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I found a fairly nice '84-87 MIJ Fender Stratocaster in a local pawn shop and I'm wondering how difficult it is to remove the Floyd Rose system- meaning does the FR install leave screw holes exposed on the headstock and body if I take it back to a standard trem/bridge? I've never dealt with a FL equipped guitar before and it has a lovely neck and fingerboard, but I have no desire for keeping the FR. I'm assuming the lock mechanism at the nut would have to leave holes. The asking price of $299 seems very low and is really the only reason I'm considering the guitar.

Here's the guitar (shitty pictures):

Think I've read enough to answer my own question- the FR really fucks up the bridge area and the guitar essentially cannot be returned to "normal" without looking like shit.

That isn't actually a floyd rose but looks more like some floyd/kahler hybrid.

Blown up a de-noised a bit

I'd leave it. Normal (ie, not pointy) strats with locking trems look cool as all fuck.

To add to what others have said, this isn't a typical Floyd. On a 'normal' Floyd-equipped guitar, you'd have the locking mechanism by the nut instead of a nut itself. You could get away with removing this piece - it'll just leave a few holes.

Buy it.

That bridge is called a Fender System One and it's actually damn good, assuming everything works (they're notorious for having the fine tuners stripped and for having missing pieces). It's really more of an improved Strat trem than a Floyd. You should be able to set it up so that it's not floating. And that particular guitar doesn't really "lock" like a typical Floyd does IIRC...the neck has a standard nut on it. You can just remove the "lock" piece on the headstock, though I wouldn't, it's really more of a string tree.

I used to have a strat with a floyd rose. it was actually pretty awesome. Buy it and leave it the way it is. They stay in tune pretty well, and don't look all that bad.

Went and checked out the guitar again. It's a Kahler trem system- Dillon you were right- with the brass nut, the appendage is a full width string tree. I talked the manager down to $225 and he accepted then promptly declined my card. Oh the humanity. Forgot to pay that bill this month.

I noticed the neck plate was void of anything- no "F" no serial. Trying to close the deal again tomorrow.

Edit- so after a bit more research, it seems this may be a factory installed Kahler trem


I believe this is a factory version and it's identical to the one I'm looking at.


Fender brochure showing the Kahler and System One options

BacchusPaul wrote:I'd leave it. Normal (ie, not pointy) strats with locking trems look cool as all fuck.

^This.

That's awesome! If it's a Kahler bridge then it's not a System I...didn't realize that they came with Kahlers, but it's probably even better, honestly. I'd say $225 is a steal for any MIJ Strat, especially a rare one like that. Dew it. If you don't, I will

P.S. - IIRC MIJ Strats from that era don't have a serial number on the neck plate, or anything else. Just on the headstock, in the neck pocket, and probably on the back of the neck where it fits in the pocket, or the butt of it. Only the American models got the F plate.

Edit: Did some research and I'm seeing some MIJs that do have a serial number on the beck plate. Who knows? You'd have to see another one just like it to be sure. It's highly unlikely that's not an original body, anyway.

It's not back routed behind the bridge so you can retro fit a standard strat trem on there easily - if you wanted too.
Same goes for a top mounted floyd, like how they were originally mounted. Only when they are recessed and routed out you'd have a job to do.

keep it original! i would rock it as is, and the price is pretty good. i ran into a lefty strat yesterday at "el vegas" music store in south bend fo 250.00 its in pretty decent shape. its a fairly old korean "squier" series fender. its fucking clean!

Yeah, it's a Khaler, and they're pretty good. Buy it and rock it as it is.

Yeah I didn't know these trems were offered as a Factory installed item- I had it in mind that this was retrofitted so I'll be keeping it as is if it's still there today.

rps-10 wrote:It's not back routed behind the bridge so you can retro fit a standard strat trem on there easily - if you wanted too.
Same goes for a top mounted floyd, like how they were originally mounted. Only when they are recessed and routed out you'd have a job to do.

I'm not familiar with this particular bridge, but it's highly likely that the post spacing is different. In other words, he would have to fill the existing post holes and put new ones in with the correct spacing. No point in doing that though unless you realllly don't like the look of the Kahler...can pretty much guarantee that it's a better trem than most standard two-point strat bridges.

A tiny bit of wood filler and a drilling 6 holes is easy compared to filling a rear routed floyd type trem hole.
Comparisons... init.
On this guitar it's all of 5 minutes work to retro fit a strat trem to it. But its not worth it as what is on there is factory spec anyway not a user upgrade that needs sorting.