Tuners "slipping"

[verhoevenc]

If your tuners start to hold the string poorly, ie: they're slipping, or turning under string pressure, is there anything you can do besides just buy new tuners? (PS: these are PRS locking tuners if that's of any help to anyone answering).

I'll tune up, play for a couple minutes and several of the strings are already radically flat (enough to make whatever you play sound sour).

Suggestions on how to fix besides replacement?

Chris

[Setch]

Ain't the tuners.

If you tune up, and the strings go flat or sharp by a small amount soon afterwards the smart money is on the nut binding. Tuners don't slip, because worm gear doesn't run backwards, they only fail if the parts become very worn - which is only likely to happen on *very* old, or *very* cheap tuning mahcines.

Get the nut perfect, and lubed if necessary, and you should solve your tuning problems.

[erikbojerik]

If you have a TOM or combo bridge-tailpiece (like LP junior-style bridge), beware of the bridge studs leaning in toward the pickup cavity. This was a problem on mid-50s LP Juniors because they routed the bridge pickup too close to the studs, and didn't leave enough wood in there to support the bushings.

Edited November 7, 2006 by erikbojerik

[verhoevenc]

Nope, tremmolo style (blocked for hardtail), and the nut is graphite I believe like all PRSs which should technically self lubricate?

Chris

[jaycee]

Did the problem just appear?

Or did it appear after some change?

I had a simillar problem with a set of strings that would go out of tune quickly, turned out that the nut slots needed cleaning

Edited November 7, 2006 by jaycee

[marksound]

Are you following the official PRS guide?

[Daniel Sorbera]

Totally off topic but, it looks like the headstock in the winged tuners guide is not yet sanded/buffed.

[al heeley]

I had exactly this problem for a long time with my old EG4 (1991): graphite nut, std prs trem, I was told the tuner cogs were worn out, i thought this was bull. The trem springs seemed to take ages to equalise against the string tension. Drove me mad. Blocked the trem and its been stable now for ages. I did the same with a Custom 24 I bought a few years later though this never had the tuning stability problems of the EG.

FOr the sake of 20 seconds work, try cleaning the nut slots and running a graphite pencil lead down them, take the opportunity to give the strings a good wipe. They may be graphite nuts but they can still pinch the strings.

[verhoevenc]

I'll try the graphite idea, and yes I'm following the guide, have been for years, yes it's a "within the last six months after having it for several years" kinda thing, and yes the trem is blocked too.

Chris

[Mickguard]

Hum, thought I replied to this, didn't show up...

Anyways, is it possible that the grips on the tuner locks are slipping, not the gears?

Which strings are slipping? Maybe try exchanging positions of the tuners, since they're not all slipping...my idea being that maybe the grips are worn out for a particular string size, but will work properly for a different size.