First Ever PRS - Tuning Issues

[centersj]

Ok, first off, this PRS plays like butter! It's a 2016 McCarty 594, 10 top I purchased used from GC about 2 months ago. I'm playing on D'Addario EXL120-10P Nickel wound 9's, tuned to 430 (Eb). I use Big Bends Nut Sauce on the nut and saddles.

I've noticed that as I'm tuning, after getting a string tuned to 0, the strings will drop about 1-3 cents when I release the tuning knob. I've been tuning up about 1-3 cents above 0 with a guess that it will land on zero when I release the knob. It's pretty much every time I tune every string. I don't have this problem on my Fender or Ibanez, both tuned to 430 with the same strings.

I've tightened every screw head on the phase III tuners and the lockings are very tight on each string. These tuners are about 4 years old, so I'm leaning towards the fact that they are needing replaced all together. Some of the tuners feel tighter than the others, but all the screws are all tightened about the same torc. Should they last longer than 4 years? What could cause this?

Any advice or knowledge with these guitars would be appreciated. Thanks in advance.

 

[Lacire]

Since all the strings are dropping 1-3 cents when your tuning, I would say that eliminates the nut, tuners and strings. Normally a problem with one of these only effects the tuning of a single string. I would guess that the wood the neck is made out of is moving/flexing slightly. When changing the strings you loosen the tension on the neck and then restore that tension when you bring the strings back up to pitch. On this guitar it’s just taking the wood a little bit to catch up and stabilize. If you’re not already, you might try changing the strings one at a time, stretching and tuning each string until it holds true and then replace the next. Hope this helps.

 

[Gutch]

On your next string change, take a 10mm Socket wrench and snug up the tuning machines' hex head ferrules a bit on the front of the headstock (Don't crank 'em down as overtightening can damage the headstock finish). The machines are secured by both the screws in the back and the ferrules in the front. Making sure both are snug can prevent the machines from moving.

 

[CandidPicker]

On your next string change, take a 10mm Socket wrench and snug up the tuning machines' hex head ferrules a bit on the front of the headstock (Don't crank 'em down as overtightening can damage the headstock finish). The machines are secured by both the screws in the back and the ferrules in the front. Making sure both are snug can prevent the machines from moving.

Will add that a 10mm deep socket will work as easily if not better.

 

[Gutch]

Yes - this is what I meant. Thanks for catch!