Tuning - WHY won't it stay?!?

[Kac]

My band just played an open mic. tonite. I used my #1 Fender Fat strat with a Bill Lawrence Humbucker in the bridge.
I only use standard and Drop D tuning. I use Fender Super Bullets 10-46
I just put new strings on earlier today before I practiced. the same way I always do.
I used the Whammy bar a bit tonite and it just threw my guitars tuning way out of whack. so it was like that the rest of the song, then had to waste time tuning in between songs.
Should I go buy a guitar with a Floyd or what?! I need to be able to use more than one tuning and use my whammy bar and stay in tune....
maybe I should just go buy those Sperzel locking tuners..

Please help

Rock On :smoker:

 

[That90'sGuy]

Re: Tuning - WHY won't it stay?!?

It all depends just how violently you use your whammy bar. I know floating trems shouldn't screw up other strings when tuning a low e to d on the fly. For bigger adjustments, the trem will throw other strings out of tune.

If you have a roller nut, things should be extremely stable. I never like locking nuts, but I love locking tuners like the Sperzels. I'd strongly recommend getting your guitar professionally setup (it looks like you should have no tuning problems at all). Also, try Scott_F's method of putting strings on a guitar. I've found very good success with that method (I actually read about it a while ago from someone who used to be a repair man for Martin acoustics).

 

[Kac]

Re: Tuning - WHY won't it stay?!?

thanks man... I'm gonna through Sperzel's on it soon. It's not really a big problem, but when you only get limited time to play (like an open mic) it's not kool when you have to stop and tune more than once.

Rock On :13:

 

[Scott_F]

Re: Tuning - WHY won't it stay?!?

Here's a couple of things to consider...

1. Were the strings stretched properly and extensively?

2. Were there too many winds of the strings around the tuning peg?

(see this thread... https://forum.seymourduncan.com/showthread.php?t=5248)

3. Have you thought about adding another spring to your trem? (stabiliaze it a bit more, but it makes it slightly harder to use)

Locking sperzels will definitely help #2.

As far as #1 goes, I think I'd put about 5 hours playing time on new strings before I gigged with them and a trem. Gotta stretch those puppies out. Having a trem makes it that much harder to stretch them out because the trem gives a bit.

 

[Kac]

Re: Tuning - WHY won't it stay?!?

thanks Scott, I'll make sure those string get plenty more playing time before our next show, and probably have the sperzels ready for the next string change.

Rock On :13:

 

[Gearjoneser]

Re: Tuning - WHY won't it stay?!?

Make sure you do an extensive intonation job......and have 2 separate guitars intonated for their respective tuning. When you retune onstage to dropped tuning, you're scrambling your intonation slightly, making some spots on your neck sound 'out.'
See the Intonation thread in the Vault and follow my technique of fine tuning the intonation, and you'll likely notice that you won't be slipping out of tune.

Also, when you play a gig, you should get one rehearsal on your well stretched strings, just so they settle and finish stretching.

 

[FretFire]

Re: Tuning - WHY won't it stay?!?

I know floating trems shouldn't screw up other strings when tuning a low e to d on the fly.

I dunno, on all the floating trems I've owned, dropping the low E down to D was enough to send the other strings out of tune...

 

[XSSIVE]

Re: Tuning - WHY won't it stay?!?

if you want it to be 100% perfect for trem use and abuse go with locking tuners, a graphite nut and possibly graphite saddles (the nut helps more than saddles but the saddles will help) and stretch the strings real good before you first tune it up!

-Mike

 

[Jimbojsr]

Re: Tuning - WHY won't it stay?!?

I never understood why some guitarists insist on new strings before every performance... I mean, not only is it a waste of money, the tone isn't THAT affected by it (Fast Fret, anyone?) and you also get these tuning-stretching issues. Anyone else know why people chage strings so often?

 

[SlyFoxx]

Re: Tuning - WHY won't it stay?!?

I never understood why some guitarists insist on new strings before every performance...

I change strings for every performance because after 4 sets my strings are spent. My band plays stuff like AC/DC & ZZ Top and I'm just wrenching the s--t outta the strings for songs like that. After 4 sets the feel is just gone...sorta like worn out shocks on your car. Yeah you can still drive it but performance in the turns will really suffer.

 

[FretFire]

Re: Tuning - WHY won't it stay?!?

I never understood why some guitarists insist on new strings before every performance... I mean, not only is it a waste of money, the tone isn't THAT affected by it (Fast Fret, anyone?) and you also get these tuning-stretching issues. Anyone else know why people chage strings so often?

Older strings are more likely to break on you. Nothing worse than snapping a string in the middle of a song the crowd is really getting into.

 

[Docrock]

Re: Tuning - WHY won't it stay?!?

New String Lesson #1

Put on strings
tune to pitch
pull on each string pretty hard a few times (stretching them)
retune to pitch
pull up on every string a few more times
retune
pull up again a few times
retune
do this until your pulling doesnt knock them out of tune
takes about 3-5 minutes of time and they will stay even with repeated trem use. Simply putting on fresh strings, your just asking for tuning instability. Good luck

 

[Loserchief]

Re: Tuning - WHY won't it stay?!?

probably the most extreme possiblity to get around stetching strings: get a floyd rose speedloader

 

[Bludave]

Re: Tuning - WHY won't it stay?!?

I never understood why some guitarists insist on new strings before every performance... I mean, not only is it a waste of money, the tone isn't THAT affected by it (Fast Fret, anyone?) and you also get these tuning-stretching issues. Anyone else know why people chage strings so often?

I think most players change strings before a GIG mainly for piece of mind knowing fresh strings won't break. I have graphite saddles on a lot of my main guitars and a couple have graphite nuts also, and I can't remember the last time I broke a string. Sperzel locking tuners graphite saddles and nuts and change your strings 2 days before the GIG everything should stay in tune.Another thing to do is to set the bridge to where it rests on the body. This will prevent you from pulling the bar up, but if you do break a string the guitar will stay in tune. For me the graphite saddles were a must. I was breaking a lot of strings.

 

[Quencho092]

Re: Tuning - WHY won't it stay?!?

i like the sound of older strings, but once they get thick and gunky i gotta let them go. My EAD strings stay on for multiple packs though.

Grease that nut! Get any high viscosity natural oil like hobbes, or that nut grease stuff that lew uses. This will let your strings slide over the nut when stretching.

One thing i do is very slowly and gently tune up half a step above what i will be playing at. This way the strings will usually stretch down to around the proper tuning after some time, and i can play knowing that my schaller locking tuners will keep everything working in perfect tune!