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Floyd Rose Tremolos for Left Hand Guitars: Original and Genuine

  • Writer: Gaskell Guitars Australia
    Gaskell Guitars Australia
  • Aug 5
  • 22 min read

Updated: 5 days ago

The following is the ultimate guide on left handed Floyd Rose tremolos: genuine, licensed, and proprietary - past and present. Nowhere else on the internet will you find all this information in one place.


This article is in three parts:



Overview


Musician Floyd Rose invented his original guitar tremolo in 1976. In 1979, he was granted U.S. Patent No. 4,171,661 "Guitar tremolo method and apparatus" for the double-locking mechanism at both the bridge and nut.

Rose made his early models out of his garage and presented them publicly at the 1980 NAMM Show. Shortly thereafter he partnered with Fernandes Electric Sound Research Group Co. Ltd. of Japan to produce further prototypes and the first production models. Fernandes used factories in Japan to manufacture the units.


Rose was introduced to Eddie Van Halen through a mutual friend and Van Halen began using Rose's products on his guitars.


Rose met executives from Kramer Guitars at the 1982 NAMM show and thereafter formed a partnership in 1983. Eddie Van Halen had also signed with Kramer earlier.


The first production tremolos made by Fernandes were fitted exclusively to Kramer guitars in the United States beginning in 1982. The bodies and necks of the guitars were built at the ESP factory in Japan and shipped to the United States for assembly. Rose filed for a patent for the fine tuners on March 15, 1982.


With input from Eddie Van Halen, the final design was released in 1983. In the same year the Kramer Baretta was released which quickly became Kramer's flagship model due to its association with Eddie Van Halen.



Kramer decided to use German company Schaller to manufacture the new Floyd Rose range and used local company Hansen Metalworks to do an interim run of 800 units during the 6 months it took for Schaller to begin production. Fernandes continued to produce Floyd Rose tremolos for the Japanese market.


The "locking tremolo" concept spread quickly throughout the Music industry which led to other parts distributors and guitar brands making their own copies. To safeguard his patent rights, Rose devised an innovative strategy to grant sub-licenses to interested manufacturers, allowing them to produce their own units or OEM units for other guitar brands that wished to utilize them. Authorized manufacturers would have to display a licensing statement on their products to validate their authenticity and to differentiate them from the genuine originals.


From 1985 Kramer ended the Fernandes contract leaving Schaller to produce all original models thereafter. The Schaller originals continued to be marketed and distributed exclusively by Kramer.


Floyd Rose filed for a further patent for Fine Tuners on February 4, 1985 for which was awarded as U.S. Patent No. 4,549,461 on October 29, 1985. On February 5, 1985 the patent applied for in 1982 for the Fine Tuners was awarded as U.S. Patent No. 4,497,236.

Kramer went bankrupt in 1991 and Fender took over distribution until 2005. From 2005 distribution returned to Floyd Rose. Under Floyd Rose's control Schaller remained the producer of the Original Floyd Rose (OFR) tremolos and OEM production was moved fully to Korea.


AP International Music Supply in the United States is the current distributor of Floyd Rose original products.


Rose applied for a worldwide Design Patent for "Fine tuning tremolo bridge unit for a guitar" in 1989 which was awarded in 1992 as USD324693S.

U

SD324693S

Guitar brands that adopted the Floyd Rose systems include Aria Pro II, B.C Rich, Carvin, Charvel, Epiphone, ESP, EVH, Fender, Fernandes, Framus, Gaskell, Gibson, Hamer, Ibanez, Jackson, Kramer, Music Man, Peavey, Samick, Schecter, Tokai, Tom Anderson, Vester, Washburn, Westone, and Yamaha.


Schaller produced the Original Floyd Rose OEM systems for various guitar brands up until the early 2000s after which original OEM production went fully to Korea.


Early OEM manufacturers of well-known licensed Floyd Rose tremolos were Takeuchi, Gotoh, Kahler, Jin Ah, and Ping Well. These companies manufactured units under OEM arrangements for multiple guitar brands. Licensed units were most often stamped "Licensed Under Floyd Rose Patents" on the base plate or tail.


  • Takeuchi of Japan manufactured licensed Floyd Rose tremolos for Ibanez, Jackson, Charvel, Yamaha, Fernandes, Aria Pro II, and Washburn, among others until the 2000s.

  • Gotoh made their own licensed tremolo as a direct replacement for an Original Floyd Rose and supplied theirs as OEM units to Aria Pro II, B.C Rich, Ibanez, Music Man, Peavey, and Fernandes from 1986.


  • Kahler made several proprietary models during the 1980s and 1990s combining Floyd Rose and Kahler patents. These were supplied as OEM units for such brands as Carvin and B.C Rich. Kahler left the industry in the early 1990s but returned in 2005 and is now most famous for its own guitar bridges and tremolos.


  • Ping Well in Taiwan produced genuine Floyd Rose systems as well as OEM versions for guitar brands such as Peavey and Fernandes in the 1990s and 2000s.

  • Jin Ah was a Korean company that produced OEM licensed Floyd Rose and proprietary systems for many brands in the 1980s and 1990s including Fernandes, Samick, B.C Rich, Aria Pro II, Charvette by Charvel, Washburn, Westone, Marlin, Hohner, Hondo, Vester, Epiphone, Vantage, and Dean Guitars. Many of these brands were made at the same factories in Korea. Jin Ah is best known for the widely used "Bendmaster" tremolo.

Fernandes, Ibanez, Yamaha, Aria, Tokai, and ESP went on to produce proprietary versions of modified Floyd Rose-style systems for their own guitar brands. Often they used the same factories with just different branding for the same parts. Schaller also produced an exclusive system for Fender Japan.

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  • ESP produced their early "Magician" clone and then licensed "ESP Synclear Tremolo" for their Japanese-made guitars during the 1980s and 1990s.


  • Yamaha produced their licensed "Rocking Magic" series of tremolos until the early 2000s.


  • Fernandes continued and further developed the original Floyd Rose units that they made for Rose and Kramer to become the "Head Crasher," then "FRT" Tremolo Systems until 1997.


  • Ibanez developed its own proprietary systems during the 1980s using Gotoh to manufacture the first models and then went on to further develop their own systems which they use to this day.


  • Aria Pro II used several unique tremolos made by Jin Ah of Korea during the 1980s, such as the"ACT-3." This same unit was also used by Washburn.


  • Tokai produced a range of tremolo systems using Floyd Rose technologies as the "Ayers Rocker" series during the 1980s.


  • Schaller made the "Blade Shooter" tremolo system exclusively for Fender Japan during the 1980s. There were eventually three versions, known outside Japan as "System I", "System II", and "System III."

​

The main Floyd Rose patent expired in 2003 after which licensing was no longer necessary. This led to a slew of Asian manufacturers making copies of varying quality. By 2008, all the original patents had expired.


In the early days of mass manufacturing in China, factories imported their musical instrument hardware from Korea. China did not start manufacturing their own hardware until the late 2000s. To combat the flood of cheap copies from China, Floyd Rose released the "Floyd Rose Special" in 2008. Like the current OEM 1000 Series, this unit is also made in Korea but uses cheaper materials than the German and Korean originals, while maintaining the excellence you would expect from a genuine Floyd Rose product.  

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The following information is the definitive guide on Floyd Rose tremolos (and variants) for left-handed guitars.

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I will get this out of the way first: I am a big fan of Floyd Rose tremolos. I owned an original lefty Kramer back in the 1980s. I am very familiar with each of the OFR, Schaller and Gotoh tremolos. I also like the modern Ibanez systems. I also like Kahler tremolos too. 

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If you are keen on upgrading your lefty guitar with a better-quality tremolo or replacing the one you have, then here are your choices:



Floyd Rose Original Tremolo System

(Made in Germany, 1983 - 2025)


Status: Phased out


The first production Floyd Rose tremolos were made in Japan by Fernandes Electric Sound Research Group Co. Ltd. from 1982, with the final double-locking design with fine tuners made from 1983. The very first FRT-5s were manufactured by Hansen Metalworks in the United States, who did an interim run of 800 units while Schaller was getting ready for production. The final "whale tail" design was designated "FRT-5" by Fernandes. In the USA, it was referred to simply as the "Floyd Rose Tremolo System." Kramer was the exclusive worldwide distributor. Parts and complete units were shipped to the United States for exclusive assembly by Kramer in the United States.


The double-locking tremolo with fine tuners first appeared in the 1983 Kramer catalog and was first featured on guitars in the Pacer, Voyager, and Vanguard series, and then on the new Baretta, released later in 1983.



Schaller became sole manufacturer of Original Floyd Rose tremolos from 1985. All products were made in Germany. They were originally etched with "Floyd Rose" on the base plate until about 1987 after which they were embossed with "Floyd Rose Original" thereafter.


By 1987, Kramer was using ESP exclusively for manufacturing its necks and bodies across the American Series, Focus Series, and Signature lines.


Kramer did make left hand versions of their U.S-assembled Pacer, Baretta, and "E.E" Pro I Series (1987-1988), as well as their Japanese-made Focus 1000 Series (1986-1987) with German Original Floyd Rose tremolos.


1986 Kramer Focus 3000 - Made in Japan by ESP
1986 Kramer Focus 3000 - Made in Japan by ESP

All Floyd Rose products continued to be marketed and distributed exclusively by Kramer until their collapse in 1990. Fender USA became distributor until 2005. AP International is the current distributor. ​


The modern double-locking Original Floyd Rose tremolo is designated the "100 Series" and is almost unchanged from the original Fernandes/Schaller 1983 production model. The modern unit is made of high-quality hardened steel and the sustain block is made of nickel-plated brass. Saddles are CNC-machined hardened steel. The left handed product code is "FRT-100L."


While the German-made tremolo has been the flagship Original Floyd Rose model for decades, in the last few years there has been an increase of negative public opinion about quality and consistency.


Lefty versions used to be available in chrome, satin chrome, black, gold, black nickel, vintage copper, and satin pearl, but as of late 2025, black, black nickel, and vintage copper have so far been deleted as the Schaller versions become phased out.


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Floyd Rose USA Series Original Tremolo

(Made in USA, 2025 - present)


From 2025, Floyd Rose production has been brought back to the United States at their new state-of-the-art CNC and 3D printing facility in North Carolina. This was first announced at the March 2025 NAMM show. By transitioning to in-house production, Floyd Rose gains direct oversight of every aspect of the manufacturing process, making it easier to implement design updates, fine-tune quality control, and ensure highest production standards. In a 2025 statement President Andrew Papiccio said:


“Our process ensures tighter specifications and enhanced quality,” he says. By keeping production local, Floyd Rose maintains rigorous standards and supports American craftsmanship."


The 100 series has always been Floyd Rose's flagship model and the new USA-made unit is now the "USA Series Original Tremolo." It is made of high-quality hardened steel and the sustain block is made of nickel-plated brass. Saddles are precision CNC manufactured and come in multiple radius options, eliminating the need for individual saddle shims. Alongside the traditional 12” radius, Floyd Rose Original Saddles are now available in 10”, 14”, 16”, and 17” radii. Locking nuts are 3D printed. The base is stamped "Floyd Rose Original" at the top.


NOTE: It is not clear if, or when, lefty versions of the USA Series are being produced. According to the Floyd Rose website, it looks like leftover stock of German products are still being sold off.


I am an authorized Australian dealer of Original Floyd Rose products and you can buy from me directly. Click here.




Floyd Rose Original Non-Fine-Tuner Tremolo

(1983 - 1986, 2015 - present)


Status: Reintroduced


Floyd Rose's original tremolo system did not have fine tuners. It was initially built by Rose himself and Fernandes of Japan from 1982. Sometimes Rose used a mix of USA and Japanese parts for his own builds. The initial model number according to Fernandes was "FRT-1." After a quick redesign of the saddles, it became the "FRT-3," which was sold from the second half of 1982. The ones made by Floyd personally have a sticker on the block that says "ROSE Tremolo Pat # 4,171,661 USA."


The FRT-3 was the first production model to be engraved with "Floyd Rose" branding on the upper base plate. In the USA it was marketed as the "Floyd Rose Tremolo System."


After partnering with Kramer in 1983, Kramer brought in Schaller to take over manufacturing from Fernandes, and from late 1983 Schaller produced both the non-fine-tuner tremolo and fine-tuner tremolo (today's 100 Series) thereafter. The German-made non-fine-tuner tremolo was used on the Kramer Striker Series from 1983 until 1986. There were left handed models, such as this 1985 left handed Striker 300ST. The non-fine tuner tremolo was discontinued in 1986.



After an absence of 25 years, Floyd Rose re-released this tremolo in 2015 following revived interest in it, particularly because of guitarists Guthrie Govan, Brad Gillis, and Yngwie Malmsteen. Today it is called the "non fine tuner" tremolo. The reissued model was made by Schaller and was not available left-handed. I mention this here in the hope that now that Floyd Rose's operation is USA-based, they will easily be able to produce it left-handed too. I await hearing back from AP International on that one.



Floyd Rose II single-locking

(1987)


Status: Obsolete


​In 1987, Floyd Rose released the "Floyd Rose II" tremolo, which was made of cast iron. The strings are fed through horizontal tubes at the rear and do not have to have their ball ends cut off. It only locks at the neck. It has fine tuners. This was a genuine Floyd Rose product, made by Schaller in Germany for lower-priced guitars made in Korea. It is almost identical to the Fernandes "Head Crasher FRT-6," which Fernandes released two years earlier. (See Part 3.)


It was cast with "Floyd Rose II" at the top of the base plate and "Made In Germany by Schaller" at the bottom of the base plate. It was produced for one year only. It had a very rough "orange peel" finish.


The Floyd Rose II was used on the 1987 Kramer Striker Series, while U.S-assembled Kramers and Japanese Focus Series continued to be built with the Original Floyd Rose double-locking tremolo. The 1987 Striker Series were available in left hand.


An OEM-branded version of the single-locking Floyd Rose II was used on several Japanese Charvel guitars from 1989 - 1991, replacing the Jackson OEM JT6 (Ping Well) but none left handed that I know of.




Floyd Rose II double-locking

(1988 - 2000)


Status: Obsolete


From 1988, the Floyd Rose II name was reapplied to a cast-iron version of the double-locking Original Floyd Rose, for import models. This unit was also made by Schaller in Germany. The knife edges had replaceable inserts like Schaller's own proprietary licensed tremolo (see Part 3.) It had "Floyd Rose II" cast into the top of the base plate. As with the single-locking version, it has a very rough "orange peel" finish. This was a genuine Floyd Rose product. 


The double-locking Floyd Rose II first appeared on the 1988-1989 Kramer "100-Series" made in Korea, including this 1988 left-handed Kramer Striker 615; and the 1989 Kramer Japan-only TK Series. (Other Japan-only Kramers came with Original Floyd Rose tremolos.)


1989 was the last year of original Kramer guitars as the company went bankrupt in 1990.


I am not sure what other guitar brands other than Kramer, if any, produced left handed guitars with the stock double-locking Floyd Rose II, however OEM branded versions were common. See following.


From my research it seems the Floyd Rose II may have been dropped around 2000.


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OEM supply


Floyd Rose offered both the single locking and double locking Floyd Rose II tremolos as branded OEM versions and these were adopted by Jackson, Carvin, Charvel, Hamer, Gibson, Music Man, Peavey, and Washburn for some of their production guitars through to the 1990s. These OEM models retained the "orange peel" finish of the stock Floyd Rose II.


OEM units were embossed on the face of the upper base plate with the guitar brand name and embossed on the lower face of the base plate with "Made in Germany by Schaller." The tail had "Licensed Under Floyd Rose Patents" embossed with a border around the statement. Two U.S patent numbers were engraved in the block.


  • For Jackson the string-through version was model "JT-570" and the double-locking version was "JT-590." For Charvel the latter was the "FLC-202." They had "Jackson" or "Charvel" embossed on the top side of the base plate. No left handed guitars were produced with the JT-570. The JT-590 was used on the lefty Grover Jackson RR/L D-144. The identical FLC-202 was used on the 1989-1991 Japan-only, lefty Charvel 475 Deluxe and the 1990-1991 Japan-only lefty Charvel DK-095-SSHL.


  • Carvin switched from Kahler tremolos to the double locking OEM tremolo in 1990. It was listed in Carvin catalogs as the "FC3" from 1990-1993. All Carvin guitars were offered left handed. (From 1994 Carvin switched to the Original Floyd Rose.) 


  • The very rare left-handed Hamer USA Californian produced in 1990 came with the double locking OEM tremolo and was stamped "Hamer" on the opposite side of the "Made in Germany..." inscription.


  • Gibson, Music Man, Peavey, and Washburn at that time either did not make left-handed guitars at all, or did not make left-handed guitars with this branded version of the Floyd Rose II, but did so for some of their right-handed guitars.


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Floyd Rose 1000 Series Original Style Tremolo System 


Status: Being phased out


On lower-cost guitars fitted with a genuine Floyd Rose tremolo, the unit was not made in Germany but made in Korea. Some Korean OEM production had been occurring since the 1980s for non-U.S guitar models but it was initially Schaller producing both the originals and OEM models for guitar brands while other manufacturers such as Gotoh, Takeuchi, and Ping Well were making their own OEM licensed versions.


Since about 2010 OEM versions of the Original Floyd Rose systems have been made in Korea by Sung-il Hightech Co Ltd. These OEM models were designated the "1000-Series" until 2020 after which they underwent a name change to "1000 Series Original Style Tremolo System."


The product description on the Floyd Rose website used to say:


"The 1000 Series Original is the Korean-made version of the Original Tremolo, made to the same specifications and materials, but is available only to guitar manufacturers and cannot be purchased aftermarket..."


Because it is a Floyd Rose genuine product, as with the earlier OEM Floyd Rose II, it does not have or need a "Licensed Under Floyd Rose Patents" statement. The 1000-Series is simply stamped with "Floyd Rose" on the base with only one exception: EVH guitars that use the 1000-Series have "EVH Floyd Rose" stamped on the base plate, apparently the result of a special arrangement between Floyd Rose and Eddie Van Halen. See the current left handed EVH Striped Series (Red with Black and White Stripes), the EVH left handed 5150 Series Standard, the EVH Wolfgang USA Left Hand, and the EVH left handed Wolfgang Special. This left handed 2012 Fender EVH Wolfgang Standard is an early example of the EVH-branded 1000L. The left handed EVH 1000 Series was even advertised on the Floyd Rose website alongside the 1000 Series Original during the 2010s.


1000-Series units have the "FR" logo and the website address stamped on the block. The lefty chrome version is the "FRT-01000L", the black is the "FRT-02000L" and gold is the "FRT-03000L."


Until the advent of the Floyd Rose Special, 1000-Series units were sometimes branded such as this 2016 lefty ESP LTD MH-103 QM. In 2023 AP International told me that this is no longer the practice.

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NOTE. Since the end of 2023, the 1000 has been deleted from the Sung iI website. As of 2025 Floyd Rose are doing a sell-off to the general public of 1000-Series leftover stock. Is it possible that Floyd Rose is bringing Korean production back to the USA too?




Floyd Rose Special Tremolo System


Status: Being phased out


The Floyd Rose "Special" was introduced in 2008, made in Korea exclusively for Floyd Rose. I believe this was produced to combat the flood of cheap Chinese Floyd Rose copies that were starting to come onto the market during the 2000s, and to undercut the cheaper but still high-quality licensed alternatives like the Takeuchi TRS-101 and Gotoh GE1996T. Takeuchi coincidentally went out of business two years later.


The Floyd Rose Special is exactly the same as the Korean-made OEM 1000 Series but uses zinc alloy saddles in place of steel and a zinc alloy sustain block in place of brass. It is branded "Floyd Rose Special" on the baseplate and has the "FR" logo on the block. It was also produced by Sung il.


NOTE. For some reason, both the 1000 and the Special have been deleted from the list of products on the Sung iI website. This appears to have happened in 2023. As of 2025 the Floyd Rose website has deleted some options in what appears to be a sell-off of remaining stock. Does this mean that Floyd Rose is bringing Korean production back to the USA too?


Unlike the OEM-only 1000 Series, the Special is available to the public and can be bought direct from Floyd Rose or from a reseller. Unfortunately, lefty versions weren't made available until 2020. The "S1000L" model is the lefty chrome version, the "S2000L" model is black, and the "S3000L" is the gold model.


The Special is the usual tremolo on mid-level guitars produced by all guitar brands today. AP International offers the option to stamp the Special. The standard stamping format is "[brand] by Floyd Rose." Jackson's current left handed JS32L Randy Rhoads made in China is an example.

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NOTE: From 2021, there was a left-handed 7-string Floyd Rose Special, model FRTSSS1000L, but as of 2025 they are "sold out" according to the Floyd Rose website. The 7-string lefty was available in chrome, black, black nickel, and gold. Guitars that have the lefty 7 string are the Schecter Jeff Loomis JL-7, the Sawtooth Americana Heritage HM724, and this Agile Interceptor Pro 725 EB DNC. Discontinued lefty models include this Washburn PXSOLAR170CLH Ola Englund Parallaxe Solar 7-String.


​


Floyd Rose 1500 Series


Status: Current


As stated on the Floyd Rose official website:


"The 1500 Series Tremolo is the upgraded version of the 1000 Series Tremolo with stainless steel screws and a Push-In tremolo arm. The bridge plate, saddles, insert blocks, studs & inserts, and locking nut retain those of the 1000 Series. Like the 1000 Series, the 1500 Series is only available to guitar manufacturers and is not available for aftermarket purchase.

You can upgrade your existing 1000 Series with these parts to make a 1500 Series:


• Push-In Tremolo Arm

• Stainless Steel Screws


The 1500 Series Original can be found in both 6 & 7 string versions."


Schecter and Charvel produce guitars with the 1500 Series.


If you are a lefty and want this for your guitar it has to be a D.I.Y. job.


I offer this upgrade service for left-handed Original Floyd Rose and Floyd Rose Specials. I also do Titanium upgrades. Contact me at gaskellguitars@mail.com if you want an upgraded Floyd Rose tremolo, if you do not want to do it yourself. I can supply the unit (while stocks last) or you can supply your own. Fees for the parts and work apply.



Fernandes 1981 - 1985 (Floyd Rose contract)


Fernandes Electric Sound Research Group Co. Ltd. of Japan was the original producer of Floyd Rose tremolos including the prototypes and first production models.


Fernandes is not a manufacturer themselves but used a number of Japanese factories to manufacture for them. They also have their own "Fernandes" and "Burny" brands of guitars and electronics, parts, and accessories. From the early to mid-1980s, Fernandes and Burny electric guitars were built at Tokai Gakki in Shizuoka. From 1986, they were built by Dyna Gakki in Nagano.


In all the years since, it has never been made public as to who Fernandes used for the Floyd Rose contract other than "a factory in Kyoto." However, a few telltale signs that kep coming up since I researched all of this has convinced me almost 100% that it was Gotoh, at least until Fernandes shifted production of their guitars from Japan to Korea. Four facts are:

1) Gotoh was the metal parts supplier for Fernandes,

2) Gotoh was the metal parts supplier for ESP,

3) ESP made the guitar necks and bodies for Kramer and eventually whole guitars,

4) Gotoh made Fernandes Floyd Rose clones for ESP Kramers during Kramer's bankruptcy.


Floyd Rose FRT-1, FRT-3

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Status: Obsolete


The first Floyd Rose tremolo manufactured through Fernandes was the one Floyd Rose had been manufacturing himself and selling directly since 1978. This early unit had the locking saddles but no fine tuners. Rose presented his first unit publicly at the 1980 NAMM Show where Rose and representatives of Fernandes first met. Fernandes began manufacturing it for Floyd Rose in 1982, and it appeared in Fernandes' own catalogs in 1982 as the "FRT-1."


It was advertised in the catalog as being available in both right-handed and left-handed versions and was used on the 1982 Fernandes left handed FV-135, and (according to the catalog) the 1982 Fernandes left handed EX-145 (Explorer.)



After a quick redesign of the saddles, the FRT-1 became the "FRT-3," released only 6 months later. The FRT-3 was the first production model to be engraved with "Floyd Rose" branding on the upper base plate. The FRT-3 first appeared in the 1983 Fernandes catalog. It was used on several models of the Fernandes FST Series and JST-100 Series until 1985. The German version was used on USA Kramer guitars.



Floyd Rose FRT-4


Status: Obsolete


With the addition of vertical fine tuners as recommended by Eddie Van Halen, the FRT-3 became the "FRT-4," also released in 1982. It was achieved by folding the rear of the base plate vertically and positioning the fine tuner knobs along the raised rear of the bridge. The FRT-4 was produced by Fernandes in Japan and was featured in the March 1983 Fernandes catalog alongside the FRT-3 and Fernandes' own proprietary "Head Banker" (See Part 3.) In the catalog it was advertised as being used on the Fernandes "The Function" Series FST-155 and FST-135.


The FRT-4 never made it into production in the United States due to complaints from Rose's most prominent user, Eddie Van Halen. After trialling it on Van Halen's 1982 "Diver Down" tour Van Halen commented that the location of the fine tuners interfered with his playing.



Floyd Rose FRT-5 / FRT-7


Status: Obsolete

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Eddie Van Halen's feedback about the fine tuners getting in the way contributed to the FRT-4 gaining a "tail" to relocate the fine tuners. This was achieved by lengthening and bending the base plate back at an angle to get fine tuners further back. This new version became the "FRT-5," released in early 1983.


After the first production run by Hansen Metalworks in the United States, Fernandes was joined by Schaller at the end of the year to manufacture the fine-tuner FRT-5 and non-fine-tuner FRT-3 originals through 1984 and 1985. The Japanese versions were only used in Japan.


They are etched with "Floyd Rose" at the top of the base plate. The Fernandes blocks have a sticker that says "Floyd Rose TREMOLO SYSTEM PAT.4,171,661." The German units have "Made in Germany" embossed under the base plate and a "Made in W. Germany" sticker on the block. Two notable differences are: 1) the German version uses Imperial measurements, the Japanese versions are Metric; 2) the arches between where the forks meet the rear of tail are oval on the Fernandes and square on the Schaller.


In the 1984 Fernandes catalog both the FRT-5 and FRT-3 are advertised alongside Fernandes' own proprietary "Head Banker FRT-2", although the picture in the catalog of the FRT-5 is actually a German version.



Fernandes sold both the German and Japanese Floyd Rose kits to the Japanese domestic retail market as well as using them on their own guitars. In the 1985 Japanese catalog, the German version is advertised as the "Floyd Rose FRT-5", and the Japanese version is advertised as the "Floyd Rose FRT-7." 


End of contract


Sometime in 1985, Fernandes lost the contract with Floyd Rose, and Schaller thereafter became the exclusive manufacturer of the non-fine tuner and fine-tuner Floyd Rose systems. Fernandes' response was to rebrand their product range as the "Head Crasher Tremolo System" and continue to develop and manufacture their range of tremolos exclusively for the Japanese domestic market.


See here for Fernandes tremolo developments after the end of the Floyd Rose contract: Floyd Rose Tremolos for left hand guitars: Proprietary Versions





Ping Well 1987 - 2008

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Ping Well Industrial Co. Ltd. located in Taiwan was one of Floyd Rose's official producers of genuine and OEM Floyd Rose tremolos. They also have their own patents for guitar tuners and locking tuners. The following information is about Ping Well's genuine Floyd Rose products. For Ping Well's licensed OEM products, such as the Jackson JT-6 and Fernandes FRT-11, see here: Floyd Rose Tremolos for left hand guitars: OEM Producers


Fender Deluxe Locking Tremolo 


Status: Discontinued


In 1991 Fender became the distributor of Floyd Rose systems. In 1993 Fender engaged Ping Well to manufacture a tremolo for Fender guitars called the "Mini-Floyd Rose" Fender Deluxe Locking Tremolo." It was fitted to the American Standard Stratocaster, U.S Strat Plus, Deluxe Strat Plus, and U.S Strat Ultra models as a direct replacement for the standard Fender two-post tremolo bridge. It was stamped "Floyd Rose" at the top of the base plate and "Fender" at the bottom, next to the tremolo arm hole. 


The design is very simplistic consisting of a base plate with six individual adjustable saddles with hex screws to clamp the strings in place. It is a genuine Floyd Rose product, so a licensing statement on the unit was not required.


When the Fender and Floyd Rose distribution agreement ended in 2005, Fender continued to sell the tremolo but with the Floyd Rose inscription removed. Fender did offer a few lefty Stratocasters during this time, but nothing with this tremolo. I only mention this to point out the significance of Ping Well in the larger scheme of historical Floyd Rose manufacturing and so you don't needlessly waste time trying to find a lefty. They don't exist.

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Genuine Floyd Rose tremolo


Status: Discontinued


During the 2000s, Ping Well manufactured a double locking tremolo for Floyd Rose. It was identical in every way to the Original Floyd Rose but with a solid, "non-plated" brass block and arm bushing. Apparently, it was produced under the strict supervision of Floyd Rose directly, to supplement Schaller production. There is very little information about this.


This Ping Well unit was the only Floyd Rose system other than the German-made OFR at that time that was permitted to be branded simply as "Floyd Rose." The unit had "Floyd Rose" laser etched on the upper base with the "PW" logo on the other side. "LICENSED UNDER FLOYD ROSE PATENTS" (all in capitals) was laser etched in white lettering along the tail. The block was etched with the block size and sometimes the '236 and '661 patents.


It was available as an aftermarket kit through distributors such as Axcessories (www.axcessories.com) and was only US$30 less than an Original Floyd Rose. These could still be bought up to about 2016. I do not know if there was ever a lefty kit.



Floyd Rose Speedloader


Status: Discontinued


The Floyd Rose Speedloader was never made left handed. I am presenting this here only to highlight the relevance and importance of Ping Well's relationship to Floyd Rose.


In a 2005 interview, Floyd Rose said he personally chose Ping Well to make his then-new Floyd Rose Speedloader tremolo system (never available left-handed), which he had decided would not be licensed but would be manufactured directly. Rose also said that he personally supervised the project. Rose had released his own brand of guitars at the same time and this system was meant to be for his new guitars. The only guitar brand that took up the Speedloader for their guitars was B.C Rich which was before it was released publicly in 2003.


The Speedloader has "Floyd Rose" in an unusual font on the base plate, "Speedloader" on the bridge, the '661 and '236 patents on one side of the block, the block size on the other side of the block, and the "PW" Ping Well logo on the underside of the base plate.


Rose could not supply the special strings needed for the system and the system has gone down in history as somewhat of a failure. It was discontinued after only two years. To complicate matters, there was also a 2010 legal action brought by Geoffrey L. McCabe against Floyd Rose, which included Ping Well as a defendant, alleging that the SpeedLoader infringed on designs for which McCabe had patents. The court case was eventually dismissed in 2013. By then, the system was discontinued.



Floyd Rose Speed loader Fixed Bridge


Status: Discontinued


The Floyd Rose Speedloader Fixed Bridge is a flat-mount fixed bridge with fine tuners based on the Speedloader. Being fixed, it can be used right handed or left handed. This bridge also came under scrutiny in the McCabe vs. Floyd Rose et. al case in 2010.



FRX Tremolo System


Status: Current


In 2015 Floyd Rose released the FRX Tremolo System, also made by Ping Well in Taiwan. The FRX is a direct swap for flat-top guitars with Tune-O-Matic and Stop Tail bridge systems, such as Les Paul, SG, and Flying V-style guitars. It uses the existing mounting stud holes and requires no additional routing. It does have a locking nut which mounts behind the regular nut of the guitar, in place of the truss rod cover. It can be set to fixed or floating but the tremolo arm position is for right handed guitars and Floyd Rose does not make a left handed version. If you don't want it to be an actual tremolo then you may be able to tolerate it on a left handed guitar as a fixed bridge with the extra functionality of fine tuners.


With Ping Well no longer in the business, and as of 2025, it appears that Floyd Rose is doing a sell-off of existing stock, going by reduced availability options on their website.

​

Note: Ping Well no longer sells Floyd Rose tremolos of any kind; the last time they were advertised was in their 2015 catalog. Since about 2020, they have had a new website and a new logo and sell mainly guitar tuners and some bridges.



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