tuning :\

[KevinLand]

I don't know what to do. I have what I think is a pretty high quality guitar (G & L Legacy, American made), with sperzel tuners (also USA), and intonation that's nearly perfect, but i can't get the damn thing to stay in tune. I've got my band's first show in only a few weeks, and it's gotta be reliable. Sometimes after like an hour of play, it miraculously stays in tune, but that's also sorta iffy. I was wondering if anyone knows much about this - do i need new tuners? adjust the tuners? does the intonation need to be changed? Thanks guys!

 

[ID_Ghost]

Re: tuning :\

Break your strings in..I pull my strings (new sets) retune all is good.

 

[H8Red442]

Re: tuning :\

I stretch mine as well and play it alot. I will generally tune em up stretch em out tune it agian and restretch em. Then tune one more time and it generally stays in tune. Guitars without a floyd in my experience go out of tune faster but are much easier to retune. I could never keep my Les Pauls in tune.

 

[larry_emder]

Re: tuning :\

String it up correctly as per the thread in the vault

 

[The Golden Boy]

Re: tuning :\

Make sure the strings are stretched out and put some graphite powder/pencil lead in the nut slots.

Are you going sharp? That's your strings catching in the nut or on the saddles.

Do you hear a "ping" when you're tuning up? That's more than likely an improperly cut nut.

 

[baritone]

Re: tuning :\

"Pinging" is usually at the nut or the string trees. A smooth nut helps with that. On my Squier Strat, I put on a graphite nut and I stopped using the string trees. The last time I changed strings, I strung it ignoring the string trees, and I reintonated the saddles. Since then I have been totally free of the massive hangup problems I used to have with that guitar.

 

[Mephis]

Re: tuning :\

time to get a better nut, I suggest "slip stone."

It's even better than graphite, yet it seems very few people know of it.

 

[More-Gear-Than-Skill]

Re: tuning :\

is the guitar being moved from heated room to car into sweaty rehearsal space? Perhaps body heat involved? Too new strings? Heavy whammy action. All are factors.

 

[GuitarStv]

Re: tuning :\

If it seems to happen at random, it can also have to do with your touch. If you have medium/high frets and you get excited in a show and press down really hard on the strings you'll pull the chord or fretted notes out of tune. I've done it before . . .

 

[Zhangliqun]

Re: tuning :\

The main culprit, as some have said, is likely a nut that is:

1) In need of lubrication -- pencil lead will work, but there's this stuff called Nut Sauce that's even better.

2) Badly cut, not smooth and therefore pinches the string on string bends.

3) A nut that's perfectly fine, cut properly for the stock strings but the owner moved up to thicker strings without widening the nut slots to accommodate them. This will mean plenty o' pinching and pinging and tuning misery.