SE Custom 24 Tuning issues

[Alessandro]

I bought a 2018 spalted maple custom 24 Se very recently and faced some similar struggles at first. I never had issues floating the bridge wel but the trem use would bring my g and D strings up pretty sharp. I noticed it was pinging when I would tune which led me to dress up the net a bit with some emery cloth. Some lube after that and It was about 95%. Find it still comes up a tiny bit sharp if I do a dive and then immediately check tuning but when hit a dive or pull the bar up a bit for a vibrato or bend and continue playing I find I’m 100% in tune at the end of a song now and that’s what really counts to me. Any bit sharp it may cup up gets resolved with some playing and bends during my leads. I will be installing a tremsetter that is on the way just to give me that ultimate stability during bends and tuning that I love on any trem I use.

 

[Victek]

I will be installing a tremsetter that is on the way just to give me that ultimate stability during bends and tuning that I love on any trem I use.

I hadn't heard of the tremsetter. This is the best solution as far as I can tell. More info here:

 

[Alessandro]

I hadn't heard of the tremsetter. This is the best solution as far as I can tell. More info here:

I bought one years ago and decided not to install it right away because of the drilling required. Finally I got fed up with poor tuning stability and put it in one of my older guitars that would never stay in tune and voila, now I install it in any trem even if it doesn’t have tunning stability issues just for the ease of changing tunings easily and also the stability during bends. Really a cool little mod that solved all of my concerns about trem style guitars. Not for everyone though I imagine.

 

[Victek]

I bought one years ago and decided not to install it right away because of the drilling required. Really a cool little mod that solved all of my concerns about trem style guitars. Not for everyone though I imagine.

The drilling might put some people off, but it would be easy to remove the tremsetter and put the original claw back in if necessary. I could use a couple of tremsetters

 

[Alessandro]

The drilling might put some people off, but it would be easy to remove the tremsetter and put the original claw back in if necessary. I could use a couple of tremsetters

I think everyone could use them but the problem is 90% of guitar techs have either never heard of them or are not able to install them properly. I have had so many issues with so called techs who couldn’t perform the simplest adjustments. I would say it bothered me but instead it inspired me to take matters into my own hands a lot More often with much more desirable outcomes. As it goes without saying if you want something done right you should do it yourself

 

[Filippo Gori]

Hi all, I have a rather lovely new SE custom 24 that I am really pleased with.....other than keeping it in tune,

Is tuning instability something I will have to live with on my SE-or are they normally pretty good. I have put the back ground below if it helps.

thanks in advance

I ordered the guitar in store from a very reputable PRS dealer in Exeter UK after trying a the shop brown burst model, I asked them to put D'Addario 10's on my guitar when it came in as they are my go to string and asked them to carry out a full set up on the guitar for the 10's (to my knowledge they came with 9's on as stock).

When I picked it up I had a few tuning issues and they took it into the tech shop and adjusted the nut and after trying it again it was better but not perfect but I knew that the guitar would need a little time to settle down.

I spent more time playing it over the past few days and still had issues but from the pinging it sounded like the nut was binding the strings- so I took it back, they had it for an afternoon and cut the nut again.

I tried it again and it seemed better and it was, but only slightly, I called them yesterday and the tech said that the nuts in the SE models are not very good and I really should upgrade to the ones PRS put on the US models for £45.00.

My question is (sorry to ramble), is this something I will have to live with on my SE- is the tech right should I upgrade the nut or am I being mislead by the shop / tech??

Please help as I am getting really frustrated by this if I can't get it sorted the Guitar will be going back and I will get something else

Jon

I love the tone and the look, I used to have a PRS SE Standard 24, I changed the nut to bone, took it a very good luthier and it was still crap, wouldn’t hold the tune for a single bend...
I eventually sold it.
In my opinion the Indonesian version is pretty bad

 

[Brian Parker]

Hi all, I have a rather lovely new SE custom 24 that I am really pleased with.....other than keeping it in tune,

Is tuning instability something I will have to live with on my SE-or are they normally pretty good. I have put the back ground below if it helps.

thanks in advance

I ordered the guitar in store from a very reputable PRS dealer in Exeter UK after trying a the shop brown burst model, I asked them to put D'Addario 10's on my guitar when it came in as they are my go to string and asked them to carry out a full set up on the guitar for the 10's (to my knowledge they came with 9's on as stock).

When I picked it up I had a few tuning issues and they took it into the tech shop and adjusted the nut and after trying it again it was better but not perfect but I knew that the guitar would need a little time to settle down.

I spent more time playing it over the past few days and still had issues but from the pinging it sounded like the nut was binding the strings- so I took it back, they had it for an afternoon and cut the nut again.

I tried it again and it seemed better and it was, but only slightly, I called them yesterday and the tech said that the nuts in the SE models are not very good and I really should upgrade to the ones PRS put on the US models for £45.00.

My question is (sorry to ramble), is this something I will have to live with on my SE- is the tech right should I upgrade the nut or am I being mislead by the shop / tech??

Please help as I am getting really frustrated by this if I can't get it sorted the Guitar will be going back and I will get something else

Jon

Just bought my first,,and likely, my last PRS....I was dipping my foot in the pool, bought an SE 24, to try out before putting some high$ in for an upper scale PRS. This thing wont stay in tune with 1/4 tone bend. Worst guitar I have ever experienced right out of the box. Bought it from MF (I guess they do zero setup checks), but it would ultimately fall back on PRS to let a quality issue like this go out the door. I can actually HEAR the pings from G and B strings binding in the nut. MF told me to get with PRS, PRS said MF would likely handle it. Then PRS rep proceeds to tell ME how I should FIX THEIR ISSUE? Lifetime warranty measn shite, if they cant even get it right out of the box, and won't fix their subpar quality issues. I am having to foot the bill to take a BRAND NEW GUITAR to my local Luthier to fix, of replace the nut. Never again for me on PRS. I have only heard good things about them, and always liked the ones I played in music stores,,,but this issue has left a lasting impression on this gear buyer...

 

[bodia]

Just bought my first,,and likely, my last PRS....I was dipping my foot in the pool, bought an SE 24, to try out before putting some high$ in for an upper scale PRS. This thing wont stay in tune with 1/4 tone bend. Worst guitar I have ever experienced right out of the box. Bought it from MF (I guess they do zero setup checks), but it would ultimately fall back on PRS to let a quality issue like this go out the door. I can actually HEAR the pings from G and B strings binding in the nut. MF told me to get with PRS, PRS said MF would likely handle it. Then PRS rep proceeds to tell ME how I should FIX THEIR ISSUE? Lifetime warranty measn shite, if they cant even get it right out of the box, and won't fix their subpar quality issues. I am having to foot the bill to take a BRAND NEW GUITAR to my local Luthier to fix, of replace the nut. Never again for me on PRS. I have only heard good things about them, and always liked the ones I played in music stores,,,but this issue has left a lasting impression on this gear buyer...

It's the job of your dealer to work with PRS on this. They should have never told you to contact PRS. That's a bad move.

 

[Brian Parker]

Yeah, thats what I thought as well, but Musicians Friend didnt see it that way. Only reason I bought it from them was because i was under the impression that I could deal with Guitar Center for any issues. Nope,,, not the way that works. I’ll stick with Sweetwater from now on, at least they have people lay hands on the guitar before it goes out the door.

 

[bodia]

Yeah, thats what I thought as well, but Musicians Friend didnt see it that way. Only reason I bought it from them was because i was under the impression that I could deal with Guitar Center for any issues. Nope,,, not the way that works. I’ll stick with Sweetwater from now on, at least they have people lay hands on the guitar before it goes out the door.

Yeah, SW is much more pleasant to deal with.

 

[Victek]

Just bought my first, and likely, my last PRS...Bought it from MF (I guess they do zero setup checks),

Have you considered just returning it?

 

[Brian Parker]

Would if I could, bought it at end of Feb. keep playing it, thinking it just need “workin in” as stellar a rep as these things have I thought surely it needed string stretchin... So i believe its outside of their return window..

 

[Victek]

Would if I could, bought it at end of Feb - so i believe its outside of their return window..

In that case I would continue to continue to talk to PRS for support under the warranty.

 

[Brian Parker]

Yeah, I would have to pay to ship it, until they determined whether or not it was a “warranty related” issue. Had an issue with a Gretsch i bought a few years back, Gretsch said “yeah its under warranty, take it to xxxx, they’ll fix it and bill us”. No worries, no problems. Told PRS rep i can HEAR the ping on at least 2 strings at the nut when bending or trem use, and was told they would still need it shipped. They said they can often justify as a warranty fix without seeing it, bit not in this case. I repeat, it is AUDIBLY pinging as it hangs in the nut slots! How would anyone need a guitar shipped after being told that? They should just foot the bill from a certified tech to file the nut, IMHO.

 

[Victek]

Yeah, I would have to pay to ship it, until they determined whether or not it was a “warranty related” issue. Had an issue with a Gretsch i bought a few years back, Gretsch said “yeah its under warranty, take it to xxxx, they’ll fix it and bill us”. No worries, no problems. Told PRS rep i can HEAR the ping on at least 2 strings at the nut when bending or trem use, and was told they would still need it shipped. They said they can often justify as a warranty fix without seeing it, bit not in this case. I repeat, it is AUDIBLY pinging as it hangs in the nut slots! How would anyone need a guitar shipped after being told that? They should just foot the bill from a certified tech to file the nut, IMHO.

Have you considered restringing it? SEs normally come with 9s.

 

[Brian Parker]

You are correct, came with 9’s installed. Well-strung, nott too many wraps, locking wrap, so all good there,,,, mach heads not loose,,, def a nut issue...Throwing 10’s on it would only exacerbate the issue, and I dont see how re-stringing it with 9’s would solve the issues of the nut binding. My only course would seem to be eat the cost of having someone file it, and ensure that I let people know about it so it won’t come as a surprise and others will be quicker to return when they run into this

 

[Victek]

You are correct, came with 9’s installed.

I'm just curious how you determined it came with 9s? Short of using a micrometer it can be hard to tell. I mention it on the off chance that it actually came with 10s or 9.5s - that could explain the nut binding. You could consider putting on a set of 8s to see if it fixes the problem.

Edit: Ernie Ball makes 8s ( Extra Slinkys )

https://www.amazon.com/Ernie-Ball-G...&sprefix=ernie+ball+electric+,aps,245&sr=8-13

 

[Brian Parker]

Did use a micrometer. I’m a quality engineer by trade, measurents are a large part of my world, as is quality,, so it really irks me when a company releases poor-quality product, and then doesn’t stand behind a failed product. In my opinion PRS is way off base on their dealing with this issue.

 

[Brian Parker]

Ohhh 8’s are def too slinky for this guy,,, my Gretsch’s rock 0.012’s I’m ok with 9’s... but 8’s?? Not even if it was the fix...

 

[Victek]

Ohhh 8’s are def too slinky for this guy,,, my Gretsch’s rock 0.012’s I’m ok with 9’s... but 8’s?? Not even if it was the fix...

Yeah, I understand; 8s sound a little thin. On the other hand they're really easy to bend Anyway I hope this gets sorted to your satisfaction.