Tuning Stability

lordoflax · Post by **lordoflax** » Sun May 20, 2007 12:37 pm

You guys have probably answered this plenty of times, however, I feel I need to get a good thread with some suggestions to help me along.

Basically, I have an Epi Black Beauty les paul. Been playing it for a few years and there has always been a few problems with it to do with tuning and intonation etc. The main problem is, the G string constantly falls out of tune. Ive tried graphite in on the nut and other things to attempt to solve the problem, all to no avail. Can you give me some pointers to reasons why and how I can fix it?

Blainy · Post by **Blainy** » Sun May 20, 2007 1:18 pm

I can't see why. Are you stringing it using self-locking wrap-around (wrap the string around the post and back under itself against the direction of winding)? If so, and you have a good two winds on the post, it shouldn't be able to go badly out of tune once it's stretched.

P.S. I've resisted the G string jokes, though it was difficult!

lordoflax · Post by **lordoflax** » Sun May 20, 2007 1:23 pm

^ Ha, I knew some one would. The way I string, is I put it through the post, wrap it neatly three times and then tune to the correct pitch. It works fine on all the other strings. All I have to do for the ' G string' to go out is do a full bend.

Simon Wicks · Post by **Simon Wicks** » Sun May 20, 2007 1:25 pm

Is your guitar correctly setup? My Tokai has recently started to develop a few problems with keeping the G in tune aswell. It needs a setup (was last done 2 years ago). I find my guitars loose tuning stability if they havent been setup in a while. Get a tech to cut you a nice bone nut and put some good strings on and you shouldnt have a problem.

Meole · Post by **Meole** » Sun May 20, 2007 2:22 pm

Tighten the screw on the machine heads so they are harder to turn, they will hold tuning better.

Blainy · Post by **Blainy** » Sun May 20, 2007 2:55 pm

A nice bone for your G string. Sorry.

shindigmachine · Post by **shindigmachine** » Sun May 20, 2007 3:44 pm

well for now, i'd say make a habit of tuning up to pitch when you tune, if it goes sharp while you're tuning, drop it back down and try again. but i would say have some sperzel locking tuners installed on your guitar. they give amazing tuning stability and they help your sustain. i have sperzels in both of my guitars and they stay in tune for days, even if you leave them out in the car for a few days

Neiloler · Post by **Neiloler** » Sun May 20, 2007 5:24 pm

Try lifting the string out of the slot at the nut. Does the string make a "PING" sound when it's pulled out? Does it make any sort of a clicking sound, any abrupt, percussive sound, and you've got yourself a nut that is too tight. Nuts should not let the string flap all over the slot (if it's too wide, you'll know it), but if it's "pinging", that means it's catching in the nut. You can use some sand paper and LIGHTLY try to get it just a micrometer wider, or, what I would do, is take it to a lutheir. Nut work is tricky, and there's no way to put dust back on the nut once it's taken off, so be warned.

I would say that this is one of the "hidden" reasons for strings going out of tune when you bend them, as the string does not flow evenly on the nut, creating a imbalance of tension between the section between the tuner and the nut, and then the nut and the bridge (the "speaking length"). When you bend the string, you suddenly pull some of the slack or tension down to the speaking length of the string, and it goes out of tune.

Worth checking out.

irish_admiral · Post by **irish_admiral** » Sun May 20, 2007 7:13 pm

The other thing is that it's a short scale guitar... the tuning on them generally is more difficult to keep than longer scale guitars.

the orangewizard · Post by **the orangewizard** » Sun May 20, 2007 7:16 pm

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by irish_admiral
 The other thing is that it's a short scale guitar... the tuning on them generally is more difficult to keep than longer scale guitars.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">Wow,I have always found my Les Pauls to stay in tune better than my Fenders. Go figure.

Neiloler · Post by **Neiloler** » Sun May 20, 2007 7:21 pm

Yeah, I don't know if I'd say it's harder to get it to stay in tune. I would say the shorter, 24" scale makes it more prone to exibit increased sensitivity to where the saddles are placed, because the over-all speaking length of the string is smaller, but I would say that if it were really all that much more difficult to keep in tune, they wouldn't have been so popular for so long. My $0.02.

mr_william · Post by **mr_william** » Sun May 20, 2007 8:42 pm

intonation... i had to turn 1 of the bridge saddles round once on my les paul to get it to intonate correctly - the top 3 and bottom 3 sadles are facing oppasite ways usually... mines 4 and 2 now! (hopefully that makes sence!) new machine heads might do the trick, or tightening the ones with the screw in the end.. if its in sunlight/ a cold room.. the wood might be moving and therefore causing problems...

irish_admiral · Post by **irish_admiral** » Sun May 20, 2007 9:01 pm

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by the orangewizard
 <blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by irish_admiral
 The other thing is that it's a short scale guitar... the tuning on them generally is more difficult to keep than longer scale guitars.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">Wow,I have always found my Les Pauls to stay in tune better than my Fenders. Go figure.

<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">Really? I've had the opposite. I generally put it down to long scale guitars having smoother movement and therefore more equal tension around the nut.

If you have a longer string you need greater tension in it to hit the right pitch, so that means when you have the string running over the nut when tuning for example, it's more likely to even out the tuning, especially if you use some pencil lead in there.

Add in the fact that long scale guitars more frequently have a flat headstock rather than the tilted back headstock that Gibbos have, and it makes it easier for the string to stay in tune.

Just my thoughts... sorry if you knew that already...

Borderline Productions · Post by **Borderline Productions** » Sun May 20, 2007 11:27 pm

I've had trouble with the G string staying in tune on an acoustic guitar. I think the issue was that the G can be wire or wound depending on the thickness of the string. Have you ever tried medium gauge strings? They have a wound G string. I used to use light gauge on my acoustic and changing to medium gauge made the difference. Medium gauge strings on an electric makes an interesting difference. A lot more punch and sustain, but a little harder on your finger tips. I have a set on my ES175 and will not go back with that guitar.

Tuning Stability

Who is online