Heavy Gauge Strings!

You got a vibrato on that thing? I didnt bother to look it up but thats what i think it might be.

Tremello, yeah it sure does. Should you use heavy strings on a guitar with a tremello stystem?

Tremolo- Vibrato, Tomato- Potato (is that the saying? :P).

Yeah, you gotta set that thing up for the new strings and I still think it will detune on all the other strings. Is it a steinburg (or whatever that vibrato companies name is) trem or something? I've heard that happens on them. I dunno if this would do anything but try holding onto the vibrato (whammy/tremolo) bar when tuning. Maybe would work?

I dont have much experience with trem systems yet. Sorry.

Not knowing the guitar, you may need to adjust the claw screws to the trem springs, or add a spring or two. It depends on the bridge and the pivots. It can also depend on how hard you dive on the bar. You may also want to put some graphite on the nut if it is tuned and then goes out when you hit the trem.

Well, i'm not using the tremolo actually. The problem is when I tune my guitar to drop D, all of the strings are sharp. This happened even when I used 10 gauge but is REALLY noticable when I use 11 gauge.

That may be an intonation problem then. Once again it is unusual for a slight change, but floating bridges are picky. You may need a slight truss rod adjustment or a slight saddle adjustment to get things right. Have you taken it to a luthier/tech to have it set up?

Even if you dont use the trem its still there and will cause problems with tuning sometimes. Thats one reason i dont like vibrato bridges (that and I think they are ugly) even though ive never owned one.

I figured out the problem. The springs holding the tremolo bridge down needed to be tightened. PRS guitars are set up for 9 gauge so when I put 11 gauge on it, the bridge started pulling forward. I'm heading to the music store tomorrow and buying an extra spring for more support since i'm using heavy gauge now. Thx everyone for trying to help.

the more springs idea is good cause you have heavier strings on your guitar, but that only solves one of your problems.

that's a floating trem right?
cause if so, then i think i know the source of the problem.

when a string is tuned down, it creates less tension, thus pulls the bridge less. so now the springs in the back have more pull than the strings, pulling the trem back.

the solution: you'll have to do a set up on your guitar every time you use an alternate tuning.

Or, you could use an alternate guitar for alternate tuning. (i wish i had the money to do that.)

its tomato tomato by the way.just pronounce each one differently.

This will always happen to some extent with a floating trem unit -- that is a whammy that can shift pitch both up and down. If you are considering a lot of switching between regular and drop D, you may wish to have your trem partially blocked, so it can no longer raise pitch (can't pull it up). After blocking for up bends, you then can increase the spring tension (more springs, tighten claw) until the springs always pull the bridge plate against the added block in any tuning configuration. The other advantage to this is that breaking a string won't effect the tuning of the surviving strings.

I'm not initimately familiar with the PRS trem system -- it may be possibly to do what I suggest without adding a block. That is, just tighten the spring tension until the bridge plate rests on the body. If so, you will probably have to adjust string height and intonation when done.

A good guitar tech can help you do this.

-Greg