The string retainer bar sits between the locking nut and the headstock tuners. Its job is to pull the strings down at an angle over the locking nut so they seat and lock cleanly. Without enough break angle, strings can lift out of the nut blocks during a hard dive. This is the Floyd Rose Original series retainer, supplied with its mounting screws, in black steel.

Fit depends on two things. First, the retainer has to produce enough downward angle for strings to stay seated under the nut under full travel — too little angle and no amount of tightening the locking bolts fully compensates. Second, the mounting hole spacing is specific to the Original series. If your headstock already has a Floyd Rose Original retainer, this is a direct replacement. If you are adding a retainer where none existed, or the guitar previously had a different Floyd Rose series installed, check the hole spacing against what is on the guitar before ordering.

The retainer is steel with a black finish. Steel holds up to the clamping force of the mounting screws and does not compress or deform under string tension the way softer materials can. If yours is cracked, stripped at the mounting holes or missing, this is the part to replace it with — not a substitute for checking the nut block screws or the nut itself if the pitch problem is there.

If you are not certain this is the right fit for your guitar, send us the make, model and year and we will confirm before you order.