Mod your RS 4.

[JOYCEfromNS]

So has anyone done any mods to their RS 4

Being a a big fan of the 80's Larrivee RS 4 and Floyd Rose

I just heard about these:

Floyd Rose for LP Style

So it got me a thinkin    Wonder if the new Floyds will fit our RS 4's of the modern era

Any other Mods someone has done, PUP change etc etc

[Mikeymac]

I've not changed one thing on my RS-4 - save strings! I really can't think of anything I'd want to change on the RS-4, unless I really got bored and wanted to try some different pickups. But it's perfect the way it is; I don't even want to touch the solder joints...

However, on my RS-2, I've changed the pickup covers from cream to black, also knobs ... then (speaking of tremolos) I added a Bigsby for a year or so, then removed it (thought about putting it on my SG, but that's up for sale now).

[headsup]

Ya, I think I wrote about my disagreement with the bridge P90, on the RS4-p90.
I swapped it out for an alnico 5 (came with 8's) that had higher resistance than the stock pup, so it was less brittle sounding and had more gain, (more balance between the two).

I think I also mentioned I swapped the standard roller bridge that came with that bigsby, with the Schaller one that had side to side adjustable saddles to centre them better of the pick-up poles.

I'll have to find those picks in my files.....

[unclrob]

Before I'd even think about considering the thought putting a floyd on anything I would run head first into a solid brick wall without a helmet......or at the very  until i passed out.

[Mikeymac]

One mod I think I need to make to my RS-2 is to lower the bridge pickup a little, but to do that, I think I'm going to have to shave down the cover some - it seems to be hitting the bottom of the pup cavity already. And, I've thought about putting the Bigsby back on - not sure I really gave it a chance/played it enough to decide if I like it.  I think a roller saddle would help.

[ducktrapper]

Like Mike, I've only changed strings. AFAIC, it's perfect the way it is. I hate Floyd Rose systems, by the way and I hard-tailed my strat because I'm not much in need of a whammy bar. I like the guitar to stay in tune and I can use my fingers to fake certain effects. 

[headsup]

hmmm, interesting, about the FR and "whammy".

My live gigs, with folks who hire me, as well as a trio I work with regularly, has me using the RS4-P90 with Bigsby, and i am a very aggressive user of said "whammy"
Like starting an open string a full tone lower, 9works well with E,A & D strings, and pulling up to pitch, I would consider aggressive.
As well as using the Bigsby to grind down a full tone or two, as part of a solo, and, my tuning is solid.
and thats live. It always comes back to pitch.
it's just too much fun, and the stage folks, and listeners always get a WTF look on their face.
really!you wanna try it sometime!

[L07 Shooting Star]

Like Mike, I've only changed strings. AFAIC, it's perfect the way it is. I hate Floyd Rose systems, by the way and I hard-tailed my strat because I'm not much in need of a whammy bar. I like the guitar to stay in tune and I can use my fingers to fake certain effects.  

I've never owned or played a guitar with the Floyd Rose for more than a few minutes so it would be unfair for me to judge them.  That said, I've been commissioned to remove a couple of them, if that means anything.  In one case, they wanted me to convert a floyd equipped strat to the standard strat nut and tremolo system.  In the other case they wanted me to put in a standard nut and block the trem altogether to make it into a hardtail like you did Ducktrapper.

FWIW, I think the best system, on a strat or strat clone at least, is the standard trem with locking tuners combined with a well-fitted, slotted, and polished standard stat nut.

Kurt

[headsup]

In my old 80's carved maple capped RS4 there was, and is now a FR unit, I had to install it, and its anAsian knock off, as I had little hopes for the results.
I was right, it's not fun.
On my other 80's RS4 there is a factory Kalhler, which is a lot better, but not great.
lets face it, doing serious things with those units is always gonna present challenges.

again, for me, the safest bet is always the bigsby style unit.
das just me though....

[ducktrapper]

I had a flashy purple Fender MIJ strat with Floyd Rose for several months and eventually brought it back and traded it for a sunburst American standard. Don't know what I was thinking. Costly lesson as I lost a few bucks on the deal. I'd rather use my volume pedal and with volume off, attack a bent string, increasing the volume while releasing the bend for effects similar to what Kevin describes. I just have no luck keeping guitars with whammies in tune.    

[Mikeymac]

again, for me, the safest bet is always the bigsby style unit.

das just me though....

You're one of the few I've heard swear by a Bigsby - most just swear at 'em! 

Johnny A is one of the few other artists I've heard say he likes the Bigsby, and doesn't have any problems with his returning to pitch (on his signature Gibson Johnny A model guitars - however, I notice that Gibson also offers them without the Bigsby, for those who are so inclined...).

[unclrob]

I've used Bigsby's since the 1970's.My MIDI partscaster with a Larrivee Bakersfield pu is my go to electric.

[Mikeymac]

I've used Bigsby's since the 1970's.My MIDI partscaster with a Larrivee Bakersfield pu is my go to electric.

unclrob, does that Tele have the vintage style tuners on it...and still stays in tune with the Bigsby?

If so, I think this is the genius of Leo's headstock/nut design. The nut is thin and the strings pass straight through on their way to the tuners. That thin nut creates minimum friction, along with the straight string alignment, and the break angle over the nut as well (although it is somewhat radical on the low E string, unless you wind the string from bottom to top up the post to reduce break angle.

I have a couple Bladerunner trem systems from Super Vee (in Colorado), and they recommend winding the strings from bottom to top on the post in order to reduce the break angle and help keep the strings in tune.  It does seem to help.

Super Vee trem options

[rockstar_not]

unclrob, does that Tele have the vintage style tuners on it...and still stays in tune with the Bigsby?

If so, I think this is the genius of Leo's headstock/nut design. The nut is thin and the strings pass straight through on their way to the tuners. That thin nut creates minimum friction, along with the straight string alignment, and the break angle over the nut as well (although it is somewhat radical on the low E string, unless you wind the string from bottom to top up the post to reduce break angle.

I have a couple Bladerunner trem systems from Super Vee (in Colorado), and they recommend winding the strings from bottom to top on the post in order to reduce the break angle and help keep the strings in tune.  It does seem to help.

Super Vee trem options

They are about 5 miles from my house.  The Super Vee only works on Fender Strat style guitars, without tilt-back headstocks and with Fender style trems.

[unclrob]

Rev it has grovers installed,My first Bigsbyed guitar was a 68 Gretsch Tenn.,after that a 53 Gibson Les Paul,a Gibson ES125TDC,then an SGand a Frankinsteen ES355.One you learn how to use a Bigsby your spoiled for life.I once installed one on a hardtail strat but me and strats just fit right hence the tele

[headsup]

LOVE this quote from unclrob

"once you learn how to use a Bigsby. you're spoiled for life"

YA MAN!!!!!

[unclrob]

If I need to I can do dive bombs and even a 1/4 pull up the trick is guiding the arm at all time's.....UNLESS...your doing a N.Young tune then all bets are off.I'm also getting ready put a Bigsby on my 78 built 3 pu parts caster using a modified 3 barral bridge.





                                                                                        I LOVE BIGSBY TREMS

[Mikeymac]

Rev it has grovers installed,My first Bigsbyed guitar was a 68 Gretsch Tenn.,after that a 53 Gibson Les Paul,a Gibson ES125TDC,then an SGand a Frankinsteen ES355.One you learn how to use a Bigsby your spoiled for life.I once installed one on a hardtail strat but me and strats just fit right hence the tele

I'm going to try my lefty Bigsby on this one (which I was going to sell, but it's getting the pickups pulled...so, might as well give it another go round with the Bigsby on it):

[L07 Shooting Star]

Rev it has grovers installed,My first Bigsbyed guitar was a 68 Gretsch Tenn.,after that a 53 Gibson Les Paul,a Gibson ES125TDC,then an SGand a Frankinsteen ES355.One you learn how to use a Bigsby your spoiled for life.I once installed one on a hardtail strat but me and strats just fit right hence the tele

And Rob, don't forget to include the Gretsch Pro-Jet with Bigsby you sold me a few years ago.  It's a great guitar.  I still haven't used the trem on it that much to tell you the truth.  But when I do, it returns to pitch pretty well.  If it doesn't, you just have to ease it back into position on the fly, so to speak.  I love it.  I like the standard trem on my MIJ standard strat just as much, again not using it that much.  I think having a smooth and slippery string path from saddle to nut is the key on any trem system.  On the strat, finding the sweet spot in terms of adjusting the tension springs is a key factor.  Once you get that adjusted perfectly, stick to the same strings and all is good.  JMHO.

[headsup]

is there a bigsby forum around here somewhere? or maybe just trem/whammy threads....

For those who do indulge in such silliness, I strongly recommend the start down, then pull up game.
I'm hardly the inventor of this concept, I just started doing it on a gig once and have a lot of fun with it,
here's the deal. (in right handed terms)

you reach around the front of your guitar with your neckhand (left)push down on the bar on your open E,A or D string, depending on what key, or what your desired effect is.
pick that string, release the bar to get back to the neck for the next chord required..

So say it's an E you want.
reach around push down the bar (matters not how far) pick the string with your pick, release and it boings itself up to the E you wanted.
slow, fast, different keys, different strings, always gets attention.

Ok send cheques payable to......