2022 Custom 24 w/ Clicking Trem

[lostbirds]

Hey yall,

TL;DR - Clicking and excessive play happening at the trem, think it might be an issue between claw and/or knife edge cause I went up a string gauge and started tweaking the set up. How can I fix this on my own or is it time to bring to a tech?

Looking for a little guidance here about some clicking I have going on w/ my vibrato. My questions are below.

This is the gen iii trem.

When using the arm, there is a small amount of play in the trem back and forth before I actually get any pitch bending up and down. When wiggling back and forth gently, you can hear a clicking happening at the bridge. Fairly sure this is happening at the knife edge and screws.

Got the guitar a few months ago and didn't try using the trem until now. When I got the guitar, I went up to 11-52 and put the guitar in D standard and adjusted the claw slightly accommodate for the new string tension and to keep the bridge plate parallel with the top.

Went down a rabbit hole today after I noticed the play in the trem and heard the click. I removed the strings and springs, took a Stewmac fret rocker to the 6 screws to see if they were uneven. It did seem that two of the screws were just slightly higher than the others, so I very carefully lowered those, set the knife edge back on the screws, put the springs back on, and strung it up.

Clicking and play is still present.

1. Is this something to do with the 6 screws? Are the heights just still not even and that is why this is happening? Is some of that normal? Doesn't seem like it.

2. Or is this something to do with the relationship to the claw? Is the backside of my bridge too low?

3. How can I fix this on my own or is it tech time lol

Please advise! Your input is sincerely appreciated.

Thanks!

 

[gush]

Need pics. Video would be better

 

[lostbirds]

I will try to add both in a few! Thanks!

 

[lostbirds]

I don't have an imgur account so I dropped them on a google drive, some photos and two short clips. TY!!!!

PRS CU24 Clicky Trem – Google Drive

drive.google.com

 

[alantig]

Are you sure it's not just play in the trem arm? It kind of looks like the trem doesn't start to move until the click happens. How loose is the trem arm in the socket?

 

[lostbirds]

Are you sure it's not just play in the trem arm? It kind of looks like the trem doesn't start to move until the click happens. How loose is the trem arm in the socket?

Hey, yah I thought it might be that as well but even with the arm tightened down quite a bit, it’s still doing it.

I guess let me edit the initial symptoms: there is some vibrato happening in the small amount of play in the trem arm, but it’s almost as if there is a front and back pivot point, one when going forward, and one on the other side of a small gap when going backward. Gentle wiggling produces the clicking and also a tiny amount of vibrato.

 

[alantig]

Hey, yah I thought it might be that as well but even with the arm tightened down quite a bit, it’s still doing it.

I guess let me edit the initial symptoms: there is some vibrato happening in the small amount of play in the trem arm, but it’s almost as if there is a front and back pivot point, one when going forward, and one on the other side of a small gap when going backward. Gentle wiggling produces the clicking and also a tiny amount of vibrato.

I kind of assumed you had, but w/o being hands on, it's hard to tell.

Good luck - I hope you find the issue.

 

[John F]

Move the trem from the back without using the arm, see if it clicks. If it doesn’t then maybe the plastic bushing in the bridge is damaged. I think you might be able to slide it out if the allen screw is removed. Is it possible there was something installed inside the springs to dampen their vibration?

The next thing I would do if it clicks from the back is remove the trem, inspect the bridge knife edges and the v-notches in the screws. My SE SAS bridge pivot screws had botched up v-notches and bent screws from the factory, which is why I installed a John Mann bridge. It didn’t click, but it didn’t return to pitch after using it. Possible the screws were turned under tension which damaged the v-notches and the knife edges. Also possible the screws are not at the same height. Remember that the knife edge in the bridge farthest from the neck is the pivot point.

Before removing the 6 screws, remove the strings and springs and place the bridge flat on the body while it lays flat on a table. Measure the gap between the underside of the head of the bridge screws and the bridge knife edge top surface. John Mann uses an allen wrench of 7/64” (that he includes in his bridge replacement kit) which fits under the screw head on the flats of the allen wrench. Try different sizes of allen wrenches and find the one that fits your bridge so you know how far to reinstall them.

 

[gush]

It sure looks like noise is in your trem arm.

Are your saddle screw heads pushed away from trem body?

 

[gush]

If that is steel wool under your springs, I'd get that out of there.

In some views it looks like your high E fulcrum screw is a little high. Kind of hard to tell but that would explain the clicking noise. Knife edge falling in and out of groove when you move trem.

 

[SinSir]

If that is steel wool under your springs, I'd get that out of there.

What is that? Looks like steel wool to me too

Edit-It might be foam.on second look. Either way the clicking doesn't seem to come from the springs.

 

[ViggoP]

If that is steel wool under your springs, I'd get that out of there.

In some views it looks like your high E fulcrum screw is a little high. Kind of hard to tell but that would explain the clicking noise. Knife edge falling in and out of groove when you move trem.

That looks like foam to me.

 

[lostbirds]

Hey all, thanks for the responses!

Yes it’s a tiny bit of foam for muting the springs, it isn’t that big of a piece and it’s happening whether the foam is there or not. The piece is pretty small so I don’t think it’s adding any significant pressure on the springs to make a difference.

Move the trem from the back without using the arm, see if it clicks. If it doesn’t then maybe the plastic bushing in the bridge is damaged. I think you might be able to slide it out if the allen screw is removed. Is it possible there was something installed inside the springs to dampen their vibration?

The next thing I would do if it clicks from the back is remove the trem, inspect the bridge knife edges and the v-notches in the screws. My SE SAS bridge pivot screws had botched up v-notches and bent screws from the factory, which is why I installed a John Mann bridge. It didn’t click, but it didn’t return to pitch after using it. Possible the screws were turned under tension which damaged the v-notches and the knife edges. Also possible the screws are not at the same height. Remember that the knife edge in the bridge farthest from the neck is the pivot point.

Before removing the 6 screws, remove the strings and springs and place the bridge flat on the body while it lays flat on a table. Measure the gap between the underside of the head of the bridge screws and the bridge knife edge top surface. John Mann uses an allen wrench of 7/64” (that he includes in his bridge replacement kit) which fits under the screw head on the flats of the allen wrench. Try different sizes of allen wrenches and find the one that fits your bridge so you know how far to reinstall them.

I’ll try taking the trem apart and measuring again but I did just try my best to get the screws level after removing springs/strings. I supposed it’s possible the knife edge or one of the screws is messed up, I didn’t totally pull it apart to look for any damage or uneven surfaces.


Just to clarify you wrote “Remember that the knife edge in the bridge farthest from the neck is the pivot point.”

You just mean that the knife edge is on the saddle side/lower bout side of the bridge, correct?

Is it possible that I have the spring and claw tension just not set well/at the wrong depth or setting?

I don’t think this is an issue with the trem arm bushing but I will examine further…

Thanks everyone for the help

 

[lostbirds]

Ok..... well I feel a little dumb but think the issue is solved

Good news bad news;

Good news is that it actually was the trem arm bushing not being tightened down enough and it was just the arm wiggling in the socket. When I tightened a bit harder the clicking went away.

Bad news, the arm is a little tighter than I like... I like the arm to have be able to fall towards the floor when not in use and not fully remain in place. Guess it's a trade off!

Maybe will try to replace the plastic bushing/collar for the trem arm to see if I can get it to not wobble in there but also stay loose enough to move around like I prefer.

Thanks again for everyones input!

 

[bodia]

Glad it wasn’t something serious

 

[John F]

You just mean that the knife edge is on the saddle side/lower bout side of the bridge, correct?

Yes, the strings and springs pull the bridge towards the neck.

I wonder if a very loose bushing screw allowed the bushing to rotate, causing the now tightened bushing screw to push on the wrong part of the bushing? I’ve never taken one out and I suspect there is an area the screw presses on to add friction. Maybe that is out of position?

 

[lostbirds]

Yes, the strings and springs pull the bridge towards the neck.

I wonder if a very loose bushing screw allowed the bushing to rotate, causing the now tightened bushing screw to push on the wrong part of the bushing? I’ve never taken one out and I suspect there is an area the screw presses on to add friction. Maybe that is out of position?

Yeah I'll have to check this out, it bothers me that I can't have the bar exactly as I like, maybe replacing the bushing will help but I'll see if maybe it just needs to get reseated or something!