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Guitars not staying in tune... What to check???

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  • Guitars not staying in tune... What to check???

    Hello everyone,

    This is driving me nuts... What used to be my 2 fav guitars are not staying in tune lately!!! :think:

    My BC Rich Gunslinger Retro and my Ibanez RG550. Both are different animals... Before anyone asks that I give it to them... What should I be looking for?

    Strings are not old. They've been stretched. Both have 10-46 D'addario tuned in Eb.

    Need help!!!:think:
    JB aka BenoA

    Clips and other tunes by BenoA / My Soundcloud page / My YouTube page
    Guitar And Sound (GAS) forum / Boss Katana Amps FB group

  • #2
    more info.

    Do they just go out of tune sitting there? Yes or No

    Do they go out of tune as you play? Yes or No

    Do they go out of tune as you whammy? Yes or No

    I use GHS Boomers, so I'm not familiar if your stings suck or not.

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    • #3
      Need to know about the trem system, nut, lock nut, tuners.

      If its a locking nut - make sure its tightly screwed to the neck - nuts can work themselves loose - especially if they've just come from the factory - you may hear it move - it makes a clunking sound when you whammy.
      -------------------------
      Blank yo!

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      • #4
        Also, tell us whether it's going flat or sharp overall, some strings flat & some sharp, etc. The more specific you are, the easier it will be to figure it out.

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        • #5
          Sorry guys, I posted this too quickly this morning... I was on a hurry to leave for work. Yes, indeed, I should have put more "infos"...

          Originally posted by DonP View Post
          Do they just go out of tune sitting there? Yes or No
          No

          Originally posted by DonP View Post
          Do they go out of tune as you play? Yes or No
          Yes

          Originally posted by DonP View Post
          Do they go out of tune as you whammy? Yes or No
          Yes

          -----------------

          So, to ease the investigation, tonite I only spent some time with the Ibanez. It has a Edge floyd on it.

          I noticed the guitar was going mostly "flat" when not staying in tune. This would happen under normal playing (bends) or using the bar (dive or pull).

          I checked the nut, the screws holding it were a lil' bit loose. I tighten them. Did afew whammy bar dive/bends but then broke a string... So I changed the string and will bring it tomorrow evening at my band's rehearsal. Will keep ya posted.

          I had a crazy day so had lil' time to do this tonite and haven't checked the BC Rich, I suspect a similar situation.

          Thanks for the help guys.
          Last edited by BenoA; 10-13-2010, 08:51 PM. Reason: missing words
          JB aka BenoA

          Clips and other tunes by BenoA / My Soundcloud page / My YouTube page
          Guitar And Sound (GAS) forum / Boss Katana Amps FB group

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          • #6
            How old were the strings? They could lose their structural integrity after a while, even on a non-floyd guitar old strings can give tuning problems.
            HTTP 404 - Signature Not Found

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            • #7
              Not that old for the Ibanez... A few weeks and as I have a few guits, they go in rotation so I would say they had like 10 to 15 hours of playing. The one on the BC Rich were almost new. Like max 5 hours.

              This coming weekend, I'll get a few packs of fresh strings and will re-string all my guits. I'll even change the brand for a change. Been using D'Addario for too many years now!
              JB aka BenoA

              Clips and other tunes by BenoA / My Soundcloud page / My YouTube page
              Guitar And Sound (GAS) forum / Boss Katana Amps FB group

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              • #8
                By going flat, I'm guessing slipping in the locks at the nut or bridge. But you don't want to overtighten.

                Also, you are in Canada. My Gibsons go flat in the winter and sharp in the summer because of humidity / weather conditions. All except for my 3 piece maple necked 77 Custom which is solid as a rock.

                My quarter sawn necks hold tune better than flat sawn just because the wood is stronger.

                How much out of tune are we talking?

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                • #9
                  1. Press the strings down behind the locking nut and see if that affects tuning. if so - you have an issue with the nut not clamping the strings properly.
                  2. check the knife edges of the Floyd. if they are dull or pitted or dented it will not want to return to "0" or the same place every time. you could try filing them with a round file.
                  Widow - "We have songs"

                  http://jameslugo.com/johnewooteniv.shtml

                  http://ultimateguitarsound.com

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                  • #10
                    Originally posted by Dreamland_Rebel View Post
                    1. Press the strings down behind the locking nut and see if that affects tuning. if so - you have an issue with the nut not clamping the strings properly.
                    Checked and fine!

                    Originally posted by Dreamland_Rebel View Post
                    2. check the knife edges of the Floyd. if they are dull or pitted or dented it will not want to return to "0" or the same place every time. you could try filing them with a round file.
                    I will when I'll change the strings.
                    JB aka BenoA

                    Clips and other tunes by BenoA / My Soundcloud page / My YouTube page
                    Guitar And Sound (GAS) forum / Boss Katana Amps FB group

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                    • #11
                      Originally posted by DonP View Post
                      Also, you are in Canada. My Gibsons go flat in the winter and sharp in the summer because of humidity / weather conditions. All except for my 3 piece maple necked 77 Custom which is solid as a rock.

                      How much out of tune are we talking?
                      Same happening here. Except that now, my 2 guitars would not stay in tune while I'm playing. I'm talking a few cents "flat" but enough to be very annoying.
                      JB aka BenoA

                      Clips and other tunes by BenoA / My Soundcloud page / My YouTube page
                      Guitar And Sound (GAS) forum / Boss Katana Amps FB group

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                      • #12
                        Solved the issue with the RG550... I found a very very small and tiny old string ending in the g-string saddle. In all my tests, the g-string would be the one going flatter and during one heavy pull, the g-string slipped out of the saddle. Quite happy to have solved this one.

                        Now to the BC Rich...
                        JB aka BenoA

                        Clips and other tunes by BenoA / My Soundcloud page / My YouTube page
                        Guitar And Sound (GAS) forum / Boss Katana Amps FB group

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