Recessed vs non-recessed bridge

[decibel]

Hey guys, wanted your opinion on something... and btw, I'm a newbie here so go easy on me if I ask any dumb questions
I'm picking up the guitar after a 25yr hiatus so I'm basically starting from scratch. I recently picked up a Charvel model 4 and 6 and love them both. Of course they have the non-recessed bridge with a tilt back neck. Sometime down the road I wanted to start looking for a Jackson SL2H. I noticed that all the soloist's [appear] to have recessed bridge's (and I assume a non-tilt back neck). Is there really an advantage of recessed vs non-recessed? Or is this strictly a personal preference? And as a side question... I guess if someone wanted a soloist with a non-recessed bridge, Jackson could custom shop it, assuming you had enough money (LOL).

Thanks in advance for your comments.

[Chad]

Mainly a feel thing. I started playing on a non-recessed Floyd (and the body was routed to allow pull-ups) so that's what I like the most. But so many guitars are recessed these days that I've gotten used to that as well.

I had a bolt-on recessed Floyd ESP awhile back and I added a shim to the neck pocket, which caused me to have to raise the Floyd. This basically converted a recessed Floyd into a non-recessed Floyd. Can't do that with neck-thrus though.

[levantin]

There was a run of Shannon soloists with non recessed floyds. Maybe a long shot but they do pop up on the bay from time to time.

[LouSiffer]

Recessed versus non-recessed is dependent upon 2 main factors. 1: Personal preference. 2: The factories like recessed as they do not have to machine any tilt to get proper playability.

Les Pauls, for example, have a high string saddle and require about 4 degrees of tilt back. With a recessed trem or a low profile saddle, you can pretty much make the guitar geometry straight up.-Lou

[Grandturk]

I started on recessed floyds and grew to prefer non-recessed over time.

[markD]

for me it's feel. i prefer recessed floyds, but can play non-recessed. i just play better with a recessed floyd.

[Hellraiser6502]

I can't stand recessed Floyds....there's virtually NO reason to put that FUGLY rout into the face of otherwise beautiful guitars...really there's NO benefit that I can see from 'recessing' the trem.

That said. I started out playing non-recessed guitars. I like the feeling of a raised 'platform' to anchor the picking hand and it just seems like the right way to build a guitar to me.


Playing on a recessed Floyd guitar kills my picking hand after just a few minutes of playing and I HATE THE DISFIGURATION of the top of the guitar.

That's my .02

Your mileage may vary.

[neilli]

I prefer non-recessed, but that's likely because I started playing on a Charvel Model 2, then my next guitar was an ESP Mirage Custom, both non recessed. And I agree with Curt that from a visual perspective, there's not that much nice to say about a recess. However, I do have several recessed floyd guitars and I'm perfectly happy with them, but then I think I'm fairly 'adaptable' at swapping between guitars generally.

It's worth noting that there's some variation in the method of recessing:

1 - Current version, where the trem is 'sunk' into the face of the guitar i.e. the top of the trem body is more or less level with the face of the guitar.
2 - Old version where the trem effectively sits on the face of the guitar, but then the face of the guitar is cut out from under the bridge i.e. the underside of the trem body is more or less level with the face of the guitar.

Make sense?

[Axewielder]

The non-recessed trem has a kind of old-school vibe, and the strings are much higher off the body. I prefer this.

[straycat]

Non recessed for me too.I love the feel.

[jacksonaxes]

Non recessed for me too.

[thebigz]

Wow, looks like the non-recessed folks pretty much have it. Count me in as one more. Not much difference between a non-recessed floyd and a TOM (at least a LOT less than a recessed floyd). I like that my guitars feel more consistent from guitar to guitar.

[vector]

Jupiter's flaming bunghole! Is there no love for recessed floyds? Without a doubt, there are advantages to both. Personally, I prefer the recessed, as the non-rec. do not allow for the strings to be pulled sharp much beyond a step & a half or so.

I have found a happy medium on a few Hamer's- the Diablo's and Cali's are routed which allow for those insane 3-4 step pull ups, yet the Schaller trem sits above the body by about 1/16th of an inch giving your pick hand a nice anchoring point and puts the strings at decent height off the body. Win-win. If I had no issues with f*cking up my '05 Charvel Star Std. I'd rout out a bit behind the trem, making that capable of 3 step trem pull ups as well.

[BayRocker]

Non-recessed for me as well. I think it plays better, and definitely looks better without that cavernous route in the top of the body. I don't need to pull up more than a step and a half. Unless its only old school players chiming in here, seems interesting that the majority of Jacksons are recessed, but we'd prefer it without....c'mon Jackson, give the people what they want

[tonemonster]

I know i am the black sheep, but I truly like a recessed floyd. Always have. just more comfy for me. but its all personal preference. there is no techincal reason for one being better than the other. just player preference.

I cant say the same for reverse headstocks though. reverse headstocks, as we ALL know, are far superior to regular headstocks.