The Impact of Metal on a Floyd Rose-Equipped Guitar

Last Updated on October 5th, 2022

The Gotoh licensed Floyd Rose is an example of a bridge built with steel components and a brass sustain block.

Guitars are complicated things. Different woods, different construction methods and the type of bridge all have an effect on tone, as do the the obvious things such as pickups and pots. What some people may not realise is that the type of metal your bridge, saddles, baseplate and sustain block are made of also have quite a large impact on your guitar’s overall tone. I’ve had experience swapping components on Floyd Rose type bridges and vintage-style six-hole Fender Stratocaster type bridges. For this article we’ll focus on Floyd Rose-type bridges and the effects of different metals like steel, brass and titanium on the sound of a guitar – both stock parts and upgrade components.

But even though we’re talking about Floyd Rose type double-locking bridges, much of this will also apply to varying extents to other non-hardtail bridges.

Basic construction

The Ibanez Edge is an example of a bridge made with pot metal components, and hardened steel knife edges and studs.

The Floyd Rose has had a myriad of iterations, official and licensed, since it first appeared on the scene in the early eighties. The original design has a stainless steel baseplate and saddles, and a brass sustain block. Some copies are built from a similar blend of materials, while others have used various alloys of softer metals to save costs. All of these choices in metals have an impact on the tone of a guitar.

Stainless steel provides long-term strength and durability. The tone is generally bright with a fast attack. The original Floyd Rose design, as well as the Gotoh licensed Floyd Rose (one of the more popular licensed designs) are built from these materials.

Many other licensed designs are made from less durable, softer alloys, commonly known as pot metal. Not all designs using pot metal are inherently bad though. The higher-end Ibanez Edge family of bridges, which use pot metal for their baseplates, saddles and sustain blocks, are known to be some of the most stable and well designed bridges ever. This is thanks to their hardened steel knife edges (the part of the baseplate that makes contact with the bridge posts or studs).

Despite some of these pot metal-based designs using harden steel for the crucial components, the tone is quite a bit different to their steel based siblings. It’s a little less lively and there isn’t as much clarity as the bridges made primarily from stainless steel. There can be a lack of sustain too, thanks to the pot metal sustain blocks.

Sustain blocks

Floyd Rose Upgrades

Brass sustain blocks give a fuller, warmer tone, with great clarity and sustain.

So the first thing that people tend to upgrade on their Floyd Rose and variants is the sustain block. There are a few things to consider when planning an upgrade. Brass sustain blocks are probably the most commonly purchased upgrade. Their combination of price and effect on a guitar’s tone make them the first option on most peoples minds. If the bridge already has a brass block like the original Floyd Rose or Gotoh designs do. then the brass upgrade may not give you as much of a bang as you might expect. A bigger, thicker block will increase sustain and give you a bit thicker and warmer tone but it’s not as obvious as installing a brass block on a bridge that has a pot metal block.

A switch from a pot metal sustain block to brass is much bigger. The tone is much warmer with a boost to the bass and low-mid frequencies. The increase in mass also generates more output and sustain, which is particularly great for lead guitar. Clarity and articulation are also increased with the move to brass. The tone from brass sustain blocks may not be to everyones’ tastes though. One player’s wonderfully warm tone may be considered muddy by another.

Titanium takes it up a notch with even more clarity and articulation.

Titanium is another metal used for guitar parts, particularly sustain blocks. It’s typically a bit more expensive to buy a titanium block over a brass one, but if it provides the exact tone someone is after it’s probably a sound investment (no pun intended!). While brass provides a warmer, thicker tone, titanium takes it up to eleven with a brighter tone, even more clarity, and a balanced frequency spread.

The increased brightness and clarity make titanium an excellent proposition for bridges made from pot metal alloys like the Ibanez Edge family. The tone becomes much more lively and the greatly enhanced clarity is perfect for rhythm and lead playing. Depending on personal tastes titanium may be a bit too bright and shrill on a stainless steel built bridge, but again one person’s tonal hell is another’s heaven.

Here’s a quick demo of titanium and brass block upgrades on an Ibanez Edge-equipped guitar. The pickup in use is a Duncan Custom.

Spring Claws

Floyd Rose Upgrades

A brass spring claw upgrade makes a surprising impact on the tone of a guitar.

Most people probably don’t give a second thought to the humble spring claw. I know that I didn’t until I was asked to review a replacement brass spring claw. The truth is the spring claw has a bigger impact on tone than one may initially think. There are companies that made both bent brass claws (like the stock units), and milled claws which start as a solid block of brass and then are milled down to a familiar shape.

By itself the brass claw is a great upgrade. The increase in the transfer of vibration from the strings through to the body of the guitar is quite noticeable. There is an increase in sustain and clarity, and there’s an overall complexity in the tone. It feels more ‘alive.’ A brass claw helps bring back the high end which can be lost when upgrading to a brass sustain block. The additional clarity and note separation are also very welcome.

Springs

Floyd Rose Upgrades

Noiseless springs are a handy upgrade, especially when it comes to recording.

If you’ve been playing a guitar with a Floyd Rose or a Strat-style bridge, you’ve probably noticed a strange atonal noise ringing for a short while after you stop a note from sustaining. The cause of this noise is your guitar’s springs. Whilst your notes are cut off instantly, the springs will continue to vibrate momentarily. This can be incredibly annoying, especially if you’re recording parts with a lot of stop/start playing. There are some solutions to stop this phenomenon though.

First off are the cheap DIY options. Some players will stuff tissue in the spring cavity. Other options are some foam between the springs and the wood, or a method my old guitar teacher showed me: rubber tubing inside the springs. Some swear by a bit of electrical tape wrapped around the end of each spring. These all work to various degrees, and mostly easy to sort out in a pinch.

If you want to go with a more professional-looking option you can go with coated noiseless springs. These not only look really neat, they do a great job of silencing the spring noise too.

Wrapping it all up

These are just a few of the upgrades you can make to the metal parts on your guitar to enhance your overall tone. If you’re finding that your guitar is almost, but not quite to your tonal liking, it’s worthwhile looking at the metal parts on your guitar and working out if an upgrade to one or more of those parts may give you the tone you’ve been seeking.

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