rjames1973 Posted June 5, 2012 Share Posted June 5, 2012 All, I have a wine red Les Paul Studio that I bought new a little over a year ago. The guitar sounds great, but it will not stay in tune. I've had the guitar setup with new .10 gauge strings, and my luthier also cut a couple of the nut grooves a little more in an effort to fix the tuning problem. He also applied graphite in the nut grooves, but none of this has helped solve the tuning issue. I'm thinking it might be time to bite the bullet and have a new nut installed to replace the stock corian nut. Could anyone recommend a decent nut that I could have installed? It doesn't have to be the most expensive, but should be good enough to keep the guitar from going out of tune. Also, if anyone has any advice on other options I could try to resolve the tuning issue without spending the money on a new nut, please let me know. Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rct Posted June 5, 2012 Share Posted June 5, 2012 "tuning issue" is much more than a nut. What is wrong with the guitar, what does it do, how does it not be in tune, all that. rct Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1998StandardSG Posted June 5, 2012 Share Posted June 5, 2012 What brand of strings are you using??? I've only changed one nut on a Gibson, which was my BluesHawk. I went with bone just because that's what my taste gears me towards. But I would check the bridge and the tuners first before I would put a new nut on. If your tuners are really easy to turn then that is most likely your problem. I know that's how it is with my SG Standard, the tuners are so loose that if I bend a step up it goes right out of tune. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigKahune Posted June 6, 2012 Share Posted June 6, 2012 "tuning issue" is much more than a nut. What is wrong with the guitar, what does it do, how does it not be in tune, all that. .... +1 . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
strat-o-steve Posted June 6, 2012 Share Posted June 6, 2012 Properly winding your strings around the tuning posts, and stretching your strings can do as much to help or harm your tuning stability as a badly cut nut. Also check your intonation. If it is off, your guitar is off (as a whole). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
badbluesplayer Posted June 6, 2012 Share Posted June 6, 2012 If the nut that's on there has been worked on a little, then it's probably not the nut that's the problem. Make sure you're stretching the strings when you tune. Like somebody else said, it might be the tuners but it's probably an issue with how you're installing and stretching your strings. Wound strings should be installed with about an inch of slack so you end up with about two and a half turns around the post when it's tuned. Unwound strings should have about another half inch of slack so they end up with three and a half turns around the post. Keep stretching them and retuning them until they cannot stretch any further. You will have to stretch and retune each string about five times before they're fully stretched. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
politicalamity06 Posted June 6, 2012 Share Posted June 6, 2012 You don't need a new nut. Make sure you are "locking the string" around the tuning post when you change strings. You tube has many videos of this if you need assistance. This is the single most important thing i did to improve tuning stability. Second, ensure your strings are properly stretched. Third, after your strings have stretched, adjust the intonation. The intonation of strings changes as they stretch.. You will only need to do this step once and also if you change brands or gauges of strings. It will also help if you install better tuners than the standard plastic tulip style on most Les Pauls. Locking tuners are the best but standard Grovers are excellent as well. I put Grover's on mine and it helped a bunch. I also switched to earnie ball RPS strings. They are reinforced at the ball end and help to insure that the wrapped end does not slip any after the initial stretching period. I do not have tuning problems any more and you won't either if you follow those steps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geobram Posted June 11, 2020 Share Posted June 11, 2020 Tuning instability is due to the string break-over angle of the tune-a-matic bridge and nut. These are design flaws. Replace the bridge with a roller type and replace the nut with a Tusq type and it should be much better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brad1 Posted June 11, 2020 Share Posted June 11, 2020 3 hours ago, Geobram said: Tuning instability is due to the string break-over angle of the tune-a-matic bridge and nut. These are design flaws. Replace the bridge with a roller type and replace the nut with a Tusq type and it should be much better. Uh..... no. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eracer_Team Posted June 12, 2020 Share Posted June 12, 2020 16 hours ago, Geobram said: Tuning instability is due to the string break-over angle of the tune-a-matic bridge and nut. These are design flaws. Replace the bridge with a roller type and replace the nut with a Tusq type and it should be much better. In One Word.. NO.. it's not the break angle over the TOM and Bridge and no need to go to roller nut or roller bridge. (oh BTW, your strings CAN touch the back of the bridge and still be a great sounding guitar) the design is more than 60yrs old and there are literally thousands (millions ) of guitars that stay in tune. thanks for bringing up a post from 8 years ago,, (2012).. I'm sure RJames1973 hasn't gotten his guitar fixed by now and will be resolved with your reply. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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