Floyd Rose

[metallibeast]

What's up?

I'm wondering what are the differences between a Floyd Rose, Kahlers and Lo- Pro?

They are all design to do the same thing rite? except that they are made by different companies?

-Beast

[EricV]

Hi there,

good question, and it indeed is a bit confusing.
OK... first of all, "Floyd Rose" is not only the name of one of the companies building it, it´s also the name of its inventor.
The original Floyd Rose can still be found on many older and also recent models. It´s the classic and works fine.
In the mid-80´s, Kahler, a hardware-company, started building Floyd Rose style bridges ( The Floyd Rose is patented, and all the companies building their versions of it, like Ibanez and Schaller, put something like "build under FR license" on them. )
Fender "owns" the original FR-design these days.
The guys at Kahler changed a few details about it. Some of these bridges were very heavy, some featured modifications that were supposed to make the system work better or be easier to handle ( i.e., on one of my guitars, there´s a Kahler-bridge, where the strings are locked but you don´t have to cut the ballends off.
Unfortunately, many players disliked the Kahler systems ( some preferred them... Paul Gilbert and Greg Howe used them for a while ).
So Kahler simply built slightly altered FR-systems, using their own designs and formats ( you can´t i.e. replace a Kahler with an original FR without routing and other work )
Kahler later went broke, it´s tough to find spare-parts for Kahler systems these days.

There also is a Floyd Rose Pro, which is a smaller version with angled fine-tuners.

Then the lo-pro ( aka "Edge Lo-Pro ) was designed by Ibanez. Its basically a modified version of the original FR-design. The fine-tuners are recessed, and therefore out of the way ( some players thought they were in the way, bothering them when playing ).
Also, the system has more mass, a better wrist support and different kind of posts.
The routing also is deeper, which makes it possible to pull up a bit more. So the Edge / Lo_pro is some kind of an improved FLoyd Rose.

The Lo-TRS II ( Ibanez ) is a cheaper version of the original Lo_pro. Less mass, lesser-quality posts / anchors.


Check out this PAGE (http://www.jemsite.com/axes/htm_features/trems.htm) at jemsite.com for great pics, more detailed comparisons etc.
Hope this helps
Eric

[metallibeast]

Ok, I always thought that they are totally different designs.

Anyway I checked out the floyd rose website and they got this new design coming out soon.

Its call SpeedLoader....looks impressive but it looks kinda strange with out the tunning pegs though....

check out the pic here (http://www.floydrose.com/news_article_01.htm)


-Beast

[EricV]

Hi there,

wow haven´t heard about that yet.
I wonder whether this will actually work out. I mean, whether it´ll sell. Cuz those strings only work with that bridge, so you kinda have to stick with Floyd Rose products.
Which always is a problem. Because of distribution and amything. I remember the days when lots of people still were playing Steinberger guitars and basses. They needed to use double-ball end strings, and those often were hard to find. Only a few companies made those.
Anyway, when I read "Speedloader" I thought at first that Floyd Rose was going back to an older design... on some of the older FR´s and Kahlers, you didn´t have the locking saddles. Instead, the string was stuck through the bridge, with the ballends still attached.
My red Vandenberg has one of those Kahler bridges.
You stick the string through the bridge from the rearside, and then you turn the tube it´s going through. That way, the string is locked.
This worked pretty well regarding changing strings... you still had to unlock and lock the nut, but you could leave the ball ends on.
I still have an early 80´s FR-bridge somewhere, and there it worked the same way.
I wish I had a Digicam or scanner ready right now to provide some pics, but...

Eric