Which Stays In Tune Better?

Drunken Bowling

Drunken Bowling

New member
Light gauge or heavy gauge?

I searched for a thread like this but couldn't find one. Anyway, I just had a new nut and new tuners installed on my PRS Bernie Marsden and had it restrung with 9's. Stretched and retuned, but I can't get it to stay in tune.

Would I have better luck with a heavier gauge? Do the really heavy strings (like the gauge SRV used) stay in tune better than thin ones?

It's a boneheaded question I know, but I've just always used 10's on every other guitar I've owned and had so-so luck.
 
Re: Which Stays In Tune Better?

IME...heavier gauges stay in tune better, when fretting, as they age, and in general. That's assuming your nut is cut for them and you can intonate them properly with your bridge. Since guitars are built with 9's in mind nowadays, it can sometimes be hard to tune the heavier sets.
 
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Re: Which Stays In Tune Better?

There is a lot to say about how you play too. If the guitar is staying solid with the neck, bridge and intonation it should theoretically stay in tune. You may be strumming too hard for light strings. I do. I went to .11s pretty early on. Even went to .13s at one point but that was a bit excessive. I use thick picks too though. Also, some strings work better for certain people than others. For instance, I don't get along with Ernie ball strings, but ghs last a really long time for me. Just a couple things to consider.
 
Re: Which Stays In Tune Better?

Thicker strings require higher tension too, so if these is a slight change in tension during the wear and tare period, it will have relatively less impact than with strings that are thinner. That is why down tuned guitars are less stable in tuning
 
Re: Which Stays In Tune Better?

ItsaBass said:
IME...heavier gauges stay in tune better, when fretting, as they age, and in general. That's assuming your nut is cut for them and you can intonate them properly with your bridge. Since guitars are built with 9's in mind nowadays, it can sometimes be hard to tune the heavier sets.
Click to expand...
This is a very relevant post. If the slots in the nut isn't wide enough, there will be a lot more friction on the strings, causing all sorts of annoying tuning problems.

Changing to a wider gauge is worth a shot, though! I generally never play with anything thinner than tens on my guitars when I play gigs, among other things because of tuning stability. (The fact that I also pound my strings very hard makes it worth it to use thicker strings, as strings go momentarily up in pitch when they are hit really hard.)
 
Re: Which Stays In Tune Better?

I assume that the strings are sticking in the nut when you use the trem? You may need to lubricate the nut to allow the string to reseat. As already mentioned, don't just put a heavier gauge of strings on and leave it at that because you are only going to compound the problem! You've mentioned that the nut was replaced recently, it's possible that it needs some tweaking.

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 4 Beta
 
Re: Which Stays In Tune Better?

I have 30+ guitars and have used gauges from .008 - .013. I've found that the nut, bridge, tailpiece, tuners/machine heads and _method of winding the string on the tuner post_, and _stretching the string to seat it into the tailpiece_ have a greater impact on staying in tune than the strings themselves. It sounds like you've conquered 3 out of the 6. My next step would be to look at how many winds of the string you have on the tuner (I try to have at least 3 winds around the post) and ensure that the winds are tight against the string entering the tuning post, locking the string against the side of the hole in the tuning post. After that, I would tug the strings reasonably well when bringing them to tension to ensure they seat firmly into the tailpiece.
 
Re: Which Stays In Tune Better?

Yeah I've had an easier time staying in tune since I switched to heavier strings, even with the whammy. But yes, bridge, nut, and tuners are more important than tuning stability.
 
Re: Which Stays In Tune Better?

In theory, the tighter the string tension, the less likely it is to slip out of tune.
 
Re: Which Stays In Tune Better?

Lighter gauges are considerably floppier, but I don't think they are less stable because of the reduced tension and gauge. Strings are designed to be played so in general they should perform well and overstretching and giving them aerobics sessions don't reflect what you do to them when you play them. Even when incorporating heavy Floyd use you're not stressing out an individual string, but all of them together.

I'd suggest checking for nut slot binding since this guitar is not a trem guitar, you're most likely to have nut problems. Is that a generic/replacement nut or a custom nut? What shape are the slots, U or V? Is the low E at least 1/4 out and free of the slot and the rest of the nut radiused and shaped correctly? Is nut action okay (a 0.50mm pick should just barely fit between an open string and the first fret)?

On most custom nuts people tend to hurry with filing, especially on bone nuts that take a long time to file, and that creates chatter marks. Finishing the nut slots with a couple of firm and steady strokes eliminates possible bindings. Bone nut tends to heat up as you're cutting the nut slots, and as it does the nut slot narrows and your file starts to bind and skid.

Do you do the top wrap technique? Since it's nothing wrong with that at all, some string types don't work so well. If you see the end of the string which is wound thicker at the ball end sticking out of the tailpiece too much and won't take the shape of it, that might be inducing tuning issues too so make sure that the string comes clean out of the hole if you top wrap.

Tuning issues on a proper guitar are almost exclusively a mechanical problem. Some guitars have inherent tuning problems, 3+3 HS types that put the string at whacky angles because the designer never really cared about how strings travel to the tuning posts past the nut, but that's another story and does not apply for a PRS.

And make sure you check everything, take your time. Take off the tailpiece/bridge and check the bushing if the are seated nicely, tighten your tuners, lube your nut, leave no stone unturned.
 
Re: Which Stays In Tune Better?

I have no affiliation with the publisher or author but you should seriously check out, Dan Erlewine's book "How to Make Your Electric Guitar Play Great".
http://www.amazon.com/Make-Your-Electric-Guitar-Great/dp/0879309989
It contains a wealth of information and all the examples are laid out in a very easy to understand format. It covers tuning issues and general set-up information for all types of guitars. I had tuning issues before and after reading his book, I have rid my guitars of most if not all of their problems.
 
Re: Which Stays In Tune Better?

Here's a tip- before doing ANYTHING to the nut, make sure those little collar nuts on the tuning machines are snugged up to the headstock first. They can be a fairly significant source of tuning inconsistencies, as they'll allow the strings to move more than they normally would.

I did this very procedure on an older PRS SE Santana guitar that just wouldn't stay in tune, even after making sure the nut was properly cut and fresh strings were installed- turned out the collar nuts were so loose, you twirl them off with a single finger. The problem was solved after a quick snugging up.
 
Re: Which Stays In Tune Better?

Yeah, I should have used a heavier gauge after all. I always use 10's but I play in standard tuning, so there have been times when bending seemed like a bit of a chore. But the 9's have proven to be a bit uncomfortable, like nothing's there. I feel like there should be more "string" under my fingers. The guy who did the work for me even told me once that heavier strings will sound better. Oh well, no biggie. Live and learn. Thanks for the input, everyone!
 
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