Why does my G String keep going out of tune??

  • Thread starter Thread starter GuitarDemon666
  • Start date Start date
Poor choice of words on my part. Light is correct, the application of a lubricant, in this case graphite will "help" and as Light kindly pointed out as did I, that the solution would be a visit to a qualified tech. Besides, I love handging out with my luthier, he is way cool. :)
 
I sprayed some WD-40 in the nut and now it's a clusterfuck. Can't tune, can't play cuz the strings are all slimey.

Did I ruin my Les Paul or can this be fixed? The local shop didn't want to TOUCH my guitar after what I did to it.
 
You can probably clean it off with a bit of naphtha, though you should make sure to do a test rub in a discrete area of the guitar (inside the control cavity is good) to make absolutely sure it won't react with the guitar's finish. It will probably take some elbow grease as well, but it should do the trick. Under no circumstances should you use any solvent other than naphtha, as anything stronger is likely to react with the finish.

The real question is wtf did you use WD-40. NO ONE told you to use that shit on your guitar, they said pencil lead. I mean, if your going to ask for advice, listen to it, you know?


Light

"Cowards can never be moral."
M.K. Gandhi
 
Oh, and you are absolutely going to have to change the strings. WD-40 is quite corrosive.


Light

"Cowards can never be moral."
M.K. Gandhi
 
Light said:
Oh, and you are absolutely going to have to change the strings. WD-40 is quite corrosive.
Click to expand...
Corrosive? WD-40? Naw... :)
http://www.wd40.com/Brands/wd40_faqs.html
What does WD-40 do?
WD-40 fulfills five basic functions:
1. CLEANS: WD-40 gets under dirt, grime and grease to clean. It also dissolves adhesives, allowing easy removal of labels, tape and excess bonding material.
2. DISPLACES MOISTURE: Because WD-40 displaces moisture, it quickly dries out electrical systems to eliminate moisture-induced short circuits.
3. PENETRATES: WD-40 loosens rust-to-metal bonds and frees stuck, frozen or rusted metal parts.
4. LUBRICATES: WD-40's lubricating ingredients are widely dispersed and tenaciously held to all moving parts.
5. PROTECTS: WD-40 protects metal surfaces with corrosion-resistant ingredients to shield against moisture and other corrosive elements.
 
I was thinking the same thing ..... WD-40 is definitely not corrosive ...... at least on metal. But I have some doubts as to how good it is for wood and for finishes. Seems like certain type finishes'd get damaged by it.
 
wayward sun said:
1. CLEANS: WD-40 gets under dirt, grime and grease to clean. It also dissolves adhesives, allowing easy removal of labels, tape and excess bonding material.
Click to expand...

"adhesive", "grease" and "bonding material" is a good description of the varnish used to finish a fretboard, glue used to secure the nut, etc. :)

Basically, WD-40 is *seriously* bad for varnished wood, glue and other stuff meant to stick to wood.

And if it gets into the actual fibre of the wood, expect to see the wood's strength being seriously compromised.
 
Well, maybe the issue isn't corrosion, but it kills strings. Fast.


Oh, and NEVER get it anywhere near your electronics. I've replaced many a pot which was "cleaned" with WD-40. Bad, bad, bad.



Light

"Cowards can never be moral."
M.K. Gandhi
 
Light said:
Oh, and NEVER get it anywhere near your electronics. I've replaced many a pot which was "cleaned" with WD-40. Bad, bad, bad.
Click to expand...
It's basically kerosene. Hard to imagine that people would use it on pots but then, a LOT of things people do to instruments are hard to imagine.

Caig DeOxit, on the other hand, is wonderful for electronics but I still wouldn't squirt it on a nice guitar finish or fretboard.
 
Light said:
Oh, and you are absolutely going to have to change the strings. WD-40 is quite corrosive.
Click to expand...

It's not corrosive to metal, but it does not evaporate clean. It leaves a slimy residue that will become a gummy residue in time. WD-40 is wonderful stuff for driving the water out of your distributor cap, freeing stuck bolts, removing duct tape adhesive, and quieting squeaky hinges, but I don't recommend it for anything that you'd want to do to a guitar.
 
I took some of the excess oil and smeared it on the bridge. This has helped keep me from breaking strings but there is still a mess up around the headstock. Still too much WD-40.
 
Isn't it just fish oil with a propellant?
Q1. In your application for a guitar tech job requires you to finish this sentence with a clear, concise & pithy rejoiner:
. Fish oiling your guitar was a good idea because....

Serious Q though? Was it an Omega three fatty acid? If Y you've at least enhanced your guitar's problem solving & learning capacity.
 
GuitarDemon666 said:
I took some of the excess oil and smeared it on the bridge. This has helped keep me from breaking strings but there is still a mess up around the headstock. Still too much WD-40.
Click to expand...

Any WD-40 at all on your guitar is too much. You really need to take the strings off and trash them, and then clean every trace of that stuff off your guitar.

Some guitars need some lubrication at the nut, string trees, and/or bridge saddles, but WD-40 is a really bad choice of lubricants. I use a mixture of Teflon grease and graphite dust on my Strat in extremely small amounts - just a tiny little dab on the point of a toothpick down in the nut slots. Spraying a bunch of WD-40 on your axe was an outstandingly bad idea.
 
I have a small tube of silicon lubricant and whenever I change the strings I'll put a tiny drop in each nut slot ...... and I do mean tiny. Just enough to get in the slot.
 
Lt. Bob said:
I have a small tube of silicon lubricant and whenever I change the strings I'll put a tiny drop in each nut slot ...... and I do mean tiny. Just enough to get in the slot.
Click to expand...
Oh no...... silicates are the devils own spit when it comes to refinishing or touching up finishes. Worse than WD-40. :eek::). Even a tiny drop finds it's way all over the place. I hope you never want to refinish it.
 
I hear about so many people have problems with there G string staying in tune. Do you think it could be a design flaw in the guitar somehow? I'm not talk just a few people here, I'm talking hundreds of people I have met.
 
muttley600 said:
Oh no...... silicates are the devils own spit when it comes to refinishing or touching up finishes. Worse than WD-40. :eek::). Even a tiny drop finds it's way all over the place. I hope you never want to refinish it.
Click to expand...
Never ....... my axes are work tools ...... whatever happens in the way of scratches and stuff happens and I don't really care although I do try not to bang them around needlessly, but after 40 years and maybe 100 different gits I would never care about dings or scratches enough to refinish them.
all I want is for them to do what I want and one of the things I want is to not have any tuning issues connected to the nut.
And I'm not hung up on using silicon actually, it's just what was handy in the right sized little tube. next time I might get STP or camel grease ..... LOL!
 
hoops said:
I hear about so many people have problems with there G string staying in tune. Do you think it could be a design flaw in the guitar somehow? I'm not talk just a few people here, I'm talking hundreds of people I have met.
Click to expand...
Design flaw in the guitar?? No. What sort of problems do you mean? Problems staying in tune? Problems tuning it right in the first place? Problems with string breaks?

Nearly every problem with tuning and strings is down to poor setup. The G is a special case because it sits right on the edge of the tension limit for a wound string and a suitable gauge for a plain string. This is why setup is especially important on the G.
 
Lt. Bob said:
Never ....... my axes are work tools ...... whatever happens in the way of scratches and stuff happens and I don't really care although I do try not to bang them around needlessly, but after 40 years and maybe 100 different gits I would never care about dings or scratches enough to refinish them.
all I want is for them to do what I want and one of the things I want is to not have any tuning issues connected to the nut.
And I'm not hung up on using silicon actually, it's just what was handy in the right sized little tube. next time I might get STP or camel grease ..... LOL!
Click to expand...
Yeh I appreciate your sentiment. I was just giving a heads up to anyone that might use silicate polishes or similar. The advice is more relevant to furniture where often refinishing is required. Most common furniture polishes have silicates in them. They are a curse to anyone involved in restoration.
 
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