Floyd Rose Intonation Issues

[haffner1]

I got a Cu 24 w/Floyd core model earlier this year and I continue to have intonation issues on the bass strings as I play into the second octave. I'm pretty much convinced that the issue is inherent to this model because of the hot pickups but I thought I'd see if other people have had the problem. I had it tuned to standard and for some reason I found that when I had the 12th fret intonated correctly, the 18th to the 24th frets would become progressively more sharp with each note playing up, where the A# was 5 cents sharp, the E on the 24th fret would be about 20 cents sharp. I just re-strung and set it up for B standard and the got even worse and seems to have migrated to the 5th string (now E). I tried lowering the neck pickup which seems to have helped some, but on the low B, I now have to intonate the first octave slightly flat to have the second octave anything close to usable. I checked all the nut and fret distances with my calipers against my old Cu 24 that has the Gen 2 trem and PRS Bass/HFS pickups and everything is within 100th of an inch against that one and it intonates perfectly on every string up to the 24th fret, so I would rule out anything being measured and cut wrong on the guitar. Is this just a standard problem using PRS metal pickups that I will have to deal with unless I swap them? I can't really see lowering them any more without taking them out of the optimal zone.

 

[Birdsofprey]

I think your thinking is correct with pickups, as you tried lowering would help somewhat but if it takes the sound out of the sweet spot what’s the benefit. I guess I would as a last resort try different string manufacturers, pain in the butt however might find the right combo. Good luck.

 

[tedtan]

What strings are you using?

 

[haffner1]

Ernie Ball mammoth slinky, 12/62. It was still an issue with standard tuning 10 gauge strings though, just worse with the heavier ones. I think I will go down to the magnum slinky 12/56 set though. These are a bit much on the low end and I had to unwind the .62 to get it through the locking tuner.