ESP Trem posts

[Lozek]

I've just taken the factory Floyd off my Horizon to fit a new bridge and found that the posts are screwed directly into the wood, rather than into inserts. Has anybody encountered this before? Any benefits from fitting inserts over using the wood screw posts?

 

[MaxOfMetal]

Just old school. All posts used to be slotted and threaded without inserts.

There might be pros and cons on paper, but I've owned tons of old guitars with these without issue.

 

[Wiltonauer]

I’ve seen some guitars from the ‘80s and early ‘90s (and mostly cheaper imports, at that) where the posts were the wood-screw type and had started leaning towards the neck. I’d always heard that was from the screws being small in diameter and/or soft body wood with no metal reinforcement. I don’t remember ever seeing leaning posts on a “nicer” guitar or one with threaded inserts.

 

[Samark]

I've just taken the factory Floyd off my Horizon to fit a new bridge and found that the posts are screwed directly into the wood, rather than into inserts. Has anybody encountered this before? Any benefits from fitting inserts over using the wood screw posts?

I’ve had this on older guitars (inc ESPs) and never had an issue. I think you’d have more of an issue if it was a softer wood like basswood. For example, Ibanez bodies sometimes suffer from the post holes turning into more of an oval shape.

That appears to be a Horizon - maple neck through so should be all good. Floyd still sell replacements for them so maybe go that route instead of modifying?

Original Bridge Mounting Wood Screws

Set of two genuine Floyd Rose wood screw studs that are a direct replacement for early Original models (predating studs and inserts ), 1984 Originals, and Non-Fine Tuner Tremolos. Made in Germany.

au.floydrose.com

 

[Wiltonauer]

Has anyone compared enough guitars to feel like either direct wood-screw trem posts or threaded inserts sound better on a Floyd? My old Kramer Focus 1000 with wood screws sounded amazing. I know there’s a whole thing with the old Gibson ABR-1 bridges that had wood screws instead of inserts.

 

[Alsvartr]

My custom shop KH4 from 2005 had the wood screws. They were also on my 2005 MIIUC standard series. I pointed out to the admin that on the Esp website they had both versions in the pics of the KH2 vintage. They seem to go back and forth for a while.

 

[lost_horizon]

I’ve seen some guitars from the ‘80s and early ‘90s (and mostly cheaper imports, at that) where the posts were the wood-screw type and had started leaning towards the neck. I’d always heard that was from the screws being small in diameter and/or soft body wood with no metal reinforcement. I don’t remember ever seeing leaning posts on a “nicer” guitar or one with threaded inserts.

Threads wear out too. Bought an Ibanez RG7420 and had to put so tape around the screw posts to prevent the bridge going forward. Old TRS bridges are the same. Soft or mismatched metal.

Screws straight into body, Ash, Basswood will move over time. To realign you just add some sawdust into the screw holes to make the hole tight again.

Only threaded posts I can think of that won't move are the Gotoh GE1996t ones which have a locking mechanism.