A Floyd Rose bridge and a hardtail bridge are both types of guitar bridges, but they have different designs and functions.
A Floyd Rose bridge is a type of double-locking tremolo bridge that allows the player to make drastic changes to the pitch of the strings by using the tremolo arm. This allows for a wide range of expressions, such as dive bombs, harmonic squeals, and other effects. The double-locking mechanism also allows the guitar to stay in tune even after heavy use of the tremolo arm.
Floyd Rose-equipped guitars tend to have a more aggressive, dynamic tone and are popular among guitar players who play genres like Metal, hard rock, and shred.
A hardtail bridge, on the other hand, is a fixed bridge that does not have a tremolo arm or any moving parts. This means that the guitar’s tuning remains stable and does not go out of tune easily, but also means that the player cannot use the tremolo arm to change the pitch of the strings.
Hardtail-equipped guitars tend to have a more stable, consistent tone and are popular among guitar players who play genres like Country, Blues, and Jazz.
In all, a Floyd Rose bridge allows for a wide range of expression and is popular among guitar players who play genres like Metal, hard rock and shred while a hardtail bridge is a fixed bridge that does not have a tremolo arm and is popular among guitar players who play genres like Country, Blues, and Jazz, due to its stable, consistent tone.