Hi,
Here are some tips for anybody struggling with setting up a PRS, especially regarding tuning stability.
The tips can be applied to any guitar if needed.
The thing that I realized through numerous attempts of trying to get my guitar setups right is this - the string action (height form fretboard) is maybe the single most important thing affecting tone, sustain, playability and tuning. I got this tip from an Yngwie interview (my first guitar hero
) where it said that he uses high string action. I never understood why anybody would want high string action if the goal is to be able to play fast... Until I tried it.
Why is this?
2. If the string is touching the frets constantly when vibrating it will cause disruption and subtle distortion which is clearly audible especially with long sustaining notes and power chords. These small interferences can be picked up by the pickup (no pun intended!). Strings are usually touching the frets when vibrating but the harder the string is hitting the fret the more energy the string loses.
3. Higher string action makes it easier to bend strings because you get a better grip of the string. In addition, other strings do not get in the way when bending which reduces resistance even more. This can help blues style playing a lot.
4. Depending on how the string action is raised (more on this later) the strings will actually feel lighter with higher action. This is because the length of the string is reduced which reduces tension. This can be observed by the string being tuned lower after raising the action.
5. And finally, due to the adjustments above the tuning stability is improved because the pressure and break angle at the nut is reduced when action is raised. The impact can be quite noticeable even with small adjustments.
The only slight downside that I found is that pull offs and legatos become slightly harder to perform. This is however offset by the string tension being reduced. But if you manage to strike the sweet spot then it doesn't have that much of an overall impact.
So how exactly is should string action be raised?
There are at least three easy ways to do this and the combination of how it is done can impact the end result quit a bit. This is why I had to use a fair amount of trial and error to get it right on my PRS.
2. The second method is to use the truss rod to adjust the neck so that there is more bow in it. I use this mostly to make the neck straight, not so much to raise the action. But it will also impact the action the closer to the neck pickup the fret is.
3. The third method is the most dramatic one. This is done by loosening the two long screws that hold the tremolo springs in place. This is of course applicable only if you have a floating tremolo. There is a small side effect to this, namely that the bridge is tilted forward. On a PRS this may limit the tremolo bar movement somewhat (especially when diving). On a Start the impact is not as noticeable. As a side effect the string tension will be reduced a lot (depending on the forward tilt).
Additional tip 1 for tuning stability - when attaching a new string, use the whole length of the string and wrap it around the tuner peg by trying to get the string exit point as high as possible in the peg to reduce the break angle and friction against the nut. This is especially important for PRS style headstocks with the D and G strings being the furthest out. This is not as important if you have a locking nut.
Additional tip 2 for tuning stability - try placing the tremolo spring claws directly under the string that causes the most tuning problems (usually G). This creates additional tension to the string which can help in returning it to its original position after bending.
But yeah, this is how got my PRS set up for super tone, better sustain, easier bending and better tuning stability!
It all boils down to how much string action you can deal with, what your main playing style is and finding your own personal sweet spot.
Have fun experimenting with these tips!
Here are some tips for anybody struggling with setting up a PRS, especially regarding tuning stability.
The tips can be applied to any guitar if needed.
Background
I recently bought a PRS SE 24-08 Eriza Verde and it was great… except that I couldn't get the G string to stay in tune. The tuning stability was for some reason even worse than in any of my other guitars (a Strat and a Les Paul). I use light gauges (8-46) with Eb tuning which can contribute to tuning issues even more since especially the higher strings have less "strength" to snap back after being stretched. For PRS scale length 8.5 might actually be better than 8 since bigger string gauges tend to have less tuning issues. But it ultimately depends on what your playing style is and how you optimize it with the guitar setup.The thing that I realized through numerous attempts of trying to get my guitar setups right is this - the string action (height form fretboard) is maybe the single most important thing affecting tone, sustain, playability and tuning. I got this tip from an Yngwie interview (my first guitar hero

Why is this?
There are many areas impacted by string action:
1. Low action causes string rattle which impacts sustain because any resistance to the vibration of the string will reduce its energy to vibrate.2. If the string is touching the frets constantly when vibrating it will cause disruption and subtle distortion which is clearly audible especially with long sustaining notes and power chords. These small interferences can be picked up by the pickup (no pun intended!). Strings are usually touching the frets when vibrating but the harder the string is hitting the fret the more energy the string loses.
3. Higher string action makes it easier to bend strings because you get a better grip of the string. In addition, other strings do not get in the way when bending which reduces resistance even more. This can help blues style playing a lot.
4. Depending on how the string action is raised (more on this later) the strings will actually feel lighter with higher action. This is because the length of the string is reduced which reduces tension. This can be observed by the string being tuned lower after raising the action.
5. And finally, due to the adjustments above the tuning stability is improved because the pressure and break angle at the nut is reduced when action is raised. The impact can be quite noticeable even with small adjustments.
The only slight downside that I found is that pull offs and legatos become slightly harder to perform. This is however offset by the string tension being reduced. But if you manage to strike the sweet spot then it doesn't have that much of an overall impact.
So how exactly is should string action be raised?
There are at least three easy ways to do this and the combination of how it is done can impact the end result quit a bit. This is why I had to use a fair amount of trial and error to get it right on my PRS.
Raising the string action:
1. The easiest way to do this is from the bridge by raising each individual string with the two screws that are next to it. But there is a limit to how high they can be raised. This setup is especially good for adjusting the action to follow the neck radius.2. The second method is to use the truss rod to adjust the neck so that there is more bow in it. I use this mostly to make the neck straight, not so much to raise the action. But it will also impact the action the closer to the neck pickup the fret is.
3. The third method is the most dramatic one. This is done by loosening the two long screws that hold the tremolo springs in place. This is of course applicable only if you have a floating tremolo. There is a small side effect to this, namely that the bridge is tilted forward. On a PRS this may limit the tremolo bar movement somewhat (especially when diving). On a Start the impact is not as noticeable. As a side effect the string tension will be reduced a lot (depending on the forward tilt).
Additional tip 1 for tuning stability - when attaching a new string, use the whole length of the string and wrap it around the tuner peg by trying to get the string exit point as high as possible in the peg to reduce the break angle and friction against the nut. This is especially important for PRS style headstocks with the D and G strings being the furthest out. This is not as important if you have a locking nut.
Additional tip 2 for tuning stability - try placing the tremolo spring claws directly under the string that causes the most tuning problems (usually G). This creates additional tension to the string which can help in returning it to its original position after bending.
But yeah, this is how got my PRS set up for super tone, better sustain, easier bending and better tuning stability!
It all boils down to how much string action you can deal with, what your main playing style is and finding your own personal sweet spot.
Have fun experimenting with these tips!