Prs Se custom 24 Whale Blue stability

Jamie1981uk

New Member
Joined
Jun 29, 2020
Messages
5
Hi everyone, I hope you have all kept safe and sound over the last few months. Under lock down I decided to buy a prs se custom 24 (I know I should try before I buy but I have played many SE's before over the years). The guitar feels and sounds brilliant to the point where I have put my Ibanez 505 back in its case until I need it. Now lately I've noticed the guitar seems to be going out of tune. I wouldn't say every string but just some. I've put a block behind the trem block and loosened the claw springs and that still doesn't seem to be 100%. Now after a bit of investigation from a few people with SE came up with a few cures.

1. Change the nut
2. Lube the current nut
3. Change the tuners
4. Change the bridge (wudtone)

I'm sure other people may have had this problem and found a cure but willing to listen to any solutions before I purchase anything. Cures prices I've listed are going from a few quid to £150. The guitar itself, I just can't knock it. The trem is not important and this is why have tried blocking it but it's still not 100%.

Any help is much appreciated.
 
Now lately I've noticed the guitar seems to be going out of tune.

Sounds like the tuning issues are a recent development. The weather where I am has been going back and forth between a cool & damp spring and a hot & dry summer - this is causing the tuning stability of all my guitars to be out of whack. If that's the case where you are, it might be worth waiting for the weather to stabilize and seeing if the tuning stabilizes as well. (A fresh setup may be required)
 
Oh man, ditto on the weather fluctuations here in New England.

I bought a MannMade tremolo and they are fantastic.
 
I'm going down the cheap road for now. I'll widen the nut slightly and lube it up. Whilst I'm at it I'll the take the bridge off and lube that that and the saddles. I have conditioner on the way too soo ill give the fingerboard a nice clean. If all fails, a new trem may be on the cards. Thanks for the suggestions.
 
I'm going down the cheap road for now. I'll widen the nut slightly and lube it up. Whilst I'm at it I'll the take the bridge off and lube that that and the saddles. I have conditioner on the way too soo ill give the fingerboard a nice clean. If all fails, a new trem may be on the cards. Thanks for the suggestions.

It’s more the string holes in the trem block I’d be worried about rather than lubing the saddles. Sometimes the ball ends of the strings will get caught in the block, and that’s what can cause tuning issues.
 
It’s more the string holes in the trem block I’d be worried about rather than lubing the saddles. Sometimes the ball ends of the strings will get caught in the block, and that’s what can cause tuning issues.


That is something I noticed the very first day I opened it up and changed the strings. The string didn't go all the way through and then suddenly 3 inch of string came through and this was after a few hours of the guitar being played. It is something I'll be looking at when I strip it down. Do you have any recommendations? It will be a few days before I get my cleaning stuff and I want to do it all in one go. Worst case scenario is a new bridge/trem.
 
That is something I noticed the very first day I opened it up and changed the strings. The string didn't go all the way through and then suddenly 3 inch of string came through and this was after a few hours of the guitar being played. It is something I'll be looking at when I strip it down. Do you have any recommendations? It will be a few days before I get my cleaning stuff and I want to do it all in one go. Worst case scenario is a new bridge/trem.

Now, I haven’t tried this yet but I’ve given it some thought over the years.

I’d probably start by taking the block off the plate via those three screws, and try to burnish/polish the inside of them. Maybe find the proper sized drill bit, or better year a rod and wrap it in some sandpaper and then go at it in the hole?

Of course this could all be fixed if they’d just specify the next sized up drill bit for making those holes but...
 
Now, I haven’t tried this yet but I’ve given it some thought over the years.

I’d probably start by taking the block off the plate via those three screws, and try to burnish/polish the inside of them. Maybe find the proper sized drill bit, or better year a rod and wrap it in some sandpaper and then go at it in the hole?

Of course this could all be fixed if they’d just specify the next sized up drill bit for making those holes but...

I'm hearing you loud and clear with that. Tbh all the screws are going to be taken off and reseated very very carefully so all 6 screws are back in the same. Tbh that is my only worry at the min because I've only ever had a hard tail or locking trem. I have some grade 0000 wirewool arriving which may help and I do have some different grade sandpaper too. Plenty of drill bits if they are required and certainly at that size, at least they should be.
 
I'm hearing you loud and clear with that. Tbh all the screws are going to be taken off and reseated very very carefully so all 6 screws are back in the same. Tbh that is my only worry at the min because I've only ever had a hard tail or locking trem. I have some grade 0000 wirewool arriving which may help and I do have some different grade sandpaper too. Plenty of drill bits if they are required and certainly at that size, at least they should be.

I probably wouldn’t mess with the six knife edge mounting screws. Partly because they can be tricky for novices (not that I’m assuming you are, but they’re different from most every other trem) but mostly because it’s easy to twist a head off one of the SE screws.

I would start by removing the saddles and taking the block off while it’s still attached to the guitar. If you do take the notched mounting screws off, I’d be prepared and would have a set from MannMade already purchased.
 
I own an SE Custom 24 and encountered the same issues with the stock nut.
I had it changed by a luthier for a Tusq nut, and the tuning instability disappeared.
It’s a pity that so good a guitar features a mediocre nut.
 
I probably wouldn’t mess with the six knife edge mounting screws. Partly because they can be tricky for novices (not that I’m assuming you are, but they’re different from most every other trem) but mostly because it’s easy to twist a head off one of the SE screws.

I would start by removing the saddles and taking the block off while it’s still attached to the guitar. If you do take the notched mounting screws off, I’d be prepared and would have a set from MannMade already purchased.

I'll keep that in mind. My only concern is that the mannmade is US and I'm in the UK. I can't find anyone selling them in the UK and I'm unsure how delivery will work with the current state of the world. The Wudtone can be easily purchased because its UK based but like you said, would it make a difference? It would be a future purchase atm until I can see what I have already can be fixed.
 
I think what everyone has overlooked, including @sergiodeblanc , is that it is a Blue guitar.:confused:


No, really, in no particular order:

start with making sure the strings are properly stretched when putting on new.
-Make sure the trem screws are ALL at the same height before restringing the guitar.
-Make sure the nut slots are the correct size for the strings you are installing.
-Make sure the force of the trem springs is equally distributed across the block.

Any kind of binding is your enemy. Keep it loose, but not so loose that it is sloppy.:cool:
 
I think what everyone has overlooked, including @sergiodeblanc , is that it is a Blue guitar.:confused:


No, really, in no particular order:

start with making sure the strings are properly stretched when putting on new.
-Make sure the trem screws are ALL at the same height before restringing the guitar.
-Make sure the nut slots are the correct size for the strings you are installing.
-Make sure the force of the trem springs is equally distributed across the block.

Any kind of binding is your enemy. Keep it loose, but not so loose that it is sloppy.:cool:

I thought that loose and sloppy went together!:oops:
 
Back
Top