Keeping Your Electric In Tune

[Axe2Grind123]

Just looking for some tips to try here . . .

 

Biggest problem I have with any guitar that costs less than $1000 is slippage of tuning.

 

So far some tips I know that work:

 

1. If you do not have a graphite or bone nut, use graphite powder (or pencil point shavings) in the plastic nut under the strings.

 

2. If you do not have a graphite or bone nut, get one installed.

 

3. Make sure the screws on the tuning pegs are tightened.

 

4. If you do not use a tremolo, don't have one.

 

Does anyone have anything else to try out? I've had my nut replaced and it's pretty good now, but sometimes my 'G' string in particular seems to creep on me. I wonder why that one string? The guitar is new and has Grover tuners. Did I get a bad tuner? I've made sure the screw is tight . . .

[sexygibson]

Fortunely I have never had many tuning problems. When I have it has been something as simple has tightning screws on the tuners. My little Squier Strat with Gotoh tuners NEVER goes out of tune. Guitars I have owned with tremelos I usually blocked as I do not use them.

[antwhi2001]

Proper stringing technique is very important. If you don't wrap them around the posts correctly you'll get slippage. I used to blame the tuners, but I was wrong. The Gibson / Epi guidance on this is sound. I find my G slips and stretches most, probably because it's the string I bend most. If you're more of a chord player rather than lead, a wound G will probably keep tune better...but they're buggers to bend.

[Axe2Grind123]

Proper stringing technique is very important. If you don't wrap them around the posts correctly you'll get slippage. I used to blame the tuners' date=' but I was wrong. The Gibson / Epi guidance on this is sound. I find my G slips and stretches most, probably because it's the string I bend most. If you're more of a chord player rather than lead, a wound G will probably keep tune better...but they're buggers to bend. [/quote']

 

great point, I'm a big bender so maybe that's why the 'G' string. My most recent string change was done as part of a setup @ a guitar store, I'll take a look at how the stringing was done.

 

If I get you right, you mean the stringing technique of:

 

1. Put string through hole in post.

2. Stack the string so there's enough to wrap around the post a few times.

3. Start winding the string, make the first pass go over the hole, and all subsequent passes go under the hole.

 

This is the way I was taught so long ago, is it right? I've been using a Floyd Rose locking tremolo for so long it wouldn't have mattered with my other guitars . . .

[RobinTheHood]

Ditto on the G string. Always the first to go out of tune for me as well on my non-Floyd guitars. For some reason on my Epi Strat with the FR, the high E keeps tightening, so I have to keep backing it off. Dont know why. I havent really had the time to address it lately. But, that guitar is due for a bridge adjustment, so I'm gonna chalk it up to that for now.

 

3. Start winding the string, make the first pass go over the hole, and all subsequent passes go under the hole.

 

I usually do this with my guitars also , but especially with my basses because there are slots on the tuning pegs instead of holes.

[aj]

Just looking for some tips to try here . . .

 

Biggest problem I have with any guitar that costs less than $1000 is slippage of tuning.

 

So far some tips I know that work:

 

1. If you do not have a graphite or bone nut' date=' use graphite powder (or pencil point shavings) in the plastic nut under the strings.

 

2. If you do not have a graphite or bone nut, get one installed.

3. Make sure the screws on the tuning pegs are tightened.

4. If you do not use a tremolo, don't have one.[/b']

 

Does anyone have anything else to try out? I've had my nut replaced and it's pretty good now, but sometimes my 'G' string in particular seems to creep on me. I wonder why that one string? The guitar is new and has Grover tuners. Did I get a bad tuner? I've made sure the screw is tight . . . :)

 

 

I've found the order in which I tune strings can make a difference.

 

When I first started, I tuned string 1-6, in that order. By the time I got to 6, string 1 was no longer in tune.

Now I tune 1-6-2-5-3-4.

 

Seems to help.

 

Also, my Studio has Gibson 18:1 tuners, the SG has Grover 14:1 and the LP+ has Epi 12:1.

the Studio seem to hold tune much better than the other 2.

(All 3 have Gibson brite wires (10's), eliminating strings as a variable.

[Axe2Grind123]

Also' date=' my Studio has Gibson 18:1 tuners, the SG has Grover 14:1 and the LP+ has Epi 12:1.

the Studio seem to hold tune much better than the other 2.

(All 3 have Gibson brite wires (10's), eliminating strings as a variable.[/quote']

 

I'll try the tuning order - thanks!

 

I was reading this article ==> http://www.scribd.com/doc/10603995/Tune-Up-Your-Tuners pretty interesting, says the grover tuners in my guitar were MIK, but that it's necessarily good or bad ...

[RobinTheHood]

I've found the order in which I tune strings can make a difference.

 

When I first started' date=' I tuned string 1-6, in that order. By the time I got to 6, string 1 was no longer in tune.

Now I tune 1-6-2-5-3-4.

 

Seems to help.

[/quote']

 

I've heard of this method, but have never needed to use it. My typical tuning process is 5-4-3-2-1-6 and the then again if any happened to go out of tune. After that, I'm usually set.

 

Funny thing with my bass though, it never goes out of tune with the exception of the low B. And when I say "never". I mean from the time the strings are stretched till the time I change them, they just dont go out of tune...through weather changes and getting tossed into a gig bag, those puppies dont budge. It's uncanny, really.

[Axe2Grind123]

I've heard 1-6-2-5-3-4 or something similar because of the tension on each string - thicker strings have more tension but they are not tuned as high in pitch, so some of the higher pitched strings have high tension also. Someone must have strung guitar strings into a gauge, tuned them to pitch, and marked the tensions. The idea is to tune the strings that cause the least tension last. (I know some of you already know this, just stating it for anyone who reads the thread and wonders why....)

[Geff]

Also, keep it in its case, not on a stand (slows down any temperature/moisture changes) and, if on a stand, not by the window or a radiator/AC outlet or in direct sunlight.

 

Check the angle at which the strings pass over the nut. On my futura, the two highest strings have an extreme angle so I wound them backwards on their posts to reduce it and that helps a lot although I do have to remember to turn the tuners the oposite direction now.

[animalfarm]

Right now my tuning issue is coming out of a low humidity winter and heading

into a high humidity spring/summer in my area. The humidity change is freaking

out my guitar necks! My Studio is already showing signs of fret buzz on frets near

the nut as wood is expanding and starting to backbow the neck. When I sight down

the neck, I BELIEVE I can see the slightest bow, will check with straightedge.

 

A Question: In a high humidity environment, what is the "average" time required

for wood to acclimate? I'll have to do truss rod adjustment, which will throw action and

intonation off. Don't want to do this before neck has settled in .

[bluelake07]

2. If you do not have a graphite or bone nut' date=' get one installed.

 

[/quote']

More stable tuning AND better tone. The first modification to any guitar I buy from now on.

[Axe2Grind123]

More stable tuning AND better tone. The first modification to any guitar I buy from now on.

 

Any preference between graphite & bone? And if so why?

[Geff]

I am not 100% on this but I think:

 

Graphite = more stable tuning due to lower friction.

 

Bone = better tone and sustain due to the inherent nature of the natural material.

[Ricochet]

1. If you do not have a graphite or bone nut' date=' use graphite powder (or pencil point shavings) in the plastic nut under the strings.

 

2. If you do not have a graphite or bone nut, get one installed.

 

3. Make sure the screws on the tuning pegs are tightened.

 

4. If you do not use a tremolo, don't have one.[/b']

 

Does anyone have anything else to try out?

 

You're forgetting the most obvious one, a properly cut nut. In my view it's so essential I rather have a properly cut plastic one than a improperly cut fancy schmancy material nut.

 

There is a thread on the other forum. "Views on my nut"...it might explain some things.

[Ron G]

Here's a very interesting read about G strings:

 

http://images.onstagemag.com/files/46/0202Setuptxt.html

[RobinTheHood]

Here's a very interesting read about G strings:

 

http://images.onstagemag.com/files/46/0202Setuptxt.html

 

 

Good read! That explains alot about the G. But does switching to a wound G really make it that much harder to bend?

[Ron G]

Good read! That explains alot about the G. But does switching to a wound G really make it that much harder to bend?

It's not so much that it's harder to bend but has to be bent further to achieve the same pitch.

[RotcanX]

Good read! That explains alot about the G. But does switching to a wound G really make it that much harder to bend?

 

It's not that it's hard to bend but that the change in pitch is less pronounced than with a plain G.

[RobinTheHood]

Whoa! If you guys practiced more, you'd have a two-part hamony.

 

Thanks. That makes sense. I may give it a go to see how I like it.

[johntrem]

Besides using locking string technique on the tuning pegs, I've adopted Eric Johnson's tuning sequence method which is: low E-high E-D-B-A-G. Any guitar I've used this tuning method on seems to stay in tune much more effectively over a longer period of time.

[pohatu771]

Maybe I just have the best luck ever, but all of my guitars stay in tune very well. The Casino and the Martin only seem to be effected by weather, and the others are generally only a few cents flat after a few days of non-use.

[BluezOldy]

Maybe I just have the best luck ever' date=' but all of my guitars stay in tune very well[/quote']

 

I'm lucky like that too it seems.

 

Price paid for the guitar definitely has no bearing on whether it stays in tune or not in my experience. My REALLY, REALLY cheapies which may only come out of the case once a year barely need more than a minor tweak on one or two strings.

[Axe2Grind123]

Great info here, thanks all . . . I'm thinking I may be expecting a little too much after years of playing guitars with locking nuts, these archtops are a little more temperamental with slippage than I'm used to. I think I've got it as good as it's going to get. GREAT post about the 'G' string and why it misbehaves, very interesting!

[scantron]

A well-cut bone nut is recommended for tone & tuning stability, and better tuners (but you don't have get locking ones). You don't have to get a graphite saddle, just rub a soft pencil in the nut slots. Keep those strings fresh, and check each individual saddle to see if there's a groove worn in it that's also binding up your string (and causing breaks). This often happens since they use such soft metal to make the hardware. I'd recommend swapping out the bridge for a TonePros metric-sized replacement.