I have a PRS SE semi hollow soapbar with a stoptail bridge and I'm having a few issues with it and wondered if anyone else has come across the same problems and how they overcame them.
Overall the guitar is great but the bridge is cheap and installation sloppy. The holes drilled for the bridge studs are slightly oversize in that the studs are hardly what you would call a snug fit, I can actually pull them out by hand with ease.
When strung and tuned to pitch the studs are pulled forward slightly and you can actually see that they are not sitting perpendicular in the holes. Admittedly I use quite heavy strings (11-52) but I don't think lighter gauge strings would make a difference.
The threads on the studs are also very sloppy and there's a lot of play between the stud and the stud insert screw that secures the bridge and allows it to be adjusted in height.
The upshot of both the poor fitting studs and the play in the threads means that the bridge leans forwards by a good 1/16" or more. Not only does this affect the intonation but it has a detrimental effect on the tone and I get the high e choking in the bridge groove for the string.
I bought a Gotoh bridge the same as I have on another of my guitars and this has stopped the high e choking but the studs for the new Gotoh part are a different diameter (smaller) than the PRS bridge so I still have the same issues with the bridge leaning forward.
So as I see it I have a few options:
1.) plug the existing holes and re drill for the Gotoh studs
2.) somehow manufacture a pair of new studs that will fit tight into the existing holes and bond in place.
3.) drill out the existing studs and press fit the Gotoh studs inside and then bond into the guitar body.
4.) by miracle of chance find a source of oversize stud that I can fit straight into the guitar and bond in place.
It's a shame really because apart from this the guitar is really good and this one sloppy part of the manufacturing process has made a really good guitar a bit meh.
Overall the guitar is great but the bridge is cheap and installation sloppy. The holes drilled for the bridge studs are slightly oversize in that the studs are hardly what you would call a snug fit, I can actually pull them out by hand with ease.
When strung and tuned to pitch the studs are pulled forward slightly and you can actually see that they are not sitting perpendicular in the holes. Admittedly I use quite heavy strings (11-52) but I don't think lighter gauge strings would make a difference.
The threads on the studs are also very sloppy and there's a lot of play between the stud and the stud insert screw that secures the bridge and allows it to be adjusted in height.
The upshot of both the poor fitting studs and the play in the threads means that the bridge leans forwards by a good 1/16" or more. Not only does this affect the intonation but it has a detrimental effect on the tone and I get the high e choking in the bridge groove for the string.
I bought a Gotoh bridge the same as I have on another of my guitars and this has stopped the high e choking but the studs for the new Gotoh part are a different diameter (smaller) than the PRS bridge so I still have the same issues with the bridge leaning forward.
So as I see it I have a few options:
1.) plug the existing holes and re drill for the Gotoh studs
2.) somehow manufacture a pair of new studs that will fit tight into the existing holes and bond in place.
3.) drill out the existing studs and press fit the Gotoh studs inside and then bond into the guitar body.
4.) by miracle of chance find a source of oversize stud that I can fit straight into the guitar and bond in place.
It's a shame really because apart from this the guitar is really good and this one sloppy part of the manufacturing process has made a really good guitar a bit meh.
