'SG' STANDARD w/Maestro Vibrola - Les Trem II

[Wild Bill 212]

A question for anyone with an 'SG' STANDARD equipped w/Maestro Vibrola OR Les Trem II Tremolo's:

 

What GAUGE strings do you use, and why? were the initial string's on the Guitar 'out-of-box' too thin to hold tune/pitch ?

[charlie brown]

Hi,

 

I have 3 SG's with Maestro's, and I've always used the same strings, as on all my Gibson's, 9-46!

Previously, I used 10-46, with the same stability results.

 

While tuning is never as stable as with a stop bar tailpiece, they all stay in-tune, fairly well,

once the strings are stretched properly. I have had all the nuts replaced, with bone nuts. And,

use graphite on them, as well. Even "Stop bar" SG's, aren't as stable, tuning wise, as Les Paul's,

in my experience, due to the neck joint=upper fret access. Double cut Les Paul's are similar, that

way, compared to single cut versions. But, if you don't "dive bomb" with the Maestro, and aren't

"brutal," in your playing, it should work out alright.

 

I will also tell you, than when my SG's have been cased, for awhile, it takes some time, and several

re-tunings, for the neck to "settle down!" But, that seems to be the case, with ALL my guitars, to

varying degrees.

 

Cheers, and good luck!

 

CB

[AngelDeVille]

I have a maestro on a V, and several bigsby equipped guitars. Also a few Floyd rose equipped guitars without locking nuts.

 

7-38 strings on all of them.

 

Properly cut nut and saddles, and lock winding on the tuners or proper length cut on Kluson tuners is the key.

[Wild Bill 212]

I believe that if it is tuning stability you are worrying about the most, the trick is to make sure that you don't have the strings get bound up on the parts where it anchors to. I have experiences with Fender trems and Floyds, and I have always had lubrication applied to saddles and the nut for the strings to avoid getting "stuck". It is important to note when you have this going out of tune thing going on, are the strings going sharp, or flat? Going sharp is indicative of what I described. If you are going flat, you need to make sure your strings get properly stretched prior to use.

 

Overall, pick a gauge of strings, set up the guitar properly all around for this set, then you should see minimal issues with this. If you want answers to what you can do yourself, there are TONS of videos online that describe what to do in your situation - probably very specifically. If you have a trusted associate you can hand your guitar(s) to that can set them up to your liking and actually do a good job and such, then you might want to go this route if you have money and don't care for the knowledge. I think you are more of a DIY kind of person, so my advise is to make sure everything on the guitar is stable, tightened down, and lubricate the places where the strings make contact with the mechanisms that old it under tension. Very generic advice maybe, but if these are abided by, you will probably alleviate your issues... Good luck!

 

 

 

I appreciate the advice.This is more of an opinion question, no worries really, just to see what has worked for other player's with similar Guitars. I was going to just go with FATTER Strings (.52-10's) for a while but figured I would ask some other player's what they are using and why. I've been doing my own set-up's for decades. Almost every GIBSON's Electric I've ever had the pleasure of setting up has done best with .005"(+/- .002") Neck Relief @ 7TH Fret and 5/64Ths-3/64Ths string action @ 12Th Fret +/- 1/32ND "...these are such reliable set-up specs that it is a given, IMO. Setting the bridge up so the Stop-Bar is high enough to accomodate the strings clearing the Back of the Bridge Plate is also something I always do, even when the Stop-Bar has to be jacked up really high as on my 2018 EXPLORER 'ELITE'.

 

BUT, I have never owned an 'SG' w/Maestro Vibrola until very recently and while it hasn't the tuning stability issue's that a nightmare Sideways Tremolo had, I've not had time to really tell if the Neck is 'SETTLED'

although, I THINK........ NOT YET and I should leave the .46-.09's on it....There is no longer a way to find out specific dates of manufacture of a particular GIBSON USA Guitar but it can't be more than 2-3 months old as it is a 2019....Imma leave the .09's on it...TNX......

[Wild Bill 212]

Hi,

 

I have 3 SG's with Maestro's, and I've always used the same strings, as on all my Gibson's, 9-46!

Previously, I used 10-46, with the same stability results.

 

While tuning is never as stable as with a stop bar tailpiece, they all stay in-tune, fairly well,

once the strings are stretched properly. I have had all the nuts replaced, with bone nuts. And,

use graphite on them, as well. Even "Stop bar" SG's, aren't as stable, tuning wise, as Les Paul's,

in my experience, due to the neck joint=upper fret access. Double cut Les Paul's are similar, that

way, compared to single cut versions. But, if you don't "dive bomb" with the Maestro, and aren't

"brutal," in your playing, it should work out alright.

 

I will also tell you, than when my SG's have been cased, for awhile, it takes some time, and several

re-tunings, for the neck to "settle down!" But, that seems to be the case, with ALL my guitars, to

varying degrees.

 

Cheers, and good luck!

 

CB

 

U know, a li'l over a year ago I started putting my Guitars in their case's when not playing them. I will not have more than two out of their case's and sitting in a stand at a time and I noticed a sgnificant difference in tuning stability. After noting this, to my surprise the Neck Relief stayed constant though.