G String Issues a Known Gibson Problem?

[ZettaVita]

On another Les Paul board, a person wrote in to relate their issues with his G string, and how his fix was to eventually replace the nut with a brass one.

 

I've had my Studio about 3 months now, and on occasion, my G string will pop out of the nut.

 

I always thought this was due to my play, but, is there a known issue with Gibson's and G strings? What was your fix?

[capmaster]

To my experiences the problem has two components, one of them can be solved, and the other one we have to deal with.

 

A string slipping out of the nut needs a deeper groove. If the open string is too high above the fretboard, cutting the groove deeper will probably solve both the problems. If the open string is as close as can be without buzz above the fretboard, a new nut will be required. I once had this trouble with a Gibson Custom Les Paul. I went with a bone nut, but I think polyamide aka Nylon would have done, too. I own two guitars with Nylon nuts - no vintage Gibsons but an Epiphone and an Ibanez, both made in PRC - and they work fine.

 

However, we will have to live with the lateral angles of the string runs across the nut. One way is using a nut blank high enough to cut deep, curved grooves that prevent the strings from making sharp bends. Another trick can be using lubricants like graphite from a pencil, nut sauce or the like. I prefer the nuts clean and dry - no pun intended - and am a passionated follower of TP-6 finetuning tailpieces wherever applicable. They are the best accessory ever made by Gibson and suitable for most of the Gibson USA guitars and the Les Paul Custom line.

[Pinch]

One thing I'd like to add: make sure to wind the string downwards on the pole, so it sits as low as possible in the nut slot.

[lakehaus]

There is a G string 'thing' common to most guitars, but it has to do with the diameter of the string and the pressure put upon it to bring it to tune. This is usually resolved adequately with a good setup. The G string issue, as you describe, is not a Gibson issue. It's a setup issue. A properly setup guitar - no matter the brand - should provide the solution to your problem. As described above, it appears the slot for your G string in the nut doesn't have enough 'wall' around the string to retain it. If you play aggressively, it'll only exacerbate that issue. Either learn how to properly slot the nut, or bring it to a qualified tech for re-slotting (if enough material exists) or for a new nut.

[Rabs]

There is a G string 'thing' common to most guitars, but it has to do with the diameter of the string and the pressure put upon it to bring it to tune. This is usually resolved adequately with a good setup. The G string issue, as you describe, is not a Gibson issue. It's a setup issue. A properly setup guitar - no matter the brand - should provide the solution to your problem. As described above, it appears the slot for your G string in the nut doesn't have enough 'wall' around the string to retain it. If you play aggressively, it'll only exacerbate that issue. Either learn how to properly slot the nut, or bring it to a qualified tech for re-slotting (if enough material exists) or for a new nut.

totally...

 

Gibsons massive neck angle makes it an issue.. The G string nut slot has the most pressure on it being the thinnest string near the middle (cos the D string is thicker its not so bad).. And yes, a good set up helps a whole lot.