Guitar Tuning Issues- Part 3

Another Tuning problem is an unsecure nut. On guitars with locking tremolos, make sure that the screws that hold the nut assembly to the neck of the guitar are tight. On a standard style nut, its imperative that the slot of the neck in which the nut sits is tightly bound to the nut itself. Usually, on steel string and electric guitars, nuts are glued in place with cyano acrolite, super glue in otherwords. Although this is a strong bonding agent, its not entirely permanent and can loosen or break free. If this happens, every time you bend a string or vibrato a note, you could be altering the position of the nut-and thus the tuning of your axe.

Another nut related problem is when the pitch of a string jumps sharp. This freak of tuning occurs when the nut slots are not cut properly. If the slot is too narrow, it will pinch the string and hold it in place. Eventually, when enough pressure or tug is exerted, the string will jump up a little in the saddle slot, increasing the tension of the string and raising its pitch. Optimally, you want the saddle slot of the nut to be slightly wider than the gauge of the string. This problem is pretty easily corrected using slotting files, but dont try this yourself if your inexperienced. A qualified repairman is always your best bet to fix an unsecured or improparly cut nut, and neither of these operations is particularly costly.

This concludes my tips on tuning issues. I know at some point you have all experienced them, and may still continue to experience them, so I hope this helps you out and you can start enjoying your guitar playing more without falling out of tune continuously. Keep Rockin!!!

Guitar Tuning Issues- Part 2

Now Im going to cover another topic when it comes to out of tune guitars: tuning machines. Not all tuning machines are created equal. A good set of tuners should respond to the subtlest of adjustments. If you find that you can tweak on a tuner for awhile without hearing a change in pitch, thats not good. Sperzel and Gotoh are two examples of manufacturers that offer high gear ratios. The gears in these tuners mesh really well together and hold tuning reliably without backlash.

In addition, you dont want more than three to four neatly wrapped winds around the post of a tuner. Messy winds in excess of three or four can introduce slop and stretching problems. Regardless of what kind of tuners you have, you can always tighten the screw on the tuner buttons to reduce backlash.

I will post the 3rd and final part of this topic soon, till then Keep Rockin!

Guitar Tuning Issues

The One thing worse than an out of tune guitar is a guitar that wont stay in tune. Out of tune guitars aren't just a small problem, they're an epidemic. Im sure over the years everyone reading this has experienced these types of problems, so over the next few days I will be addressing these issues.

There are several reasons why a guitar wont stay in tune. First of all, and this may seem obvious, the strings may not be stratched properly. String stretching should be the first item on your check list when trying to identify the source of your tuning issues.

Once you've restrung with a fresh set of strings, tune the guitar to proper pitch with a guitar tuner. Then stretch the strings one at a time by fretting with your finger around the third fret while reaching under the string with your picking hand and tugging up off the fretboard about an inch to an inch and a half. The distance between your hands should be about three or four frets apart, and work your way up the neck to about the 15th to 21st fret while maintaining that three to four fret increment between your hands. After one pass up the fretboard, retune, and note how much the new string fell flat during the operation. If you repeat this process about three times, you'll find that the string will fall flat less and less until your able to complete a pass with very little detuning as a result of your stretching. At this point, the string is properly stretched and you should repeat the process with the other strings.

When you've finished with all the strings, tune the whole guitar as you normally would, and check it by playing chords and bending some notes to make sure there's no slippage occuring. If there is, its reasonably safe to say that it aint the strings.

I'll be back soon to continue on this issue, and go over tuners. Keep Rockin