rjames1973
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Posts posted by rjames1973
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All,
So, I applied some Nut Sauce to the nut grooves of the G, B, and high E strings earlier today. I've been playing the guitar on and off since then, and all three strings are still going out of tune every single time I bend them when I attempt to play a solo. I've even tried stretching the strings out even more than they already are. I'm completely frustrated at this point, to the point where I just want to sell the guitar and be done with it. On the other hand, if anyone could recommend a good luthier in the DC area -- preferably in the Arlington or Falls Church area -- I'd be willing to give him a try as a last resort.
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All,
Thanks very much for all of the replies. Unfortunately, I haven't had a chance to reply lately due to my busy work schedule. This weekend I'm planning to apply some Nut Sauce that I bought at a local guitar shop to see if that solves the tuning issue with the G, B, and high E strings. I'm definitely hearing a distinct "ping" noise when I have to re-tune any of those strings. Hopefully, the Nut Sauce will help.
BTW, to the poster who suggested I was taking my LP Studio to Guitar Center for maintenance, I would NEVER take any guitar I own to that store for any reason other than to return it. There is a local "mom and pop" guitar store in my area where I have taken all of my guitars, and the guitar techs who work there are very professional and experienced. Lots of local musicians take their instruments there for maintenance, as well as some friends who are in a local band. Just wanted to clear that up! ;)
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Thanks for the information, which was very helpful. I will check all of the things that you have recommended. Ultimately, I'm going to locate a certified Gibson luthier in my area and see what that yields as well.
Giver the information about the "pinging" while tuning, I'd bet this is a classic issue of strings sticking in the nut. Do a couple of things to check this:
[1] tune the G and B strings to pitch using a tuner
[2] play a couple of bend licks on the G ONLY, bend towards the bottom E, don't touch the B
[3] check the open tuning of the G and B again
If the G AND B are BOTH out of tune, the most likely possibility is that the bridge is shifting, or the entire neck is moving somehow
If only the G has changed tuning, then the tension on the string has changed. Assuming the string is properly stretched to begin with, there are only two possible reasons
[1] the tuning head has let more string unwind from the shaft. In this case, the string will go flat. A tuning head cannot, IMO spontaneously wind MORE string onto the shaft to make a note go sharp. This "slippage" is generally not a defect in the head, although it is often identifed as such. It is often caused by one of two things. the first is Insufficent string wound onto the shaft itself ,or wound on without the required one loop above the hole and all the others below ,allowing the string to slip round the tuner shaft. If your strings were changed by a luthier, this shouldn't be a problem.
The second is the behevior of tuning "down" to the correct pitch, instead of "up" to the correct pitch. If you are tuning and go too high in pitch, always go back down below the correct pitch and then back up. That way, the worm gear on the head is resting firmly on the gear at the bottom of the shaft.
[2] the most likey reason is that the string is sticking in the nut. if the nut is too narrrow, or 'V' shaped at the base of the slot, no amount of lubrication will stop it from grabbing the string. IMO a good nut slot has a nice curved bottom and is polished until it's shiny. This can be done with abrasive cord, or string soaked in a mild abrasive. A good luthier should know how to do this.
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Thanks for the follow-up on the tuners, CowboyBillyBob1. I'll definitely keep those in mind, if I need them in the future. I'll keep you all updated on how things turn out, after I get connected with a Gibson service rep.
I just received the Platet Waves Auto Trim Locking Tuners yesterday and installed them last night. I am overjoyed with this purchase. Not only do they look great and make it too easy to change strings the 18:1 turning ratio makes it easier to tune up accurately. It stays in tune much better as well.
I now own three Planet Wave products and each one of them perform better than expected. I am not affiliated with them in any way except being a stisfied customer.
I think the original poster may have issues beyond what new tuners can solve and the suggestions to let Gibson make the call is the best idea.
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Hockeygrad,
Thanks for your reply. I'm almost at the point of scrapping my Studio, but am going to try to set up an appointment with a local Gibson service rep to look at the guitar. The funny thing is I tried to select my state on the Gibson website that allows you to find local service reps, but nothing happened. It might have been a temporary glitch on the company's website, but I'll try again. I've had the guitar for about a year and a half now, so I'm not sure what the status is on my warranty.
I had the same problem with my Studio. Was ready to scrap it when I came to this forum and shared as you have. I was contacted by a Gibson service rep who referred me to an authorized Gibson luthier. They told me if the authorized Gibson luthier could not get the guitar right, they'd make it right one way or another. Stop fooling around and contact gibson for a full evaluation. If its beyond the warranty, it will be on your dime (maybe $75), but when it's done, you'll either have the guitar of your dreams, or acknowledgement that yours is unfixable. Then, you'll know your next step with Gibson.
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Eracer_Team,
I agree that leaving the guitar in its case is not the answer to keeping it in tune in the long run. The guitar techs that I go to are pretty darn good. On the other hand, they aren't "authorized" Gibson dealers. I'll have to do some research on that, but I'm sure there has to be one in my area. Thanks.
It's not an In the Case or Out of the Case deal.
At some point in time the case will 'normalize' to the room.
Cases are not sarcophagus's in a pyramid.
The case is only for protection and reduction of dust.
now I have read on this forum from time to time that a guitar was not 'cured' long enough and the neck was weak.
You'd have to take the guitar to an 'authorized' Gibson deal for a check out.
but my guitars sit on the stands long too neglected for extended periods of time and sometimes they are a few cents sharp and other times a few cents flat.
I think you want to bring it to a different guitar tech
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Dg77,
The more I think about it, the more I suspect that the tuning issue could be a result of the fluctuation in humidity in the room where I keep my guitars. As I mentioned, I try to keep the temperature regulated as much as possible, but I admit that it's not always an "optimal" environment. I have put the LP Studio back in its case for the time being. If that doesn't help with the tuning issue, then I'm not sure what else I can do at this point. Thanks for your help in troubleshooting this with me.
If you get a lot of fluctuation in humidity it can cause the neck to expand and contract which can throw off tuning consistency, especially if you go from one extreme to another. Toughto,say without seeing it.
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Dg77,
I'm no expert on humidity levels, but it's been relatively hot in my area this summer. This weekend, the temperature was in the mid 80s, and it is expected to stay in the 70 to 80 range as we progress into the fall. I will admit that I have been keeping the guitar out of its case routinely. I keep it in a rack with my other guitars in a room in my apartment, and I try to keep the temperature in there consistent (not too warm, not too cold). I suppose I could just keep it in the case from now on, if that would help.
Try a different luthier and get a second opinion.....something doesn't seem right and I doubt it's a production issue. Maybe he's inexperienced. In 18 years of playing, 15 of which I've done my own set ups, I've not come across a guitar that simply doesn't stay in tune.
How are the humidity levels in your environment?
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Dg77,
Yes, he checked the truss rod during the initial set up, and I had him take a look at it again when I took the guitar to him a second time.
Hmmm...sounds like you ruled out the basics already. Has he checked the truss rod? I'm not one to recommend messing with it until youve ruled everything else out, but it could be related to that.
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Searcy,
Yes, I have tried lubricating the nut myself, and my luthier has done the same. I have something called Nut Sauce that I've used. For whatever reason, it hasn't seemed to help in this situation.
If you are hearing a ping with you tune that your nut is too tight and your strings are binding there. Before you start paying the "luthier" to change parts try lubricating the nut first.
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Dg77,
I have tried changing strings a few times. I started off with Ernie Balls (.10s), and then switched to GHS Boomers (.10s). Neither of those kept the guitar in tune very well, so I tried D'addarios (.10s), which I use on my Fender guitars. The D'addarios seemed to work for a while, but the tuning issue came back recently. My luthier generally changes the strings for me, which is something I'm not very good at. I have noticed a "ping" sound occasionally when I tune one of the last three strings on the guitar, although I don't recall which one off the top of my head. I have not noticed the "ping" sound on more than one string, though. As far as the tuners are concerned, my luthier did check to make sure there was no slipping (at least that's what he told me the second time I took the guitar in for a set up). I assume either a tuning machine or nut upgrade might help, but I'd rather not spend any more money on this guitar. Incidentally, a friend of mine bought a new Gibson SG Standard a couple of years ago, and he noticed the same tuning issues that I'm having with my Les Paul Studio. He tried several options to fix the issue, but finally sold the guitar, as it just wouldn't stay in tune when he would gig with it.
Try changing strings....check that they aren't binding on the nut....then check that your tuners aren't slipping. Those are prob the 3 common and easiest fixes.
Is it only after you bend alot? Or does it stay in tune if you play a less aggressive song with no bending?
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All,
I posted on here a while back about the fact that my Gibson Les Paul Studio wouldn't stay in tune. I ordered it new from my local GC last year. The initial problem was that the G string wouldn't stay in tune after I would play guitar solos. Now, the G, B, and high E strings won't stay in tune when I play guitar solos. I had the guitar set up with my local luthier after I received the guitar. I then had him do a second "set up," after explaining to him that the guitar would not stay in tune. When I got the guitar back the second time (about two to three months ago), it did stay in tune pretty well for a while. Now, it goes out of tune whenever I play it and start bending the G, B, and high E strings. If I were to gig with this guitar, it would be a total embarrassment on stage, as I would have to stop in the middle of songs several times to retune. I'm at the point now where I might just put the guitar up for sale on Craigslist. On the other hand, I'd hate to part with it, after spending so much money on it. What else can I do to keep the guitar in tune? Should I spend more money than I already have to have a new nut installed? Should I replace the stock tuning machines? I would appreciate any help with this ongoing issue.
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All,
I have a wine red Les Paul Studio that I bought new a little over a year ago. The guitar sounds great, but it will not stay in tune. I've had the guitar setup with new .10 gauge strings, and my luthier also cut a couple of the nut grooves a little more in an effort to fix the tuning problem. He also applied graphite in the nut grooves, but none of this has helped solve the tuning issue. I'm thinking it might be time to bite the bullet and have a new nut installed to replace the stock corian nut. Could anyone recommend a decent nut that I could have installed? It doesn't have to be the most expensive, but should be good enough to keep the guitar from going out of tune. Also, if anyone has any advice on other options I could try to resolve the tuning issue without spending the money on a new nut, please let me know. Thanks!
Gibson LP Studio Won't Stay in Tune - The Saga Continues
in Gibson USA
Posted
CowboyBillyBob1,
Yes, I agree, although I appreciate everyone's feedback. I'm taking the guitar to a new guy this week. If that doesn't work out, then the LP Studio is history. Over and out!