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Calling guitarists - tuning issues!

Filed Under : Rants , Gear

Posted By : THE MOCKINGBIRDS (now split) | Comments : 13

need advice...!


Hello fellow guitarists and people with far better guitar knowledge than me, which is most people….

Ive got 2 guitars, both with tuning problems recently.
As is the case for many epiphone owners, I did a mini custom job on my sheraton and sg.
I switched the tailpiece and the bridges around - nickel into my sherry, gold onto my sg - and installed 2 nickel pick ups to my sheraton, so I added nickel bridge etc. ( pick ups were Seymour duncan '59 and a gibson '57) and 2 gibson p94's into my sg.

Then I put locking tuners on both, grover ones. Black ones and chrome ones if you're interested….!

Now the tuning on my SG is shocking, its all over the place. Plus my sherry isnt brilliant, the G string in particular is terrible.

The locking tuners don’t seem to be doing a thing, although changing strings is easy.
I thought I may have strung them up wrong, but a guitar tech installed the strings on my sherry, and I did research before doing the ones on my sg. Im sure they're on properly.

Is this a bridge/tailpiece issue, should I switch back? (I don’t want to, I like the nickel look)
There has to be a better reason for out of tune strings rather than, 'they need stretching when you put them on'

Any help from your amazing guitar knowledge would be very helpful! Im all for buying a new bridge or whatever you recommend…

And any 'buy a gibson' comments will be ignored, haha. My little sg was my first electric, its my baby! And sounds shit hot with the single coil pick ups, more like a telecaster at times.

Comments

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# Posted by Rumble Fat Band - 08/02/2010, 12:33 (GMT)

i guess the obvious question is did you set the intonation when you changed the bridges?
I think both have 2 piece tailpiece/bridge, so it isn't as though you could put them in the wrong place, but if you didn't set the intonation up, that could be the problem.


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# Posted by THE MOCKINGBIRDS (now split) - 08/02/2010, 12:41 (GMT)

i think i was guilty of changing them without sorting innotation first, but have since done it.

innotation is fine now, and then i play and tuning goes pretty soon after.


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# Posted by Rik - 08/02/2010, 13:18 (GMT)

a lot of time the nut can be the problem, i just found this which could be of help to you

www.gibson-talk.com/.../9115-sg-tuning-issues.html

2nd post explains it better than i could


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# Posted by HUSTLER - 08/02/2010, 15:14 (GMT)

I agree with Rick - I've tech'd for years and the biggest cause was either nut/intonation/quality of string. Any decent ( I stress decent!!) repair guy can clean the nut out for you or maybe replace it with something like a graphtec ?


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# Posted by HUSTLER - 08/02/2010, 15:15 (GMT)

I agree with Rick - I've tech'd for years and the biggest cause was either nut/intonation/quality of string. Any decent ( I stress decent!!) repair guy can clean the nut out for you or maybe replace it with something like a graphtec ?


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# Posted by Bass-tard - 08/02/2010, 15:30 (GMT)

I would take them to a good guitar tec to set up for you, it will make a huge difference, I have just had 3 of mine done and the difference in them is astounding. It dont matter how good a guitar you have or how expensive it is if its set up wrong then you may as well be playing a £10.00 cheapo guitar.
Try Phil Hartley at www.guitarsetup.co.uk he is brilliant, cant recommend him high enough


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# Posted by THE MOCKINGBIRDS (now split) - 08/02/2010, 15:39 (GMT)

cool, cheers.
im gonna get the guitar shop across from where i work have a look.
also need my action doing on my acoustic so might as well do a job lot! ive been recommended nut lube (sounds rude...) so i[ll buy some of that. only a few quid on ebay.


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# Posted by Jason Smith (SIN AFTER SIN gui... - 08/02/2010, 16:43 (GMT)

try shaving the lead/graphite from a 4b pencil into the nut under the string, this acts as a lubricant and works a treat. A very cheep tip i was given by a tech years ago!


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# Posted by Asparagus Now - 08/02/2010, 17:35 (GMT)

1) Make sure you're stringing up properly - give those strings a serious stretching

2)I'm willing to bet it's your nut/string trees though. The slots might be cut a little deep. A good quality (bone/synthetic) properly cut nut is a massive part of guitar setup!

I make my own 'nut sauce' (no sniggering at the back) with a mixture of vaseline/chapstick and graphite powder. Every guitar tech should have a stick of chapstick in their case for emergencies!


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# Posted by DYEHOUSE - 08/02/2010, 20:21 (GMT)

could also be there's a mis match in the bridge anchors causing movement of the bridge!
If tis happening! as you tune one string another will go out?
check there's no movement at the bridge!
Also if you've had it all to bits it's possible that the truss rod has pulled back and caused a slackening in the wood, so will need to be tightened slightly to stop movement there!
If your not familiar with all this it's best to hand it over to a luthier!


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# Posted by Dresden North End - 09/02/2010, 17:53 (GMT)

Had same prob with a slack truss rod( no pun intended ) was only slight, but fekker wouldn't stay in tune. Just one little tweek sorted it. Ya never know, may be worth a try

Mark


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# Posted by Dresden North End - 09/02/2010, 17:54 (GMT)

That was on an epi sg too.

Mark


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# Posted by THE MOCKINGBIRDS (now split) - 09/02/2010, 17:56 (GMT)

cool, cheers


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