Floyd Rose Recess Story

The weather is still very hot and it doesn’t feel like the end of August, but I am a little happy to notice that the sound of cicadas is shifting to that of crickets and thrushes. How are you all doing?
Autumn is the season of mushrooms, fruits, and seafood. All of them are the best. I wish it was autumn all year round.

But that's not important, so I would like to talk about guitars again.

I wrote a blog about Floyd Rose a little over a year ago,

⇒ Let's compare Floyd Rose guitars!

That time, I only compared each model. This time, I would like to write about a certain modification when installing it.

First, compare the bridge and the surrounding area of these two guitars.

This is what it looks like from the side.

The height of the bridge is totally different. The black one is mounted so that it rests on top of the body, while the white one is mounted so that it is submerged. This is what we are dealing with.

The black one is called "non-recessed" and the white one is called "recessed”. This is a process that is sometimes seen on guitars with two-point synchronization these days, but I personally feel that this process is unique to Floyd Rose.

So, what are the advantages of this process?
When Floyd Rose first appeared on the market, the installation method was non-recessed. It’s just like replacing the synchronized tremolo of a Strat. However, this method has the following weak points.

• The bridge is mounted at a higher height, so it is necessary to increase the neck angle or make the neck pocket shallower.
• There is not much room for the arm up, so the arming range cannot be widened.
• No room under the bridge, so the limit of string height adjustment by the bridge alone is limited.
• The distance between the top of the body and the strings is often too wide, which is a disadvantage when playing technical instruments.

And so on. I am sure there are many others, depending on the person. This is where the recess process was invented. This is the great invention of the century that solves the problems of bridge mounting height, space saving around the bridge, the associated limits of adjustment/arming width, and the distance between the body top and strings, all at once. To be precise, non-recessed arming can be done, but it is necessary to use a very extreme floating setting to gain a variable range of pitch. Moreover, it comes with the disadvantage of raising the string height.

Nowadays, most guitars equipped with Floyd Rose have this recessed finish. It seems that most guitars equipped with Floyd Rose now have this recess.
In other words, if you want to keep the traditional style, you should choose non-recessed guitars, and if not, you should choose recessed guitars.

By the way, I am definitely a non-recessed person (I just want you to look at my guitar).

If you learn anything about recesses from this blog, please pay attention to the differences in installation when choosing a guitar. It will surely make your selection more enjoyable!

Well then, this is my goodbye BGM!

■ Ratt - You're In Love (Official Music Video) - YouTube

Guitars compared

■ Black one

CHARVEL / Warren DeMartini Signature San Dimas Cross Swords

■ White one

CHARVEL / Pro Mod San Dimas Style1 HH FR Snow White