Orange Amps Forum

Do you guys (and/or girls) get along with the tuning keys? I want to pick one of these up soon since they've stopped production and am contemplating replacements (already).

I don't really have high regard for gibson tuners in general- even the keystone style on my prs are pretty crappy. then again, the gibson/grover "modern" ones are heavy, and might just put the sg neck dive over the top.

mine stay in tune fine. i only have to re-rune it maybe once a week if im playing it everyday doing bends etc...

I don't have same model SG, but I am very familiar with the complaints people have about Gibson keys. It's very hit and miss. If you're buying in the store, obviously play the guitar a ton before you take it home. Then you'll know if the keys are good or not. Just make sure you take home the one you play, especially if you're buying at a place like GC., and they don't grab a different one from the back or something.

Mine are great, I have no issues with staying in tune. It's just luck of the draw, which is a crying shame, considering how expensive Gibsons are. It should be more consistent.

stevo2112 wrote:the gibson/grover "modern" ones are heavy, and might just put the sg neck dive over the top.

just curious what neck dive means , not heard it before

howdy-doo wrote:

stevo2112 wrote:the gibson/grover "modern" ones are heavy, and might just put the sg neck dive over the top.

just curious what neck dive means , not heard it before

thanks for the replies, guys.

neck dive is what happens on a neck-heavy guitar- you have to hold it up, otherwise it'll swing down. basically the guitar isn't balanced and won't stay in a normal position unless you're holding the neck.

it's a common complaint with sgs since the body is light and the neck can be heavy- especially if it's got bulky after-market tuners on the headstock.

stevo2112 wrote:

howdy-doo wrote:

stevo2112 wrote:the gibson/grover "modern" ones are heavy, and might just put the sg neck dive over the top.

just curious what neck dive means , not heard it before

thanks for the replies, guys.

neck dive is what happens on a neck-heavy guitar- you have to hold it up, otherwise it'll swing down. basically the guitar isn't balanced and won't stay in a normal position unless you're holding the neck.

it's a common complaint with sgs since the body is light and the neck can be heavy- especially if it's got bulky after-market tuners on the headstock.

ahh ok. just checked with mine because i wasn't sure , but mine doesn't seem to get neck dive, just stays in position. i am using a leather strap though, so that could make a difference because of the grip on the underside, but i duno lol

My neck dives just a bit. If I ever change anything on the neck/headstock/fingerboard of this guitar though, I will definitely take the weight change into consideration, because it's precariously balanced as is, and I wouldn't want the headstock hitting my feet if I let go.

The tuners on my SG Classic are fine, they do tend to slip a little bit on B string, but I found that doing lots of bends on other guitars had the same issue so I dont think its specifically a problem with the tuners.

As for neck dive, it has a little, but I use a good sturdy leather strap so no problems there. Just a little neck dive when changing settings on pedals or amp.

I have been told by a luthier and I believe that tuners are very rarely the problem when a guitar is having tuning issues. Think about the force required to pull on even a 14:1 tuner. It's incredible. Especially considering that we're talking about Gibsons, you're probably experiencing a poorly-cut nut.

BrentD wrote:I have been told by a luthier and I believe that tuners are very rarely the problem when a guitar is having tuning issues. Think about the force required to pull on even a 14:1 tuner. It's incredible. Especially considering that we're talking about Gibsons, you're probably experiencing a poorly-cut nut.

not even cut, stamped. that might be part of the story but there's likely more to it, as other big names (e.g. fender, prs) will also have a crappy nut from the factory but won't tune as poorly as a gibbie with those cheapo vintage-style tuners.

For me it was temperature changes in my basement. Like 20-30 deg. in a week. All the guitars would go sharp or flat together. Before I figured it out I kept replacing the tuners in my Ibanez and Les Paul, did nothing. I did notice that the mahogany necks went further out of tune than the maple necks. I know that some people have more enviromental control over their spaces and still have problems. Properly stretching a set of strings as I installed them solved some problems, for me anyway.

stevo2112 wrote:not even cut, stamped. that might be part of the story but there's likely more to it, as other big names (e.g. fender, prs) will also have a crappy nut from the factory but won't tune as poorly as a gibbie with those cheapo vintage-style tuners.

stevo, they do tune poorly, but I maintain that they are likely to stay in tune once they are there - at least as far as the tuning machines' job goes. Of course, if precision is your aim, vintage-styled Kluson's probably aren't the best bet!

buzzbomb's point about mahogany seems to make sense, too. I have much better stability on my maple and thick mahogany than on, say, a mahogany slim-taper. That is evidence that the wood is more susceptible to movement under tension.

My SG classic stays in tune great

alright well it sounds like some of you guys are perfectly happy with them- that's encouraging. i still think they look stupid but if they work i'll keep 'em.

gotta get some p90s asap!

Had one, sold it last year - the stock tuners were fine. It was actually one of the better guitars I've ever had for staying in tune. I have a different SG now with Grovers on it, which I like, and I don't notice a significant different in the weight of the headstock.

That weight thing is a problem with all SG's - that's why most long-term SG players experience a broken headstock or two at some point. The heavy headstock wants to go to the ground as soon you're not paying attention and BAM!

The simple solution I have found is using a suede-backed strap - anything that's not slippery on the back. The friction against your shoulder keeps the guitar exactly where you put it and there is no strap slippage. Problem solved.