Tuning problems PRS CE24

[blah]

Hi guys!

Can somebody help me with this problem? When I use a tremolo, tune goes for about 10 cents up... What could be wrong?

On video I use tremolo pretty much, but it is the same if it used just for a little... Tuning is drop C# (c# g# c# f# a# d#) and strings are EB Heavey Bottom, 10.-52 and guitar is PRS CE24, 1996.

 

[gush]

You will see tuning go off a few cents. Is it still in tune with itself? Looked like your low string went south more than the others.

Pull trem up and see if low string goes sharp or returns to zero.

 

[blah]

I have blocked tremolo... So it goes just in down direction.

 

[rugerpc]

Is your nut cut for the gauge strings you are using?

Nut binding is the first place to look.

 

[blah]

Yes... Nut is ok, beacuse tuning goes up just when tremolo is used. When you play, tuning stay in normal.

 

[toothace]

If nut slot is not correct, playing without the tremolo shouldn't affect tuning. When using the tremolo arm, the string will bind in the too-small slot and go out of tune.

 

[sleary]

Intonate it and I'd either say change the springs or lubricant the tremolo.

 

[sleary]

I'd also look at even a bigger gauge of strings. Minimum of at least 11's .

 

[rugerpc]

Is your nut cut for the gauge strings you are using?

Nut binding is the first place to look.

Yes... Nut is ok, beacuse tuning goes up just when tremolo is used. When you play, tuning stay in normal.

If nut slot is not correct, playing without the tremolo shouldn't affect tuning. When using the tremolo arm, the string will bind in the too-small slot and go out of tune.

If your nut slots are too tight, using the tremolo may cause tuning changes because the strings are binding in the nut when they are meant to slide freely.

 

[markintime]

Pretty obvious. The nut is the problem.

 

[archey]

When I tune a guitar with a vibrato, I tune down to the note, not up. It feels kind of weird doing it that way, but my strings always return to pitch better than if I tune up to the note.

 

[drdoom8793]

When I tune a guitar with a vibrato, I tune down to the note, not up. It feels kind of weird doing it that way, but my strings always return to pitch better than if I tune up to the note.

I've also heard this for locking vs non locking tuners. A lot of people recommend tuning up to the note with non locking but tuning down to the note with locking. I dunno! :dontknow:

 

[Mixstar]

To be perfectly truthful I've never rated locking tuners, I string 'em and they stay strung. The only guitar I own that detunes occasionally (apart from the normal atmospheric changes) is my LP Standard that has locking Grovers on it and I've thought about changing those a few times.

 

[greiswig]

I've also heard this for locking vs non locking tuners. A lot of people recommend tuning up to the note with non locking but tuning down to the note with locking. I dunno! :dontknow:

This is makes zero sense to me; tuning up to the note makes it so that bends won't be prone to suddenly releasing the slack stored between the nut and the tuner. A properly-strung non-locking tuner will be no more or less prone to that than a locking one. Tune up to the pitch for the most stable system. But there will always be a little bit of friction at the nut that may make it so it doesn't return to perfect pitch after a bend or whammy effect. That's why some companies made locking nuts.

 

[blah]

So what should I do with nut? Change it for bone? Beacuse I fill it already with graffiti paste (or I don't know how does it called)...

 

[greiswig]

So what should I do with nut? Change it for bone? Beacuse I fill it already with graffiti paste (or I don't know how does it called)...

It would be really hard to give you specific advice without seeing your guitar in person, and to see how bad the issue is. It may be as simple as resetting your expectations: nothing short of a friction-free nut or a locking nut will prevent friction from creating a problem there to some degree. Using graphite paste should help. A bone nut will not help, as it has higher friction than the stock nut.

You mention using heavy bottom strings, so perhaps they are binding in a too-narrow slot. If so, there is most of your problem. My advise would be to take it to a decent luthier who can diagnose it and fix it for you.

 

[G-Man]

If the nut is not the issue, is the tremolo returning to the correct position? Is the block causing it not come back to flat?

 

[markintime]

It would be really hard to give you specific advice without seeing your guitar in person, and to see how bad the issue is. It may be as simple as resetting your expectations: nothing short of a friction-free nut or a locking nut will prevent friction from creating a problem there to some degree. Using graphite paste should help. A bone nut will not help, as it has higher friction than the stock nut.

You mention using heavy bottom strings, so perhaps they are binding in a too-narrow slot. If so, there is most of your problem. My advise would be to take it to a decent luthier who can diagnose it and fix it for you.

I think I would agree with greiswig here. When I ordered my SE CU24, I specifically asked Sweetwater to make it with 10-46 guage strings and make sure it intonated properly. Even then, however, I had to do a very tiny bit of work on the bottom E and A strings to get everything to come back to pitch after some tremolo use. And it does have the stock SE nut. And I do tune up with both locking and nonlocking tuners. No problems either way.

 

[Dusty Chalk]

So what should I do with nut? Change it for bone? Beacuse I fill it already with graffiti paste (or I don't know how does it called)...

graphite paste?

Alright, so here's a test -- press down on the strings behind the nut, see if it gives smoothly. (That's a normal test, no?)

 

[shinksma]

IIRC (and I wouldn't put any money on that), all PRSi came from the factory with regular .009s as stock up until about 5 or something years ago.

So if you still have the stock nut, it was cut for smaller strings that you are using, especially the E and A strings - the stock E would have been .042, and you've got a .052 in there. That a 23% increase in size!

If the strings go sharp after a dive on the trem, then that tells me you do indeed have a nut binding issue, which is perfectly normal. You just need to get the nut slots widened for your bigger strings. All the graphite in the world won't help if the slots are just too darned tight.

No need to replace the nut - if you don't feel comfortable doing it yourself take it to a (good) guitar store and they will widen the slots for you for a fee (maybe $30? I dunno).

Dusty Chalk's test is a good idea, and should help you see that those fat strings are binding in your nut.