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Update 6/14/16: Fender Deluxe Post Compatibility
I've used Original Floyd Rose trems since the mid 80's. They are the baseline standard of quality and tuning stability. Few things have changed since they started mass production nearly 30 years ago. The Schaller has a few improvements over the OFR that I really like. The Schaller has shorter screws that give it a smaller profile. It also has a cast base plate with hardened knife edges as opposed to the OFR's hardened sheet metal base plate.
Introducing the The Gotoh GE1996T trem... This is something new to me. After inspecting one, the Gotoh is obviously the best of all of the high-end Licensed Floyd Rose models that have been introduced. Most guitarists aren't aware of this really high quality trem that updates many issues that people still have with OFR's and makes it significantly better without changing the mechanics or the function.
The Gotoh is definitely product improved over it's competitors. I'll show you why I now prefer the Gotoh.
Floyd Shoot Out: Gotoh vs. Schaller
The Gotoh is a direct fit replacement for an Original Floyd Rose, though it may not fit a smaller Schaller route. For top mounted/non-recessed use, it shouldn't matter. The Gotoh shown below is Cosmo Black (black chrome).
The Gotoh fine tuners are angled away from your palm. If you accidentally hit the fine tuners on an OFR, you'll like this. The knurled knobs on the Gotoh are much sharper feeling. The fine tuners on both are very smooth, with a slight edge to the OFR.
The OFR fine tuner has a range of about 15-20 cents on the high E and 45-55 on the low E. The Gotoh was closer to 15, but still in that 15-20 range. On the low E is where there is a noticeable difference. The OFR adjusted 45-50 cents for one full revolution, the Gotoh only 35-40. I tested this on my Jackson Strat with an ESP Arming Adjuster set for mild pull up using a Korg DTR-1 rackmount tuner. I can't discount the possibility that there was an error on my part, but I repeated these measurements twice for each high/low E. So take that with a few grains of salt...
The trem is buttery smooth against the edge of your palm. It feels nothing like the Schaller or OFR in this regard. No sharp edges anywhere.
Below, you can see the mounting holes for the saddles and the trem blocks. The Gotoh threaded holes for the saddle screws are better positioned for standard tuning intonation. The Schaller has a nickle plated cast brass block and symmetrical threaded holes for the saddles.
Notice the trem arm bushings. The Gotoh has a screw in trem arm with a screw to adjust tension (see top picture for location), the Schaller has a threaded collar that holds the trem arm in and adjusts the tension. The Schaller is quicker and easier to install and remove, the Gotoh is much smoother and the trem arm is more accurate and does not have that dead spot when it is floating. Warbles are much easier because of this.
You can clearly see the trem blocks on both units. The Gotoh has a finely milled brass trem block with screws to retain 3 springs. How many times has a spring or two come lose from being bumped really hard in-transit? Well, probably not often, but this eliminates that possibility altogether.
Here's a detail shot... the quality speaks for itself:
The Schaller has short, fat screws, the Gotoh has OFR length screws with relief cuts in the spring to facilitate smoother operation with less wear. I don't think this has been an issue with any Floyd, but it's a definite quality improvement.
I got the screws mixed up. The Gotoh saddle has the thicker head and the washer. The Schaller has the shallow head. The saddles? The Gotoh appear to be much smoother where the string contacts the saddle. They're both cast. The Gotoh are completely smooth and even though the Schaller has the sharpness of the edges deburred aren't nearly as smooth feeling against your hand while using it. The Schaller and OFR feel the same when you're playing them. The Gotoh has a much smoother feel. It feels like a different trem in a good way.
Both trem arms laying on their side... the OFR and Schaller have a thicker trem arm and a collar that attaches the arm to the trem. The Schaller and OFR use this collar to adjust tension, the Gotoh uses a set screw and bushing to adjust tension. You can see the Schaller has much more angle to the bend. The Gotoh trem arm angles away from the body. The Gotoh has a much longer stem to accommodate the fact that it is a screw in trem. The Gotoh is adjustable for height by how far you screw it in.
Both trem arms are laying flat at the bend. You can see the angle at which they attach to the trem is different. They do feel quite a bit different. I like the angle of the Schaller. I like the feel of the Gotoh, but I'm still not used to it yet. The tip of the Gotoh unscrews to reveal a standard strat type thread for Fender type plastic trem tips.
The Gotoh trem bushings are much larger and deeper. I assume this would be more stable over a longer period of time. You'll also never back out a bushing by lowering the post too far. I've had this happen on several different guitars. Schaller has much finer threads but can be too long for some bodies. I have no issue with the thread count on either post... both are fine enough for very minor adjustments. There is also a set screw in the center of the Gotoh trem post that you can adjust to lock the post from moving down. The Schaller does not have this set screw.
How does it sound?
I've replaced the Schaller on my Jackson custom strathead with the Gotoh. I think it resonates more loudly. It also seems to have filled out the sound a bit and altered the EQ spectrum. Before, it was a little nasaly around the D and G strings up past the 8th fret or so... things sound a little more balanced. Also, one of my acoustically loudest guitars is my white Fender with Gotoh. I still don't have enough experience to say that there has been any significant improvement in tone. I think it has, but it may just be the placebo factor and because I think it's a better trem.
Compatibility?
The Gotoh appears to be a direct drop in replacement for the OFR. It may not fit in the smaller Schaller route popular with many Jackson guitars. The Gotoh has one base plate edge that indexes, the other is free floating so if your trem posts weren't drilled to spec width, this trem won't mind at all. It should fit any Licensed Floyd route and may even fit guitars with non-standard trem post widths. Or if you're a home builder and screwed up your measurements, this could save your ass.
The Gotoh will drop in and work with Fender Std or Deluxe trem posts. I needed to order a custom Big Brass Block to work with it, but it is drop in and requires no woodworking.
Some Floyd routes may not be suitable for the Gotoh without minor modification. It should fit fine but the range of pull up may be diminished somewhat due to the blocks being mounted slightly closer to the baseplate edge.
The saddles are cross-compatible. Schaller string clamp screws are too wide to fit through the Gotoh or OFR bridge, but the threads are the same, so the saddles themselves are cross-compatible. They should be directly swappable with OFR saddles and screws.
The Schaller (and I assume OFR) trem bushing will retrofit onto a Gotoh if you must use your old trem arm. The Gotoh bushing is slightly wider and slotted so it won't rotate out of position. The Gotoh bushing will not fit a Schaller as the hole is too small. Even if you were to open up the hole, the cast base plate is too thick and there would be little to no threads to secure it. The Gotoh bushing is designed for the hardened sheet metal base plate and may fit an OFR with a little file work.
Brass "Big-Blocks" designed for the Schaller or OFR are not compatible with the Gotoh base plate. The Gotoh brass block will fit a Schaller base plate. Sort of. The diameter of the Gotoh screws are smaller than the Schaller. The Gotoh screw spacing is a little wider, but it allows the taper of the smaller screws to clamp down on the Schaller base plate. The Schaller screws will not pass through the Gotoh baseplate and are too wide for the recess.
The Gotoh brass blocks do have enough threading so that if you need to cut one down to fit, it shouldn't be a problem. Just find a machinist for a simple cut and you should be fine.
The D-Tuna will not work correctly with the Gotoh baseplate. The fine tuner anchor point on the baseplate has an angle compared to an OFR that will prevent it from functioning correctly.
Finding parts for the Gotoh may be difficult but OFR and some Schaller parts can be used in a pinch.
Conclusion?
Hands down, the Gotoh is a much higher quality unit. You could argue, 'you don't know if the quality of the metal is any better'. Japanese steel is the best in the world. Even where you would not normally see it, the product has been improved. The trem block is milled brass. There's even a brass nut holding the trem bushing in place. Everwhere you examine, the quality is superior. Even the polish on the chrome is a bit nicer. Why would they go to the effort of making complicated springs with relief cuts for the screws, but skimp on the actual sourced materials? Every feature of this trem with the exception of intonation adjustment has changed for the better. Maybe the metal isn't better, I find no reason to question the quality of the Gotoh in any aspect.
Brand new? They're both priced similarly. You can easily find used OFR's in great condition for under $100, you can't find used Gotohs very often. Is it worth it for you to upgrade? That's for you to decide, but my decision is that I don't want any other trem on my guitars.
The Gotoh doesn't make an OFR or Schaller obsolete, but it certainly is a step or two closer to perfection in almost every respect.
The only real issue that I have with all three units, (the Gotoh, the OFR and Schaller,) is that nobody has implemented a better method for adjusting intonation.
Please feel free to ask questions or for more pictures, or whatever...
I've used Original Floyd Rose trems since the mid 80's. They are the baseline standard of quality and tuning stability. Few things have changed since they started mass production nearly 30 years ago. The Schaller has a few improvements over the OFR that I really like. The Schaller has shorter screws that give it a smaller profile. It also has a cast base plate with hardened knife edges as opposed to the OFR's hardened sheet metal base plate.
Introducing the The Gotoh GE1996T trem... This is something new to me. After inspecting one, the Gotoh is obviously the best of all of the high-end Licensed Floyd Rose models that have been introduced. Most guitarists aren't aware of this really high quality trem that updates many issues that people still have with OFR's and makes it significantly better without changing the mechanics or the function.
The Gotoh is definitely product improved over it's competitors. I'll show you why I now prefer the Gotoh.
Floyd Shoot Out: Gotoh vs. Schaller
The Gotoh is a direct fit replacement for an Original Floyd Rose, though it may not fit a smaller Schaller route. For top mounted/non-recessed use, it shouldn't matter. The Gotoh shown below is Cosmo Black (black chrome).
The Gotoh fine tuners are angled away from your palm. If you accidentally hit the fine tuners on an OFR, you'll like this. The knurled knobs on the Gotoh are much sharper feeling. The fine tuners on both are very smooth, with a slight edge to the OFR.
The OFR fine tuner has a range of about 15-20 cents on the high E and 45-55 on the low E. The Gotoh was closer to 15, but still in that 15-20 range. On the low E is where there is a noticeable difference. The OFR adjusted 45-50 cents for one full revolution, the Gotoh only 35-40. I tested this on my Jackson Strat with an ESP Arming Adjuster set for mild pull up using a Korg DTR-1 rackmount tuner. I can't discount the possibility that there was an error on my part, but I repeated these measurements twice for each high/low E. So take that with a few grains of salt...
The trem is buttery smooth against the edge of your palm. It feels nothing like the Schaller or OFR in this regard. No sharp edges anywhere.
Below, you can see the mounting holes for the saddles and the trem blocks. The Gotoh threaded holes for the saddle screws are better positioned for standard tuning intonation. The Schaller has a nickle plated cast brass block and symmetrical threaded holes for the saddles.
Notice the trem arm bushings. The Gotoh has a screw in trem arm with a screw to adjust tension (see top picture for location), the Schaller has a threaded collar that holds the trem arm in and adjusts the tension. The Schaller is quicker and easier to install and remove, the Gotoh is much smoother and the trem arm is more accurate and does not have that dead spot when it is floating. Warbles are much easier because of this.
You can clearly see the trem blocks on both units. The Gotoh has a finely milled brass trem block with screws to retain 3 springs. How many times has a spring or two come lose from being bumped really hard in-transit? Well, probably not often, but this eliminates that possibility altogether.
Here's a detail shot... the quality speaks for itself:
The Schaller has short, fat screws, the Gotoh has OFR length screws with relief cuts in the spring to facilitate smoother operation with less wear. I don't think this has been an issue with any Floyd, but it's a definite quality improvement.
I got the screws mixed up. The Gotoh saddle has the thicker head and the washer. The Schaller has the shallow head. The saddles? The Gotoh appear to be much smoother where the string contacts the saddle. They're both cast. The Gotoh are completely smooth and even though the Schaller has the sharpness of the edges deburred aren't nearly as smooth feeling against your hand while using it. The Schaller and OFR feel the same when you're playing them. The Gotoh has a much smoother feel. It feels like a different trem in a good way.
Both trem arms laying on their side... the OFR and Schaller have a thicker trem arm and a collar that attaches the arm to the trem. The Schaller and OFR use this collar to adjust tension, the Gotoh uses a set screw and bushing to adjust tension. You can see the Schaller has much more angle to the bend. The Gotoh trem arm angles away from the body. The Gotoh has a much longer stem to accommodate the fact that it is a screw in trem. The Gotoh is adjustable for height by how far you screw it in.
Both trem arms are laying flat at the bend. You can see the angle at which they attach to the trem is different. They do feel quite a bit different. I like the angle of the Schaller. I like the feel of the Gotoh, but I'm still not used to it yet. The tip of the Gotoh unscrews to reveal a standard strat type thread for Fender type plastic trem tips.
The Gotoh trem bushings are much larger and deeper. I assume this would be more stable over a longer period of time. You'll also never back out a bushing by lowering the post too far. I've had this happen on several different guitars. Schaller has much finer threads but can be too long for some bodies. I have no issue with the thread count on either post... both are fine enough for very minor adjustments. There is also a set screw in the center of the Gotoh trem post that you can adjust to lock the post from moving down. The Schaller does not have this set screw.
How does it sound?
I've replaced the Schaller on my Jackson custom strathead with the Gotoh. I think it resonates more loudly. It also seems to have filled out the sound a bit and altered the EQ spectrum. Before, it was a little nasaly around the D and G strings up past the 8th fret or so... things sound a little more balanced. Also, one of my acoustically loudest guitars is my white Fender with Gotoh. I still don't have enough experience to say that there has been any significant improvement in tone. I think it has, but it may just be the placebo factor and because I think it's a better trem.
Compatibility?
The Gotoh appears to be a direct drop in replacement for the OFR. It may not fit in the smaller Schaller route popular with many Jackson guitars. The Gotoh has one base plate edge that indexes, the other is free floating so if your trem posts weren't drilled to spec width, this trem won't mind at all. It should fit any Licensed Floyd route and may even fit guitars with non-standard trem post widths. Or if you're a home builder and screwed up your measurements, this could save your ass.
The Gotoh will drop in and work with Fender Std or Deluxe trem posts. I needed to order a custom Big Brass Block to work with it, but it is drop in and requires no woodworking.
Some Floyd routes may not be suitable for the Gotoh without minor modification. It should fit fine but the range of pull up may be diminished somewhat due to the blocks being mounted slightly closer to the baseplate edge.
The saddles are cross-compatible. Schaller string clamp screws are too wide to fit through the Gotoh or OFR bridge, but the threads are the same, so the saddles themselves are cross-compatible. They should be directly swappable with OFR saddles and screws.
The Schaller (and I assume OFR) trem bushing will retrofit onto a Gotoh if you must use your old trem arm. The Gotoh bushing is slightly wider and slotted so it won't rotate out of position. The Gotoh bushing will not fit a Schaller as the hole is too small. Even if you were to open up the hole, the cast base plate is too thick and there would be little to no threads to secure it. The Gotoh bushing is designed for the hardened sheet metal base plate and may fit an OFR with a little file work.
Brass "Big-Blocks" designed for the Schaller or OFR are not compatible with the Gotoh base plate. The Gotoh brass block will fit a Schaller base plate. Sort of. The diameter of the Gotoh screws are smaller than the Schaller. The Gotoh screw spacing is a little wider, but it allows the taper of the smaller screws to clamp down on the Schaller base plate. The Schaller screws will not pass through the Gotoh baseplate and are too wide for the recess.
The Gotoh brass blocks do have enough threading so that if you need to cut one down to fit, it shouldn't be a problem. Just find a machinist for a simple cut and you should be fine.
The D-Tuna will not work correctly with the Gotoh baseplate. The fine tuner anchor point on the baseplate has an angle compared to an OFR that will prevent it from functioning correctly.
Finding parts for the Gotoh may be difficult but OFR and some Schaller parts can be used in a pinch.
Conclusion?
Hands down, the Gotoh is a much higher quality unit. You could argue, 'you don't know if the quality of the metal is any better'. Japanese steel is the best in the world. Even where you would not normally see it, the product has been improved. The trem block is milled brass. There's even a brass nut holding the trem bushing in place. Everwhere you examine, the quality is superior. Even the polish on the chrome is a bit nicer. Why would they go to the effort of making complicated springs with relief cuts for the screws, but skimp on the actual sourced materials? Every feature of this trem with the exception of intonation adjustment has changed for the better. Maybe the metal isn't better, I find no reason to question the quality of the Gotoh in any aspect.
Brand new? They're both priced similarly. You can easily find used OFR's in great condition for under $100, you can't find used Gotohs very often. Is it worth it for you to upgrade? That's for you to decide, but my decision is that I don't want any other trem on my guitars.
The Gotoh doesn't make an OFR or Schaller obsolete, but it certainly is a step or two closer to perfection in almost every respect.
The only real issue that I have with all three units, (the Gotoh, the OFR and Schaller,) is that nobody has implemented a better method for adjusting intonation.
Please feel free to ask questions or for more pictures, or whatever...
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