GOTOH GE-1996T Licensed Floyd Rose locking tremolo bridge - Cosmo Black

This is the 3rd one of these I've purchased. They work great. Also accommodate a D-Tuna very well.

Very good quality. Replaced my JT6 on a vintage Charvel. Like the rounded saddles, no sharp edges. Fine tuners are out of the way of your palm.

Highly recommend. I own 2 of these. One in Black and another in Cosmo Black. The Cosmo replaced a Black nickel F-1000. The unit already sustains very well, however it improved with a simple upgrade to Titanium saddle inserts. It also has a great flutter effect. Shorter locking screws can be purchased if needed. I only needed one short screw for the low string.

I agree with every comment here, this is a precision tremolo IMHO that is equal and or better to FRO or Schaller and is a direct replacement for just about every locking system available. Once you try one, you will be hooked and will be quickly replacing all your cheaper or older tremolos with the G1996-T.

Outstanding Trem unit. Dropped right into an Ibanez RG with zero issues.

I placed my order and it was placed and ready for shipment very quickly. In fact, I had to change the size I needed and I was contacted back in minutes and they confirmed they were able to repackage the item. The tremolo is fine and just what I needed. The only down side for me specifically was I have an Ibanez S470 and the locking screws are a bit too long for the cavity. I had the choice to reroute the area or cut the screws and reshape them with my Dremel. GOTOH doesn't sell shorter screws and I couldn't find any online or at local HW stores. All is good and it stays in tune. Oh and I had to enlarge the stud holes. That wasn't really needed it if I wanted to reuse the old ones, but I'm picky so I drilled out larger holes to use the new studs. I knew I'd be doing this when I ordered the product so it's not a negative. I'd do this again. All is good.

I've replaced 2 licensed Floyds with Gotoh's, both bought through this site, and they both perform great, definitely as good as the Original Floyd, but with a couple of better design updates... I prefer the pop in arm, and with the one straight knife edge it makes the Gotoh an easier fit to replace other units with... Best I can describe is that it takes the best feature on the Original Floyd Rose, and the original Ibanez Edge (which is also made by Gotoh), and molded them into one trem unit, without any of the perceived flaws. And Philadelphia Luthier Tools' price makes it even more appealing... Why get a Floyd Rose Special, when for roughly the same price you can get the Gotoh?

I have heard many good things about the Gotoh LFR, but had never used one until now. The quality of craftsmanship is on par with the Original Floyd rose (I have several) and Schaller (I have used a few times). However, there are several improvements: The saddle design is stronger, in my opinion, and is very similar to the saddles on the Ibanez Edge (also made by Gotoh, and I own on a few guitars). The fine tuners operate very smoothly, and the feels is better than the OFR. However the BIGGEST improvement is the trem arm. It pops in, then you can can screw it down to your desired height. You can also adjust the tension on it to make it as loose or tight as you like. The "Cosmo Black" color is the same as the "Cosmo Black" color on Ibanez guitars (same manufacturer), and I am a big fan of the color. I purchased this to replace an ESP/LTD LFR in a project guitar. I measured prior to ordering, and it dropped right in. The claw screw holes were not a match, so I had to plug and redrill the holes on the guitar. However, I could have used the original claw if I desired. But I used to get this weird harmonic feedback caused by an odd resonance from the old guitar which I narrowed down to either the trem, springs, or claw, so I replaced all 3. The locking studs are great, but are larger than standard Floyd Rose studs, so it requires you to widen the holes slightly. I decided to postpone doing this and used the original studs. However, the Ibanez Edge uses the same locking stud design and I personally love it. The only draw back (for me) is this comes with the extra-power springs which remove the flutter from the bridge. The springs make the trem a little more stiff and "controlled." Many people like this, but I have a preference to the loose feel of the OFR and Edge so I may change the springs. I will eventually replace all of my OFRs with Gotoh LFRs, because the quality and design is just top notch!

This trem sounds great with the brass block, and is a huge improvement over the Floyd Rose Special bridge. The strength of the metal used is night and day different and the bar's set screw is another added benefit. Add in the locking studs and you have a winner!