S2 Custom 24 tremelo height problem

Brian D LeBrun

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Joined
Nov 28, 2020
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Hi guys, this is my first PRS in whale blue. Great guitar and great sound. I do have an issue with the trem system. I bought it used and it supposedly had a setup before it came in. When it came in I noticed the bridge wasn't level. I believe factory specs say 1/16th of an inch above the body but the high E side was decked and the low E was to spec. I backed off the screws and leveled the bridge to spec and then I noticed when I applied pressure to install the trem bar the high E side dropped to the body again. I've just had to re-level it again without string tension on it but somebody's been in there because the screw under the B string is missing the small washer. I don't usually use the trem in fact I deck all the trems on my Strats so if I can't use it for a while it isn't a big deal but I need to know why that side of the bridge takes a dive to the body when there's pressure on it. The block underneath is stable and doesn't move...it's just that side of the bridge. If I don't try to install the bar it plays wonderfully with no tuning issues at all. Also the height of the high E and low E side screws aren't level but the bridge is. I hope you can help. This is my first PRS and it won't be my last!
 
Check out this video it sounds like the bridge is still set incorrectly, post some pictures when you can.


 
I've seen this video and all the others. There weren't really helpful. It almost seems like the shoulders on the mounting screws are rounded off on the high E side allowing the trem plate to drop but this guitar is only a year old and shouldn't be having this problem unless somebody messed with it. Those screws are factory set and shouldn't have to be adjusted. I'm going to get a few more opinions and once I get a little down time I think I'll just pull the whole bridge and re-install it according to the video you posted. Thanks for responding.
 
Just a thought but maybe they had a different bridge on there and put it back to the stock bridge before they sold it? That may have been part of the "set up" before you bought it?
 
That's possible but if that happened then the old parts would be put back in and reset. I can't see that happening. The setup was mostly for string action. The seller asked how I like the string height and he and I like it a little low and when I told him that he said that perhaps it wouldn't need any adjustment...just a polishing and a string change which they did. As I mentioned in my post the bridge sits fine...1/16th of an inch above the body. However when I put pressure on it to install the trem arm the high E side slips the mounting screws and goes down to the body leaving the trem crooked. The low E side remains at 1/16th of an inch above the body. Somebody has been in there messing with it because the screw under the B string is the only one missing the little washer under the head of the screw.
 
Another weird thing is that when the trem tips if I work the trem arm and rock it the bridge starts to return to where it's supposed to go. It doesn't make it all the way though.
 
Ok, so a wssher didn't get put back after for ??? reason it was removed. Do the screws match? Does a screw move or just the bridge? The screw head is damaged, rounded off? Is the bridge wallowed out or look damaged at all?

Maybe a pic would help
 
That link pretty much sums up what my luthier explained to me about a PRS I took to him that the previous owner messed up the trem setup. Hope it helps!
 
Again, I have no idea why it would have been removed....I've only had the guitar a few days. Other than that the screws all match. When the bridge moves the screws and the block remain in place...it's just the bridge plate that drops and it's just on the high E side. It doesn't look damaged at all..the mounting holes all look good. In order for me to take pics I'll have to install the trem arm and that will cause it to drop and I'll have to reset it but I'm working today and tonight so that'll have to wait for later.
 
I'll go over it again, remove all the tension on the strings and springs and make sure the screw height is equal all the way across. That's the only thing I can think of doing. It's just a matter of having the time to do it when I'm not gigging.
 
but this guitar is only a year old and shouldn't be having this problem unless somebody messed with it.

Exactly. Maybe previous owner tried adjusting the bridge height under tension, dulling the knife edges on the plate. Perhaps that would allow the plate to slip off the shoulders of the screws. Or maybe the the screws are messed up. Or maybe both. I would take the whole thing apart and check the knife edges on the bridge plate and the condition of the screws.
 
Sounds like the knife edge is messed up in the screw notch or the bridge knife edge. I made my SE Camo slip the notches 'cos they were all out of whack, it did what you are describing. Luckily it turned out ok.
 
Just an update. It was good at last night's gig. I played it all night except for one song. The tuning wasn't bad but here in sw Florida we play outside a lot and last night was no different. The weather and humidity causes a lot of tuning issues even on hardtail guitars. Mostly they'll go sharp during the night. But I wasn't satisfied so today I pulled the bridge. The knife edge is fine...nice and level. One of the screw heads was a little cock-eyed so I mixed up the screws not wanting them back in the same place. I reset the bridge height and made sure all the screws were level and the bridge sits 1/16th of an inch above the body all the way around. I restrung it and tested out the trem arm. The bridge plate didn't slip the notches this time and is very stabile. I'm not sure why it was doing it to begin with but it's been reset and looks like it's going to be fine. Thanks for the help guys!
 
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Awesome! Glad it worked out. It's funny how sometimes simply taking something apart and putting it back together gets things working properly.
 
Awesome! Glad it worked out. It's funny how sometimes simply taking something apart and putting it back together gets things working properly.
When I would have a cable issue I would reach down and unplug everything and then plug it back in again. 9 our of 10 times the cable seated properly and off we went.
 
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