Top Mount v. Recessed Trem

[boxsmiley]

I did some searching here and in the interwebs and couldn't find anything conclusive. What is the compelling reason that folks like top mounted floyds? I play a variety of guitars and I particularly like my Ibby Jem which has a huge trem route. I find this to be fun and harmless entertainment. In contrast, I had a charvel with a top mounted floyd and I felt very limited in terms of travel. The internet seemed to say that top mounting had an effect on tone or playability or manliness. Can you guys give me more details?

[jacksonaxes]

"The internet seemed to say that top mounting had an effect on tone or playability or manliness"
Yes, manly men go non-recessed all the way!

[straycat]

The main thing is neck angle, top mount will give a degree of neck angle, recessed there in no neck angle.
I prefer some neck angle and to me it makes the guitar much more comfy to play.
Personal preference as to what you like.
A recess will allow more up pull for all you meedly meedly bar wanker types.

[toejam]

A non-recessed trem will be closer in feel to a Les Paul where the bridge sits higher off the body and the neck has more of a tilted back angle. A lot of people prefer this. There's really no different affect on tone, as the trem is still typically floating above the body. Though, you can have the trem sitting on the body in some instances with less of a neck angle, or you could shim the saddles up and then drop the Floyd to the body if you really don't want to do any pull-ups at all like EVH.

[Chief_CrazyTalk]

Both are cool.

[Hellbat]

I prefer top mount so I can get the pick in nice and deep, but I can play either.

[dvscool]

I think both are cool as well. I guess I prefer recessed, but that’s really only because it’s what I'm used to. I would miss being able to pull up as much as I do, but I could deal with not having it.....There’s part of me that thinks it’s cool to leave the wood on the body. Rather than cut chunks out of it to stick a bridge in! I’m not sure anyone could say there’s a difference in tone or not, but possibly....theres some logic in that....

[boxsmiley]

thanks for your sage feedback gentlemen. as i suspected, and as is the usual, it seems that personal preference is the answer. now off to buy the 10 string i've been g.a.s ing for....

[vector]

Kinda feel.... wrong in pointing out a few benefits of flush mount trems but... flush mount (and I do mean FLAT up against the body) does allow you to break a string and keep more or less in tune. It also works dandy for Dtuna's. Outside of that, I can't think of a single reason for liking it-

[j2379]

a 10string?

thanks for your sage feedback gentlemen. as i suspected, and as is the usual, it seems that personal preference is the answer. now off to buy the 10 string i've been g.a.s ing for....

[ginsambo]

Top mount bridge height and neck angle is similar to a TOM bridge Les Paul. That is pretty much it for me and it's how my technique has developed. I do like strats though and can get on with them, but for some reason recessed floyds seem more uncomfortable personally.

Also in theory I should be able to set a recessed floyd to the same spring tension as a top mount, and I hate using trem stops and that nonsense, I always view them as being less stable for some reason. But again, it's probably due to how I rest my hand and my technique.

Also you can make the pups stick out further on a top mount.

[DonP]

I like both, but slightly like the looks of top mount better.

[boxsmiley]

ya. an agile 10 string. just for fun. should be cool to mess around with bass lines at the same time as i can play guitar lines. it's weird that i'm drawn to it since im not really one of these djent guys that are in vogue these days. just thought more strings = more options....

[coloradoman25]

I love a recess on an ibby...BUT if its a jackson I prefer the top mount, just feels right lol

[Axewielder]

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