pwpbud1 Posted February 11, 2009 Share Posted February 11, 2009 I purchased an ES333 about 5 years ago. From the beginning the unit does not seem to want to stay in tune. It seems that the tuning pegs are loose internally. Can I purchase new ones from Gibson & install them myself? I have had it set up several times at the store where I purchased it and from a recommended Gibson repair site. No one can seem to find the problem. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kmartem Posted February 11, 2009 Share Posted February 11, 2009 Buy a good nut lube like Big Bends Nut sauce.Put it on the nut and the bridge pieces.Tune your guitar to pitch with new strings.Now pull up on the first string at the 12th fret enough to make it go out of tune then tune it back to pitch.Do this untill the string doesnt go out of tune then continue to the next string. Dan Erlewine ( the repair guru) says that worm gears will not slip. Bad pegs make it harder to tune a guitar but even a cheap Airline guitar with funky Klusons will stay in tune if you strech your strings.Good luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sok66 Posted February 16, 2009 Share Posted February 16, 2009 Ditto, rarely if ever are "slipping" tuning machines the cause of tuning problems. Gibson's have historically had an issue with strings getting stuck in the nut slots and causing tuning issues. Nut lube of some kind, even pencil lead, helps a lot. The real fix is to carefully open up the slots with a particular eye towards the back side so that the strings don't make compound bends on the way to the tuning machines' posts. Another issue is the material Gibson tends to use for the nut, which is a bit sticky and tends to grab the string. We're trying out a Graph Tech nut on a '59 VOS right now and are really impressed with it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobv Posted February 16, 2009 Share Posted February 16, 2009 Don't know what you mean by "loose internally" but I agree that the tuners are rarely the problem. They might be stiff, or sticky, or generally wonky but all that does is make it less convenient to turn them. Once they're in tune, they will hold. Do the strings ever make a "ching-k" noise as you tune up? if so they're definitely binding in the nut slots. Also try this: bend the string behind the nut (between the nut and the tuning post) - it will go sharp, of course, but if the nut slots are tight then the string won't really come back to pitch when you let go. You'll have to bend a regular note somewhere on the fretboard in order to make the string settle back down. That's all in the nut - nothing to do with the tuners. A pro setup will cure it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Posted February 16, 2009 Share Posted February 16, 2009 How often do you use the nut sauce? Every string change? tunning? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elantric Posted February 16, 2009 Share Posted February 16, 2009 In a pinch a dry bar of Ivory soap dragged across the nut before you install strings works as a nut lube too. How to Make Your Electric Guitar Play Great!: The Electric Guitar Owner's Manual by Dan Erlewine http://www.amazon.com/Make-Your-Electric-Guitar-Great/dp/0879306017/ref=pd_bxgy_b_img_b Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kmartem Posted February 16, 2009 Share Posted February 16, 2009 Mark,I use the nut sauce every time I change strings.I've been using it on all my guitars and I still have the first tube I bought ,a little goes a long way.I used to use grafite and vasoline for years but this stuff is way better.I just don't break strings any more since I started to use this product.I put it every where the string touches metal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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