LOVE my new PRS but ongoing tuning issues - need some help

[DogPhishHead]

Call me crazy, but next time you restring it, allow more slack on the strings, get a few winds of the string around the tuner peg ? I know, locking tuners, but let the winds and locking screw both work for you, especially those top B and E strings.

 

[sadmoodyfrazier]

Call me crazy, but next time you restring it, allow more slack on the strings, get a few winds of the string around the tuner peg ? I know, locking tuners, but let the winds and locking screw both work for you, especially those top B and E strings.

If you allow more winds on a locking tuner you will let the locking act like a normal tuner. Seems not a smart thing.

 

[DogPhishHead]

Both pics from the PRS website (Pauls & 509), seems like those unwound strings wrap the tuner peg at least once. Just my personal observation as an engineer....your mileage may vary.
I can tell you the used S2 Singlecut I just received had no wraps and the string just stuck through the hole. Those upper strings slipped during bends. Restrung, gave each string a complete wrap around the peg....stays in tune.

 

[mranonymous]

Do this. This is the guy that invented the original PRS trem back in the 80s.

I grabbed a 2.5mm allen key and it arrived today (the size that he uses to measure the correct screw depth in the video), and noticed that my bridge screws are all screwed in much deeper than 2.5mm. Mine has the Gen 3 bridge and the video is for Gen 1 - do you happen to know if 2.5mm is a universal height? If not, do you know the correct screw height for the Gen 3 bridge?

Thanks!

 

[mranonymous]

Well, you can wreck a string too by overstretching a string. I've destroyed brand new strings by over stretching them while I was learning to get the hang of it. The other common cause of strings going out of tune is corrected by "locking" the strings in place by using a specific wrapping technique on non-locking tuners.

String locking at timeline 14:00 to 29:41
String stretching at 30:45

I see, thanks for the info. The reason I don't think it is an overstretching issue is because the High E has experienced issues the whole time. Before stretching, after stretching once, after twice, three times etc. It wasn't an issue that only appeared after I did it 5-6 times

And also great point about the wrapping technique. When I did my first string change (the one I did myself), I did it with bare minimal wrapping as I was following a video for PRS with locking tuners. The luthier then changed the strings again, and he used a bit of a different technique where he wrapped the thinner strings around about one revolution, and the thicker strings are about 3/4 of a revolution and then locked.

Since I have the locking tuners I haven't tried the traditional method yet though, so maybe if all else fails it could be worth a shot and I could try the method you sent in the vid

 

[mranonymous]

Both pics from the PRS website (Pauls & 509), seems like those unwound strings wrap the tuner peg at least once. Just my personal observation as an engineer....your mileage may vary.
I can tell you the used S2 Singlecut I just received had no wraps and the string just stuck through the hole. Those upper strings slipped during bends. Restrung, gave each string a complete wrap around the peg....stays in tune.

Awesome thanks for the info! The luthier did about one wrap for the thinner strings, and a bit less than one wrap for the thicker ones. So I think maybe something similar to the pics you sent

Here is a pic of mine for reference: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1P05axXEWu1wLlg-Fy_kH5eJPj0UWFIG7/view?usp=sharing

 

[bodia]

I grabbed a 2.5mm allen key and it arrived today (the size that he uses to measure the correct screw depth in the video), and noticed that my bridge screws are all screwed in much deeper than 2.5mm. Mine has the Gen 3 bridge and the video is for Gen 1 - do you happen to know if 2.5mm is a universal height? If not, do you know the correct screw height for the Gen 3 bridge?

Thanks!

I’m not sure on the Gen 3. You can go to whatever depth you prefer as long as they are all the same. I have a couple of guitars that are set up with low action, and the screws are a lot less than 2.5 mm.

 

[mranonymous]

I’m not sure on the Gen 3. You can go to whatever depth you prefer as long as they are all the same. I have a couple of guitars that are set up with low action, and the screws are a lot less than 2.5 mm.

Gotcha, thanks! Good to know

 

[dogrocketp]

My gen lll trem is also lower than 2.5. Remember, these are general guides. Nothing is cast in stone. I have another thought. I have an old CE 24 that absolutely would not stay in tune. We tried everything. One day, I had the trem cover off, and I noticed that the trem claw was hitting the back cover. I had the holes plugged, the claw remounted, and Bob’s your uncle. Now it stays in tune. Good thing I can be stubborn as hell.

 

[Gie663]

Awesome, that is great to know. Out of curiosity, how much was this procedure? And yeah I know - for all of the amazing work PRS does with building the guitars, it seems that the nut issues are very common with them

I bought the Graphtech nut myself on the internet (around 10 euros), and had a luthier install it cost me 30 euros. So the bank didn’t break .