Phase III tuner binding at pitch

[Riplead]

Hey my awesome PRS friends I just set up a friend's Custom 24-08 and noticed when I brought the low E to pitch, the tuner got really hard to turn. Loosening the button made no difference. I Googled it a bit, and saw something about loosening, re-positioning and tightening a collar? Anyone ever have to deal with this? Thanks in advance.

 

[sergiodeblanc]

Hey my awesome PRS friends I just set up a friend's Custom 24-08 and noticed when I brought the low E to pitch, the tuner got really hard to turn. Loosening the button made no difference. I Googled it a bit, and saw something about loosening, re-positioning and tightening a collar? Anyone ever have to deal with this? Thanks in advance.

The collar thing is for different tuners.

Your friend’s guitar has different, Phase III tuners which can be hard to turn sometimes. You can slack the strings and loosen the button screw a lil bit for his problem.

 

[Riplead]

Thanks, but I tried slacking the string and loosening the button. Didn't help. When it got closer to pitch, it got really hard to turn. Wonder if something's jammed in the worm gear thing. It's just the low E tuner. It feels smooth until it gets close to pitch, then it feels really tight. I put a drop of 3 in 1 oil in there (maybe shouldn't have) but that didn't help either.

 

[Erick_S]

There are two generations of Phase 3 tuners. I have fully disassembled, reassembled, and service both types.
1) First Gen - Relatively short-lived, has a simple aluminum collar. Tensioning requires a jig to squeeze the collar onto the shaft, then tensions the button screw.
2) Second Gen - The most common type. Identifiable by the hexagonal collar and @2mm of exposed tuner shaft between button and collar. The collar is threaded. You can adjust the tension by loosening/tightening the threaded collar. No jig is required. Loosen the grub screw on the collar, then adjust by hand to the desired tension, then tighten the grub screw on the collar. Be VERY careful to use the correct size hex key...failure to do so WILL strip the grub screw. You want a 0.9mm hex key...I prefer the screwdriver-type hex key because it allows finer adjustment than a simple L-shaped key. (Some will say to use the 0.035" hex...that is 0.89mm...Gotoh makes these tuners, so it is metric...they built to 0.9mm - it is the exact fit, you can feel play with the 0.035" hex).

Assuming you have the 2nd-Gen...check the following:
1) Remove the tuner (leave the bushing in the headstock)
2) Check the brass tuner post for and play
- If there is play, tighten the black screw in the brass gear
3) If no play in the tuner post, check for play in the button shaft
- If there is play in the button shaft, follow instructions above to tighten the collar
- Tighten to taste...tip - it helps to keep the button on the shaft, you can hold the collar, then turn the button to dial-in the tension...it's the best way to get a proper feel before tightening the grub screw in the lock collar

If you have to lube anything, use white lithium grease - that what Gotoh uses.

Any questions, let me know. I have plenty of photos of the disassembled tuners that might help orient you.

Good Luck!

 

[bodia]

There are two generations of Phase 3 tuners. I have fully disassembled, reassembled, and service both types.
1) First Gen - Relatively short-lived, has a simple aluminum collar. Tensioning requires a jig to squeeze the collar onto the shaft, then tensions the button screw.
2) Second Gen - The most common type. Identifiable by the hexagonal collar and @2mm of exposed tuner shaft between button and collar. The collar is threaded. You can adjust the tension by loosening/tightening the threaded collar. No jig is required. Loosen the grub screw on the collar, then adjust by hand to the desired tension, then tighten the grub screw on the collar. Be VERY careful to use the correct size hex key...failure to do so WILL strip the grub screw. You want a 0.9mm hex key...I prefer the screwdriver-type hex key because it allows finer adjustment than a simple L-shaped key. (Some will say to use the 0.035" hex...that is 0.89mm...Gotoh makes these tuners, so it is metric...they built to 0.9mm - it is the exact fit, you can feel play with the 0.035" hex).

Assuming you have the 2nd-Gen...check the following:
1) Remove the tuner (leave the bushing in the headstock)
2) Check the brass tuner post for and play
- If there is play, tighten the black screw in the brass gear
3) If no play in the tuner post, check for play in the button shaft
- If there is play in the button shaft, follow instructions above to tighten the collar
- Tighten to taste...tip - it helps to keep the button on the shaft, you can hold the collar, then turn the button to dial-in the tension...it's the best way to get a proper feel before tightening the grub screw in the lock collar

If you have to lube anything, use white lithium grease - that what Gotoh uses.

Any questions, let me know. I have plenty of photos of the disassembled tuners that might help orient you.

Good Luck!

Great info!

 

[Riplead]

Just saw this. I took it apart and first blasted it with compressed air. It looked like it had some dried grease in there, not sure. I use some rubbing alchohol and a toothbrush to scrub both gears while turning. I notice at a certain point I got a little more resistance, but not bad. I used a little 3 in 1 oil (should have used graphite or lithuim I guess ) and spun it a bunch more times. I then hit it with compressed air again to get any excess oil out. It seems to be better. Maybe it's just me. You only feel it really when it gets close to pitch. You can still keep turning it, but you feel more resistance. Maybe that's just because it's the heaviest string, and it's getting tighter. It's just that I never really noticed this on my other guitars. Thanks for all the suggestions.

 

[Black Plaid]

It honestly sounds like there's a defect with that one tuner. You might think about contacting PRS support about it.

 

[Riplead]

Thanks, that makes sense. It's probably out of warranty by now, but I'll reach out to them and see what they say.

 

[Lacire]

Why don’t you exchange the low E tuner with the A tuner and string it up? that would tell you really quick if it’s the E tuner or the string.

 

[Black Plaid]

Thanks, that makes sense. It's probably out of warranty by now, but I'll reach out to them and see what they say.

Last I checked PRS Core guitars had a lifetime warranty for the original owner.. I never checked if that changed.

 

[Bogner]

Great info!

+1

 

[Riplead]

Why don’t you exchange the low E tuner with the A tuner and string it up? that would tell you really quick if it’s the E tuner or the string.

I thought about doing that, but I just put on a new set of strings. I didn't want to unclamp them and clamp them again. I did that once, and the string snapped at the bend after restringing.

 

[Riplead]

Last I checked PRS Core guitars had a lifetime warranty for the original owner.. I never checked if that changed.

Thanks for that info. I have to investigate further.