Tremelo Bridge?

[jwoodbury3571]

I've found a Modern Eagle i'm interested in it has the following:

• Paul Reed Smith Gen III Tremolo Bridge with Locking Saddles
  
• Paul Reed Smith Phase III Tweaked Locking Tuners with Ebony Buttons

I'm a little worried about this as i haven't gotten great with guitars that have a floating like a Floyd Rose. Those guitars had the locking nut which made it such a pain in the butt to tune. Is the PRS tremolo more like a Strat tremolo where it really doesn't make a difference to tune? Do these stay in tune easily?

 

[László]

I've found a Modern Eagle i'm interested in it has the following:

• Paul Reed Smith Gen III Tremolo Bridge with Locking Saddles
  
• Paul Reed Smith Phase III Tweaked Locking Tuners with Ebony Buttons

I'm a little worried about this as i haven't gotten great with guitars that have a floating like a Floyd Rose. Those guitars had the locking nut which made it such a pain in the butt to tune. Is the PRS tremolo more like a Strat tremolo where it really doesn't make a difference to tune? Do these stay in tune easily?

I have a Gen III with locking saddles, which is (as I understand it) a PS option.

Here’s how easy it is to use: You back out the saddle nuts just enough to let the string go through; then pull the string through and back the string so there’s a teeny bit of slack at the ball end. Then lock the string in place. That’s it for the bridge until you change strings.

The tweaked locking tuners work this way: run the string through the hole, and tighten the little screw on top (don’t overtighten or you’ll cut the string!).

That’s it. The guitar tunes and operates exactly the way any PRS with a trem does, except it stays in tune even better, longer, and the locking nuts on the bridge seem to transfer more energy to the guitar, so the tone is terrific.

I love the way it works. And I hate Floyds.

This sounds way more complicated than it is in real life. It took me way longer to type this than to actually change strings.

 

[]-[@n$0Ma☩!©]

Is the PRS tremolo more like a Strat tremolo where it really doesn't make a difference to tune?

Yes.

Do these stay in tune easily?

Yes.

 

[jwoodbury3571]

Thanks for the response. Just so i'm clear, to tune it, you just do it normally correct? Does it really stay in tune better? I've heard people say that about Floyd Rose's and i can't keep that thing in tune for the life of me.

 

[dmatthews]

PRS trems are great. I have them on my Silver Sky and 305. You will have no worries.

 

[WA Paul]

I avoid FRs at all costs.

PRS trem is vastly superior in terms of tuning stability and ease of string changes as Les stated. Life gets easier when you listen to Les

 

[Tone-y]

I'm not sure I agree that the PRS trem is vastly superior to a Floyd Rose in tuning stability. A Floyd Rose should be rock solid after dive bombing on the trem all day long. If it's not you're doing something wrong.
However, there are other downsides to the Floyd Rose system, and fiddly tuning is one of them. The PRS system is about as good as it gets for a traditional set up trem. In addition, locking saddles really do increase tuning stability even further and in my opinion improve tone.

 

[CatStrangler]

The PRS system is about as good as it gets for a traditional set up trem. In addition, locking saddles really do increase tuning stability even further and in my opinion improve tone.

Interesting to hear someone say that. What do you like about the tone of the locking saddles on PRS? I found them to be a tad dark for my taste, but only have played a couple examples.

 

[Tone-y]

Interesting to hear someone say that. What do you like about the tone of the locking saddles on PRS? I found them to be a tad dark for my taste, but only have played a couple examples.

Well OK, I have to come clean here, I haven't actually tried the PRS locking saddles - I've got a set of the Wilkinson locking saddles that Pete Thorn has now got on his signature Suhr guitar. I've got them fitted on a Callaham bridge on an Eric Johnson signature Strat. I'm assuming that the experience is similar.
Tone is a hard one to quantify, specially in the objective sense as better. I feel that the signal you get with them is purer. There's less unwanted overtones layered on top of the fundamental tone. As to how that fundamental tone is different (darker etc) I've not noticed so much. I guess i feel like it's tightened down one area of looseness and therefore waste of energy of the strings vibration, if that makes any sense

 

[WA Paul]

I'm not sure I agree that the PRS trem is vastly superior to a Floyd Rose in tuning stability. A Floyd Rose should be rock solid after dive bombing on the trem all day long. If it's not you're doing something wrong.
However, there are other downsides to the Floyd Rose system, and fiddly tuning is one of them. The PRS system is about as good as it gets for a traditional set up trem. In addition, locking saddles really do increase tuning stability even further and in my opinion improve tone.

I don’t really dive bomb, so yes, for dive bombers, a FR will hold tune quite well. I was referring to what you called the ‘fiddly tuning’ which I experienced on my AL LP. No such issues on my PRS trems.

 

[László]

Interesting to hear someone say that. What do you like about the tone of the locking saddles on PRS? I found them to be a tad dark for my taste, but only have played a couple examples.

Since I have them on my PS 20, I can answer that question.

You know how moving up to a heavier set of strings will often yield a stronger fundamental when you play a note, or give a little more clarity to chords? It’s like that. You retain the feel of your regular gauge of strings, but it sounds like you have a heavier gauge.

I don’t find it any darker than other PRS bridges. My guitar is very crisp and bright, even strung with pure nickel wrap strings (that are darker than nickel plated steel).

Here’s a clip of my PS20 through the HXDA (that I’ve posted probably too often!) If you listen on decent speakers, I don’t think you’ll find it dark:

https://soundcloud.com/lschefman/ps-20-hxda

 

[CatStrangler]

interesting. I prefer the tone of light gauges (usually 8.5s)...as to me they sound more complex with less fundamental. Maybe that's why I don't care for the locking ones. thanks for the perspective

 

[jwoodbury3571]

What about when you strum it without being plugged in? Is there that jangly sound you get on hollow body guitars or some guitars that have a Tremelo?

 

[Tone-y]

What about when you strum it without being plugged in? Is there that jangly sound you get on hollow body guitars or some guitars that have a Tremelo?

I'd say less so. You'd still get some from the trem springs if the guitar is susceptible to it. But the saddles themselves don't introduce any jangle

 

[László]

interesting. I prefer the tone of light gauges (usually 8.5s)...as to me they sound more complex with less fundamental. Maybe that's why I don't care for the locking ones. thanks for the perspective

No worries! The ratio of harmonics to fundamental is definitely higher with a lighter gauge string.

I prefer a tone with solid fundamentals and string-to-string definition, because I find I get a clearer recording. The predominance of upper harmonics tends to get a little mushed and disturb The Force (as does predominance of bass) in front of a mic.

But hey, we’re all different! And differences are good. I firmly believe it’s good that we don’t all sound alike.

I favor Mediums on my acoustic for a similar reason, there’s greater clarity, and more volume to drive the top, so you hear a bit more wood. In fact, I leave the action on my acoustic on the high side so I get a little steeper angle that seems to drive the top a little more, kind of the opposite of the Taylor thing. But yes, my hands work harder!