Tuning problems

[campfire]

I'm having a hard time keeping my 50th ann. 58 RI 335 in tune. Not just bending strings, but just from song to song onstage. I've tried looping the strings, Big Bends nut sauce, graphite...you name it. I've heard rumors of "soft wood" on some 335 necks. I hope they are just rumors! Anyone else having this problem? Any suggestions? Thanks.

[charlie brown]

How long has this been going on?

What brand of strings do you use?

Is the nut cut properly? (Nutsauce or not)

Is it intonated properly?

 

IF you haven't had it properly "Set up," by a pro...that would be my first suggestion.

I doubt it's the tuners, but you could check those, too. I seriously doubt, they'd use

"soft" or improperly cured wood, for the neck...but, I've been surprised, before, and

probably will be, again.

 

Hope you can find the solution. If nothing else works, send it in, to Gibson! "Lifetime Warranty,"

and all that.

 

CB

[Murph]

Weird?

 

I think you should send it to me for further "bar-room testing".

 

There is no charge for this service.

 

Yes.

 

I AM serious......

 

Murph.

[campfire]

Let's see. Sorry Murph, I think I'll do the testing myself. Yes. I'm serious, too!

 

Charlie Brown asked>

 

How long has this been going on? - About a year.

 

What brand of strings do you use? - D'addario EXL115 (11-49)

 

Is the nut cut properly? (Nutsauce or not) - As it came from the Custom Shop.

 

Is it intonated properly? Yes.

 

I have never taken it to a real luthier or qualified repair person for a setup. I guess that's my next step. Thanks, Charlie Brown. Murph...eh, not so much.

[g6120]

I as you have the Gibson es 335 50th anniversary and Ive yet to get it set up its pretty much right on and I suppose it could be tweeked a bit here and there but for the most part it stays in tune very well .

 

Sometime back I bought the new Gibson es 330 and the bridge buzzed and it would not stay in tune very well so I had it looked over and tweeked and found it was about the same way before it was worked on so it went back to Gibson and they sent me another new es 330 and the same thing happened all over again .

 

Needless to say Im es 330 less right now but the es 335 50th anniversary is the best guitar Ive played ever and that is since the mid 1960s and Ive got guitars from the 50s & 60s which folks believe was a golden age of guitar making .

[Murph]

Thanks' date=' Charlie Brown. Murph...eh, not so much.

[/quote']

 

[sok66]

Very likely the slots in the nut are the culprit. A qualified luthier can inspect and if necessary open them up a bit. The biggest "stickers" are the 3rd & 4th in my experience, due to the extreme break on the way to the tuners. Rarely if ever are the tuners the problem.

[Murph]

Rarely if ever are the tuners the problem.

 

What he said.

[Hall]

So the real question up front is, did you change strings by any chance? And it sounds as though you did so. Same brand and gauge? Otherwise, and if so, sounds like poor intonation first, nut cut slot angles second. But do check your intonation before settling on the nut, 'cause then you will know for certain if it is the nut. Things aren't quite what they once were at our manufacturer of choice. No QC. No seconds. Declared mass production effort. No time to check'em anymore; just send those babies out for sales. It doesn't sound like a big problem though. If it is the nut slotting it will probably be harder to find someone to do it right than for it to actually be done. Or something like that.