New Custom Axcess Standard - Is the Floyd any good?

[pkdawg]

I’ve seen in some older thread that the Floyd is Korean made and not German. I honestly don’t know if that matters, but I’m looking at new Custom Axcess Standard and wondering if the Floyd’s have been upgraded over time.

Unrelated, it also says a slim c profile neck. Would that be 60s profile?

Gibson Custom Shop Les Paul Standard Axcess DC Rust #CS102937

Looking for a Les Paul with unparalleled upper fret access? Why not reach for a Les Paul Axcess then! This is a stunning Custom Shop Axcess with a figured maple top, slim "C" neck profile and a carved out heel that removes any body wood from being in your way of shredding up to the 22nd fret...

www.themusiczoo.com

 

[tzd]

The Floyd is decent and usable but I replace all my FR1000 tremolo arms with Allparts Schaller. The other part that is not as refined is the fine tuning screws are rough.

 

[shupe13]

5k and not an OFR?

 

[InTheEvening]

Posting only because I’ve been curious to know this too!

I have two super strats with floyd roses on them. My mexican made Charvel has a korean made Floyd Rose, but my 1986 Kramer has the german made Floyd Rose. Both trems work great but the Korean made one feels a little more clunky and less smooth.

I would hope something as pricey as the Axcess model would get the top of the line German made floyd rose system but it doesn’t clearly say if it has the German made one or the Korean made one and I’m pretty sure they would advertise it if it were the more expensive one. I know Fender got lots of crap for putting the cheapest Floyd Rose special in their $1100 HM Strat reissues. No dig at the system itself but like the Axcess, you expect a more premium trem system on a guitar like that.

 

[Deftone]

Nothing but OFR's for me until I bought an Indonesian made Jackson King V X series. I think it's got an FR Special? It's not bad. Some of the screws were stripped by the P.O. and needed replacing but so far so good. Stays in tune well.

That said...as mentioned before, a $5k Axcess should have an OFR. This is why people start hating on Gibson.

 

[Christosterone]

Paging @cherrysunburst00

 

[Findthetone]

If it's the same model the put on the Traditional Pro II Floyd model, I didn't care for it that much. The fine tuners felt really gritty.

 

[mjross]

Based on what I’m seeing in the pic it’s an OFR!

 

[pkdawg]

I called Gibson and they didn't know and didn't have a way to check. They assumed the Custom Axcess would have the better version. They were nice, but it's a shame they can't confirm.

I do see the Alex Lifeson Axcess has a Graphtech trem and looks a lot different. I wonder why they do that? Is it better?

 

[cherrysunburst00]

Not at all knowledgeable on floyds (though 1 of my Axcesses--Axi ) has one. My original '08 Axcess has the Kluson tuners; I would have preferred Grovers, especially at the price. That said, the Axcess is a truly amazing guitar.

 

[dspelman]

I called Gibson and they didn't know and didn't have a way to check. They assumed the Custom Axcess would have the better version. They were nice, but it's a shame they can't confirm.

I do see the Alex Lifeson Axcess has a Graphtech trem and looks a lot different. I wonder why they do that? Is it better?

My Axcess Custom is about a decade old now. At the time the trem was sold as an OFR, but according to Floyd Rose, it was a Korean version made on one of two production lines that they routinely used for large manufacturers. At the time, the Schaller-based trems were also called OFRs but were sold as bubble-pack aftermarket consumer items and/or supplied to the much smaller manufacturers. I've since replaced it with a Schaller (for no good reason other than color) and honestly, I can't tell the difference in actual operation.

The Lifeson Axcess gets the Graphtech because it's also using the Graphtech Ghost Piezos, and Gibson buys the entire unit from Graphtech. It's a Schaller-based trem. I have a couple of those trems (with the piezos) on a pair of Line 6 Variax JTV-89Fs.

 

[diogoguitar]

based on what I can see on the pic, this guitar doesn't have the OFR
Look at my Jackson. Sorry about the crappy photo, but you can kind of see it says "Floyd Rose", then "original" below. I've had like 4 guitars with OFR... all of them said "Floyd Rose Original" on it when they were.

This one just says "floyd rose". Like others said, this isn't necessarily a bad thing, it could be the Korean version.

Ok, I'll just say it - it's a bit lame they don't put the OFR on a $5k guitar. This part should cost no more than $180 to them (it retails for like $200 new)

 

[pkdawg]

I guess the good part is the wiki page says the Korean Floyds are made with the same materials and specs as the German ones now. The Specials don't have the same materials.

 

[mvenuti1980]

I’ve had good luck with the Korean FR1000s. Specials on the other hand are junk! Still, a $5k guitar should come with the top of the line Floyd.

 

[crazytrain513]

If it doesn't come with a top of the line Floyd Rose, I wouldn't go near it.

My MIM EVH has the korean made one. It works and stays in tune for the most part, but it does feel a bit rough, especially the fine tuners, and adjustments are needed. They do the job. But I would never go near a FR Special.

My MIA Jackson Adrian Smith has the Original (German-made I believe) and it feels wayyyy smoother in every way, and I've had the guitar 6 months and unlocked the nut one time to reset the fine-tuners. Had an issue where the heating in my house went out unexpectedly and the house hit 49 degrees fahrenheit. My Les Paul was completely out of tune, the EVH went out. And when the house warmed up again, they came back in the ballpark of correct pitch but were out.

Strummed a G chord on the Jackson - still in perfect tune.

Honestly the Axcess experience would be greatly soured if they chose to put a cheaper unit on it.

 

[InTheEvening]

If it doesn't come with a top of the line Floyd Rose, I wouldn't go near it.

My MIM EVH has the korean made one. It works and stays in tune for the most part, but it does feel a bit rough, especially the fine tuners, and adjustments are needed. They do the job. But I would never go near a FR Special.

My MIA Jackson Adrian Smith has the Original (German-made I believe) and it feels wayyyy smoother in every way, and I've had the guitar 6 months and unlocked the nut one time to reset the fine-tuners. Had an issue where the heating in my house went out unexpectedly and the house hit 49 degrees fahrenheit. My Les Paul was completely out of tune, the EVH went out. And when the house warmed up again, they came back in the ballpark of correct pitch but were out.

Strummed a G chord on the Jackson - still in perfect tune.

Honestly the Axcess experience would be greatly soured if they chose to put a cheaper unit on it.

Been my experience as well comparing the Korean and German ones.

 

[dspelman]

Ok, I'll just say it - it's a bit lame they don't put the OFR on a $5k guitar. This part should cost no more than $180 to them (it retails for like $200 new)

If it retails for $200 new, it was less than $25 off the production line.

Normal pricing differences between what you pay and what the selling price is are 6X - 10X if you're an importer, etc.

Don't fret about FRO vs. OFR and Korean production line vs. German. You're getting the same quality.

OTOH, I have relatively inexpensive guitars that have Floyds (unbranded) off the same exact production line, and those are the same trems, right down to the tool marks that you don't notice, and lacking only the Floyd Rose stamp. Same materials, same quality control.