How hard is it to Floyd a Fender Strat?

[FloydRose4Prez]

There is a sick Strat HSS on my local CL. It is just screaming to be Floyded.
Are the trem posts on the stock bridge the same width/depth as a Floyd?

[AlexL]

That's an excellent question, and something I was wondering, too.

I am guessing that the neck angle would need to be changed unless you attempted to recess the Floyd.

- E.

[bfloyd6969]

I think one of the big factors here is the neck radius. Fender usually uses a 9.5" rdius (though the SRV model uses a 12" radius, and a hell of a guitar) and most Floyds are a 12 ~ 14" radius. You can always shim the saddles around to suit I suppose. I know that Fender offers some Floyd strats so maybe look on the Fender site for certain specs.

[slash]

1. cut the nut for a floyd shelf.
2. re-rout the trem rout for a floyd. (The floyd rout for the sustain block is closer to the neck than a V-Trem rout)
3. drill the post holes.
4. shim the neck or rout a recess for the floyd.

To have it done professionally look at spending over $200 for the labor plus the cost of the Floyd.

My advise... If you want a floyd, buy a guitar with a floyd already installed.

[Racerx2k]

I've done it, several times. One of the things who have to be careful about, is the routes for the pickups and electronics. sometimes, even on stock Floyd'd Strats, those routes are too close to the trem posts, and, under string tension, the wood blows out. the last build I did had just that kind of threat. I ended up using not only the trem posts that are mated, together, with a crossbrace, but I also custum built and installed, out of stainless, a sort of "girdle" for the inner wall of the pickup route, that sees those strains. Those posts were going ANYWHERE!

[metalchurch79]

Racerx2k, check this out:
http://www.timeelect.com/bbf.htm

[toejam]

I think one of the big factors here is the neck radius. Fender usually uses a 9.5" rdius (though the SRV model uses a 12" radius, and a hell of a guitar) and most Floyds are a 12 ~ 14" radius. You can always shim the saddles around to suit I suppose. I know that Fender offers some Floyd strats so maybe look on the Fender site for certain specs.

Wrong. Original Floyds are a 10" radius, and they were originally made for a Strat.

And as far as when trem-spaced pickups came along after this, the F in F-spacing means Fender, not Floyd (though Floyd-spacing is the same and what people usually seem to refer to).

[slowhand66]

+1. check your spacing on the pickups first and foremost. The pole pieces (magnets) on the existing PUPS may be too narrow (at least in the bridge position, but not so much the neck position.) Floyds generally have a wider width than strings on a Fender-style bridge. Also, OFRs are set for 10" radius neck. Make sure you know the radius of the neck, other wise, you will have a difficult time setting the string action to the neck the way you want it (esp if you like it lower). Fenders range from 7.5 to 9.5(?). good luck.

[bfloyd6969]

Wrong. Original Floyds are a 10" radius, and they were originally made for a Strat.

And as far as when trem-spaced pickups came along after this, the F in F-spacing means Fender, not Floyd (though Floyd-spacing is the same and what people usually seem to refer to).

I stand corrected. Then how does it work so well (if not better) with guitars at 12"+ radii?

[Racerx2k]

Racerx2k, check this out:
http://www.timeelect.com/bbf.htm

Yep, that's exactly the issue I'm talking about, and pretty much exactly how I remedied it, too.

[Racerx2k]

If you have a Strat with, say, a 9.5, or even 7.25" radius, the toughest thing to overcome, IMHO, is the radius at the locking nut. You can shim or grind the saddles to fit the radius, but the radius of the nut is cast in. In MY case of my last Strat build, the neck was a 9.5", so I used an OFR 10" radius nut, which got me close enough, and filed the saddles to match the 9.5" radius (the lisenced Floyd I had had an initial radius of 14"). I double-checked my work with gauges and digital calipers.

[slowhand66]

OFR's are designed for 10", but will fit 9-12" radius (at the nut) with some tweaking (regardless what the width is at the heel/neck width). This is my understanding and experience (see Warmoth site), although I can't speak for other certain licensed floyds. My understanding is also that the neck heel in the body must be slightly angled ( at roughly 5 degrees). Otherwise you will need to shim the neck (closest to the body / pup) to angle it to get the action lower/playable.

I stuck an OFR on a 1981 Strat back in the early 80s (neck was 7.25 radius). I had to shim the hell out of the neck and angle the OFR like crazy to get it even close to where I liked. Even then it was crazy. Then I discovered the 12" and compound radius (12-16") Charvel necks--much better fit IMO.

[toejam]

I stand corrected. Then how does it work so well (if not better) with guitars at 12"+ radii?

The saddles are usually shimmed. I noticed the saddles on my Charvel Star had copper tape on the bottom of a couple of them to conform to the flatter radii.

[ulijdavid]

My advise... If you want a floyd, buy a guitar with a floyd already installed.

After reading all of the tricks, mods, and pitfalls, I believe "Slash" nailed it!!