natedagw821 Posted August 20, 2008 Share Posted August 20, 2008 Hey guys, I have had my epi les paul for about 3 months and I'm having problems with it staying in tune. Yes, it DOES have the Grover tuners on it. Another problem I'm having is that when I pick the low E string, it goes sharp then returns to "normal." I'm new to the whole Les Paul thing. Throughout the years, I would only play either an Ibanez or a Jackson. I never had any tuning problems with those guitars. Why am I having so many problems keeping my Les Paul in tune? Could the neck be out of adjustment, or is the WHOLE damn thing out of whack? Frankly, I'm about to give up and just buy a jackson. I really DON'T want to, but I'm really frustrated with this thing going out of tune after I do a bend. Please give me some advice, Nate Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill V Posted August 20, 2008 Share Posted August 20, 2008 In an article I read, and I'll post the link to it, the author, Jack Endino, says when tuning your guitar, switch to the neck pickup, turn the volume knob all the way up, and the tone knob all the way down. Then as you're tuning, pluck the strings over the twelfth fret. Try it and see how it works for you. Good luck! Here's the link to the article: http://jackendino.com/archive/tuningnightmares.html Oh, by the way, make sure to check that the nuts on your tuners are snug (don't overtighten them), as well as the screws that secure them to the back of the headstock. Also stretch your strings whenever you put a new set on. Do a search on the forum for tuning problems. There's a lot of good info here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dubstar Posted August 20, 2008 Share Posted August 20, 2008 that article is good, but yes you probably should get a set-up...tuning problems can be caused by an improperly cut nut, which causes the strings to bind (common on new guitars) and easily fixed by a tech / luthier with the proper tools... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill V Posted August 20, 2008 Share Posted August 20, 2008 that article is good' date=' but yes you probably should get a set-up...tuning problems can be caused by an improperlycut nut, which causes the strings to bind (common on new guitars) and easily fixed by a tech / luthier with the proper tools...[/quote'] Dubstar's right. You should have your guitar set up. If you don't know how to do it yourself, take it to a pro. It's worth the $35 - $50 to have it done. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlueLesPaul2006 Posted August 20, 2008 Share Posted August 20, 2008 Get a pro set up. I set mine up myself but it took a long time to learn how to do it by myself. Plus I took a lot of time to get it just the way i want it. for you that is new to Les Paul get a tech to look at it. your problem is probably something simple like the nut needs to be worked on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
natedagw821 Posted August 20, 2008 Author Share Posted August 20, 2008 Thanks for the replies guys. I am going to have to set up in about a week. Do you think the tech will be able to fix the low e string problem? I have another question. Right now I have this guitar: http://guitars.musiciansfriend.com/product/Epiphone-Les-Paul-Standard-Plain-Top?sku=517413 I plan on getting a better guitar in about three months. Is this guitar better than the one I have now? Or does it just LOOK better? http://guitars.musiciansfriend.com/product/Epiphone-Les-Paul-Standard-Electric-Guitar?sku=518341 Or, should I just go for a gibson les paul studio? Again, thanks for all your help. Nate Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dubstar Posted August 20, 2008 Share Posted August 20, 2008 the plain top and standard are basically the same, with cosmetic differences...epiphone LPs (set neck) are very good guitars for the money and similar to most if not all guitars benefit from a good set-up...you may also want to consider the epiphone les paul elitist MIJ... "Another problem I'm having is that when I pick the low E string, it goes sharp then returns to "normal." " sounds like a simple intonation problem? either a saddle adjustment or truss rod adjustment will most likely clear it up... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dubstar Posted August 20, 2008 Share Posted August 20, 2008 also, for a relatively small amount of money, you can do things like upgrade the stock PUs, pots, tuners, etc. and potentially make your existing guitar much nicer... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
natedagw821 Posted August 20, 2008 Author Share Posted August 20, 2008 Well, What would you do? Should I upgrade my current guitar with all new stuff? Or should I upgrade to a better epiphone? How much would it cost me to upgrade everything? If I got all new hardware and electronics, would my epi sound as good as a gibson? Thanks, Nate Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dubstar Posted August 20, 2008 Share Posted August 20, 2008 well, once you start down the "sounds as good as a gibson" path, it's a slippery slope....a better way to think about it is how good can I make my very-good-for-the-money epiphone les paul play and sound? I would get the set-up and and then spend some time getting to know it...you might find the stock PUs sound fine, others feel replacements are the call...GFS on the affordable side, gibson etc. on the $$$ side...toggle switch is an easy fix that increases reliability (cleaning the stock one also helps) your LP is a "better" epiphone...the "best" would be an elitist...look to spend $800-1000 plus for one of those... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
natedagw821 Posted August 20, 2008 Author Share Posted August 20, 2008 Hey, thanks for your help dude! I have one more question. How do I properly string up my les paul? and how do I properly stretch the strings? How long does it take for strings to stretch out? Thanks, Nate PS Sorry for the noob questions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davidg3333 Posted August 20, 2008 Share Posted August 20, 2008 How to string a guitar was discussed before but I can't find the thread. So here is a link that may be useful: http://www.jazzguitar.be/how_to_string_a_guitar.html Here is a Youtube video: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlueLesPaul2006 Posted August 21, 2008 Share Posted August 21, 2008 Thanks for the replies guys. I am going to have to set up in about a week. Do you think the tech will be able to fix the low e string problem? I have another question. Right now I have this guitar: http://guitars.musiciansfriend.com/product/Epiphone-Les-Paul-Standard-Plain-Top?sku=517413 I plan on getting a better guitar in about three months. Is this guitar better than the one I have now? Or does it just LOOK better? http://guitars.musiciansfriend.com/product/Epiphone-Les-Paul-Standard-Electric-Guitar?sku=518341 Or' date=' should I just go for a gibson les paul studio? Again, thanks for all your help. Nate [/quote'] Hey man nice to see you on here. My opinion is that buying a Gibson is truly a great move, I will be buying a Gibby sometime. however, I play everyday and even if I get a Gibson I will never sell my Epi LP. the Gibson is better for many reasons but the Epiphone is a great guitar and should be noticed for their quality. I am planning on changing the pickups on my Epi to get more of that Gibson sound (even though i know that my epi will not sound just like a Gibby). If you have the money and the Gibby feels good to you then buy it. But the cheaper route is to upgrade your Epi LP it will bring new life to your Epi Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steven Lister Posted August 21, 2008 Share Posted August 21, 2008 I'm new to the whole Les Paul thing. Throughout the years' date=' I would only play either an Ibanez or a Jackson. I never had any tuning problems with those guitars. Why am I having so many problems keeping my Les Paul in tune?[/quote'] Have a knowledgeable pro do your set up. The problems you described are not in any way 'inherent' to a Les Paul. Any good EPI LP will stay in proper tune if set-up and strung correctly. However, a Les Paul by nature is a bit more persnickity than other types/brands and as such LPs do not fit everyone. Maybe your familiarity with the brands you mentioned has you looking for certain things (e.g. extremely low action) that are difficult if not impossible to achieve with an LP. WELCOME to the forum! Best of luck to you. Hit every BLUE NOTE baaaby..., I'm going to play on:-" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JefferySmith Posted August 21, 2008 Share Posted August 21, 2008 I have all of my guitar set up (except the Elitists), and it is a big sacrifice. My guitar guy averages about 5 weeks for a setup. But it is eventually worth it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FrankS1281734010 Posted August 21, 2008 Share Posted August 21, 2008 Just one idea since everything else has been covered; has it had the same set of strings all three months? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mozahlee Posted August 21, 2008 Share Posted August 21, 2008 5 weeks for a set-up??? Is that normal? Around here i think it's about a week (i'm in L.A.) i feel (and i've tested a bunch of Epi's) that the LP's in this price range are definitely worth the money and that they are worth the time and lil extra money fixing them up to be more comfortable and a great sounding guitar. They aren't to die for when you first pick a "new" one up and start playing. Epi LP's just need a lil more adjusting unlike your Ibanez. I know EXACTLY what your saying, because i myself am an Ibanez man, loving the Iceman myself. They are two different animals. I agree just from reading that LP's are a bit more needy in terms of the attention they need to make them good solid comfy guitars, but the effort you put in will be worth it i think. I'm waiting for mine to arrive, i finally ordered an EPI Plain Top LP!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles Obscure Posted August 21, 2008 Share Posted August 21, 2008 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bender 4 Life Posted August 21, 2008 Share Posted August 21, 2008 If you really want more than just a "generic" setup done, you can do it yourself fairly quickly and easily, and to suit YOUR particular needs..............the info to do this, along with scale length measurements,intonation measurements and pickup height settings, can be found on the "setup" page @ Fenders website. I LOVE my G400 custom Flametop, but the "Big-F" is the only mfgr. site with free setup instructions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gashole Posted August 21, 2008 Share Posted August 21, 2008 Well' date=' What would you do? Should I upgrade my current guitar with all new stuff? Or should I upgrade to a better epiphone? How much would it cost me to upgrade everything? If I got all new hardware and electronics, would my epi sound as good as a gibson? Thanks, Nate[/quote'] I reccomend either buying a used Gibson, or invest in your epiphone. Seriously, Gibby's great as they are, are inflated in price. That is so subjective, I know, but I'm telling you how I see it. You can definitely make an Epiphone sound as good as a Gibson. In fact, some of them ARE as good sounding as Gibsons stock -(Any P 90 rigged Epi I am told, and I know my Wildkat does, and the Elitist models, Gibson's version of robbing Peter to pay Paul that looks to be shortlived are positively raved about)...My Sheraton II, as I've blabbed about around here quite a bit IMO sounds and plays as good as any Gibson not vintage or from the Custom Shop...it kills their low end Les Pauls in tone and appearance, and frankly, their 335 Dot too. I replaced the PU's, nut, electronics and switch, had the frets dressed, and a pro set up, and for a total of 1000.00-1100.00 or so, including initial purchase and case I have a very kick *** Epiphone now. To me, that's the nice thing about Epi's. If you don't like it, it's a great platform for customization. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Billybob Dylan Posted August 21, 2008 Share Posted August 21, 2008 Why? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stan 58 Posted August 21, 2008 Share Posted August 21, 2008 If you haven't changed strings do it now and stretch them in really well. The strings from the factory are crap. Stan. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mozahlee Posted August 22, 2008 Share Posted August 22, 2008 also i've seen some vids on YouTube about setting up a guitar and adjusting Intonation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RotcanX Posted August 22, 2008 Share Posted August 22, 2008 Obviously a pic of how not to do it... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GlennW Posted August 22, 2008 Share Posted August 22, 2008 Obviously a pic of how not to do it... Maybe he used to have a Hagstrom bass. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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