Tuning issues G string.

[dodgytoo]

Has anyone ever had tuning problems with their G string on their 356 or other hollow bodies.

 

I am getting some binding problems and that annoying "ping" when I am tuning, which then causes it to tune sharp.

 

Nothing major but the G string hasn't settled like the others.

 

Despite my efforts and an otherwise lovely set up.

 

Is this something that can be fixed with some graphite or lube of some sort??????

[charlie brown]

Widen (slightly) the nut slots. The "Ping" is cause by the string binding in the nut slot.

If you're not comfortable, of have never done one, take it to a good luthier, and have it

done. It's not expensive, and will (most likely) cure that problem.

 

Cheers,

CB

[NeoConMan]

G string seems to always be the problem child on many guitars I own.

 

The ping, is it from the bridge saddle?

Don't take any leaps just yet - bear with me.

 

Usually, the nut is the culprit with the slot needing to be filed or widened slightly.

When the string jumps, the metallic ping may still be heard at the bridge - though it's not the problem.

It's just the loudest place that the noise rings from.

 

The nut is a common Gibson problem, a good luthier can file it for you.

If you do it yourself, make damned sure you don't deepen the slot - only widen it.

 

I've even heard of using a piece of a wound D string as a file.

Run it through the slot a couple times to chew a little material off the sides before putting the G back in.

 

 

Or, just replace the nut with another material more to your liking.....

 

 

Hope this helps.

[albertjohn]

Loosen off the string, remove it from the nut slot and work a little graphite from a pencil into the nut slot. Cheap and effective way of ensuring the slot is a smooth as possible. Worth a try before you attack the nut with a file.

 

Do this on all 6 slots every time you change strings.

 

It will cause the nut to be discoloured (grubby nut!) but will help eradicate pings. You can wip away the excess graphite carefully to avoid this.

[Ken Rayba]

Hi, if your using an "unwound" G, that usually come in the sets of 10's, go to a "wound G". I think .018 gauge vs. the .017 unwound string.

 

I have some older guitars, a Gibson ES 330, and a ES 345 when I put the 10's on them, the "G" was always hard to tune. Back in the day when these guitars were built, they didn't make that standard set of 10's like they do that.! So the solution was to replace the "G" string, and it worked.

 

I have a 2005 ES 335 that came w/10's and the G string is tunes correctly. That is because the nut was cut for that string. I'm not luthier but the nuts on the older guitars are wider to compensate for the larger gauge strings that were used back in the day.

 

I would try using a wound G string before I started messing around with the nut or the bridge saddle.

 

Hope this helps.

[CajunBlues]

I always have issues getting my nuts to settle in correctly with my G string also...

[jt335]

I had the same issue with my brand new ES335, but not just the g string. Other strings were pinging and the guitar just wouldn't stay in tune. I didn't want to return it because..well I fell in love with it in spite of the tuning issues, so I brought it to a luthier and he filed both the nut and the bridge. Stays perfctly in tune now. In the meantime, as mentioned, the lead pencil or some nut sauce may help. But fixing the problem is not a big deal for any reputable tech.

[Notes_Norton]

I always use the pencil lead graphite when I change strings - on all the strings.

 

It was recommended to me by the Gibson/Kramer tech support rep years ago when I had a problem with a Kramer/Focus, and it works on all my guitars.

 

It also allows the guitar to stay in tune after extreme string bending.

 

Insights and incites by Notes ?

[roadhog96]

What everyone else said! If you haven't tried a wound 3rd string then your missing out. These semi hollow bodies sound fantastic with them. Find a 17 or 18 gauge wound and you will like it. If you do a lot of string bending then they wont last as long as a plain string, other than that the tone can't be beat.

[dodgytoo]

my tech agreed.... HB pencil graphite and use it every string change

 

thanks guys... will give it a fly

[Mark]

Big Ben's Nut Sauce.

 

Excellent product

[crazyhair]

Where can Pencil lead graphite be bought? Music store, hardware store?

[kevoT]

@crazyhair you can buy/use a normal HB pencil

[travail]

Where can Pencil lead graphite be bought? Music store' date=' hardware store?[/quote']

Send me a cheque for $50.00 usd plus an extra $25.00 for the Fed EX delivery fee and I will send you

a well sharpened top of the line HB pencil.

[weeladdie]

Where can Pencil lead graphite be bought? Music store' date=' hardware store?[/quote']

 

Hardware store usually has powdered graphite for lubing locks, or maybe a locksmith???

[guitartech]

Seems you have two problems.

One is, as others have stated for the binding/ping issue... widen the slot.

 

The other is that all guitars to one degree or another have tuning issues, and the G string is the worst culprit.

The solution is a Compensated Nut. Each string being a different diameter therefor different mass, will go "sharp" at different amounts when you fret a chord in the lower frets, and less so as you move up the fret board past the 5th or 6th fret. That is why using a capo on the 4th to say 7th fret makes a difference in the tuning because you are minimizing that sharpness moving toward the bridge.

A compensated nut will correct for (intonate) the nut much as the bridge is intonated for proper pitch at the 12th fret.

A custom compensated nut will allow for nearly perfect tuning (at least as good as your ear can hear) within a few cents over the whole fretboard.

 

To see some pics of examples of compensated nuts see GuitarNutCompensation.com on the two picture pages.

Good luck

[endpin]

I believe the nut on the CS-356 is cut on the Plek machine at the same time the frets are ground. Mine looks like there was no hand touch-up to smooth it beyond the milled finish. I have been using molybdenum disulphide (a dry power lubricant) to try and free it up with some success.

[endpin]

I believe the nut on the CS-356 is cut on the Plek machine at the same time the frets are ground. Mine looks like there was no hand touch-up to smooth it beyond the milled finish. I have been using molybdenum disulphide (a dry power lubricant) to try and free it up with some success.

[crazyhair]

Send me a cheque for $50.00 usd plus an extra $25.00 for the Fed EX delivery fee and I will send you

a well sharpened top of the line HB pencil.

 

Does it come with an eraser as well? By the way could you chew on the lead for a while to make sure its fine enough? The check is in the mail!

[greglawrence]

I HAD A SIMILAR PROBLEM NOW SOLVED...

When the guitar arrived it had been set up from the factory on some special machine with a laser or something. It wasn't bad, but I started experiencing what I thought was a tuning problem.

First thing I did was install gold Grovers. It did not help.

I put a little graphite on the nut. It still didn't help.

I took it to a local dude at a shop and he tinkered and couldn't remedy it when I was playing it live.

 

SO I TOOK IT TO A PROFESSIONAL LUTHIER IN ST. LOUIS (Rich Worthington)

I told him that I have been playing for over 20 years and with this guitar, I can't seem to keep simple open D chord in tune.

He measured the height of the frets and said, "Wow, this must have been like jumping on a trampoline!" I said, "Exactly!"

He muttered something about them being over .053 or something technical that dealt with a micrometer and he suggested the easiest thing to do was to replace the frets.

I totally freaked and told him this is a brand new guitar!

He said, alright, I'll just file them down, relevel and crown and now it plays like an absolute dream.

The height of the frets originally was kind of a cool new thang, but I was unable to hold a chord in tune as they were.

Does this sound familiar?

[ISirius42]

This sounds very familiar!

 

I had an Ephiphone Sheraton II that I had for years. It had the same problem--I couldn't play an open D when the guitar was in tune. A friend introduced me to his friend--a professional luthier named Kenny Marshall (AL&M in Norfolk, VA). KM fixed it right. It's amazing the effect of such small adjustments--when made by someone who knows what they are doing. Now all of my guitars have gotten a KM setup--even my PLEK'ed es-359. I highy recommend it!