SE Custom 24 Tuning issues

I am considering taking my guitar to store I bought it at and having them fix. Did you get a new nut or cut the nut it came with? Also, my guitar came with so little documentation and I got it from a major store. What is the nut cut for as far as string guage? I changed from the stock strings to DAddario Light top/heavy BTM= 10/13/17/30/42/52
 
toodamnhip said:
Just got the SE custom 24, I cannot for the life of me get it to stay in tune when using tremelo. Checked all factory adjustments and they are fine. Tried pencil in the nut, didn't work. What about Vaseline or 3 in 1 oil? Haven't tried those yet, honestly, my bridge is creaking and I think that is the problem. I put a bit of 3 and 1 on the bridge screws like it recommends at prs, didn;t work. I agree that if one has to change the nut to get it to work, that is not right. It should work. I have another question. Is there a way to put a piece of wood inside the tremolo compartment that is just the right size and FREEZE the tremolo in a permanent position?
Click to expand...

Do you know what gauge strings are on it? I use Super Slinky "9s" and I didn't have much trouble with the tremolo and tuning. I did eventually block it though since I don't need it. Here's a Youtube video that shows an easy way to do it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rDl76UM6Tvc

You could also get an accessory called a Tremol-No which enables you to block/unblock the tremolo on the fly. If you're curious about the Tremol-No there are a number of videos on Youtube.
 
toodamnhip said:
I am considering taking my guitar to store I bought it at and having them fix. Did you get a new nut or cut the nut it came with? Also, my guitar came with so little documentation and I got it from a major store. What is the nut cut for as far as string guage? I changed from the stock strings to DAddario Light top/heavy BTM= 10/13/17/30/42/52
Click to expand...

The SE Custom 24 comes with 9-42 strings from the factory. See here:

https://www.prsguitars.com/csc/setup.html

The heavier gauge strings you put on could be binding in the nut. If you want to use 10-52 gauge you may need to get the nut slots filed.

As for documentation I didn't receive any either, but any Info you need about the guitar can be found here at prsguitars.com
 
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Victek said:
The SE Custom 24 comes with 9-42 strings from the factory. See here:

https://www.prsguitars.com/csc/setup.html

The heavier gauge strings you put on could be binding in the nut. If you want to use 10-52 gauge you may need to get the nut slots filed.

As for documentation I didn't receive any either, but any Info you need about the guitar can be found here at prsguitars.com
Click to expand...

That would be my guess as well. It's cut for 9-42 stock, so the thicker strings might be binding at the nut causing your tuning issues. Try filing the nut (or having a tech do it if you're not comfortable, that's an easy job) and that should fix your issue I'd bet. Beyond that you could add locking tuners as well but my guess is the nut is the culprit here. :)
 
Nothing wrong with the tuners its the nut
 
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The nut is designed for 9-42 if u put anything heavier on it will pinch the strings and cause tuning problems or replace the nut I've bought locking tuners had a tech set it up than we finally figured out why it wasn't holding tune should have stayed with the 9's would have saved some money and aggregation.....
 
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I've got a 2012 SE CU24 and had a few tuning issues with it when I 1st got it, nothing major, just enough to be annoying. I prefer 10's as well, so I re-cut the nut a little, threw the 10's on, set it up and started playing. I still had some tuning issues so a bought a set of Schaller locking tuners. BOOM. Problems solved. This guitar stays in tune as well as any of my hardtail guitars even when using the trem heavily. I've found that the key to keeping the SE models in tune is lubricating the nut a little, use a little nut sauce or graphite powder, keep those strings sliding across the nut instead of digging in and all will be fine.
 
Here is what I did with my SE Custom 24.

changed tuners to Grover 406c locking tuners
used abrasive cord to widen the nut that was cut too small and binding the strings
teflon lube the nut
changed the tremolo springs to standard PRS springs. The originals were cheap, unequal sizes , loose and one was even unattached.
adjusted the two screws holding the springs so the Trem was parallel to the body. It was not parallel to begin with but is now.
teflon lube the string path in the trem assembly.
set intonation

I don't consider that a lot. I have seen epiphones and other guitars in this price range that are far worse.

right now I like the way it plays and stays in tune. I would say moderate tem use.

I also have an american made CE 22 that I really love. The American made CE 22 us a great guitar. The SE I would say us a really good guitar now.
 
This thread may already be dead as it is a couple of years old, but I just had my first experience with a PRS SE model and since this forum is where I found any good information. I recently picked up a Santana SE 2015 model. I was excited about this purchase, but then have been fighting with it trying to play anything and having it stay in tune ever since. Even simple string bends would throw it out of tune. I had just about decided to get rid of the thing. I was looking for some information about tuning problems and hit this forum and also I found the PRS support pages which talks about how these models are set up at factory with 9-42 string sets. Finally last night I was looking at the strings and realized that it had a set of 10's on it. I tried 2 things last night first i used a pencil to color on a little graphite in the groves of the nut, and on the string guides of the bridge then I put a new set of 9-42 strings on it. I tuned it up last night and played for a few minutes, and then had to put it away and get kids to bed. This morning I checked the tuning which was almost perfectly on then played for an hour with lots of string bends and light tremolo use. The sound was great and it never went out of tune like before. When I checked with the tuner at the end of the session everything was still perfectly in tune.

My take away from this experience is with the PRS SE model is that string size really does matter. I was ready to sell this thing while it had 10's on it and I loved the sound and playability with 9's this morning. I don't know that the graphite helped as much as the string size, but it surely didn't hurt. It is clear that with the PRS tremolo bridge setup that you will have tuning issues if the strings bind in the nut. For anyone that wants to use 10's or bigger strings on an SE model you should have the nut filed out so they don't bind at the very least. Otherwise a nut upgrade and having the luthier set the guitar for the new string gauge would be in order.
 
Glad you got it sorted out.
I run 9-42 on all of my guitars.
I also have a 2012 Santana, but never use the tremolo.
 
PRS claim that all their guitars are set up before being sold. I got my beautiful SE 30th Anniversary Custom 24 quilt top from PMT in Norwich and it is very well set up and plays like a dream. Take it back and ask for it to be sorted out or exchanged for another one. It looks like this a rogue that escaped the quality check! Wiz

Didn't realise that this is an old thread :confused: !!!!!!!
 
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I just recently bought a PRS SE Custom 24, it's an absolutely stunning guitar in a zebrawood finish. However I just can't get it to stay in tune. I've taken it back to the shop 3 times now to no avail. I'm so fed up I want to get rid of it. I'm not sure of my rights. Can I get a replacement guitar, get my money back? Any advice would be appreciated. Cheers.
 
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handsome said:
I just recently bought a PRS SE Custom, it's an absolutely stunning guitar in a zebrawood finish. However I just can't get it to stay in tune. I've taken it back to the shop 3 times now to no avail. I'm so fed up I want to get rid of it. I'm not sure of my rights. Can I get a replacement guitar, get my money back? Any advice would be appreciated. Cheers.
Click to expand...

That's not for here. Your dealer has to step up. However, before you go that route, have them replace the nut. It's the single biggest issue with tuning problems.
 
I'd replace the tuners before I changed the nut...
Also don't adjust the action height using the pivot screws. Adjust it via the saddles. I owned a Custom 24 CE and a Standard 22 in the early 90s, but I was SO afraid to play them because I was clumsy. So I ended up selling them. I love the SE models because it still feels and plays like a PRS, and I don't have the paranoia about scratching one. I'm in the process now of looking for a decent SE 24 as my main guitar.
 
Thanks for the advice guys. Love the guitar but it's so frustrating with the tuning issues.
 
handsome said:
Thanks for the advice guys. Love the guitar but it's so frustrating with the tuning issues.
Click to expand...

Have you read the previous messages in this thread? Tuning problems can have a number of causes. Blocking the bridge solved the problem for me.
 
Nut, nut, or nut.

Pick any of the above as culprits. There are many threads here regarding SE tuning stability with the stock nut. Any chance you put 10's on the guitar? If you did, that will make matters worse, as the stock nut is cut for 9's. Put a PRS Core nut or a Tusq nut on there, and things should improve. If you are using 10's, you'll need to widen the slots a little.
 
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