Why will PRS not stay in tune

Barney

Just played tonight using a PRS custom 24 ...I spent most of the night tuning it ...I do use the trem a bit  but it was just hard work keeping it in tune ...anybody have the same problem with these 

CavemanGrogg

Because they copied the designs of guitars famous for having tuning issues.

Lebarque

Nut 

TeleMaster

CavemanGrogg said:

Because they copied the designs of guitars famous for having tuning issues.

No they didn't. They adapted the design to ensure that the strings go straight through the nut because of known tuning issues with other guitars where they fan out.

They did the opposite of copy, they made their own design. 

Stevepage

Barney said:

Just played tonight using a PRS custom 24 ...I spent most of the night tuning it ...I do use the trem a bit  but it was just hard work keeping it in tune ...anybody have the same problem with these 

Could be the 6 trem screws need lining up with the plate again

guitargeek62

Barney said:

Just played tonight using a PRS custom 24 ...I spent most of the night tuning it ...I do use the trem a bit  but it was just hard work keeping it in tune ...anybody have the same problem with these 

New / old strings perhaps? They’re renowned for being about as stable as you can get for a non-locking trem, so unless something’s up with your nut, or if the bridge screws/knife-edge on the trem itself had been fouled by poor maintenance/adjustment then it’s out of the ordinary for sure.

guitars4you

Need to examine what is going on and what is causing the problem 

So you tune it up and assume initially all okay. So what causes it to go out - just regular playing - big bends - or using the trem

is it all strings going out - are they going sharp or flat 

just wondering about the Trem set up - look at the belly of the guitar and the base of the trem plate and they should be on a similar parallel line - Certainly don’t want the trem plate angling up like a ski slope or down like a hill - so update accordingly on the above and let’s take it from there 

Funkfingers

Have a look at the string ball ends in the vibrato sustain block. Are they all seated properly? Are the wraps around the end of each string unwinding?

Have you recently changed to a heavier string gauge?

D'Addario Balanced Tension 10-46 string sets come with a 13.5 thou B string. I recently put a set on a friend's guitar. The B was catching in its nut slot. A quick rounding with a slotting file cured the problem.

•

How old is your PRS CU24? The gears inside the Schaller "wing collar" machineheads eventually become sloppy. 

chris78

Only ever had one issue with a PRS going out of tune and it was the nut.
The whole point of a PRS is that it stays in tune

Funkfingers

Up to a point.

The PRS six-screw fulcrum vibrato cannot match Floyd Rose motorcycle starting up stunts for very long without going out of tune.

HAL9000

PRS?

Possibly Requires Set-up
Perhaps Rusty Strings

english_bob

HAL9000 said:

PRS?

Possibly Requires Set-up
Perhaps Rusty Strings

Perhaps Ragged Slots (in the nut)

guitargeek62

Note: DO NOT ADJUST THE BRIDGE SCREWS WITH THE STRINGS UNDER ANY TENSION

scrumhalf

Ask your local dentist for advice.

ICBM

Does it stick out of tune in the same direction as the last trem movement - ie flat after a down-bend? If so, it’s the bridge. Or the opposite - sharp after a down-bend? If so, the nut or possibly the tuners.

Are the tuner key screws overtightened? PRS do that. Release the tension slightly so the little spring washer between the key and the tuner body has a tiny bit of give in it.

Barney

Stevepage said:

Barney said:

Just played tonight using a PRS custom 24 ...I spent most of the night tuning it ...I do use the trem a bit  but it was just hard work keeping it in tune ...anybody have the same problem with these 

Could be the 6 trem screws need lining up with the plate again

Thanks ...I looked at these but thought I better not touch them and didn't think they would make any difference 

Barney

Lebarque said:

Nut It's the black nut ...is it Graphite or something...I also put pencil led in and using 9 to 42 strings 

Barney

guitargeek62 said:

Barney said:

Just played tonight using a PRS custom 24 ...I spent most of the night tuning it ...I do use the trem a bit  but it was just hard work keeping it in tune ...anybody have the same problem with these 

New / old strings perhaps? They’re renowned for being about as stable as you can get for a non-locking trem, so unless something’s up with your nut, or if the bridge screws/knife-edge on the trem itself had been fouled by poor maintenance/adjustment then it’s out of the ordinary for sure.

New strings ...NYXL...the nut seems ok ...I was thinking it was the trem side but not sure iff I should mess with the screws or not 

Barney

guitars4you said:

Need to examine what is going on and what is causing the problem 

So you tune it up and assume initially all okay. So what causes it to go out - just regular playing - big bends - or using the trem

is it all strings going out - are they going sharp or flat 

just wondering about the Trem set up - look at the belly of the guitar and the base of the trem plate and they should be on a similar parallel line - Certainly don’t want the trem plate angling up like a ski slope or down like a hill - so update accordingly on the above and let’s take it from there 

Yeah all tuned up but it seems when I use the trem ..which I do a lot ...I tried it at home and it seemed to be holding tune but was going out last night ...I wasn't sure which one with it being floating trem ...

Barney

Funkfingers said:

Have a look at the string ball ends in the vibrato sustain block. Are they all seated properly? Are the wraps around the end of each string unwinding?

Have you recently changed to a heavier string gauge?

D'Addario Balanced Tension 10-46 string sets come with a 13.5 thou B string. I recently put a set on a friend's guitar. The B was catching in its nut slot. A quick rounding with a slotting file cured the problem.

•

How old is your PRS CU24? The gears inside the Schaller "wing collar" machineheads eventually become sloppy. 

Funkfingers said:

Have a look at the string ball ends in the vibrato sustain block. Are they all seated properly? Are the wraps around the end of each string unwinding?

Have you recently changed to a heavier string gauge?

D'Addario Balanced Tension 10-46 string sets come with a 13.5 thou B string. I recently put a set on a friend's guitar. The B was catching in its nut slot. A quick rounding with a slotting file cured the problem.

•

How old is your PRS CU24? The gears inside the Schaller "wing collar" machineheads eventually become sloppy. 

I'm using the D'aAddario NYXL 9 to 42...the guitar is a 2001 model 

BillDL

[EDIT: Already mentioned my @Stevepage earlier that I hadn't seen, but in more detail below]

The trem bridge with 6 fulcrum screws at the front of the bridge plate?

If so the screws probably have a cleft in the smooth part of the screw shank just under the head around the full circumference. I'm not sure if they all have this on the screws, but the ones I've worked on in the past have had this.

Although it does matter on a 6-screw vintage style Strat trem, it isn't quite as crucial as it is with these PRS trems to have all 6 screws set at exactly the same heights so that the chamfered edge of the holes in the bridge plate all sit in those pivot points at the same heights.  The 6 screws that act as the fulcrums at the front of a vintage Strat bridge do not have those rebates cut into them and only use the smooth shank of the screw to pivot on, so it doesn't matter quite as much whether they are set to exactly the same heights.  The usual indicator of uneven height screws is a plinking or plonking noise as you use the trem, and it can mess with the tuning stability.

From memory the indentation is something like 2 or 2.5mm below the underside of the screw head.  I found that the easist way to make sure they are all the same height is to first have the trem set to the desired or recommended height off the body, which is something like 1/16" (don't quote me on that - it's documented in lots of places), and then relax all the strings and springs so that the bridge plate lies flat on the body.  Using a gauge of the same thickness as the distance down from the bottom of the screw head to the indented ring on the screw, you can insert that between the top of the bridge plate and the underside of the screw and set all the screw heads to the same height so the indented rings are all exactly in line.  One thing you don't really want to be doing is turning the screws too much with full string and spring tension on them because it can blunt and deform the fulcrum points.

Thereafter it's a case of trying to minimise friction at all points of contact, especially the nut slots.  The "nut sauce" stuff is reputed to be very good, but I buy much cheaper Labelle 206 grease with teflon (PTFE) that's intended for model cars, planes, trains, etc. and it works extremely well in nut slots, string trees, and breakover points on saddles.

https://therailwayconductor.co.uk/model-railways/model-lubrication/product/labelle-206-hi-performance-rc-model-grease

Watch THIS official PRS video from 10 seconds in and keep repeating the section right at 0:13 as the trem bridge is being lowered back to the floating position.  You will see the bass side suddenly making an odd movement.  That's very likely to be caused by misalignment between the groove in the screw and the edge of the hole in the bridge plate, and that kind of thing can cause "return to pitch" tuning issues.