PRS Tremonti won't stay in tune

[rabidhamster]

I hope you checked the nut before doing all this mess with the trem. Thats almost certainly the cause of the tuning stability problem. you can remedy this by working the wound strings back and forth in the slot like your removing material. you only want to remove from the SIDES, if you remove from the bottom you'll hose the nut. Still, best case would be 20 bucks for a new USA PRS one. IMO SE tuners could be better, but they shouldn't lose tune as fast as you're talking about!

Of course by all means block that trem if you dont like it - just don't expect it to fix your tuning issues unless they were from tremolo usage.

If the guy doing the setup is worth his salt he should remedy the nut issue as a part of the setup unless its unfixable.

 

[Pepperpotty]

Yes I checked the nuts. They were fine. Like everyone else has said. Floating bridges aren't ideal if you want to tune your strings up and down all the time. That's why I'm getting the bridge fixed.

 

[shinksma]

Even with a properly configured nut, retuning with a floating bridge can be a pain - it's the nature of the beast. I had my CU24 in Standard E tuning, and switched to Drop D for a quick riffage, and after dropping the "E" string to match the D string, all strings were a little sharp, naturally, because the "E" string had been relaxed a little (but all remained in tune relative to one another). I didn't bother tuning to 440 Hz, since I was just mucking about, but it would be a pain to do on-the-fly on-stage.

I think you'll be quite happy to have the trem blocked, since you don't use it anyway.

 

[rabidhamster]

Good point on blocking or decking helping for retuning - always best if you don't use the trem anyway- tone is a little thicker to my ears too. And if the tuning issues are really only occurring during retuning or when a string breaks, that should fix it.

 

[Pepperpotty]

After much testing I discovered that it was only when retuning. Once it's in tune it stays in tune ok but I was having to tune each string maybe 6 or 7 times to get it to stick.

 

[Pepperpotty]

So, I got my baby back tonight. Let me tell you it was the longest 2 days ever! The guy I took it to has blocked off the bridge and wow!! What a difference it has made. I played it for a bit in the standard tuning then tentatively dropped the E string to a D and all the other strings stayed in tune. I played it some more and it held it's tune well. Then I held my breath and tuned all the strings down to an Eb tuning and still they all held their tune! I didn't need to retune any of the strings at all!

There were a few other issues due it not being set up correctly in the first place such as intonation and the strings being a little too high off the frets so he's sorted these issues too and now I have my perfect guitar!!

I wanted to thank everyone on here again for your great advice. It led me to a solution that I'm not sure I would have found on my own.

Thanks again,

Emma

 

[swede71]

I don't think there was anything wrong with your bridge.It takes some time to understand the mechanics of a floating bridge.The equal tension between strings and springs.For example if you are tuned to standard tuning and turn down just the e string to e flat or d the other strings will go sharp.If you go from e flat tuning and starts tuning back to standard the other strings go flat til tremolo finds equal tension between strings and springs.Thats why it takes some time tuning a floating tremolo.

 

[swede71]

Check out this video and hear how long it would take for Uli to tune up to standard from E flat.

 

[Pepperpotty]

I didn't say there was anything wrong with my bridge. I just want to be able to tune my guitar down without having to retune each string 6 times and since I won't ever use the tremolo I decided to get the bridge blocked off so now it's perfect for me.

 

[swede71]

There is one problem with using different tunings on one guitar and that is intonation.That is my biggest concern with the tronical selftuning device.Just saying Emma,it takes time understanding these thing and if you perhaps in the future wants a guitar with tremolo you will know it is a pain in the ass but.....it's a wonderful sound .Now,don't forget to check intonation every time you tune down or up.

 

[flimbo]

Glad you've got your guitar the way you want it. But can't help thinking why you didn't buy a fixed bridge PRS in the first place.

 

[Pepperpotty]

Because I wanted one with a wide thin neck and most of the others have thick necks. Also I wasn't aware of tremelo tuning issues before I bought this guitar and by the time I'd discovered the issue I'd already fallen in love with this guitar. Plus I got over £200 off it because it was an open box deal so if I has sent it back and bought one with a fixed bridge I'd have to spend considerably more money.

 

[shinksma]

Pepperpotty, you did the right thing - stuck it out with the guitar you felt connected to until it was behaving as you wanted. While it is true that there is probably a fixed-bridge PRS out there you also could have bonded with, maybe even for a similar price, why keep looking if you already have almost exactly what you want/need? Once you understood the need to block the trem for how you intend to use the guitar, then the solution was at hand!

btw, don't worry too much about intonation if all you're doing is tuning up and down between D standard and E standard (including Drop D, Eb) - the amount of tweak required to keep it perfect is pointless to stay on top of if you retune often.

Now, when you get your second and third PRSi, you can keep one or more of those in a particular drop/down tuning all the time, and you might want to get the intonation nailed for that particular tuning on that particular guitar.

And yes, you will have a second and third PRSi, trust me...

 

[Michael B]

Glad you got it all worked out and are loving your guitar! So....how bout some pictures?

 

[CoreyT]

Now, when you get your second and third PRSi, you can keep one or more of those in a particular drop/down tuning all the time, and you might want to get the intonation nailed for that particular tuning on that particular guitar.

And yes, you will have a second and third PRSi, trust me...

Truer words have never been spoken

 

[alantig]

Glad to hear the setup solved your problem, Emma! While you may not use the trem, no doubt you'll get some benefit from it - David Grissom insists it gives a sort of natural reverb to the sound. I've got both stop tails and trems, and quite frankly, I don't really have a preference. If I pick up a stop tail because I figure I don't need the bar for what I'm doing, I invariably find myself reaching for the bar at some point. And if I grab one with a bar, I rarely touch it. So go figure! The main thing is you have a guitar that speaks to you - and that is priceless!

And yes, you will have a second and third PRSi, trust me...

Actually, you're a little behind the curve now - you should be telling about how the second one sounds and when the third is due to arrive!

 

[Pepperpotty]

This guitar is definitely going to be a keeper for me. I've got so much more to learn but I'm really enjoying the journey with my new guitar. I can easily see me adding to my family later down the line. One for each tuning right?

Here's a couple of pics. It's a flame top in black cherry. It's quite hard to photograph the finish as the light just reflects off it.

 

[flimbo]

Nice guitar. I hope it keeps you busy.
Regarding second and third PRS's. I keep browsing by these spalted maple 245's. If only I had a spare £500.