fretboard at the end of a 56mm fretboard. Oh, so thats maybe why my sweeping and arpeggios isnt fast enough ive gotta try it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
henrim Posted January 9 Report Share Posted January 9 10 minutes ago, xiltoid said: Oh, so thats maybe why my sweeping and arpeggios isnt fast enough ive gotta try it! That's it likely. But if it doesn't help you can always comfort yourself with a new pedal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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