# Thoughts on the 8 string Floyd Rose Pro?



## 888 (Feb 7, 2016)

I've recently been looking for a second eight and I'm considering the Agile Interceptor 827 FR (Agile Interceptor 827 RN CP FR Oceanburst Quilt Floyd - RondoMusic.com). I've heard that the 8 string Kahlers on some Agiles are terrible, so I'm skeptical about the Floyd as well. Is it a stable and reliable tremolo system?


----------



## oversteve (Feb 7, 2016)

imo any trem functionality on 8 strings is a lame idea since it will be close to impossible to hold 70+ strings in tune after the trem tricks


----------



## MaxOfMetal (Feb 7, 2016)

I have an Agile with an 8-string Floyd and, aside from replacing the arm holder with a Schaller one ($15), it functions great. No tuning issues, holds big strings, isn't stiff. Functions just like a 6 or 7 string unit.


----------



## Action (Feb 7, 2016)

oversteve said:


> imo any trem functionality on 8 strings is a lame idea since it will be close to impossible to hold 70+ strings in tune after the trem tricks



real experiences >> speculation, not everything works like it would seem it works


----------



## Sumsar (Feb 7, 2016)

Mattias talks about (and shows some examples) 8 string with floyd rose. Note that he says that his lowest string is a 0.65 I believe.


----------



## oversteve (Feb 7, 2016)

Action said:


> real experiences >> speculation, not everything works like it would seem it works



it's based on real experience, yup, not everything works like it would seem to work  after few deep divebombs and flutters the lowest string went out of tune so that it was audiable


----------



## Mangle (Feb 7, 2016)

The quality of Mattias' instrument in that vid. makes it seem possible and even desirable but would anyone's execution of trickery and flamboyance on a lower tier totem w/ FR 8 come off as well? Prolly not? It's the only reason I would avoid the power of the floating whammy myself (or have in the past).


----------



## MaxOfMetal (Feb 7, 2016)

Just do a quick pull up after diving, just like on some 6s and 7s.



Mangle said:


> The quality of Mattias' instrument in that vid. makes it seem possible and even desirable but would anyone's execution of trickery and flamboyance on a lower tier totem w/ FR 8 come off as well? Prolly not? It's the only reason I would avoid the power of the floating whammy myself (or have in the past).



There is only one Floyd 8, so the one on a $600 Agile and that $5300 Caparison is identical.


----------



## Hollowway (Feb 7, 2016)

Yeah, I've got an Agile 827 with Floyd, and I love it. Like Max said, the arm on it sucks - it's wobbly and comes loose all the time. But the actual trem functions really well. I prefer Floyds over Kahlers, so I was happy to see this worked well. The Kahlers I have (on 8s) drop the pitch of the lowest string almost immediately, and the high E barely changes. On the Floyd the high E drops a little more (although, only a half step), but the lowest string doesn't go completely loose nearly as fast, making it much more useful. I'm surprised we don't see FR8s on guitars other than the Schecter and Agiles. I'd love an Aries 8FR, or DC800FR, or an Ibby, etc.


----------



## Sumsar (Feb 7, 2016)

^ You can buy the part that holds the trem arm (the part that you can unscrew on the back) in a german made version which is much better than the korean ones that are on 7 string and I believe 8 string FR? Its a 10 euro upgrade that is very well worth it.


----------



## Hollowway (Feb 7, 2016)

Sumsar said:


> ^ You can buy the part that holds the trem arm (the part that you can unscrew on the back) in a german made version which is much better than the korean ones that are on 7 string and I believe 8 string FR? Its a 10 euro upgrade that is very well worth it.



Oh, the collar is for sale apart from the arm? I didn't know that, but that's for the tip.  I've just been using the arm from a different trem.

Edit: This? http://www.floydrose.com/catalog/parts/original-7-string/arm-coupling-kit


----------



## Sumsar (Feb 7, 2016)

Yes indeed. I just did that to my SLAT3-7 which had a loose feel to the arm. Uppon changing them I was amazed at how different they where. Both in terms on quality but also just the fact that the dimensions are a little different - it is shorter, but fits well with the trem and the arm.


----------



## Lloksaadvi (Feb 7, 2016)

so can the 8 string Floyd flutter? You'd think it wouldn't flutter very well because of the tension, am I wrong or right?


----------



## MaxOfMetal (Feb 7, 2016)

Lloksaadvi said:


> so can the 8 string Floyd flutter? You'd think it wouldn't flutter very well because of the tension, am I wrong or right?



Everyone goes on about the string tension as if it's really much different than most 6s and 7s, and don't forget it's still balanced by the springs. 

Needless to say, they flutter just fine. When setup properly of course.


----------



## Hollowway (Feb 8, 2016)

Lloksaadvi said:


> so can the 8 string Floyd flutter? You'd think it wouldn't flutter very well because of the tension, am I wrong or right?



Love that picture of James Hetfield in your avatar!


So guys, for the fix for these, should one (aka me) switch out just the collar, or both the collar and the arm? If I can get the best result with switching both, I'll do just that.


----------



## Sumsar (Feb 8, 2016)

I only switched the collar and now it feels like my 6 string which has an OFR. It seems the trem and the arm is fine - the collar is sh!t


----------



## Mangle (Feb 8, 2016)

MaxOfMetal said:


> Just do a quick pull up after diving, just like on some 6s and 7s.
> 
> 
> 
> There is only one Floyd 8, so the one on a $600 Agile and that $5300 Caparison is identical.



Uh yeah, I get that chief. But the quality of a $600 Agile and a $5,300 Caparison is pretty different I guess.


----------



## MaxOfMetal (Feb 8, 2016)

Mangle said:


> Uh yeah, I get that chief. But the quality of a $600 Agile and a $5,300 Caparison is pretty different I guess.



How does build quality influence the trem? 

It doesn't. At all. As long as the posts are mounted true and the bridge is setup properly it'll perform outside how fancy the woods are, how even the fretwork is, or where the instrument was assembled. 

Bridges aren't sentient, they don't go "oh, I'm installed in an expensive guitar, I guess I'll function better now".


----------



## trem licking (Feb 8, 2016)

just to further iterate on what maxofmetal said along with further clarification, there is only one 8 string floyd and it's the 1000 series so it will be a carbon copy of the German floyds in build materials and quality... just made in Korea. For absolute tuning stability on any floyd new or old, put some chapstick on the knife edges/trem posts where they meet and you should have perfect tuning provided you stretch ALL your strings till they can be stretched no more. 

in any case with floyds, make sure new strings are stretched to hell before lockdown, make sure your trem posts do not move at all in the guitar body, and lube the knife edges and you should stay in tune the entire duration of string life with very very minor fine adjustments... from 6 strings to infinity.


----------



## MaxOfMetal (Feb 8, 2016)

trem licking said:


> there is only one 8 string floyd and it's the 1000 series so it will be a carbon copy of the German floyds in build materials and quality... just made in Korea.



Folks really need to stop parroting this when issues with 1000 series arm holders are so incredibly widely known. 

While materials might be identical, obviously machine tolerances are a little bit different.


----------



## trem licking (Feb 8, 2016)

The info on the trem arm holder mod is good info for sure, i'm just repeating the intention from floyd rose on these bridges and to inform people that these are supposed to be the same as the 1000 series 6 and 7 string bridges.


----------



## Sumsar (Feb 8, 2016)

If we are going full retard on well known things for floyd roses I guess the following should also be mentioned, especially if OP intends to djent, since it is an 8 string:
Mute the springs on the back! On palm mutes they can keep ringing (which bleeds into the strings/pickups) for like 0.5 - 1 second. There are many ways to do this: putting rubber inside the springs, put cloth under the springs etc etc.


----------



## Mangle (Feb 8, 2016)

MaxOfMetal said:


> How does build quality influence the trem?
> 
> It doesn't. At all. As long as the posts are mounted true and the bridge is setup properly it'll perform outside how fancy the woods are, how even the fretwork is, or where the instrument was assembled.
> 
> Bridges aren't sentient, they don't go "oh, I'm installed in an expensive guitar, I guess I'll function better now".



Build quality in a guitar is everything and so is the quality of the materials. Sub par materials (woods) function much differently from higher qualities. I've seen posts fail repeatedly in guitars like Agile. You believe what you want, you're definitely allowed too. But, I never said anything about the quality of the trem as much as you'd like everyone else to believe that. My original post just says I wouldn't trust that trem to perform the exact same way in those two different guitars. Because compared to that Caparison that Agile is a giant hunk of sh*t.


----------



## trem licking (Feb 8, 2016)

you probably have seen posts fail in basswood and/or alder guitars, which i don't think agile even makes any basswood/alder guitars. agile use mahogany and ash mostly, which is a much harder wood and can take the stresses imposed on trem posts much better.


----------



## Ram150023 (Feb 8, 2016)

@Mangle... My Douglas 7 with the Floyd is still in excellent shape being 6 years old from Rondo. And that's an even cheaper guitar than the Agile's.

Yeah there's some bad eggs... But Agiles and the others are actually not bad guitars especially for the price!


----------



## benny (Feb 11, 2016)

Same experience as MaxOfMetal and Hollowway here, the Agile 827 Floyd I had from the initial run held tuning great. It worked just like any other Floyd Rose tremolo. Set it up well and it'll treat you well.


----------



## IChuckFinleyI (Feb 13, 2016)

oversteve said:


> it's based on real experience, yup, not everything works like it would seem to work  after few deep divebombs and flutters the lowest string went out of tune so that it was audiable



Funny how the exact same thing happens on a 6 or 7 string that's not setup properly.


----------

