Jet,out of curiousity,how was Daves specs?....and guys,with a floating tremolo,change one string at a time.
Jet,out of curiousity,how was Daves specs?....and guys,with a floating tremolo,change one string at a time.
D
Deleted member 5962
Guest
So, what is your easiest solution if the strings are binding at the nut? Take in for a smoothing nut file job? Lube? Other... I tried some nut lube and it didn't seem to help at all. Might need to go to the next level.
(and yes, I realize how funny that last part is when said out loud :tongue: )
(and yes, I realize how funny that last part is when said out loud :tongue: )
Last edited by a moderator:
alantig
Zombie Four, DFZ
- Joined
- Apr 28, 2012
- Messages
- 14,978
You can block the trem in place and change all the strings at once. I do that all the time. Saw Len Johnson do it in the video below, and he told me what he uses - a magazine subscription card or business cards wrapped with painter's tape. I folded a subscription card in thirds and wrapped a layer of tape around it. Works like a charm.
I was surprised at how little it takes to hold the trem in place. Seems like it should need more.
Last edited by a moderator:
guitarman001
New Member
- Joined
- Sep 12, 2014
- Messages
- 602
I've yet to do serious whammies but when I bend a string on my new ones the others go out slightly. Tap the bridge and it goes back to perfect. Here's the official explanation I got.
The tuning fluctuations you are experiencing are very unlikely to have anything to do with the nut or tuners not working properly. The PRS system works in such a way that any flattening of strings due to bending can be reversed with a wobble or sharp dive of the trem; you can hear this clearly for yourself if you do a big bend on the G string at the 12[SUP]th[/SUP] fret – the G string will go slightly flat and some of the other strings may go very slightly sharp to maintain equilibrium. Give the trem a quick wang and it should all return to somewhere near perfect. For this reason any time you re-string your guitar you should stretch each string, give the trem a wobble, tune, stretch, wobble & tune again. The golden rule is always to tune (if necessary) after wobbling and not after bending. Have a look at this clip of John Ingram, one of the original factory techs, talking about setting up the PRS trem:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-jfakcKV_2A
So I wouldn’t bother with nut sauce, just get used to the way the system works and you should be fine. Having said all that, if the six pivot screws at the front of the trem aren’t properly adjusted it can cause the trem to behave erratically. This is a different scenario to the one above but basically the guitar should hardly go out of tuneat all when you use the trem without bending; if it does then the pivot screws might need adjusting slightly – best not to attempt this yourself unless your very confident with fine adjustments to mechanical systems.
The tuning fluctuations you are experiencing are very unlikely to have anything to do with the nut or tuners not working properly. The PRS system works in such a way that any flattening of strings due to bending can be reversed with a wobble or sharp dive of the trem; you can hear this clearly for yourself if you do a big bend on the G string at the 12[SUP]th[/SUP] fret – the G string will go slightly flat and some of the other strings may go very slightly sharp to maintain equilibrium. Give the trem a quick wang and it should all return to somewhere near perfect. For this reason any time you re-string your guitar you should stretch each string, give the trem a wobble, tune, stretch, wobble & tune again. The golden rule is always to tune (if necessary) after wobbling and not after bending. Have a look at this clip of John Ingram, one of the original factory techs, talking about setting up the PRS trem:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-jfakcKV_2A
So I wouldn’t bother with nut sauce, just get used to the way the system works and you should be fine. Having said all that, if the six pivot screws at the front of the trem aren’t properly adjusted it can cause the trem to behave erratically. This is a different scenario to the one above but basically the guitar should hardly go out of tuneat all when you use the trem without bending; if it does then the pivot screws might need adjusting slightly – best not to attempt this yourself unless your very confident with fine adjustments to mechanical systems.
Duffy
New Member
Well, mine is a brand new SE Custom 24, about a week old, 2014 model, in vintage yellow. Very beautiful and nice guitar. It did the same thing. I know because I specifically checked it this morning before putting on some new NYXL strings. Sure enough, it did not return to perfect tune after using the whammy only slightly. About three of the strings were quite far off.
So, when I put the new strings on (one at a time, keeping the guitar in tune) I made sure to take the string that I had just removed and run it back and forth in the nut slot repeatedly to open up the slot a little. Three or four strings definitely were pinched in the slot when I went to remove them. So I did a good job of running the strings back and forth until the new string would fit in without resistance. I then put some powdered graphite in the nut slots and in the grooves of each saddle, and put the new strings on, keeping the guitar in tune, one at a time.
Then I tested it out. Wouldn't you know, after applying the tremolo, even rather gently a few times some of the strings still did not come back into tune. They were a lot closer but not near being in perfect tune.
Thinking it over, I decided to loosen up the identified strings, remove them from the nut slots and slide a piece of folded fine sandpaper against the sides of the nut slots, one at a time until I got the string to come back into tune perfectly after applying the tremolo. I was careful when doing this not to sand the nut slots any deeper, but to just sand against the sides of the nut slots. I applied more graphite and repeated this until I got every string to return to perfect tune. I think it was three strings, possibly four, all wound strings. The "B" and "E" did not bind.
It was a relief to find that I could correct this problem myself, to my satisfaction, because it was definitely not coming anywhere near back to perfect tune when using even the most gentle tremolo action.
The guitar also stays in tune after doing moderately heavy bends repeatedly on three or four strings.
One thing I noticed on another of my guitars, an SE Singlecut Tremolo guitar, is that after I put Grover 406C mini locking tuners on it, that it stays in tune for days, even weeks if not played every day. I'm sure that with extra hammering on it that it would need to be fine tuned after every couple songs, but under normal play it stays in tune extraordinarily well. I'm going to get some more of those direct drop in tuners. The smaller buttons look just fine to my eye, no problem there. I could try a different brand though, but they would have to be direct drop in and, of course, not hit the headstock when turning them. There is not much clearance on the "E" strings for tuner buttons.
Anyway good luck. If you decide to use fine sandpaper (220 grit, approx.) be careful not to sand the nut slots "deeper". You do not want to do that - you just want to widen the nut slots a little at a time, try the guitar and if it still doesn't come back to perfect tune, sand some more, put the string back in and try again until you get it widened out just enough to come back to perfect tune. Try to sand lightly with precision, but just enough force that the sandpaper "cuts" into the nut material. If it's a black nut you will see the black on the red "garnet paper", regular reddish sandpaper.
Others here may not approve of the method that I used, but it worked for me. Also, my guitar is not a multi thousand dollar USA PRS either. On the other hand, even if it was, I would be very cautious to what ever so-called guitar tech I took it to, if you know what I mean. I know a couple real good guitar techs in my area; one is close and the other one is about 85 miles away, one way. These other so-called guys I will not trust to do anything other than very simple work, if any at all. I think I can do a better job myself in most of these cases, even intonation, soldering, trouble shooting electronics, installing upgraded pickups, tuners, etc.
Furthermore, I'm sure that no one, at the factory or otherwise, touched up the binding nut on my new SE Custom 24 before I did. All else aside, the slots in the nut were just plain too tight for the strings. That seemed very evident, cut and dry. I would not expect this on a costly USA guitar.
Last edited:
markintime
Wood Grain Devotee
+1 What Duffy just said. My SE CU 24 is a 2013 and I upgraded the strings to a set of PRS 9.5's. Did the same procedure to widen the slots and not go deeper. I did use much finer sandpaper, more like 1000 grit for widening. Then I had some even finer, like 3000 grit that I use for polishing other things, but I figured it would work on the nut. I have absolutely no trouble with my SE keeping its tune. It sounds boss. Go slow and don't get in a hurry. Should be just fine. :wink:
I'm sure you know you can remove the bar and store it in the gig bag (just pull up on it to remove). You can also block the trem if you want it to be solid.
Last edited by a moderator:
I had the same problem on my 2012 DGT Standard. I can't make my CU24 go out of tune but every time I even looked at the trem on the DGT the low strings would go extremely sharp. After trying everything (set-up, nut work/lube, etc.) I ended up applying some light machine oil to the back of the tremolo posts where the knife edge rests and now it stays in tune perfectly. Since it was a tight fit and I didn't want to take everything apart, I just broke the tip off of a toothpick, dipped it in the oil, pulled the trem back, and rubbed the toothpick with oil on the posts. Maybe that will work for you.
Duffy
New Member
I recall having a guitar that wouldn't stay in tune. Finally I took off the trem cavity cover on the back of the guitar and discovered that the trem block was actually rubbing on the side of the trem cavity. I removed a small amount of wood from where the trem block was rubbing and the problem was solved.
I guess that a tuning problem can have a cause that goes farther than just the string path.
I have never oiled any trem plate posts or screws, but I will try this if other variables have been addressed to no avail.
I have heard that it is a good idea with a six screw trem plate, to loosen all the screws about a quarter turn and tighten down the two outside screws. Supposedly this will loosen up a too tightly screwed down trem plate. I have done this a couple times with no long term problems. I won't try this on my PRS SE's because the screws stand off from the body, unlike on a strat where they hold the plate tight to the body.
I guess that a tuning problem can have a cause that goes farther than just the string path.
I have never oiled any trem plate posts or screws, but I will try this if other variables have been addressed to no avail.
I have heard that it is a good idea with a six screw trem plate, to loosen all the screws about a quarter turn and tighten down the two outside screws. Supposedly this will loosen up a too tightly screwed down trem plate. I have done this a couple times with no long term problems. I won't try this on my PRS SE's because the screws stand off from the body, unlike on a strat where they hold the plate tight to the body.
sergiodeblanc
New Member
- Joined
- Apr 26, 2012
- Messages
- 27,412
I've often thought of becoming a golf club.
Last edited:
Similar threads
