"Tweaked" Phase III's

[bluenova]

I've stumbled across a few private stock guitar listings talking about tweaked phase III tuners with an added set screw to hold everything together tighter. Anybody have any pics of this new design and thoughts on how well it works????

 

[ViperDoc]

The set screw is intended to compress the tuner worm and shaft against the tuner body to reduce string energy loss through the tuner. Who knows how much difference it makes, but I'd love to find out for myself. See below:

 

[dsenoj]

The set screw is intended to compress the tuner worm and shaft against the tuner body to reduce string energy loss through the tuner. Who knows how much difference it makes, but I'd love to find out for myself. See below:

Thank you. I have a new 594 and couldn't figure out where the set screw is until I saw your post. Guess I'm not very observant.

 

[bluenova]

That pic helps a lot with understanding what they were saying in the description. Thanks. Is the gap always there or is that knob not tightened down? It looks like that part with the set screw is noticably shorter.

 

[ViperDoc]

Obviously, when you tighten the set screw, you can't operate the tuner so tune up first!

 

[Mixstar]

It looks like it's being used as a brake to me and basically removing any slap between the screw and the crown wheel. I'm assuming it's not designed to be tightened after every tuning like a locking tuner, it has to be set and left?

 

[Jazzedout]

It looks like it's being used as a brake to me and basically removing any slap between the screw and the crown wheel. I'm assuming it's not designed to be tightened after every tuning like a locking tuner, it has to be set and left?

My thoughts as well... I believe it is operated normally like that.

 

[CoreyT]

Heck, my stock Phase III tuners on my 408 work perfectly well as is.
I do not see the point of doing this.

 

[toothace]

Paul sees a reason for it...

just sayin'

 

[Dusty Chalk]

It's probably one of those "last 1%" things.

 

[László]

Heck, my stock Phase III tuners on my 408 work perfectly well as is.
I do not see the point of doing this.

Ah, but as with all of PRS' tone tweaks, the question is not whether you see the point, but whether you hear it!

My 594 isn't going to be here for a few months, but from what I've heard in the clips, it's a pretty amazing sounding guitar. All the little stuff adds up. We know this, we've heard it, it's why we buy PRS guitars.

 

[justmund]

Heck, my stock Phase III tuners on my 408 work perfectly well as is.
I do not see the point of doing this.

I'm gonna be that guy too, I'm not a fan of the Gen III locking trem and these tweaked Phase IIIs (yes I have not played them). Even if they have the "last 1%" of tone/sustain/resonance etc I wouldn't care; I don't want to have to carry a hex key to do a string change, or tune my guitar. In the heat of battle and you need to change a string quickly on a dark stage, nothing beats the PRS trem and Phase II/IIIs for speed and ease of changing.

 

[xjbebop]

Sure wish Paul would 'tweak' the SE nuts....

 

[John Beef]

Sure wish Paul would 'tweak' the SE nuts....

Depending on who or what SE is, this could be taken a few different ways.

 

[bluenova]

I'm gonna be that guy too, I'm not a fan of the Gen III locking trem and these tweaked Phase IIIs (yes I have not played them). Even if they have the "last 1%" of tone/sustain/resonance etc I wouldn't care; I don't want to have to carry a hex key to do a string change, or tune my guitar. In the heat of battle and you need to change a string quickly on a dark stage, nothing beats the PRS trem and Phase II/IIIs for speed and ease of changing.

Pretty sure you wouldn't have to mess with the little set screw ever again after you tighten it the first time. The set screw is in the little sleeve that just slides right off the "untweaked" phase III's. That sleeve should just turn right along with the tuner button shaft after it is locked down. My thinking is that the tuners should operate a little more smoothly because you don't have the sideways force of the tuner button pushing everything back into the tuner housing, you can see an air gap between the tuner button and the shorter sleeve with the new design.....but I have no first hand experience with these things....just speculating.

 

[xjbebop]

Depending on who or what SE is, this could be taken a few different ways.

well, imho, adding a set screw to the tuner shafts is just silly. Where as on most of the SE models I've purchased over the years (well over a dozen, some recently...), the nuts have sharp corners and sticky string grooves. It's a common complaint. And don't even get me started on the slippery lampshade knobs on push/pull pots. Even Epi came out with some new knobs a few years ago with tiny ridges molded into them that make pulling up a joy.
I've just been surprised for years that these haven't been addressed by the PRS folks... Tone is important, but so is ergonomics.

 

[sergiodeblanc]

Winged tuners don't need to be tweaked 'cause they already have the greatest amount of upward lift of any tuner, which contributes to the highest soaring tones.

MilCom/MannMade trems don't require set screws to keep the base and block together so they contribute the most solid tones.

Rotary equipped guitars don't need push-pull pots because they offer truly circular tones.

24 fret PRS have the longest tones because the neck is longer.

Guitars with moons offer tones with more space around the notes than guitars with birds because birds can't breathe in space.


I swear, most of you guys are guitaring wrong.

 

[dogrocketp]

Duh??

 

[bodia]

Winged tuners don't need to be tweaked 'cause they already have the greatest amount of upward lift of any tuner, which contributes to the highest soaring tones.

MilCom/MannMade trems don't require set screws to keep the base and block together so they contribute the most solid tones.

Rotary equipped guitars don't need push-pull pots because they offer truly circular tones.

24 fret PRS have the longest tones because the neck is longer.

Guitars with moons offer tones with more space around the notes than guitars with birds because birds can't breathe in space.


I swear, most of you guys are guitaring wrong.

All of those are great points, yet you mention nothing of Blue guitars. I am confused, and slightly drunk, while riding out nasty weather. Wife is out cold , and dogs are begging to get to the basement. Me...I'm pouring more Jack and looking West.

 

[László]

I don't want to have to carry a hex key to do a string change, or tune my guitar. In the heat of battle and you need to change a string quickly on a dark stage, nothing beats the PRS trem and Phase II/IIIs for speed and ease of changing.

Well, this is partly true about the Gen III trem, but not of the tweaked tuning machines.

However, I have the Gen III trem on my 20th PS Anniversary guitar, and while I can't attribute its incredible sustain only to the Gen III, I will say that this trem-equipped guitar is the only guitar I have that actually out-sustains my McCarty Singlecut. And this not just a 1% improvement. It's right out front.

That's pretty unusual, as I'm comparing the guitar to one that's thicker, and has a two-piece stoptail bridge.

Now, granted, you might not take this guitar out for gigging unless you're lucky enough to have a tech or an extra guitar in case a string breaks, but for recording, where having an extra hex key around isn't a big deal, it's an amazing guitar to record with.

For those of us who are into such things, I have to say that the very slight hassle is absolutely worth the effort, and pays dividends in how beautifully the guitar does its thing.

All of those are great points, yet you mention nothing of Blue guitars. I am confused, and slightly drunk, while riding out nasty weather. Wife is out cold , and dogs are begging to get to the basement. Me...I'm pouring more Jack and looking West.

I'm celebrating Warner Brothers putting Jamie's band on their Artists page with a very dry Martini. If a dad can't enjoy a drink when that happens, life would really suck.