What is the fastest way to tune a Floyd Rose?

Step 1:
Loosen the three string clamps at the nut

Step 2:
Set your fine tuner screws on the bridge to the middle of their adjustment range.

Step 3:
Tune the strings to your desired pitch (this can be drop tuning, open tuning, or standard pitch, the procedure is the same for any tuning) with an electronic tuner starting with the low ‘E’.

Step 4:
When you have finished tuning all of the strings, check the tuning on the low ‘E’ again. If the low ‘E’ is now flat, re-tune the strings starting again with the low ‘E’ but this time tune the E, A, D, G, and B strings a little bit sharp, then the high ‘E’ to pitch. If the low ‘E’ is sharp, re-tune as just described only tuning the first five strings a little flat. You must tune the strings a little sharp or flat to get to your tuning because every time you change the tension (or pitch) of one string, the other strings change pitch in the opposite direction. 

Step 5:
Repeat step 4 until all the strings are at the desired pitch.

Step 6:
When the strings are at the desired pitch, check to see if the bridge base plate is sitting parallel with the top surface of the guitar. If the base plate is tilted forward away from the body, you must tighten the tremolo springs tension by turning the spring claw screws clockwise and repeat step 4. If the base plate is tilted back toward the body, you must loosen the tremolo springs tension by turning the spring claw screws counterclockwise and repeat step 4. [Step 6 only needs to be done on initial setup of the bridge or if you change to another gauge of strings or change to a different tuning.]

Step 7:
When the bridge is sitting parallel to the face of the guitar and the strings are tuned to the desired pitch, re-clamp the three nut clamps and re-tune (if necessary) once again using only the fine tuners.

Step 8:
When tuning is complete, check the action of the strings off the neck. If your action is to high or to low, adjust the action with the two rocker screws (bridge pivot screws) using the 3mm Allen wrench. This adjustment will slightly change your tuning. If your fine tuners run out of range you must repeat steps 1 through 7.

In this article, we will cover how to set up a guitar with a Floyd Rose bridge system. While traditional vibrato systems are known to have issues with tuning stability, the Floyd Rose bridge solves this problem by incorporating a string locking system at both the nut and saddle ends. This prevents the guitar strings from slipping through their nut and saddle slots and allows the guitar to stay in tune, even during drastic pitch changes.

Because of this feature, many swear by the Floyd Rose bridge. However, it’s not uncommon for inexperienced users to become frustrated and give up when attempting to install a Floyd Rose bridge. Fortunately, this is not as tough as it seems. And with the help of this guide, you should have no problem getting your Floyd Rose bridge dive-bombing in a reasonable amount of time.

1. How does a Floyd Rose bridge work?
   • String locking mechanism
   • Balanced string/spring system
2. Setting up a Floyd Rose bridge
3. Floyd Rose intonation and balancing the bridge
4. Setting your action
5. Setting Floyd Rose intonation
6. Locking and fine tuning
7. How to use the string retainer bar

The first thing to cover when understanding a Floyd Rose bridge is its basic mechanics. This can be broken down into two simple concepts—the string locking mechanism and balanced string/spring tension.

At each end of the string, there is a clamp that prevents the string from slipping:

• On the nut end, three metal pads are tightened down over the strings with an Allen screw.
• On the bridge end, the strings’ ball ends are cut off, and the remaining end is inserted into each saddle. A small metal block then clamps down on the string, held tight by the string retainer screw.

If the string slips, it will not be able to return to the proper position when releasing the whammy bar, and your guitar will be out of tune. Once the strings are locked, the headstock tuners become inactive. However, you can still make small adjustments to the tuning via the fine tuner screws located on the Floyd Rose bridge. The fine tuners work by applying downward pressure on the string retainer screws, which pivots each saddle back to either raise or lower the string’s pitch.

Floyd Rose fine tuner diagram

What gives the Floyd Rose bridge its ability to perform major pitch bends is its “fully floating” design, which means that the bridge does not rest on the guitar’s body like most bridges. This enables you to pull the whammy bar up and down over a greater distance than other vibrato systems. When the guitar is strung up, the string tension pulls up on the bridge, resting against a pivot point (the bridge studs in the case of a Floyd Rose. 

To counteract this tension, the springs on the back of the body will pull the Floyd Rose bridge back in the other direction. If the string tension and spring tension are not equal, the bridge will be unbalanced, and it will either sit too high or too low in the body of the guitar.

Spring tension diagram

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• 3mm Allen wrench (to unlock the nut, string retainer screws and adjust action)
• 2.5mm Allen wrench (allows you to adjust the Floyd Rose intonation)
• Small screwdriver (to gain access to the spring cavity on the back of the guitar, if necessary)
• Large screwdriver (used on the claw screws in the back of the body to change spring tension)
• Tuner
• Appropriately sized block (Wood is common. But any rigid material that won’t damage the finish works. More on this below)
• Whammy bar

Tools needed to install a Floyd Rose bridge.

There are a few quick things we need to cover before diving in. First off, we’re going to assume that you’ve already got a good set of strings installed and that your neck relief is set correctly. If you are unsure or unfamiliar with these topics, we have articles on each of these that will walk you through these steps:

• Restringing a Floyd Rose bridge
• Setting proper neck relief

You’ll also want to make sure the nut of the guitar is unlocked. Use the 3mm Allen wrench to loosen the pads on the nut. You can even remove them and set them aside if you want. Just be sure not to lose them.

Finally, check the fine tuner positions on the Floyd Rose bridge. Set these in the middle of their travel. You won’t need to turn these again until the very end, but getting these in the right starting position now will save you sometime later on.

Once you’ve got your neck relief is set correctly and your fine tuners in line, you can move on to the next stage.

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Floyd Rose intonation and balancing the bridge

For many, this is the most frustrating and time-consuming part of setting up a Floyd Rose bridge. In this article, however, we’ve got a method that should eliminate most of this struggle.

Once your guitar is strung up, the first thing you’re going to do is place your block under your bridge. If needed, use your whammy bar to assist pull your bridge up to gain enough space to insert your block.

Why are you doing this?

Essentially, the block prevents the bridge from floating. By itself, a floating bridge will compensate for any changes in tension that may occur. For example, raising the pitch of one string will cause others to go flat (and vice versa). Tuning and balancing a floating bridge is where many get frustrated and give up as it often leads to a lot of guesswork in finding the right balance, which could take quite a bit of time.

By blocking off the bridge plate, you stabilize the bridge and prevent it from shifting as you tune your guitar. Ideally, your block should be sized appropriately to hold your bridge level with the body.

Inserting a block under the bridge.

With your block in place, go to the back of the guitar and tighten your claw screws. This will increase your spring tension. Don’t go crazy, but be sure to turn the screws farther than you think you need. The goal here is to intentionally over-tighten the springs so that once the block is removed, your bridge should tilt back. With the block in place, however, you shouldn’t see it move.

This should be as quick and easy as tuning any standard hardtail or non-floating bridge. Because the block is holding the bridge firmly in place, the spring tension will not affect anything.

If the bridge lifts off of the block as you tune, it’s because the spring tension on the back of the guitar is not high enough. Screw the claw in a bit further and/or install an additional spring to prevent this.

Now that your guitar is in tune, use your whammy bar to dive the bridge so you can pull the block out of the cavity. Once you let the bridge return, you should see that the bridge is tilted back and that your string tuning has gone sharp. Don’t mess with your tuners yet, as the next step will correct this.

If your bridge is not tilted back, you’ll want to repeat steps 1–3 before removing the block again.

Bridge tilted back.

Once the block is removed, go to the back of the guitar in even increments on each side, loosen the claw screws until the bridge is leveled with the body. As you do this, you should start to see the bridge level out, and your strings flatten back to pitch.

Once the bridge is level again, your guitar should be in tune (or very close to it). Go ahead and tune as usual with your headstock tuners if needed. If you need to make more than just a few minor tuning adjustments, you may need to go back and adjust your claw screws again before going any further. Tighten or loosen the claw in small increments to avoid going too far in either direction.

• If the bridge is level, but the strings are flat: tighten the claw and re-tune.
• If the bridge is level, but the strings are sharp: loosen the claw and re-tune.
• If the strings are in tune, but the bridge is high: tighten the claw and re-tune.
• If the strings are in tune, but the bridge is low: loosen the claw and re-tune.

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At this point, your guitar should be in tune and your bridge level. Use your 3mm Allen wrench to adjust the action and raise or lower the bridge studs to your desired height. 

Some fine-tuning may be needed after adjusting, but overall, your guitar should be in tune for the most part. After making the adjustments, be sure to playtest your guitar to make sure it plays the way you want it to, and there is no excessive buzz. See our article on adjusting action HERE for more info.

Adjusting the action.

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With intonation, it’s best to do this one string at a time. With your guitar in tune, compare the tuning of the open string versus the same string fretted at the 12th fret. If you need to correct the intonation on a particular string, follow these steps:

1. Slack the string and loosen the intonation screw on the saddle

Make sure to give yourself enough slack when de-tuning to prevent the saddle from pulling forward once you loosen the intonation screw.  A 2.5mm allen wrench is typically the correct size for this screw.  Your other strings will go sharp as you de-tune the string you’re working on. This is okay as they will return to pitch once you tune the string back up.

Move the saddle forward (towards the pickups) if the Floyd Rose intonation is flat. Pull the saddle back (away from the pickups) if your Floyd Rose intonation is sharp. Be sure to properly re-tighten the screw so that the saddle doesn’t move when you re-tune the string.

3. Tune the string back up and check intonation

You’ll need to repeat the process until the string is in tune.  Learning how far to move a saddle takes some practice, so you may need to move the saddle a few times before getting it right. With some experience, it will become much easier to guesstimate where to move the saddle and you will be able to set the proper Floyd Rose intonation much faster.

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Locking and fine tuning

Now that the bridge is balanced and the action and the Floyd Rose intonation are set, it’s time for the final step, locking the nut and fine-tuning. Before doing this, you’ll want to check your tuning with your headstock tuners one last time.

Once you’re ready, go ahead and place your nut blocks and screws back on your nut and tighten them down. You’ll want to make sure that enough pressure is applied to clamp the strings firmly in place. Be careful not to over tighten, however, as you may be unable to unlock the nut later or strip out your screws or wrench. In which case you’ll need replacement parts or tools.

Check your tuning once you’ve locked your nut down and use the fine tuner screws on the bridge to get each string exactly in tune. If you find your strings have gone drastically sharp, you may need to compensate by tuning your strings a bit flat before locking the nut down. Or, see the section below on the string retainer bar.

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Floyd Rose equipped guitars with a straight headstock should have a metal bar behind the nut (angled headstocks typically do not need this piece). The purpose of this bar is to hold the strings down flat against the nut’s full surface. If you are having an issue with the strings going sharp when you lock the nut down, your strings are probably not laying flat. In these cases, locking the nut down will push the strings down, causing them to go sharp.

Lowering the string retainer bar to pull the strings below the nut’s back edge will prevent this problem from happening.

Incorrect String Retainer Bar Position

Correct String Retainer Bar Position

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Related content

• How to Restring a Floyd Rose
• How To Setup Your Electric Guitar Part 1: Adjusting the Truss Rod
• How to Setup Your Electric Guitar Part 2: Setting Action
• How to Setup Your Electric Guitar Part 3: Intonation

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