PRS SE Floating Trem

[Simulacrum]

Hi everyone,

I'll keep it simple, I have a PRS SE I recently bought and I've been enjoying it. however even though it plays way better than my old squire I came from one of the screws on the end of the bridge (near highest strings) came off one day when I was put it down on the stand and I didn't notice until a day later. luckily I saved it and attached it but now I'm noticing that the floating trem angle is sort of strange.

I'm not very technical with guitars and am pretty limited as to what I feel I could troubleshoot myself but just based off the photos I took they don't look like any other trem angle I'm looking at online. is this something that is normal or should I shell out the $100 for the only shop that's open around me to set up? the guitar stays in tune, plays amazing and the setup and intonation are all great so its just these minor things I'm wondering about.

 

[sergiodeblanc]

Just slowly back out the trem arm claw screws under the back plate and re-tune.

You can do it!

 

[Iceman101]

You gotta understand that you got to create a balance between the stringtension and the springtension. So like Sergio said, It's a matter of tightning or loosening the springs and checking the tuning at the same time. And with a little patience you can do it yourself.

 

[bodia]

and, just so we're clear. We're talking about the two screws that hold the plate that the springs hook onto, at the top in this picture.

 

[Alnus Rubra]

A photo of the tremolo cavity from the back of the guitar (with the cover off) would be helpful. Like the photo that Bodia has uploaded.

And just to be clear, which screw fell out?

If it was one of the bridge screws, this is very unusual because they are quite long and should not do this.

 

[Simulacrum]

Thank you everyone for the replies so far, I'll attach the photos I just took of the tremolo cavity. I have my screwdrivers out and am going to attempt the following procedure: detune to reduce the string tension and then loosen the screws as per Sergios recommendation, then retune once its all in place. Please correct me if I'm misinterpreting what I have to do.

I also have photos of the bridge screws, its the one all the way to the left the high E string section. my guitar is lefty so it may seem mirrored to everyone, I screwed it back in and it seems to be connected now but the saddle for that string does seem very far away. like I said I just put it down one day and it popped off out of nowhere. I didn't even realize at first what had happened until today. I made no adjustments besides changing strings once since it came from Sweetwater. I had assumed PRS did their own setup even on SE's so I didn't mess to much with it

 

[Black Plaid]

Thank you everyone for the replies so far, I'll attach the photos I just took of the tremolo cavity. I have my screwdrivers out and am going to attempt the following procedure: detune to reduce the string tension and then loosen the screws as per Sergios recommendation, then retune once its all in place. Please correct me if I'm misinterpreting what I have to do.

I also have photos of the bridge screws, its the one all the way to the left the high E string section. my guitar is lefty so it may seem mirrored to everyone, I screwed it back in and it seems to be connected now but the saddle for that string does seem very far away. like I said I just put it down one day and it popped off out of nowhere. I didn't even realize at first what had happened until today. I made no adjustments besides changing strings once since it came from Sweetwater. I had assumed PRS did their own setup even on SE's so I didn't mess to much with it

Looking at your bridge, I think you may have put heavier strings on it than came with the guitar.

In order to balance the tremolo you will need to tighten the screws in the back. They are attached to what we call the 'claw'. It's what holds the springs. in your picture. (and called "claw" because it has those little curled over 'fingers').

The bottom of the bridge should be parallel with the top of your guitar. this can take a bit of back and forth:

Tighted screws a bit
Tune it up
Check the angle of the bridge
Tighten/loosen the screws
Re-tune up/down as necessary

It is a balancing act, go slow, take your time.

 

[Ovibos]

The optimal setup for a PRS bridge is that it should float just a little, enough for you to pull up a half-step (e.g. C to C#)

I'm in the 'looks like you put 10s or 11s on a guitar that ships with 9s' crew. Trem claw tweaks should sort ya.

 

[Simulacrum]

Ok so I've sorted the height, its much more level with the body now.... However in the process it seems that I stripped one of the screws and it will only turn one way. Not sure why I'm certain I used the right screwdriver and technique. anyways does anyone know where I can get spare trem claw screws for any future adjustments

 

[Alnus Rubra]

PRS part no. acc-4033 is the trem claw (ground wire) and claw screws.

Amazon has this in stock. The PRS store is showing out of stock.

As a matter of interest, what gauge strings are you using?

 

[Simulacrum]

I went up to .10's. if everyone hadn't pointed it out I never would have noticed that's where this issue arose from.... its not a big deal, got to learn a little more about how this stuff works and can always fix a minor thing.

I'll look into amazon ty

 

[Alnus Rubra]

Hope you get it sorted

 

[Black Plaid]

Ok so I've sorted the height, its much more level with the body now.... However in the process it seems that I stripped one of the screws and it will only turn one way. Not sure why I'm certain I used the right screwdriver and technique. anyways does anyone know where I can get spare trem claw screws for any future adjustments

The screw should be a #2 Phillips. It's easy to grab the wrong driver and have it strip out as they can be really hard to tighten.

If you end up replacing the screws, rub the threads with some wax before putting them in, this can help with the difficulty of tightening.

Good luck, glad you were able to get it back in order!