Floyd Rose

Floyd D. Rose built the first version of his locking vibrato system in 1976, aiming to solve the problem every whammy-bar player knew — a guitar that wouldn't hold its tuning after a dive-bomb. Fernandes manufactured the original licensed units from 1981, Schaller took over production in Germany in 1983, and Floyd Rose brought manufacturing back to the US in 2024. Eddie Van Halen and Steve Vai did as much as anyone to put the double-locking bridge on every shred guitar of the 1980s, and it still ships on Jackson, Charvel, ESP and Ibanez guitars today under licence. We track it mostly through the guitars that carry it — trem setup guides, Floyd-equipped signature models, and the odd aftermarket upgrade. Here's what we've written.