I am setting up my new Walnut LTD and I like REALLY low action. On the high E string, the height adjuster is all the way down, and I want it lower. (I have all my other PRS set up lower, and there is still room on the adjuster) What i noticed is that the trem is leaning backwards off the body, where my other PRS are all level or leaning slightly forward. I think if I made this change, it would give me the additional string lowering i need. I know this can be tricky, so exactly what do i do? Thanks for the help! I believe my first PS had this same "problem" and the guys at BAM walked me through the adjustment. It was "fixed", and i never needed to touch it after that. Please help! Thanks in advance!
Trem set up Its leaning back instead of level. Fix?
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sergiodeblanc
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Loosen the trem springs.
First of all, note that unlike other 6 screw trems rthis one's screws have notches in them that the trem plate rides in just like a 2 point trem. Theres a major difference in how you set them up tho and it's very important. They mention this on PRS's support pages. The 6 screws MUST all be the exact same height, and i mean as exact as possible. If not you can chew up the knife edges in the plate holes and cause tuning to go wacky unless it's decked. So the proper way is to remove the springs in the back, but first loosen the strings to the point they are extremely slack almost as tho theres no pull on the bridge. Then screw all 6 screws down just till you feel them stop. Then turn each one exactly 2 turns up. I say 2 because thats about what worked for me. Pull the bridge into the screw notches if they aren't already and see if the front of the bridge is appoximately 1/16" off the top. Once there with all the screws exactlly the same height, put the springs back on and tune up. Once tuned if the back is still sitting on the top, loosed the spring claw screws till the bridge is level. Then tune again and see where it is and adjust the claw again and tune again. Do that as many times as it takes to get the guitar tuned up where it flots level above the top. Another way is to put something between the block and the body thats just the right thickness to place the bridge level. Then tighten the spings a lot and tune up. once tuned slowly back the claw screws out till the spacer falls out. Then a fine tuning should have you in business. Once done use the saddles to lowe rht action if needed. You may want to have very little relief too if you want low action. Litte relief will lower it a lot, then RAISE the saddle to rid the buzz. thats the best way to get as low an action as possible with as little buzz as possible.
That said, i PREFER the rear of my bridge sitting on the top ! Better tuning stability, much easier and quicker to tune, stays in tune if you brak a string, and IMO better tone. More focused. Plus you can change the amount of focus in the tone by how hard the springs hold it to the top. I found the sweet spit for me is after the rear is as lightly resting on the top as possible, turn the claw scres about one turn each. A little pressure on the top, just enough to get rid of the less focused and wooly sound mine has when floating or decked as light as possible. Too much pressure and it gets thin and hard sounding. YMMV a lot tho depending on the scale length of your model, and most of all, the guitar's weigh. Very light ones like mine have more of that lack of focus and wooly lows than heavier guitars which are by thier nature much more focused and immediate sounding.
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Thank guys! I think I figured it out. I tried loosening the springs first, as that was the easiest thing to do, and it worked to some degree, but I heard way to much spring rattle when I was playing, and had to tighten them back up. So I was about to go through the major adjustment process Dazco so kindly put up, when I thought about something. It seemed almost to easy to bend strings, so I felt them, and sure enough, they seemed like 9s instead of the usual 10s. I looked on the hang tag, and it said it came with 10s, so I knew thats what it was set up for. I changed to 10s, and it pulled the bridge down more. But another problem. that actually RAISED the action even more. If you look, when you push the trem arm down, it rotates the saddles forward loosening the strings, but at the same time, it moves in an upward direction, RAISING the string height, not lowering it as you would think. 
So the action gets higher! But, I was able to straighten the neck with the truss rod, and now all seems fine. The action is very low, and no buzzing! I am sure a professional set up would get it so there would be some height on the high E saddle (its still down all the way right now), but I am fine with the way it is right now. VERY GOOD!
So the action gets higher! But, I was able to straighten the neck with the truss rod, and now all seems fine. The action is very low, and no buzzing! I am sure a professional set up would get it so there would be some height on the high E saddle (its still down all the way right now), but I am fine with the way it is right now. VERY GOOD!
