Vintage trem has a slight issue

[punchlinechar]

Everybody knows that vintage trems aren't the best with tuning stability, but I'veanaged to make it stay in tune perfectly up until now. The problem is, it's floating, but the entire plate gets stuck flat until I pull up. So do I lube the contact with the screws? What should I do?

 

[Funkfingers]

Re: Vintage trem has a slight issue

Suggestion #1 - Check the knife edges in the six screw holes.

Suggestion #2 - Try moving this thread to the correct forum room.

 

[Snake Aces]

Re: Vintage trem has a slight issue

I used to love a vintage trem but always had the best luck having the trem rest against the body. The last vintage trem I had stayed in tune perfectly as long as I had it resting against the body. They were not designed to be floating trems like the 2-point design. Even the 2-point trems can have some tuning stability issues once in a while. Such is the life of a trem. However, you can do a few things:

1. How is your setup?
2. Is your spring tension too tight or not tight enough? (If your bridge is getting pulled towards the body then spring tension might be too tight)
3. Do you have a graphite nut or do you use some kind of nut lube on the nut and saddles to keep things moving freely?
4. When putting on a fresh set of strings, do you work them into place by stretching them via the trem? I like to push the trem down a few times a bit to stretch them out, then re-tune, do it again, re-tune and one more time. This seems to help.

As far as getting your vintage trem to stay in tune while trying to keep it floating goes, well, I tried for years and years with no such luck. I eventually caved in and set it against the body which gave me some of the best tuning stability I have ever had on a vintage trem plus more sustain.

 

[Funkfingers]

Re: Vintage trem has a slight issue

They were not designed to be floating [vibratos] like the 2-point design.

The PRS Custom sports a vibrato bridge on six screws. The baseplate of this bridge does not touch any part of the guitar's carved top.

 

[Snake Aces]

Re: Vintage trem has a slight issue

The PRS Custom sports a vibrato bridge on six screws. The baseplate of this bridge does not touch any part of the guitar's carved top.

Is it a special designed trem bridge made especially for that model or just an old school fender-style?

 

[GuitarDoc]

Re: Vintage trem has a slight issue

I've got 4 or 5 guitars with the vintage 6 screw trem...don't particularly like them, prefer the 2 screw trem. But if the screw holes in the plate have a good sharp knife-edge (this is tricky to do on a 6 screw trem) and the correct spring tension, they work good and stay in tune ok.

 

[Funkfingers]

Re: Vintage trem has a slight issue

Is it a special designed trem bridge made especially for that model or just an old school fender-style?

The PRS vibrato follows the same design priciples as the traditional Fender EXCEPT the six fulcrum screws have grooves cut into them to accept the six knife edges in the baseplate holes. These need to be aligned accurately as part of the installation and set up.

 

[Snake Aces]

Re: Vintage trem has a slight issue

The PRS vibrato follows the same design priciples as the traditional Fender EXCEPT the six fulcrum screws have grooves cut into them to accept the six knife edges in the baseplate holes. These need to be aligned accurately as part of the installation and set up.

That's a cool design, I've never seen one in person.

 

[Snake Aces]

Re: Vintage trem has a slight issue

I've got 4 or 5 guitars with the vintage 6 screw trem...don't particularly like them, prefer the 2 screw trem. But if the screw holes in the plate have a good sharp knife-edge (this is tricky to do on a 6 screw trem) and the correct spring tension, they work good and stay in tune ok.

I prefer the 2 screw trem too.

 

[thepyramids]

Re: Vintage trem has a slight issue

You can try removing the two center screws and checking the knife edge on the remaining four.

 

[ginormous]

Re: Vintage trem has a slight issue

Suggestion #1 - Check the knife edges in the six screw holes.

Suggestion #2 - Try moving this thread to the correct forum room.

Done, and done.

 

[crusty philtrum]

Re: Vintage trem has a slight issue

diddly