This is a Fender Floyd Rose Fat Strat, that had a repeated problem with the wood giving out in front of the pivot post bushing.  After the second repair, the owner found us by searching the internet.  The pictures below show the result of the second repair as we found it.

Here you can see the wood has given way, and the space filled in with epoxy.  Note the space behind the bushing.   Already the high strings were going flat from the bushing moving again.

Below are pictures to show  just how  little wood Fender's engineering  has left behind to work with.

Here is another view showing the depth of the pickup route compared to the recess route for the Floyd Rose to sit closer to the body.  Thus,  locating the strings and  the pickups at the stock (non Floyd) strat height.

Here is another view showing the depth of the pickup route compared to the recess route for the Floyd Rose to sit closer to the body.  Thus,  locating the strings and  the pickups at the stock (non Floyd) strat height.

In this picture you can see the underside showing how much wood has been removed in the spring compartment by the factory.  This leaves very little wood left to work with here.  Not a very good thing.

Just a closer look!  By the way, that is white cushion foam that you see on the bottom.  It's used to protect the back of the body of the guitar while being strapped on the Bridgeport.

The first step is to pull the bushing to see if there is anything usable.  Here the first bushing comes out.

The remaining structure is not very good to depend on alone here.

Here the second bushing is taken out and the structure is ok.  But it is not good enough to ensure the same problem can not happen on this side too.
 

The answer to this problem is going to take some good old-fashioned engineering.

In light of the fact that so much wood had been removed by the factory design from the guitar's body, and that the Floyd Rose is a light-weight bridge, brass was the most practical material to give back to the body a little mass with a nice appearance.

Here are the two pieces cut from standard brass bar stock.

The idea is to build a solid bridge structure across the major void created from the excessive wood removal for the tension spring cavity, bridge cavity, and pickup cavities.
 

The limitations are that of the size and shape of the pickguard.  Everything had to be located out of sight under the pickguard.  Appearances count.

Here is the basic platform and supporting edge which is needed for the pickguard.  The basic layout has been transfered for hole locations, clearance holes, and counter-sinked holes of the flat head screws.  Then the machining was performed.

Here the two pieces are now one with some basic machining and the edges broken.

A view of the other side.

Here you see the new bushings installed into the new bridge support structure.

These bushing were pressed in so tight, the only way to get them out is to machine them out.  This guitar is not going have any bushings moving if I can help it!

Now the parts are being checked for proper clearances to ensure the bridge will give the proper travel without restriction.

At this point the vertical lip is left higher than what is needed, which will be machined cut later to fit the top surface of the body and support the edge of the pickguard.

The guitar body has now been machined to receive the bridge.  The end contours have to be now transfered and machined into the ends of the new support structure.

Now that the wood has been removed for the support structure, you can see even more how little is really here by the original factory design.

You can see now how deep down the wood has given way, all the way to the bottom of the original machined pickup cavity.  This was not a good thing.

Another view from the other side for comparison.

Now the contours have been machined at the ends of the new structure, a test fit is done before it is glued, and pressed into the body for a very tight permanent installation.

Now the new support structure has been pressed in with glue everywhere.  The bushings are glued into the existing holes along with the complete bottom and sides.

Extra long flat head screws were also installed with glue at both ends for a better anchor to where the wood is the complete thickness of the body.

A closer look showing the support edge has been machined to the proper height to meet the ends of the body, and match the alignment to support the pickguard to its proper height.

Another view of the installation.

Hard wood end pieces have been fabricated, fitted, dyed black, glued and pressed in over the top of the ends of the new support structure.

A close look at the pickguard line up with the support structure.

Everything is now wired back up together and all the screws are back in the pickguard.

One final check to make sure the pivot screws are machined to the proper adjustment height.

A little cleaning and polishing before the bridge is installed back into the body.

Strings installed, tuned to pitch, springs adjusted, and intonation readjusted.

The repair is completed through a bit of old fashioned engineering.  This guitar picked up a bit of mass, which the owner says improved the sound of this guitar a lot.  I'll just have to take his word for it.  After all, it's his guitar for more years than I've had to get to know it.

 

The repair is completed through a bit of old fashioned engineering.  This guitar picked up a bit of mass, which the owner says improved the sound of this guitar a lot.  I'll just have to take his word for it.  After all, it's his guitar for more years than I've had to get to know it. 
 

          Subject: :) 
          Date: Sun, 16 Dec 2001 00:24:51 -0800 (PST) 
          From: doug smith <poopiegeorge@yahoo.com> 
          To: richk@timeelect.com 

          Rich, 
          I just want to thank you for the work you did on my
          guitar.  It sounds better, stays in tune better, and I can also 
          feel that the bridge WORKS better. My guitar has been 
          transformed from a cheap mass-produced toy into a finely 
          tuned instrument. I can't put a price on this thing now, it's too 
          good! 

         Thanks 

         Doug Smith