Stringing the Floyd Rose

What a sucker for machines I am. I really don't care what or where, just bring them on. The more persnickety to adjust, conserve, repair or maintain the better. Gear that rankles other peoples nerve ends usually simply serve to engross me. The Floyd Rose floating guitar bridge is in that vein.

I own a worn one, which of course only increases the likelihood of sinking hooks into my curiosity.

I restrung the RG220r tonight for the first time since finalizing the setup on it. I've played several other electric guitars since, which has helped to better understand how the darn thing work. I went with a slightly heavier gauge string to help create a firmer feel for my left hand fretting and was also rewarded with a much improved tone. I don't know that I can quantify it articulately, but it's a stronger tone with more presence.

The strings of choice were D'Addario nickel wound XL EXL 110. It's not a big move, but it sure had a big impact on the setup and sound. I was playing with the idea of moving all the way into a jazz type string that would have taken the high E string from .009" to .012" or more. In putting the .010" strings , compensation springs for the bridge had to be tightened significantly. I would guess that I moved them maybe 5/16". I expect that additional springs would be required to accommodate heavier gauge strings of which Chris supplied me with two, just in case! Thanks again Chris. I didn't expect to have that much change in string pull weight, but there was a huge difference in the compensation required to bring the bridge to a neutral position with these heavier strings. I think it's sounding pretty darn good just now. I like the setup and the new pickups seem to make me want to play it more.

If I was handier with things electrical I'd sure love to split one of those humbuckers out to show me a single poll. I'm not sure I'm brave enough to get back in there and make a mess. I got away with it the first time, but I'm scared now with a heap of more variables to account for to bring more options into play.

I think the compensation springs are being better utilized as they are opened up more. I'm guessing, but they appear to be at some kind of mid way point in their utility and I like that. I still suck at using the tremolo, but at least I can play the thing in close enough tune now, not to offend myself. It's so dramatically different than the acoustic that I can hardly relate to the two as both being guitars. It's been like getting a new instrument entirely. I'm enjoying it more and more all the time. It's different, but I've learned some things with it that are valuable, one of those things being a more conscious sense of touch when fretting strings.

I've been playing with my voice too. I can't imagine all the things I'm oblivious to when I discover such simple gaps in my practice like I've done recently. Coaches in all things are a gift. Unfortunately my voice is more akin to a goose fart than a musical instrument so a voice coach is out of the question. The prize this week was learning to lift my chin up. Normally I'm crouched over my guitar instead of opening up my throat and mouth. Duh. It was fun to hear some improvements on this front. It's allergy season and even when it's not I'm not the clearest voice by any stretch, but I'll take what improvements come my way. I'm working up Kathleen Edwards song, "I make the dough". It's an irresistibly pretty song. I just can't get enough of it.

I tried to talk Snoot into working a lead part into a break on that one, but she's being all sixteenish just now so she'll squirrel away her efforts and I'll have to get along, like I've always done with music at home, alone.

I took the mandolin rental back. I'll miss having one around, but that one was not set up well and proved very difficult to play cleanly. I played another one this week that was very easy on the hands in comparison and that was very welcome. Although it's tempting to gravitate in that direction, I think I'm a word guy more than a player. Shoemaker stick to thy last. Now if I could just remember that truism for more than a nano second at a time.

Audacity is the real deal for playing with the learning curve musically. I love it. I need to spring for a microphone or two and stands. Working with a click track or metronome is paying dividends with the timing for lyrics. I'm sure it's doing other good things too, but they escape my notice just now. I feel so white. Rhythm just doesn't come easily to me, but it's fun when it does.