The Guitar Gallery Forums - The Guitar Legacy of Matsumoku

Hi all. I have an Act 3 on an Inazuma V that I own. The guitar was played very little and is in excellent shape plus its a rar paint scheme so its an important guitar to me. The tremolo seems to go out of tune the same on all strings across the board, usually high. Has this happened to anyone. Is the Act 3 a good tremolo in your opinion. Should I try to replace with a Floyd and will a Floyd even fit? Any help is appreciated. I do a lot of work on my guitars as I own about 25 or so but tremolos just aren't my strong point. Thanks guys.

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86 Aria Pro Knight Warrior
84 Aria Pro Inazuma II
84 Aria Pro Inazuma Zebra
83 Aria Pro Cardinal CS-350/400
For starters...lol

I've heard nothing particularly bad about the ACT3, but that doesn't mean much as I've never actually seen one on a guitar.

I'm not too sure what the problem would be with yours; I aasume that you have set it up floating? Hoe many springs do you use? Are the knife edges still keen and the fulcrums still OK?

I know I settled tuning issues on an Westone Spectrum LX equipped with a Bendmastef Deluxe by installing a Goldo Backbox trem setter; perhaps an option for you?

Installing a FR may not be an option without extensive fitting issues but I do know some of the Westone lads have installed a Gotoh floating trem as a drop in replacement....

Hey Corsair. How are you. Yes I agree the Act 3's are usually pretty good. I have others and don't have much issue. What I ended up doing was oiling the point where the knife edges meet the studs, re-stretching the strings using the Fruda method, hes an Italian guitar builder that has some excellent maintenance videos on youtube, and also changed the way I applied the bottom string lock at the bridge. I usually run the strings trough the block and then lock the bridge string lock in place and then finish stringing the guitar. By doing it that way that bit of string from the bottom of the trem block to the lock at the bridge doest get stretched. I know that short piece is under lock but it can slip a little when you use the bar. Instead I string the guitar, stretch the string, loosen the strings a little to take tension off, retighten the bridge string lock, re-tune, tighten the neck locking nut, and that's it! Stayed in tune perfect.

As far as changing to an original Floyd its way too much work especially considering the guitar is a black and white stripe Zebra finish which is a rare bird to start cutting into. I would have to re dowl the current holes for the studs and re drill. I ended up doing the measurements and the Floyd studs are further apart. Not tomention the Act 3 really is a good tremolo, I just was setting it up wrong. Thanks Corsair for your advice!!

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86 Aria Pro Knight Warrior
84 Aria Pro Inazuma II
84 Aria Pro Inazuma Zebra
83 Aria Pro Cardinal CS-350/400
For starters...lol

Hi

I think you can change it with a Floyd Rose, if it's the case, keep your tremolo for me, I can buy your ACT3.

First , you must take in consideration, the money you want to spend for this operation.

If you do it yourself, you must have all the information,tools, patience, time and precision to realize this, and all the steps are not as easy as it seems.

If you pay a professional to to this, you must add the price of this precision work.

Don't buy your Floyd Rose on the net cose of a cheap price, cose cheap often means bad quality like chinese ones (copies)

Buy it on an official Floyd Rose Seller. Now you must choose the color and metal, titane Gold chrome black,
and believe me the prices are very high in this moment, but the quality is here, some of them can cost over 200$ or 30t0 $
a lot of Floyd Rose had and still have a problem with the whammy bar, Gotoh have resolved the problem and they are better.

Know only that the quality of the material depends on the quality of the metal, and Floyd Rose are manufactured for higher qulaity
in Germany cose the metal is a very high quality one and the sound better than bad ones made of bad quality.

You must know that the spaces between holes of the studs are not the same for ARIA and FLOYD ROSE tremolos, so you
must have exactly length between the center of studs cose you will have realize several things, make another holes for new studs
and dig in the wood in the back, for the length of the springs, and also see if you change or not the nut in plastic, graphite or metal ?

And for which kind of music, cose the different metal make different sound colour and sustain ..........

You're describing a tremolo which is pulling sharp. That usually means you have too much tension on the springs.

Any trem unit will pull sharp, or flat, if not properly balanced. As Corsair asked, "is it floating?" Ideally the plate should be parallel to the body. That indicates that it's in balance. In your case I'd guess that the back end of the trem is angled down, into the cavity.

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