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In the Guitar Player issue about PRS I was surprised to see how many of his guitars are made with a bridge where you can't check the intonation. I've never played a PRS but it seems to me if you're going to pay those kind of bucks for a guitar it better play in tune from top to bottom. Does that bridge cause any kind of intonation issues?


Originally Posted by Mike M.In the Guitar Player issue about PRS I was surprised to see how many of his guitars are made with a bridge where you can't check the intonation. I've never played a PRS but it seems to me if you're going to pay those kind of bucks for a guitar it better play in tune from top to bottom. Does that bridge cause any kind of intonation issues?the truth is that you can not fully intonate a PRS wraparound, nor can you fully intonate a 3 saddle Tele, and LP or LP Jr with a wraparound, and if we get down to brass tacks even a stop bar/tune-o-matic will not play 100% in tune! Paul decided that the intonation was close enought and the fact is that the less moving parts you have in the bridge the better the sustain will be...that's why most guys prefer a 3 saddle Tele to a 6 saddle, and why a lot of guys actually like the old Les Paul wrapwround...the tuning is off a bit, but in Pauls opinion (and mine too) the pay off in tone is worth it.

I was just wondering if it was any better/worse because all 4 of the guitars that I've owned have all had tuning issues to one degree or another.


Originally Posted by Mike M.I was just wondering if it was any better/worse because all 4 of the guitars that I've owned have all had tuning issues to one degree or another.ALL guitars have tuning issues with the possible exceptions of guitars with teh Buzz Feiten tuning system and guitars with the Earvana nut...I have never tried either so I can't say if either is anygood.

You could always replace the tailpiece with one of these.

SchallerPig Tail

Check out more about them at
www.stewmac.com

Kent

The stock PRS stoptail is, in fact, somewhat adjustable. There are allen screws that move the bridge relative to the studs. You check intonation for the high E and low E. It's calibrated such that the other four strings fall in line. If you use a quot;standardquot; set of strings between 8s and 11s, it works quite well. In fact, I know folks have strobed their stoptail PRS guitars and all strings were within a fraction of a cent intonation-wise. Since most of us use tuners that are only accurate to -3 cents, I'd say that's plent accurate.
In the four years that I've participated in PRS discussion sites, I've heard almost no complaints about intonation issues from those who used standard sets (though a few have griped about the ability to support non-standard sets such as light tops and heavy bottoms).
On the flip side, the solid tailpiece offers excellent energy transfer since the number of joints is minimized. Don't knock it 'til you try it.

I was'nt knocking anything, believe me. It's just that I've been giving some serious consideration towards a PRS and a question in regards to the bridge is part of the homework. I've had 4 guitars and it turns out that I've always ended up fighting them to one degree or another in terms of playability. You know, you try a new guitar and it feels pretty good but as time goes on either you adapt to it or you don't. A few years ago I tried out a friends PRS and the flatter neck radius really seemed to agree with me. Very, very comfortable but up until lately there was really no way I could afford to buy one. It's a guitar that I've been giving some consideration to lately.

The tail piece was the coolest feature on my old PRSi. It sounds crazy when you first hear about it, but Alec is right. Just get the E's intonated by using that little allen screw and the other 4 drop right into line. That was a genious design if you ask me.

They also make an adjustable one for the overly anal, but I never had a single issue with mine. It was also an awesome palm muting MOFO!

I've got one McCarty with the stock talipiece, and one with the Tonepros adjustable bridge. The stock one looks the best, is the most comfortable, and is fine for 9-11's in standard tuning. The Tonepros has more sustain, is brighter sounding, and has the ability to intonate for alternate tunings and hybrid string gauges. That's the only advantage, although I'm starting to wonder if I like the mellowed tone of the stock bridge? If I were to do it over, I think I'd opt for the PRS adjustable bridge or the Pigtail. Not to knock Tonepros, because they are great bridges and their customer service is top notch, but there's a few small aspects of the design that I don't care for.....just minor things not worth mentioning.

Alec, Scott and GJ are right on the money. The hardtail bridge on my PRS is a joy, and playing it has actually improved my picking technique.