[Drache713]

I'm mainly interested in the opinions of people that have played both lo-pro's and licensed floyd rose's (or OFR's too I suppose, but they're kinda irrelevant since they dont really come stock on any 7's...even Rusty's new sig).

How much of a difference does having locking posts REALLY make? I know lots of you people here on the board get along just fine with your licensed floyd rose's or lo-trs's (most noted being Shannon and Vince's S-series 7's) and those don't have locking posts. And plenty of you have EBMM JP7's and those dont have locking posts either and I've never really heard of tuning issues or stability issues with those...so basically, are locking studs and the lo-pro REALLY all they're cracked up to be, or would I be fine with getting a different kind of floating tremolo?

[nyck]

I honestly wouldn't say it's a big advantage. It's a very minute advantage to be honest.

[Cancer]

Locking posts are a VERY huge deal....but only IF you are a heavy tremolo user.

In my 6 string days I've owned an RG550 and a Jackson Soloist SL1. Both killer guitars (actually the Jackson owned the Ibby by an inch tonewise...better wood I suspect).

Back then I was a trem fanatic, and the Ibby definitely beat the Jackson in tremolo stability, for years I didn't understand why (just figured the Ibby trem was newer/better designed) until after the Ibby was destroyed and I took it apart and discovered it had locking studs (which I still have, and plan on using at some point).

Some players have locking trems and never use them (which is fine, I like the tone too...), for these players locking studs are not needed, but if you find yourself using the bar for vibrato, divebombs, DBD harmonics, or any other kind whammy insanity, then locking studs are yo' friend.

[JJ Rodriguez]

It's not just the locking studs either, it's the quality of the material used to make the bridge. If cheap, crappy metal is used, it's going to wear a lot quicker, and have crappy tone. The Lo-Pro also has replaceable knife edges so when those get worn, you can replace them without having to get an entire bridge. There's a lot of differences between the Lo-Pro and other licensed floyds (I'm assuming your talking about lo TRS and bridges like that).

[eaeolian]

Originally Posted by psyphre

Locking posts are a VERY huge deal....but only IF you are a heavy tremolo user.

I have an '80s Jackson Dinky with the original studs, and an OFR. It *will* not go out of tune, no matter what I do to the trem. Some studs are tighter than others - the actual original OFR wood screws are the best, but they're hard to install correctly - but your Soloist must have had some pretty loose studs to be soundly beaten by the Ibby. Was it a '90s Jackson? (With the Schaller trem?)

Originally Posted by JJ Rodriguez

It's not just the locking studs either, it's the quality of the material used to make the bridge. If cheap, crappy metal is used, it's going to wear a lot quicker, and have crappy tone. The Lo-Pro also has replaceable knife edges so when those get worn, you can replace them without having to get an entire bridge. There's a lot of differences between the Lo-Pro and other licensed floyds (I'm assuming your talking about lo TRS and bridges like that).

That makes MUCH more difference than locking studs, IME - the metal in the baseplate of the non-heat treated versions starts to dull quickly, and really messes with the tuning stability.

[Drache713]

Say I got a guitar with a Lo-TRS or other licensed floyd instead of a Lo-Pro...and I decide to upgrade the trem to an OFR (seeing as the metal quality and construction of the OFR is much better), would I need to upgrade/change the posts/studs as well or would I be able to suitably use the one's already in the guitar with the OFR?

[Beelzebloke]

The new trem will come with studs.

[Drache713]

Originally Posted by Beelzebloke

The new trem will come with studs.

And those new studs will thread and screw in just fine to the existing body anchors/inserts?

[Beelzebloke]

Pull the original inserts out.

[metalfiend666]

Depends on the guitar. Some 6's have slightly different trem post spacing to an OFR, but 7's are pretty standard spacing from my experience. I know that Carvin's are routed very tightly to the TRS, so will need routing for an OFR. Other than that, an OFR7 should be a drop in replacement for a TRS7.