Pointy Reisue tuning stability

[rgx]

I'm wondering if there are any solutions to the tuning stability or should I say instability on pointy reissue with a vintage trem? I've installed a set of locking tuners and use Big Bends Nut Sauce, still it doesn't stay in tune well, even if I don't use a trem at all... Am I doing something wrong? Any suggestions? Thanks!

[84sups]

You could try Fender bullets. The ball end isn't tied around like all other strings. You could also try soldering the ball ends. Try the Nut Sauce(name still kills me ) on the saddles also or something that will lubricate where the strings contact the saddles. I'm having the same issue with my old Tokai Strat copy. Put a set of Klusen style tuners on it (from some very terrible tuners), Graphtech trem nut and it wont stay in tune at all. Myabe someone will think of something else. I've had a fender that wouldn't go out of tune for anything with a vintage trem.

[horns666]

"Big Bends Nut Sauce"


Hahaaahhaaaaaaaaa....

[ginsambo]

There is currently a guy on Ebay.co.uk selling a 2005 San Dimas reissue with a Pro Mod USA neck and an adapted nut to non locking. Said he swapped the neck for EXACTLY the same reasons and the old pointy one is long gone. Must be a common problem. Damn though you should never part out a guitar like that though, especialy if nut sauce would have done the trick.

How easy is it to convert a 2005 reissue to a surface floyd BTW? I would guess you have to shim the bridge side of the neck pocket route up 3 degrees?

Are Graphtech's good or bad then, my Warmoth necks have Graphtech nuts.

[Predator1]

Tighten up the springs and use it as a hardtail. The angle of the headstock (vintage trems like straight string pull over the nut) and the lack of a locking nut are a recipe for tuning madness.

[rgx]

Thanks for the replies everyone! Actually, I have the springs tightened and don't use the tremolo, so it's basically a hardtail, but it still doesn't stay in tune well when I'm bending, especially the 3 unwound strings... I've thought about converting it to floyd, but I guess it will change the sound and that's something I wouldn't like to happen as it sounds amazing and I guess that the brass bridge plays a significant role in it. I've searched the forum and it looks like that's a common problem, but on the other hand Randy Rhoads and many others played Charvels/Jacksons with pointy headstocks and managed to stay in tune somehow... I really don't want to sell it as the sound and neck are to die for.

[ginsambo]

Yeah. I woould be worried about bending also. I did a lot to fix my Charvel 1A, tightening the springs and lossening the six trem rocker bolts. But it STILL goes slightly out of tune, even with bends. Maybe file and smooth out your nut? Or fit some circular string saddles?

[rgx]

Well, I'm not sure about the nut, actually the slots are cut at an angle - supposedly to improve the string alignment with the pointy headstock, so what is going to happen if I replace it with the standard one with the straight slots? Or maybe a LSR nut? Because the rest of the parts appear to be ok, I lubricated the bridge saddles as well as the nut of course, the tuners are changed to locking Grovers, I use Fender Bullets on it.

[Chief_CrazyTalk]

IMO V-trems suck and are of no use whatsoever.

[straycat]

Sounds like you need to smooth out the nut slots on the wound strings.
Use some 1000 grit sandpaper and big bends in the slots as you sand it smooth and at a bit of an angle even if the slots are at an angle.
The unwound string slots usually aren't the problem on pointies with V trems.
I had an 05 v trem pointy and had to smooth out the slots but after that it was fine.
A friend had an original v trem pointy and it stayed in tune fine so I took a good look at the nut and it was worn very smooth on the nut slots so that got me thinking widen the slots on mine in the direction of the string angle.
His nut was phenolic so maybe that had something to do with it.
Mine was 100% stable after that.

[vondran]

What straycat said is spot on. I have a `83 pointy with a v-trem and it stays in tune well, even with trem use. The secret is getting the grooves in the nut smooth, with a gradual bend (not sharp) of the string from the fretboard to the tuners. Any binding the string will not slide in the slot and will change tuning when playing or bending.

Frets.com has a good descrption on a proper setup nut. http://www.frets.com/FRETSPages/Musi...uts/nuts3.html

Another trick I use, is always tune up to the note, not down. If you're sharp lower the string well below and then tune upward, but not past the note. Then I bend a note on each string and check tuning again for any flat notes. Then tune upward any that are flat. It then stays in tune well after that.

[soulquake]

I can also confirm that it possible to get near perfect tuning stability, close to floyd performance. I wrote this post, maybe it can be of some help:
http://www.jcfonline.com/threads/123...=1#post1463466

[soulquake]

Check this video out if you don't believe me...I just did it to prove I am not lying, there is nothing wrong about the v-trem/pointies. They are great guitars, with the added bonus of being able to easily detune the guitar, better sustain and to some- better looks.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MQ1eG...ature=youtu.be

[rgx]

soulquake, thanks for the tips and the video!

[straycat]

Its all in the nut with a V trem and pointy!
Great post quake you said it well.

[JACKSONFREAK]

It's the nut. Gets the string slots smooth and it should be all good. Although I'm not. Fan of the angled string slots. Seems that it would make the string bind in the nut anyway cuz the string isn't going thru the nut straight. But try the slot smoothing first. If it still does it replace the nut.
Gil