PRS Tremolo
Tuning and Setup Hints
If you are unfamiliar with making these adjustments, we recommend that the guitar be taken to a qualified repair center.
If the guitar is not returning to pitch after using the tremolo arm, you can reduce a friction point by putting a little lightweight machine oil under the head of each screw (do not loosen the screws). This will effectively oil the knife-edge of the tremolo.
The correct adjustment of the six knife-edge screws, which act as a pivot and anchor the tremolo system, should be level with each other so the bridge floats 1/16" off the body. These 6 screws are factory adjusted and you really should not have to adjust them at all. Adjust the screws incrementally so the notches under the screw heads are fitted with the corresponding hole in the bridge. These holes serve as the fulcrum on which the tremolo unit rocks. Again, this is a very tricky adjustment and could affect the return to pitch if done improperly.
The Bridge saddles should be low in the range of adjustment to keep the action low and leverage of the bridge in good working order. If you adjust the height of the saddles, you will need to also adjust the claw. To adjust the claw, remove the tremolo back plate. Adjust the claw screws about 1/4 turn at a time until the bridge floats parallel to the strings and about 1/16th off the body (it is imperative to re-tune the guitar after every adjustment). Loosening the claw screws "counter-clockwise" will raise the back of the bridge. Tightening the claw screws "clockwise" will lower the back of the bridge.
The intonation may be adjusted by moving the 6 phillips head screws facing the tail end of the guitar in and out with a phillips head screwdriver. Match the 12th fret octave (fretted) note of all six strings with their corresponding open note, and the12th fret harmonics by shortening or lengthening the strings with the adjusting screws.
Remember to tune and retune until the process is complete. This process may take several run-throughs before perfect balance is achieved.
If you are unfamiliar with making these adjustments, we recommend that the guitar be taken to a qualified PRS repair center.
Preventing Bridge Bite
Anytime you loosen or remove the strings on your tremolo equipped guitar, you want to take steps to protect your guitar's top. See the following video for tips on preventing bridge bite.
If you are unfamiliar with making these adjustments, we recommend that the guitar be taken to a qualified repair center.