Floyds and string gauge

[vector]

To flutter or not to flutter. That is the mutha fuckin' question.
I have a shredder with a Schaller Floyd, set up with EB Slinky's (10- 46), brass big block and 2 heavy duty noiseless springs. But I can't get the Floyd to flutter and I suspect, because of the heavy strings and springs, it ain't gonna.

Damned shame, too; I typically play Slinky's 9-42 and I can get that bar to flutter like crazy but not so on this one. It's by far one of my heavier sounding axes, with OBL's, mahogany body maple neck with ebony board. Articulate yet thick and chunky as hell. Perfect for the heavier tunes we do in the band but at the cost of some of the Floyd's responsiveness.

Anyone ever set up a floating Floyd with 10-46's and get it to flutter?

[BigE13]

I suspect it is the heavy duty springs keeping it from fluttering. 10 - 46 is not that heavy. I have a couple of floyds set up with that guage and with 3 regular springs I can get them to flutter.

[vector]

I suspect it is the heavy duty springs keeping it from fluttering. 10 - 46 is not that heavy. I have a couple of floyds set up with that guage and with 3 regular springs I can get them to flutter.

Worth a try. Thanks.

[Amerturk]

Stupid Q of the day; What does "Flutter" mean?

[VitaminG]

depress your bar slightly. Pluck a string. Let your hand slide off the end of the bar. The note should "warble". Sounds particularly groovy if you then slide the note.

Alternatively, you can flick or punch the bar. Anything but gently release it

[Amerturk]

thanks for the clarification....I know the move, just not the name.

[vector]

thanks for the clarification....I know the move, just not the name.

Goes by several names. Flutter, warble, trill, snap the fookin' bar, etc. Used sparingly and/or inventively, it can be a great accent or nuance in the bag o tricks. Check out Brag Gillis, Steve Vai, John Petrucci, Nuno Bettencourt, Jim V. for tasty examples of this technique...

[Newc]

Back when I didn't know any better ('87/'88) I had a Kramer Focus and put 10s on it. The Floyd had plenty of flutter. But then, I was a heavy-hander back then who was used to the stiffer response of a Kahler stud-mount, so I could make a Floyd flutter if I just hit the strings too hard

[vector]

I discovered fluttering by accident in a Seattle music store, when I picked up an HM Strat w/ a Floyd on it and was whammying away (much to the distress of the sales guys) My hand slipped off the bar and well, you get the idea. One of the sale guys came over in an attempt to either get me to buy it or stop playing and said, "You 're pretty good with that Floyd." I just laughed.


BTW- BigE13- I swapped out the two heavy duty springs for 3 regulars and the flutter still isn't there. Gotta start looking at other factors- knife edges, post condition, etc.

[straycat]

I found that different guitars react differently to this technique.
Some are easy some just harder.Mahogany I found to harder to get the warble effect.

[vector]

I found that different guitars react differently to this technique.
Some are easy some just harder.Mahogany I found to harder to get the warble effect.

Hmm. Interesting. I have 6 different mahogany guitars- 3 Californians, a Blitz, an SG Diablo and a LP Axcess. All of 'em warble/flutter very well. The one ax in question is the only one that has the heavier gauge strings and doesn't warble. I had one renowned luthier suggest that heavy gauge strings + heavy springs= no flutter. I dunno.

[Devotee]

I use D'Addario 11-gauge strings tuned to Eb standard with FU heavy duty noiseless springs and get plenty of flutter.

[xenophobe]

In the early 80's....

Randy Rhoads made me want to play the guitar.

Brad Gillis made me want a Floyd Rose.