Story time: Brand Name Snobbery

[Kim]

I like some old Fernandes models.  If I had the money I'd buy one of those Brad Gillis Fernandes signature models.  This is pure sexy this guitar!

Indeed a sexy guitar!  I was a big fan of Brad Gillis since the Speak of the Devil album he performed on with Ozzy.  That guy had only about one week to rehearse those songs before going on the road, and so his unique improv skills show through very well.  You know...if you can't make it, you fake it.  I spent a lot of time trying to master his particular style of whammy yanking and what I learned about that is to just go your own way.  So while I have that BG whammy in my pocket now, I still whammy my own style......much like learning anything else from your guitar heroes. You do it their way and soon enough your own style takes over.

....... While we definitely prefer Floyds that have fine-tuners, when a non-fine tuner floyd is coupled with the same era hump-back Floyd Rose locking nut something magical happens. The guitar stays in tune. Try it, you might just become one of those guys that swears by a Brad Gillis Floyd Rose System. Of course one with the uber-rare hump-back Floyd Rose prototype nut!

100% true: the Head Crasher FR tremolo on that The Function perfectly works...it's smooth and it stays in tune.

I have no doubts this particular non-fine tuner system will be "smooth and stay in tune".  However, getting it in tune in the first place could be a problem.  Some serious attention to engineering and detail (that's probably not happening on a mass-production scale) would be needed to prevent the string from going sharp when the locknut is clamped down.  And then there's string stretch to deal with. 
I don't know, I've never tried a guitar with that bridge so maybe it's almost miraculous that it works.  I once actually tried to install a locknut on a strat-trem-bridged guitar and failed miserably for those reasons. Every tremolo bridge I've ever had since then had fine tuners.
I even had a Yamaha guitar (RGX-211) that was single locking, but still had fine tuners.

[rabidgerry]

@Rn and Iperfungus

Yeah those trems look ok.  The guy was selling them a few months back but with no lock at the bottom.  Not the design has been refined.  Now I dunno who the f*ck is making these but I have not saw these for sale any other place.  Which makes me curious.  I think the fit standard FR baseplate guitars so perhaps I will stick on on one of my Squier Stratocasters, just to check it out.  It has hardened steel saddles and plate?  I'll be happy to begin with.  If it performs well, shit................who knows!!  Might buy another!

@Kim  yes BG definitely had to be admired for his contribution to Ozzy osbourne and filling in for Randy Rhodes.  However the first replacement had even less time!!!!!!!!  Three days!!  Know who it was?  This was the guy Ozzy wanted to replace Randy, but he backed out due to the baggage of the whole death and shit.  Pretty sad the whole thing.  I dunno how the f*ck this fellow Irish man handled it (interview with him second link telling about the time)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q8bKcZN28SU

this interview from the man himself also enlightens us all about the God awful f**king situation it was for him!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pO8YvXK7Axc

I think he did a good job

[Iperfungus]

....... While we definitely prefer Floyds that have fine-tuners, when a non-fine tuner floyd is coupled with the same era hump-back Floyd Rose locking nut something magical happens. The guitar stays in tune. Try it, you might just become one of those guys that swears by a Brad Gillis Floyd Rose System. Of course one with the uber-rare hump-back Floyd Rose prototype nut!

100% true: the Head Crasher FR tremolo on that The Function perfectly works...it's smooth and it stays in tune.

I have no doubts this particular non-fine tuner system will be "smooth and stay in tune".  However, getting it in tune in the first place could be a problem.  Some serious attention to engineering and detail (that's probably not happening on a mass-production scale) would be needed to prevent the string from going sharp when the locknut is clamped down.  And then there's string stretch to deal with. 
I don't know, I've never tried a guitar with that bridge so maybe it's almost miraculous that it works.  I once actually tried to install a locknut on a strat-trem-bridged guitar and failed miserably for those reasons. Every tremolo bridge I've ever had since then had fine tuners.
I even had a Yamaha guitar (RGX-211) that was single locking, but still had fine tuners.

There are some rules I always follow to have ANY guitar to stay in tune...and it doesn't matter if it's a fixed bridge, a vintage 6-screws or a Floyd Rose... 

0) HAVE A GOOD NUT! 
1) mount strings in the right way in tuners: it will be as having locking tuners
2) tune, stretch strings, tune, play, stretch, tune...and go on until they stay in tune with a "4-whole tones bending"
3) now, and only now, close the locking nut if you've a Floyd Rose

That being said, I was talking about non-locking FR saddles, not about the "non fine tuner" FR... 
I would not use any FR without a fine tuning system... 
Sorry for the little misunderstanding. 

[rabidgerry]

So you would not try the fancy trem I posted a link to?

I don't think I will now that there is no fine tuners?

[Iperfungus]

So you would not try the fancy trem I posted a link to?

I don't think I will now that there is no fine tuners?

Those Ebay FR trems are double locking and fine tuners! 

We were discussing about the non fine tuner trem on Brad Gillis Signature Fernandes... 

[rabidgerry]

Jeeeeeeeez I'm so confused now

I thought Kim had spotted that the trems I put up from ebay were non fine tuner types and I didn't even check.

So I just took it that they had no fine tuners.  But they do you are right!!!! Worth a shot then I reckon. GAME ON!

The brad gillis guitar looks like it has fine tuners to me, so it doesn't?  This would be awkward.  If he uses it, it must be ok though otherwise why would be bother.