Setup Issue with Custom 24

In the first place, the tremolo was not designed to be decked. If you bought it decked or did it yourself, the strings needed to be loosened and the springs disconnected before the adjustment down was made. If this was not done, the base plate for the tremolo may have had the holes put out of round. This is a very bad thing. It looks like someone thought they were adjusting a Fender guitar. Take it to a qualified luthier and have it set up properly. There are a few things that don't make sense here. It shouldn't involve any wood removal or anything more that a clean setup with someone who knows PRS very well.
 
dogrocketp said:
In the first place, the tremolo was not designed to be decked. If you bought it decked or did it yourself, the strings needed to be loosened and the springs disconnected before the adjustment down was made. If this was not done, the base plate for the tremolo may have had the holes put out of round. This is a very bad thing. It looks like someone thought they were adjusting a Fender guitar. Take it to a qualified luthier and have it set up properly. There are a few things that don't make sense here. It shouldn't involve any wood removal or anything more that a clean setup with someone who knows PRS very well.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the info but I assure you that the bridge adjustment(s) were made without any tension on the bridge. Strings and springs both removed.
 
Trio said:
The truss rod works and the relief is set at 0.006". No signs of neck damage and no neck cracks. The frets are 0.047" x 0.104" stock factory height. The nut is within PRS specs. The bridge and saddles are stock.
Click to expand...
When I expand your first pic, it looks like your saddles COULD be lowered.

It also looks like your bridge pickup is fairly low in the ring and it looks like string is fairly close to pickup. That tells me you can't really go a bunch lower with your action.

Can you post more pics of the neck and string height at 12th fret ?

Maybe even pics of nut? Like close up?

Somethings off
 
gush said:
When I expand your first pic, it looks like your saddles COULD be lowered.

It also looks like your bridge pickup is fairly low in the ring and it looks like string is fairly close to pickup. That tells me you can't really go a bunch lower with your action.

Can you post more pics of the neck and string height at 12th fret ?

Maybe even pics of nut? Like close up?

Somethings off
Click to expand...

Thanks for the reply. The saddles that can be seen in the photo could be lowered, but what you can't see is that the low and high e saddles are a millimeter or so from being bottomed out. In other words that saddles are as low as they can be based on the e saddles are as low as they can be.

This results in an action is usable and works for me. The problem, as you stated, is that this low string path results in the strings being too low over that pickups. That is my main issue. The pickups are as low as they can get without falling off the height adjustment screws.
 
Trio said:
Thanks for the reply. The saddles that can be seen in the photo could be lowered, but what you can't see is that the low and high e saddles are a millimeter or so from being bottomed out. In other words that saddles are as low as they can be based on the e saddles are as low as they can be.

This results in an action is usable and works for me. The problem, as you stated, is that this low string path results in the strings being too low over that pickups. That is my main issue. The pickups are as low as they can get without falling off the height adjustment screws.
Click to expand...
I have black brass PU rings that are thinner than the ones you have on it now. I'm sure you can get those in the normal colors or longer screws providing there is room in cavity to go lower.

I would not route them deeper....no way of knowing what that would do to tone???

Would still like neck pics though
 
gush said:
I have black brass PU rings that are thinner than the ones you have on it now. I'm sure you can get those in the normal colors or longer screws providing there is room in cavity to go lower.

I would not route them deeper....no way of knowing what that would do to tone???

Would still like neck pics though
Click to expand...

Thanks for the reply. I did the longer pickup screws. If I remember correctly, the stock pickup height screws are 1" long. There are 1-1/2" screws out there. I bought some but found that I needed to cut them down to about 1-1/4" or 1-3/8" to fit the stock cavity depth. That's what is in there now. The pickups are at their lowest depth now with the longer screw. One more turn to lower the pickups even more and they would fall off the screws.

One thing that might help visualize the issue here: If the bridge were set floating at 1/16" off the body, the action height at the 12th fret would be about 10/64" with the saddles as low as possible and relief at about 0.006". The only way to get a normal action height is to lower the bridge to the body (decked). That causes the strings to be too low over the pickups. Not ideal tone.

I'll take some more photos tomorrow.
 
Trio said:
Thanks for the reply. I did the longer pickup screws. If I remember correctly, the stock pickup height screws are 1" long. There are 1-1/2" screws out there. I bought some but found that I needed to cut them down to about 1-1/4" or 1-3/8" to fit the stock cavity depth. That's what is in there now. The pickups are at their lowest depth now with the longer screw. One more turn to lower the pickups even more and they would fall off the screws.

One thing that might help visualize the issue here: If the bridge were set floating at 1/16" off the body, the action height at the 12th fret would be about 10/64" with the saddles as low as possible and relief at about 0.006". The only way to get a normal action height is to lower the bridge to the body (decked). That causes the strings to be too low over the pickups. Not ideal tone.

I'll take some more photos tomorrow.
Click to expand...
So......if the trem is set to 1/16 above the body and saddles are low as possible you will end up with 5/32 action at the 12th fret??????

You definitely have an unrealized issue???

Now I'm really wanting to see pics....
 
I would start with lowering the pole screws of the pickups.
and than float the trem to spec or maybe a little lower, and restart from there..

Check also the nut by pushing down the string between 2nd and 3rd fret.
Check the fret height and look for high frets with a rocker. Refretted ?

Good luck !
 
I have one that the trem is set lower similar to yours , with the trem disconnected ( no string or spring tension ) John Mann uses a 2.5mm allen to set the screw head height , On my DGT I used a 2mm allen. it also looks like you could loosen the spring tension and get the bridge to float some.
that 1/16 " is a suggestion , all mine are different.
Is it possible your bridge is not riding in the grooves of the screws ??? in the one pic it looks that way.
But I do agree that one is pretty low , have you tried a bit more relief and see how it felt.
Have you reached out to PTC and see there thoughts ??


 
Rider1260 said:
I have one that the trem is set lower similar to yours , with the trem disconnected ( no string or spring tension ) John Mann uses a 2.5mm allen to set the screw head height , On my DGT I used a 2mm allen. it also looks like you could loosen the spring tension and get the bridge to float some.
that 1/16 " is a suggestion , all mine are different.
Is it possible your bridge is not riding in the grooves of the screws ??? in the one pic it looks that way.
But I do agree that one is pretty low , have you tried a bit more relief and see how it felt.
Have you reached out to PTC and see there thoughts ??


Click to expand...

The setup the way it is, with minimal relief and the bridge decked actually works fine. The guitar plays and feels great. No string buzz. My only issue is that the pickups are too high in relation to the low string travel. I'll check the trem screws.

I've sent a few inquiries thru the PTC automated message system over the last two month with no reply. The last time I sent one was Oct 16.

Coincidentally, I did get a reply yesterday. hopefully I'll know more on Monday but it looks like the guitar may be going back to Maryland for an overhaul.
 
I think you’re focussed too much on action and how close you can get the strings to the frets and it’s throwing your vision. I don’t think there’s sth wrong with this guitar other than the setup
 
TheCraftsman said:
I think you’re focussed too much on action and how close you can get the strings to the frets and it’s throwing your vision. I don’t think there’s sth wrong with this guitar other than the setup
Click to expand...

I have the action height set based on PRS specs. The only way to do that is with the bridge and saddles at the lowest end of travel.

Please help me understand -- what would you suggest be done for a setup here?

I have four PRS guitars in total, two Custom 24s and two CE-24s. The subject guitar is the only one that has the described issues. The other three have floating trems with the bridge height close to 1/16".
 
I’d float the trem and start again, I understand and see you’re measuring everything but don’t abide by factory spec. Float the trem or block it and start from there, I’d say you’re working backwards right now
 
Looking at those new pics, I can see some daylight under all of the saddles, but most importantly both high and low E saddles.
Raise that trem a little and drop those outer saddles. Then adjust the other 4 saddles to match the radius. That may get you where you want.
Keep in mind, the PRS spec for string height is only a good base, you can adjust up or down to your preference.
In addition, you could lower your pickup pole pieces to give you some more room between pickups and strings but that is usually a personal preference as well.
Just a quick note- I have an SE that my outer saddles are resting flush on the trem plate to get the string height where I want it and everything works fine. I usually run my action lower than the PRS spec.
 
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