Help Me tune my guitar

Arteus · #1 12-30-2006, 10:21 AM

im having serious issues with tuning my floating bridge, i havent played it because i cannot tune it and i wanna just smash the thing out of the window. I have tried cross tuning, over tuning, ive looked at every freaking guide on the net, but I just cannot tune it, if im lucky it gets -10 on the tuner. Then when I lock the nut, the thing is not in tune anymore, and I cannot tune with the fine tuners because they have such low range. Can you please help me? Im desperate, i got it for christmas but havent been able to play

Racerx2k · #2 12-30-2006, 10:32 AM

dude, judging by your other post on this, as well, you have no idea how to handle this guitar. Just take it to a shop, and have THEM set it up for you. If they can get it set up, and hold tune, then you know it's not the guitar. Either way, you really need to have someone show you how to take care of this thing, if you plan on keeping it, cause being a guitarist is more than just PLAYING it.

Arteus · #3 12-30-2006, 10:49 AM

well i sat the intonation string height and all that yesterday, I also had to adjust the trem angle a bit, but I would appriciate if you could tell me how to tune it because I can't go to the shop until a few days

Arteus · #4 12-30-2006, 11:04 AM

Aff your right, might aswell before I go mentally instable

Arteus · #5 01-05-2007, 05:47 PM

Ok, i wont go to the thech cuz there is a 4 week waiting list.
So, whats the best method for tuning it?

LonePhantom · #6 01-05-2007, 06:09 PM

If you are tuning follow this method to keep the strings as balanced as possible

D - G - A - B - E - e

If you go even the slightest bit sharp don't tune it back in from there, flatten it a bit and bring it back up to tune again. Do plenty of string stretching too until stretching the strings barely knocks it out tune. Lock up the nut and fine tune if needed.

jemplayer55 · #7 01-05-2007, 08:51 PM

To start with you are unlocking the nut pads, yes???? Make sure they are good and loose.... got it????

Now before you go and "screw" with anything, (you know...... like making adjustments to a guitar you don't understand how to tune yet) Figure out what you want to tune the guitar to. (like A440) Got that figured out????

OK, get out the tuner (we'll assume you do have a tuner)...... plug it in, (unless it's battery operated..... then make sure it has batteries in it) now, plug your guitar in to the tuner, and turn it on! You with me so far????

Now start to tune your guitar. Either way, starting with the outside strings first or the middle strings like "lonePhantom" suggests....... slowly tune the guitar. Just take your time, you may have to check it (yep..... each string) again several times as you go! NO No..... don't even think about making any other adjustments! Just tune the damn thing! Now is it tuned?????

Sit it down and walk away for say 10 min. Are you back yet????

OK, now check to see if it's still in tune. If it is..... just tighten down the nut pads and fine tune it! (NO, not with the machine heads, with the fine tuners on the bridge)

If not, then in the process of making your "initial adjustments" you spoke of in your other thread, you screwed something up! Yep, you..... see what happens when you don't know what you're doing????

Well go back to square one..... you may have the spring claw crooked and with unequal tension on the springs. Did you remove a spring or something else besides adjusting bridge height & angle???? Cause you said you "attempted" to adjust both bridge height and angle in your other thread. Then you posted it was OK???? What's up with that????

Still can't get it????? Well either take it to a tech..... (I don't care if you have to wait till ya pee your shorts to play it) just take it to the tech! OK, here's your other quick fix....... SELL THE GUITAR AND BUY A FIXED BRIDGE GUITAR OR BETTER YET....... TAKE UP THE ACCORDIAN!

Arteus · #8 01-06-2007, 12:47 PM

Uhm jemplayer, Im not retarded. I set everything up fine, I won't be going to a tech, and I don't need your smartass comments about everything. My problem was actually tuning it, not locking then ut unlocking it or anything.
And i havent screwed up anything

Arteus · #9 01-06-2007, 12:50 PM

Alright, thanks to the more serious post of LonePhantom I got it very well in tune. Thank you

LonePhantom · #10 01-06-2007, 09:11 PM

No problem

Racerx2k · #11 01-06-2007, 11:13 PM

Quote:

Uhm jemplayer, Im not retarded. I set everything up fine, I won't be going to a tech, and I don't need your smartass comments about everything. My problem was actually tuning it, not locking then ut unlocking it or anything.
And i havent screwed up anything

I don't really think Jemplayer was trying to be a smartass, other than to add some humor to the situation. Seriously. I think he was trying to bring things down to an understandable level, in the event that you didn't understand who these things work (how is he to know your full experience?), and I gotta admit, after listening in on your threads you've posted about this thing? I don't really think you DID know what you were doing. I can see why he would spell it out to you. I mean, it's not rocket science. Hell, I applaud him, cause he was much more patient than some may have been, myself included.

jemplayer55 · #12 01-07-2007, 02:02 AM

Quote:

Uhm jemplayer, Im not retarded. I set everything up fine, I won't be going to a tech, and I don't need your smartass comments about everything. My problem was actually tuning it, not locking then ut unlocking it or anything.
And i havent screwed up anything

Take it however you'd like..... but two threads on tuning and setup problems tells all of us you have no experience with setting up this type of guitar.

You make both height and angle adjustments and never mention checking and resetting the intonation of the guitar. (a major cause of tuning problems and something I hope you did, otherwise..... she'll still sound out of tune when playing chords, octaves, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th and 10th stops!)

No, I don't think you're "retarded"...... just lack the experience to get a new guitar with a floating bridge and start making adjustments like some experienced tech!

As far as my approach...... sorry you couldn't see the humor while still offering some additional information. Besides, the information "LonePhantom" offered was also posted by someone else in your other thread......

http://www.jemsite.com/forums/showthread.php?t=56425

(see post #13 by "crevis")

This is basically the same technique "LonePhantom" offered except starting with the outside strings first. As far as the locking nut...... you can never ask too many or too stupid a question. Like questioning what pitch you were tuning the guitar, (standard tuning as opposed to some dropped tuning) it all makes a difference.

BTW if you think my post in this thread was "harsh" or "smart @ss"..... go back to your other thread and read post #12! Anyway..... I'm glad all this "helped you tune your guitar"

(hurray.... he finally got it tuned)

Arteus · #13 01-07-2007, 10:03 AM

Sorry if i took it the wrong way. I didn't realize you were joking, it just sounded to me like you thought I was retarded and was trying to mock me. No hard feelings I hope and sorry. Anyhow, Yes indeed I have checked the intonation, it is spot on, the string tension is perfect, the bridge angle is perfect the setup is very nice, but it still doesn't hold tune to well. When I play a song like juice, the guitar turns into -6 cents. Wich is very weird because as far as I can tell there arent setup flaws. I have decided to go to the tech when I can, because im starting to think something else is wrong because nothing has improved. New strings, stretched them like a mofo, setting everything else and it still doesnt hold tune.

LonePhantom · #14 01-07-2007, 05:26 PM

Some other things that may help.

Make sure that the nut is fastened tightly to the neck, check the two allen bolts on the back of the neck and tighten them slightly just to make sure.

Neck the neck screws too, make sure they are nice and tight.

The guitar going out of tune when you lock the nut might suggest that the string retainer isn't screwed down low enough, that's if it's going sharp when you lock the nut down.

Also maybe try the old chap stick to lubricate the knife edges and trem posts. Detune the guitar a little, undo the trem posts a quarter turn, ball up some chap stick on a toothpick and put it in the trem post in the spot where the knife edges sit and then turn them back to where they came from. The chap stick will lubricate the joint between the knife edges and trem posts and hopefully help it come back to 0 (or close enough to be acceptable) when you use the whammy bar.

Racerx2k · #15 01-07-2007, 06:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LonePhantom

The guitar going out of tune when you lock the nut might suggest that the string retainer isn't screwed down low enough, that's if it's going sharp when you lock the nut down.

Yeah, that's a pretty common overlooked one, by myself, included, until I recently built one from the ground up, and wondered why the tuning was off right after tightening the locks, then I suddenly recalled this. You need that proper fall-away, so the strings are fully resting on the nut black, that way the locks down do the job of pushing them down, and running it sharp.