If you are someone who loves playing an electric guitar, you must know that it is important to have the proper bridge for it. Some recommended options to choose from are the Floyd Rose and Fender tremolo. But here comes the question, which one of them is better?
In this article, we provide a detailed comparison of Floyd Rose vs Tremolo, in order to help you make a choice. Continue reading to find out more.
Key Takeaways
- The Floyd Rose bridge takes up more space and looks more aggressive compared to the Tremolo.
- The Floyd Rose has a double-locking system, while the Tremolo can be 2 or 6-point secured.
- Floyd Rose provides more tuning stability even with aggressive use of the tremolo arm.
- There is more resonance provided with the Tremolo, but both do a decent job when it comes to tone.
- It is easier to change strings when using a Fender Tremolo, compared to the Floyd Rose one.
Table of Contents
Floyd Rose vs Tremolo – How do they differ?
Both the Floyd Rose and Fender Tremolo are great bridges, suitable for your guitar, but naturally, there are ways in which they differ.
The key differences would be in the way they are designed, how stable they are and how easy it is to change the strings when they break. For more details about the differences, keep on reading.
Also Read: Some Great Acoustic Guitars for Blues
Design and built: Floyd Rose and Tremolo
When it comes to the design and how the bridges look on the guitar, it is important to note that the Floyd Rose bridge takes more space on the guitar in comparison to the Tremolo.
Also, the Floyd Rose bridge can have a more aggressive look to it which is perfect for electric guitar players who like metal music because it has that aesthetic.
With the way the Floyd Rose bridge is made, you will be able to lock the guitar strings on both the nut and the bridge. The strings will be secured into place through the bridge and also through 3 metal straps on the nut.
Based on the way the strings are locked into place, it means that the Floyd Rose bridge is well-designed to be a tremolo system that offers security. And also you will be able to move the tremolo arm if you want to achieve some effects, but the strings will stay secure nonetheless.
Because of this double-locking design, it might be a bit harder to set up and adjust the Floyd Rose system, but once you’ve done that you shouldn’t be concerned about the stability.
On the other hand, the Fender Tremolo doesn’t take up as much space on the body of the guitar, and it has a rather clean-looking design. So if you are looking for something more simple looking and functioning, the Tremolo could be more suitable.
When it comes to how easy the Tremolo is to set up, we can note that it is easier in comparison to the Floyd Rose. The tremolo can be attached to the body of the guitar by 2 screws as this is the most common way, but there are also some models that require 6 screws.
To be able to adjust intonation and action, you can use the screws on the back and side of the bridge. Also, it is easier to adjust the guitar strings on the Tremolo compared to the Floyd Rose.
But the Tremolo won’t allow you to achieve some dramatic effects that you can achieve with a Floyd Rose bridge when moving the tremolo arm.
Tuning stability: Floyd Rose and Tremolo
As we already mentioned above, the Floyd Rose bridge is designed to be a well-secured system so naturally, you should expect great tuning stability. Compared to the Fender Tremolo, the Floyd Rose performs better.
Because of the double-locking system, the Floyd Rose bridge ensures that the strings will stay in the right tune, even when you play more aggressively, and use the tremolo arm for different effects.
On the other hand, the Fender tremolo mostly uses the nut to be able to lock the strings in place. Because of this, it does a decent job, but it is not as stable and as good as the Floyd Rose system.
Also, when you use the tremolo arm more aggressively with a Fender tremolo, it is likely that the strings may go out of tune, especially if it is a 6-point version.
So when it comes to tuning stability, if you are someone who likes playing aggressively and achieving dramatic effects, which often happens in metal music, you should definitely choose the Floyd Rose.
But if this is not so important to you and you are fine with subtle vibrato effects, then the Fender tremolo can do a decent job for your guitar as well.
Also Read: Five Amazing Nylon Strings For Your Guitar
Tone: Floyd Rose and Tremolo
When it comes to tone, we can say that both of these bridges do a fair job, although some guitar players have noticed that there is more resonance in the Tremolo bridge compared to the Floyd Rose.
You can also get great sustain of the tones with both of these bridges when they are set up properly, so there are not many differences when it comes to the tone.
String breaking and changing: Floyd Rose and Tremolo
Because of the secure system of the Floyd Rose bridge, the guitar strings are not so likely to break, but when it happens, the other strings can also go out of tune and sound flat.
When you need to change strings on the Floyd Rose, it does take some time and it isn’t so simple to do. You will need to use a wrench to unlock the bridge and nut to remove the strings and then apply new ones. But if it’s too complicated for you, you can just take it to a professional.
With the Fender tremolo bridge, the same happens as the Floyd Rose. Meaning that if you break one string then the others will also end up being out of tune. Also if you bend one string while playing two, it is likely that the other one will sound flat.
But the good thing about the Tremolo bridge is that it is much easier to change the strings. So even if you need to replace them often, you can do it easily and without the help of a guitar tech. This is because they are not locked in the bridge and the nut-like in the Floyd Rose system.
Also Read: Some Great Acoustic Guitars for Jazz Music
Final verdict
Based on the differences between the Floyd Rose and Fender Tremolo, we can come to the conclusion that the Floyd Rose bridge is more suitable for people that want to play aggressively and need more tuning stability.
If you find yourself in this category, like a lot of other rock and metal guitar players, choosing the Floyd Rose bridge is worth it despite the difficulties you will face when changing strings.
But if you are fine with subtle tremolo effects and more resonance, the Tremolo will be a good choice. Maybe you won’t have the best tuning stability, but an advantage is that the strings will be easily changeable.
In the end, your choice should be based on your personal preferences and style of playing.