# Lo-TRS To OFR Replacement



## Bungle (Mar 9, 2010)

*THE STORY IN A NUTSHELL: Considering replacing the Lo-TRS in my S7420 for an OFR. Have you done it and is it worth it?*

The long version:

So yesterday I was giving my S7 some loving, just the old lemon oil, 0000 steel wool on the frets which were looking a bit shit and when it came time to put the springs/strings/trem/Tremol-No together, I realised two (2) things:

1: I should call this guitar Stazo (S7420 = STAZO )

2: The Lo-TRS is fucking piece of shit and it's designers should have their own inner circle of hell after murderers, pederasts and people that kick dogs.

Compared to the Edge Pro 7 in the J-Custom, the Lo-TRS is a steaming pile of shit. It returns to pitch much better and all in all, it's just nicer and doesn't call me names. I've done some research and apparently the Original Floyd Rose (OFR) will replace the six string Lo-TRS without modification. Hopefully this is the case for the seven OFR as well.

I was wondering if anybody has already performed this swap, and if so, will it help with tuning stability and ease of setup or is it more of a tone thing.

The guitar in question. Wait, I'm pretty sure it had a Lo-TRS....


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## MaxOfMetal (Mar 9, 2010)

Unless the knife edges of the Lo-TRS are shot to shit, and I mean visibly really fucked up, then an OFR isn't really gonna do anything for you in terms of ease of setup or tuning stability.

Before you replace the trem, try lubricating the knife edges with some Chapstick lip balm. You'd be surprised how will it works.


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## BlindingLight7 (Mar 9, 2010)

it's the best tremolo out there that directly fit's, Do it...you won't be dissapointed.


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## Bungle (Mar 9, 2010)

Ok, I should have mentioned in the original post, the knife edges appear to be fine as the bar receives fuck all use (mainly cos it's shit ). I can't feel or see any nicks or grooves. I just want something that is of better quality as far as stability and ease of use goes, and hey, it'll probably help tone as well.

The low E string block keeps falling down and I have to turn the guitar upside down (strings facing the floor), which makes the block fall out, but hey, I can at least jam the string in there while I pop the block back in. Cunt!

Not my bridge, obviously, but that's the cunt of a block thing I mean.


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## troyguitar (Mar 9, 2010)

The TRS on my RG7420 works perfectly and I use it a lot 

The only issue you might have with a swap to an OFR is that the sustain block might be too long for the thin S-body.


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## Bungle (Mar 9, 2010)

troyguitar said:


> The only issue you might have with a swap to an OFR is that the sustain block might be too long for the thin S-body.


My dad has plenty of tools in the car hold, so I might be able to chop it down to fit? I dunno, I'll order the OFR and see how we go.

Thanks everyone for the tips! REPPITTY REP REP REP FOR ALL!


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## troyguitar (Mar 9, 2010)

If necessary you might be able to grind it down or even just use the block from the TRS if the bolt pattern is the same. I don't have an OFR here or I would check.


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## Bungle (Mar 9, 2010)

Yeah I was thinking of grinding/chopping it to fit, or yeah, as you said utilising the original TRS block (or replacement brass one, perhaps) as my dad's garage is:






*waits for somebody to get the reference*


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## vigil785 (Mar 10, 2010)

Let us know how this works out. Im curious about this myself.


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## MaxOfMetal (Mar 10, 2010)

Just understand that putting in an OFR7, even though it is a better unit, will not immediately solve any tuning or set-up issues. It's not a bad idea, just know you might still have some work to do after spending all the cash for one.


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## Lozek (Mar 10, 2010)

Did it on my old S7420 after the Lo-Trs snapped!!! Definitely worth doing.


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## Bungle (Mar 10, 2010)

Hmmm, found one on evilbay. Not sure if it's the genuine item though. It's advertised as a "BRAND NEW 7-STRING LICENSED FLOYD ROSE TREMOLO SYSTEM", but I'm not 100% sure.

From the Floyd Rose site:





From EvilBay. No FR logo in the red circle, but I can see something stamped just below the fine tuners:


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## MaxOfMetal (Mar 10, 2010)

Bungle said:


> Hmmm, found one on evilbay. Not sure if it's the genuine item though. It's advertised as a "BRAND NEW 7-STRING LICENSED FLOYD ROSE TREMOLO SYSTEM", but I'm not 100% sure.
> 
> From the Floyd Rose site:
> 
> ...



Licensed does not mean Original.


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## Demeyes (Mar 10, 2010)

MaxOfMetal said:


> Licensed does not mean Original.


Yeah if it is licensed it just means it's another FR imitation and not the real deal. That licensed one might not even fit in the same route.


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## Customisbetter (Mar 10, 2010)

Licensed is the opposite of Original. 

What you are looking for is a "Floyd Rose Special". made to the same specs as the original to my understanding.


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## Bungle (Mar 10, 2010)

I see, I see. Well there are no right handed, black, 7 string OFRs on fleabay right now, so I might hit up Warmoth when I get paid tomorrow.


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## troyguitar (Mar 10, 2010)

Warmoth doesn't sell OFR-7's. The best source for OFR stuff, oddly enough, is actually Ed Roman in many cases


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## Customisbetter (Mar 10, 2010)

Bungle said:


> I see, I see. Well there are no right handed, black, 7 string OFRs on fleabay right now, so I might hit up Warmoth when I get paid tomorrow.



Warmoth only sells the Lo TRS


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## Bungle (Mar 10, 2010)

troyguitar said:


> Warmoth doesn't sell OFR-7's. The best source for OFR stuff, oddly enough, is actually Ed Roman in many cases


I saw that when I googled OFRs, but I didn't want to buy from that cunt just on principle.


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## FearFactoryDBCR (Mar 10, 2010)

I'm sure Thomann sell OFR 7's, maybe even GAK too.


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## Bungle (Mar 10, 2010)

I thought I'd check out Ed Blowman's site, he's got a German made "Floyd Rose FRT-S".

According to a PDF on the proper Floyd Rose site, the FRT-S200 is the black seven string trem. Seems like the real deal.


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## MaxOfMetal (Mar 10, 2010)

Bungle said:


> I thought I'd check out Ed Blowman's site, he's got a German made "Floyd Rose FRT-S".
> 
> According to a PDF on the proper Floyd Rose site, the FRT-S200 is the black seven string trem. Seems like the real deal.



That would be the Floyd Special I believe.


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## JJ Rodriguez (Mar 10, 2010)

Avoid that eBay trem like fucking super AIDS. 

It's not a locking trem. Notice the lack of locking blocks. It's one of those ultra shitty licensed "speed loading" trems, where you actually feed the string through the "bolt" (it's not actually a bolt, it's a hollow tube to feed the string to the saddle). It's probably one of the worst trems you can get.

You're better off dishing out cash for an OFR7. Black ones can be a little hard to source since more manufacturers are offering them on guitars now.


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## Gamba (Mar 10, 2010)

I'm selling a licensed one 
http://www.sevenstring.org/forum/gear-for-sale-trade-wanted/104088-trade-6-and-7-string-bridge.html


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## Bungle (Mar 10, 2010)

MaxOfMetal said:


> That would be the Floyd Special I believe.


Ah ok. Just so we're clear (cos I'm starting to confuse myself  ) the seven string is the FRT-S, the six string is the FRT. The 200 means it is the black version.



@ JJ: Consider it avoided! While we're on that topic, I've got a quick joke. What does the name of the pop group "WHAM!" stand for?


We Help Aids Multiply [/bad jokes]


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## BigPhi84 (Mar 10, 2010)

Bungle said:


> Yeah I was thinking of grinding/chopping it to fit, or yeah, as you said utilising the original TRS block (or replacement brass one, perhaps) as my dad's garage is:
> 
> Nice Bond reference. Plenty O' Toole.
> 
> *waits for somebody to get the reference*


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## TheSixthWheel (Mar 10, 2010)

a chinese friend of our family gave me his "Rock Mans" guitar to fix up so he could sell it, I found one of the most hilarious LFR-related typos on it.









It's most likely meant to be like that so they can escape legal issues with Floyd Rose, but it's hilarious to think that it's just lost in translation.


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## Bungle (Mar 10, 2010)

TheSixthWheel said:


> a chinese friend of our family gave me his "Rock Mans" guitar to fix up so he could sell it, I found one of the most hilarious LFR-related typos on it.
> 
> 
> 
> It's most likely meant to be like that so they can escape legal issues with Floyd Rose, but it's hilarious to think that it's just lost in translation.


Well at least the knife edges are in tip-top condition


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## TomParenteau (Mar 11, 2010)

I nominate that thing for the Sleaziest Vibrato Bridge award!


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## Sullen (Mar 11, 2010)

http://www.gpdusa.com/Floyd_Rose_7_String-Original_Floyd_Rose_7_String_Tremolo_1.html Is your place, but they are sold out on the black ones. The only thing you might notice is that the OFR is a little smaller on the sides so it will look small in the route, but is almost nothing a few mm of difference, if you have a black cavity cloth or foam pad on the trem it will do a good job hiding this a little. And if you want to use everything that comes in the box just like I did  The studs of the OFR are a little thicker and forcing them inside the hole improperly will affect the position of the trem as you will end up with a slight run on the wood so I recommend you use the ones of the Lo-Pro is the screw fits, just a piece of advice, besides that you should be good to go.


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## jymellis (Mar 11, 2010)

i have yet to have ANY problems from the trs trem on my s7420. what exactly are you looking for? what tuning stability problems are you having? im retty sure i read in your post that it returns to pitch without problem. what exactly are you looking to gain by going from one trem that works to another?


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## CrushingAnvil (Mar 12, 2010)

Customisbetter said:


> Warmoth only sells the Lo TRS



It's a Takeuchi though, they're very good, from what I've heard.


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## CrushingAnvil (Mar 12, 2010)

jymellis said:


> i have yet to have ANY problems from the trs trem on my s7420. what exactly are you looking for? what tuning stability problems are you having? im retty sure i read in your post that it returns to pitch without problem. what exactly are you looking to gain by going from one trem that works to another?



I think he prefers a trem that _operates_ like the Original Floyd Rose in that the bar sticks and just sounds clearer in general.


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## jymellis (Mar 12, 2010)

CrushingAnvil said:


> I think he prefers a trem that _operates_ like the Original Floyd Rose in that the bar sticks and just sounds clearer in general.


 
werd. i wonder what he will think when he realizes with an original floyd when he palm mutes his hands will hit the fine tuners?


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## JJ Rodriguez (Mar 12, 2010)

I don't when I play non low profile trems. I actually find my palm muting tighter on trems with a whale tail.


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## CrushingAnvil (Mar 12, 2010)

JJ Rodriguez said:


> I don't when I play non low profile trems. I actually find my palm muting tighter on trems with a whale tail.



It's a placebo kind of thing, most people think a whale tailed trem will get in the way but it doesn't so much, as it just changes the angle at which you approach the strings ever so slightly.

I can sympathize with the OP in that I longed for that 'sticky' bar thing you get with the Original Floyd Rose trems, you can do churps and they move a little different to LFR's - every OFR I've played just seems a lot more stable - which it rightfully would have been.

The metal they use is more 'intact' - the metal doesn't fracture like the cheap licensed copies do.

Someone correct me?


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## klutvott (Mar 12, 2010)

The lo-TRS on my rg7420 worked pretty good when i got the guitar but it's definitely a piece of shit compared to the edge pro on my 1527 or an OFR. Now the arm is all wobbly. Either it's too tight or too loose. The way you have to screw the arm into the tremolo is just idiotic IMO. The solution that floyd rose has for this is superior and i have done the OFR arm mod to both my edge pros. The lo-trs now has major wear on the knife edges even though it hasn't seen half the abuse my edge pros have. I have been thinking about swapping it for a floyd rose for years now and i finally think it's time. I just have to get the money first. 
To OP: Go for it!


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## Bungle (Mar 15, 2010)

CrushingAnvil said:


> It's a Takeuchi though, they're very good, from what I've heard.


Pretty sure the one I've got on there now is a Takeuch...



CrushingAnvil said:


> I think he prefers a trem that _operates_ like the Original Floyd Rose in that the bar sticks and just sounds clearer in general.


Yep, that's about it.


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## MaxOfMetal (Mar 15, 2010)

Bungle said:


> Pretty sure the one I've got on there now is a Takeuch...
> 
> Yep, that's about it.



Though both made by Takeuchi the Lo-TRS/TRS II and TRS Pro are very different. It'd be like comparing an LTD EC-100 to an LTD EC-1000. The TRS Pro trems are actually pretty nice units. 

I've seen several Ibanez guitars from the 90's and early 00's which have had their stock TRS II and Lo-TRS trems replaced with TRS Pros. They seem to function and hold up well with the best of them.


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## BlindingLight7 (Mar 15, 2010)

MaxOfMetal said:


> Though both made by Takeuchi the Lo-TRS/TRS II and TRS Pro are very different. It'd be like comparing an LTD EC-100 to an LTD EC-1000. The TRS Pro trems are actually pretty nice units.
> 
> I've seen several Ibanez guitars from the 90's and early 00's which have had their stock TRS II and Lo-TRS trems replaced with TRS Pros. They seem to function and hold up well with the best of them.


would a carvin trem fit?


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## MaxOfMetal (Mar 15, 2010)

BlindingLight7 said:


> would a carvin trem fit?



From what I've heard of the Carvin's dimensions (I've never measured it myself) no it won't be a direct fit. Though all you'd have to do is e-mail Carvin for some measurements, and then measure your route. 

It should also be mentioned that whatever trem anyone gets for any guitar, you're going to have to purchase, or make, some saddle shims, as other than Ibanez hardware on guitars with Ibanez necks, the radii will NOT match up.


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## Malacoda (Mar 16, 2010)

Bungle said:


> I thought I'd check out Ed Blowman's site, he's got a German made "Floyd Rose FRT-S".
> 
> According to a PDF on the proper Floyd Rose site, the FRT-S200 is the black seven string trem. Seems like the real deal.



I think, if it's German-made, it might be a Schaller Floyd. While it is licensed, it's great - my Caparison has one.


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## MaxOfMetal (Mar 16, 2010)

Malacoda said:


> I think, if it's German-made, it might be a Schaller Floyd. While it is licensed, it's great - my Caparison has one.



According to the fellas at Piney Hills (which I believe are 100% accurate) the FRT-0200 trems are a lower-end FR, made in Korea instead of in Germany by Schaller like the other OFRs. 

Supposedly they're built to lower tolerances out of "softer steel" than the other OFRs.


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## Bungle (Mar 19, 2010)

Thinking of going the Schaller FR option. Looks like it'd be ok to swap the Lo-TRS with this... 

Tremolo Floyd Rose | Schaller-Electronic


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## MaxOfMetal (Mar 19, 2010)

Bungle said:


> Thinking of going the Schaller FR option. Looks like it'd be ok to swap the Lo-TRS with this...
> 
> Tremolo Floyd Rose | Schaller-Electronic



They have all the measurements of the trem directly on that site. Just compare that to measurements of your Lo-TRS. 

Remember the ruler is your friend.


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## Bungle (Mar 19, 2010)

Actually yeah, I'm a fuckwit, just remembered I've got a seven string


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## MaxOfMetal (Mar 19, 2010)

Your only options are either an Ibanez trem, a TRS, or an OFR. Gotoh, Schaller, and others have yet to release a 7-string double locking trem.


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## avenger (Mar 24, 2010)

MaxOfMetal said:


> It should also be mentioned that whatever trem anyone gets for any guitar, you're going to have to purchase, or make, some saddle shims, as other than Ibanez hardware on guitars with Ibanez necks, the radii will NOT match up.


 
Can you expand on this abit please.



MaxOfMetal said:


> Your only options are either an Ibanez trem, a TRS, or an OFR. Gotoh, Schaller, and others have yet to release a 7-string double locking trem.


 
So an OFR7 IS a direct (or pretty freaking close) swap for the LO-TRS on my Rg7420? I really ened to know because I want to setup a graphtech piezo system on my 7420 when I give it the epic facelift. If the OFR7 fits and I can find one in black then get the ghost saddles for it, that would be a sweet axe IMO.

Any help would be great, +1 if anyone has actually done it.


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## MaxOfMetal (Mar 24, 2010)

avenger said:


> Can you expand on this abit please.
> 
> 
> 
> ...



According to the tech/info sections on Jemsite the Lo-TRS and OFR are direct replacements. At worst you'll have a small amount of sanding to do to make it 100%. Though, the best thing for you to do would be to measure the route on your RG7420 and then e-mail Floyd Rose directly to get specs, then match them up. 

I've seen the Lo-TRS to OFR swap done on 6s, but not 7s so I can't tell you with 100% certainty it will work. It'll take about a minute to send FR and e-mail, and about two minutes to measure your guitar. It's REALLY worth it to be $100% sure.

As for the radius. Ibanez guitars (at least the majority of MIJ ones, including your RG7420) are made from the factory to have a matching 430mm (roughly 17") radius on the nut, fretboard, and trem. The matching radius allows for the action to be super low and even across all strings. Though, the only trems that are made to be 17" from factory are those on Ibanez guitars. Other trems are made to a 10" radius. With the mismatched radius, getting super low action on all strings is not as easy, as the outer strings will always be perceivably lower then the middle ones. 

Luckily, you can get shims for the saddles on the trem, so you can turn a stock 10" radius OFR into a 17" radius trem. Problem solved.


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## avenger (Mar 24, 2010)

Perfect I will keep you guys updated on the results, if I can get an OFR7 w/piezo saddles I will be a VERY happy man.

Thanks for the help.

EDIT: Opp one more quick question, can I just keep the nut that is on my RG right now or do I have to switch to some OFR nut? >< if question is noob. I don't see why I would have to change the nut, but then again I am no guitar tech.

EDIT: For future referencesit has been done

Can I swap a 7 string Ibanez lo-TRS for an OFR? - Guitars101 - Guitar Forums


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## BigPhi84 (Mar 24, 2010)

No, you wouldn't have to change the nut.


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## Bungle (Mar 25, 2010)

Schaller made 7 string OFR on EvilBay. Might flip a coin to decide  

Original Floyd Rose® 7 String Tremolo, Black - eBay Guitar Parts, Parts Accessories, Guitar, Musical Instruments. (end time 17-Apr-10 03:00:19 AEST)


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## Enzo (Apr 30, 2010)

Hey Bungle, i've bought a OFR7 those days from this site:

Guitar Parts Depot by GPDUSA.COM

It's all good, it has the "Made in Germany" under the backplate, it came with all the parts, etc etc etc.
Obs: The OFR packaging is cheap as hell, just pay attention to the whole packaging so you don't loose any screws, i almost lost the bar retainer screws... The packaging really sucks...

By the way, buying from Ed roman ? Oh snap...

My first post, haha. I hope it helps...

Sorry for my horrible english ! 

Good luck !


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