Keeping a Non-Locking Floating Tremolo In Tune (Paul Reed Smith)

I have the original/nicer PRS Santana SE guitar. It has a floating tremolo system similar to the ones on their higher priced McCartys, etc., I have replaced the tuners with locking ones, use `Big Bends Nut Sauce` as lube on the nut and have even filed the string slots on the nut a little wider and curved so the strings feed at a better angle to the tuners. However... aside from over using the tremolo, the strings are still going out of tune when I`m just doing string bends (Another Brick In The Wall solo, etc.,).
What can I do? Are there some PRS players out there that might have a suggestion?

When you say the strings are going out of tune when you do string bends, do you mean all the strings go out of tune during the bend, and then come back after the bend? Or do you mean the string are going out of tune and not coming back?

well, i have a floating tremolo on my guitar and i had a special screw put underneath it so that it doesn`t bend down into the body. see, the springs in the back of the guitar have to have the EXACT same tension as the strings otherwise the springs will pull the tremolo into the body and will stretch out the strings assuring you that the strings will always go out of tune every time you re-string your guitar. now they also have a part(s) you can install in the back of your guitar where the springs are called a "tremsetter", but they look like a bitch to calibrate and that allows you to bend your tremolo both ways. steve vai uses it i think. don`t know if you know who that is. anyway, when you put a screw underneath the tremolo, you can`t bend the strings up with the tremolo, and you have to do it on the neck. if you think the screw is too much of a hassle then i think you should look into the tremsetter system. just a suggestion.

It interfered with my trem half the time, taking the smoothness away. Often it would get stuck & not allow the strings to return to proper pitch. `Course it`s possible mine was defective, or I never had it set up right, but I think more likely it`s just a crappy gizmo. I sure don`t recommend it.

Had one before and did not like it since the tremolo was no longer fluid.

Not coming back in tune.

Silly Q really , but how many turns have you wrapped the strings around the posts ? One full turn is ample , and have you stretched the hell out of them whilst fitting. Using 2 or 3 springs in trem ? and forget fancy oil , pencil lead is still the best nut lube. I cant remember if that trem has 6 screws for the block ? , if it has raise the inner 4 screws 2 turns and use the outer ones as the fulcrum point for the trem. Some Strat trems used to "bind" on one of the screws , so it was seen as a good idea to raise the inners slightly. You should never have tuning probs with a strat if its set up , mine is juat as stable as My Jem , and believe me it hit that trem hard. Ian

Thanks, Ian, and everyone.
They are locking tuners so there aren`t any turns on the posts. I also have some graphite powder so maybe I will try that instead. I`ll try tweaking the fulcrum screws, too.

Just want to run something by you, Ian. Supposedly the fulcrum point is to ride in the groove of the screw below the head but above the smooth/non-threaded part. So you`re saying that the bridge should only be in this groove on the two outer screws and then riding on the smooth part of the screws (since they will be elevated/higher) on the 4 inner screws?
Thanks a bunch Chris

mmm your screws have a groove ? , Strat ones don`t , thats why you use the outer ones as the pivot If all the screws have grooves , you might have to try to get them level or try taking them off for a while to see if it makes any difference.

Here`s another thought-- I had some Schaller locking tuners on my Strat Plus Deluxe. I thought they were more frustrating to dial in than standard Klusons and the guitar would always go out of tune after some whammy bar use. On one occasion, a tuner gave up the grip on my treble E string while playing. It didn`t let go of it completely; I tightened the locking knob and could tune it, but as soon as I bent a note, it gave up a little. Arrgh. (Replacing the string fixed that.)
I ended up replacing the Schallers with some Planet Wave locking tuners. They look kinda cheap, but they have a higher gear ratio and dial in notes more quickly and precisely. I can go for days now with only a minor touch up tuning-- this is a floating tremolo Strat that`s being subjected to hybrid picking and some radical bends. Every so often I dive the whammy bar just to test it-- I can`t believe that it stays in tune (because I`ve never had a Strat that did *that* before!). I replaced the tuners on my other Strat and it now works as well.
Anyway, it`s another thing to think about: Your mileage may vary. FWIW, both of these guitars have LSR nuts, tremsetters, with Fender vintage & 2-point style bridges, but the last thing I changed was the tuners-- which is what made the noticible difference in my case.

Well, I can`t think of anything that hasn`t been covered by everybody else, except:
1. I have a Tremsetter in my Strat, and while it does change the feel of the trem it works quite well. Not a big deal to install or adjust, and the feel of the strings when bending is much more stable. I used to be able to feel the trem rock when I`d bend a note.
2. If you filed the nut slots on too much of an angle the strings can bind on that edge even though you widened the slots. If the wound strings "ping" when you tune them that could be your problem.
If everything is stock you might want to give PRS a call. They are a good company and know "their" guitars. They might have an answer for you as this may be a common problem on your particular model. I mostly know Fenders, and they`ve had some hardware quirks in the past that required some tweaks.
Good luck. Keep us posted and let us know when you get it solved.

Hi.
I have a customer who is about to buy a StepMax Tremolo for a PRS that he is having made. They stay in tune pretty dam good, look at the website if you have never heard of them.

Regards StepMax.

Hello StepMax, welcome to the forum. Good information. Thank you

Hi Slash, Not much action to my post. Which Slash are you?

Regards Keith.

Hey Keith, this thread is of 2004, perhaps that's why?

I am the one and only "slash"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sOwFkTGndGk

Hi Chris, my name is Keith I am the Sales Director of The StepMax Tremolo Company. We here that complaint all the time you need to try a StepMax Tremolo. Go look at our Website www.StepMaxTrem.com (demo) it tells you all you need to know and will solve your problem I am sure. We do make a custom Trem(a little bit more traditional looking) and there will be a picture shortly.

Hope this will help you. Keith @ StepMax.