PRS Tremolo System and tuning issues.

tommytone32

tommytone32

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Joined
Jul 14, 2015
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I have a 1988 PRS Custom 22 w/10 top and the original 1984 patented tremolo tailpiece. The past year or so it has become my main squeeze and gets much more playing time, It has developed a unbearable problem with staying in tune. The pitch, instead of going a bit flat after normal playing and "warm-up" time, will constantly "drift" to sharp,, WTF,,, . I have checked to see if there is any binding at the nut (depress string between nut and post and see if there is a pitch change..... nope)and none was detected.

Now a local luthier says it's because the tailpiece "floats" and he can fix it by adding some wood underneath the bridge or either the springs need replacing. Has anyone experienced this situation with the first PRS tremolo system and if so, how did you resolve it.

I'm gonna talk to the PRS Tech shop guys tomorrow but wondered if this problem has cropped up before with the first generation PRS tremolo tailpiece systems......
 
My prs guitars seem to drift sharp maybe a couple cents from when I get them out of the case to half way through the night. It's not enough to bother with. Is that what you're talking about or is it worse than that?

I'm not sure worn out springs can make a guitar go sharp but they are cheap and yours are old.

I would love to see some pics of this wonderful machine!
 
Na. Much worse. It's noticeable and it takes a good 5-10 minutes of playing to start showing dissonance. Shows upon tuner more than a few cents........but not a whole tone...enough to make it unacceptable..
Just did another test run and after new strings, the problem is still there.....
Thanks for your input... What year PRS's do you use and do they have the tremolo tailpieces as well ?
Here is a pic of this fine work of art :)
Oops, not sure how to do that. The "add URL" didn't seem to work....
 
I have three 1997 CEs and a 2011 cu24 all of which have trems. I just got one of the CEs a couple months ago and it needs some work but all the others stay in tune very well with aggressive trem use.

A couple of times last night I bottomed trem arm to the body and it stayed in tune.
 
You might wanna check out the knife-edges on the trem and the screws. They can get worn and cause the trem to not go back to the "zero point".
 
Well.. yours seems to be working perfectly. I'm sure the (my) springs are pretty stretched. The guitar has been strung continuously for around 27 years..
Thanks for your feedback.................
 
The luthier mentioned seating issues, relates to your comment....
All good info.
Thanks for your feedback.....................
 
Sergio makes a good point with the knife edge thing. That to me would be your issue before springs. I've had to replace springs because they were stretched so bad the claw was nearly touching the cavity wall while tuned to Eb.
 
If your trem holes are worn you can put a new one piece mann trem on it for a decent price. Trem screws are cheap to buy if that's your problem too.

Do you have the ability to remove trem and inspect?
 
I wouldn't replace the trem unless you can find an original in order to keep the vintage value going. You should post a photo of the 6 trem screws. It could be that one or more are not level and the knife edge is trying to slip into the higher grooves of the uneven screws. That would cause what you are seeing.
 
Wow.. I am totally amazed at all this support. This is awesome.
One correction, for what it's worth, my PRS has 24 frets, not 22.
I will be the first to tell you I have no working knowledge of vibrato, tremolo tailpiece construction and this forum is a huge asset to "uneducated" players like myself.
After weighing these comments, Mr. Mann is on my list today....
Will post results here.
Regards & thanks to all ;
t
 
Do yourself a favor and watch John Mann video on installing new trem. That video will give you what you need to understand the removal process. If you're still not comfortable doing it then you will have to take it to a PRS dealer.
 
Just watched the video.... Looks pretty straightforward. However, the demo shows 4 springs attached to the "claw". Mine has only 3. It came that way from the factory in 1988..
FYI.
 
Moving ahead with sending her back to John Mann and having the repair done by the inventor. Just makes good sense to me. I do have a few other pieces while she is in the shop......
They can upgrade my Phase 1 tuners as well .....
Will keep a progress posted................... :)
 
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