Tuning Stability Issue

JDOD

JDOD

therecordingrebels.com
My telecaster has a slight problem with tuning stability. Its a modern far eastern FMT HH made in the far east. Its not a shite guitar; its about 600 quids worth.

I've re-strung it, as when I got it the G string was really over wound on the head. But I still get that "ping" every now and again when I bend a string and the fucker is out of tune. Any bright ideas on where to start? Its a graphite nut if that is relevant.
 
Maybe check that the strings are moving freely through the nut, apply some graphite. If still doing it after that, maybe swap tuners over and see if the problem moves to another string. Check that the string is not shifting across its saddle and hanging out of its normal position during bends. I'm sure others will have something to add.

Regards

Tim
 
The "ping" that you are hearing is the string binding in the nut and then releasing when the tension is high enough. This indicates that the string slot is not cut correctly or it has a rough spot or burr.
 
ocnor said:
The "ping" that you are hearing is the string binding in the nut and then releasing when the tension is high enough. This indicates that the string slot is not cut correctly or it has a rough spot or burr.
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Cheers, will re-string this weekend and take a look at the slots in the nut.
 
Muttley told me a trick to try with my own Gibson pinging-nuts-due-to-flawed-design headstocks...and it worked.

Take a feeler gauge matching your string size, wrap a thin piece of fine sandpaper around it one time, and gently run it through the nut just to clean it up. Don't dig in and re-cut the nut, just clean it up. It worked for me. I can play a whole set on my Gibsons and only need very minor tuning adjustments every few songs. Sometimes I don't retune at all.
 
I had this issue with my Les Paul and it ended up being just like Ocnor said - the nut hadn't been cut right/completely. The guy that fixed it said exactly what Phrasemaker said, too - each time you change strings put a little graphite in the slots of the nut and it should help keep the strings from binding up. So far, so good.
 
Its a graphite nut so I don't think I have to bother with that but I will try cleaning out the nut slots with a little bit of sandpaper when i restring.
 
It's really strange to me that you'd have this problem on a tele headstock with a graphite nut. That thing should stay in tune forever.
 
Greg_L said:
It's really strange to me that you'd have this problem on a tele headstock with a graphite nut. That thing should stay in tune forever.
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Yeah, that was one of the reasons for selecting a graphite nut. I've gone for a graphite nut and locking tuners on my custom build too.
 
JDOD said:
Yeah, that was one of the reasons for selecting a graphite nut. I've gone for a graphite nut and locking tuners on my custom build too.
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I personally think locking tuners are a total sham. If you wind a string correctly on a non-broken tuning machine, it won't slip. It can't slip. Guitars don't go out of tune because of the tuner slipping or turning on it's own.
 
Greg_L said:
. If you wind a string correctly on a non-broken tuning machine, it won't slip. It can't slip. Guitars don't go out of tune because of the tuner slipping or turning on it's own.
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that's absolutely true ...... it's almost NEVER a tuner that makes a git go out of tune and even then it's a broken tuner.
Even cheap tuners don't slip.

HOWEVER ..... locking tuners are still awesome.
They make changing strings on a gig super fast and they also settle down after changing much quicker because there are no windings on the post that need to have the slack pulled out of.
 
Agreed. I love the locking tuners on my LP, but not because it makes tuning better. It just makes string changes quick and clean.
 
As others have said, your string is binding in the nut then releasing. Happens a lot if the nut was cut for a smaller string gauge, then you switch to a larger one. I've noticed a lot of manufacturers seems to cut their nuts for 9s. A lot of factors go into tuning stability: Winding and stretching the strings properly in the first place, nut slots properly cut, bridge saddles clean and aligned, rigidity of the neck, adjustment of your trem if you have one, etc. For some reason, Tele-style guitars give me more tuning problems than any others. My theory is that the clear tonality of a Tele reveals slight tuning problems more than most mercilessly than, say, a wooly sounding Gibson tends do.
 
When I get some string/nut bind...I'll lift the string out of the slot and I take a piece of 600 grit cloth, fold it and then gently buff out the slot with a few strokes...and then I'll take a finely sharpened soft graphite (#2) and run the tip into the slot a few times, which leaves some of the graphite powder in the slot.

That usually keeps things going smoothly for awhile.
 
There were some obvious burrs in the nut. Loosened off the offending strings, carefully cut off the burrs with a Stanley knife and it's all fine. Can bend the strings off the neck without it going out of tune. It also feels looser. Less tension when bending, which I suppose is obvious as the length is now longer
 
Wow, you could actually see the burrs? That's crazy. Just my opinion, I think you should probably gently run some very fine sandpaper through there still. Cutting off the burrs with a knife is fine and all, but you don't want any jagged edges in there.
 
Get some string clippings of the apropriate gauge and wrap some 4 or 600 grit around it and sand those slots.
 
RFR said:
Get some string clippings of the apropriate gauge and wrap some 4 or 600 grit around it and sand those slots.
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That's what muttley told me to do, and it worked great. Except I used feeler gauges for each string size. Same principle though.
 
Don't think I'd be able to fit a string and sandpaper in there. The nut slots are very narrow.

I'm quite surprised that the guitar actually feels quite different now
 
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