It's caused by the windings on the string catching on the nut slot. As you tighten all the tension increase is between the nut and the tuner until it suddenly slips to the next wind which makes the tuning sharp. As the guy said, getting the slot cut right is the solution.
Recently switched to wound g string, and I'm never going back. Still light gauge, 10-46 but the g string is 18g wound. To me at least it sounds much better than a non-wound g string. Also seems to hold tune much better than a non-wound g. Now if you're doing crazy huge bends, this might not be for you. But for me it's not an issue
@@leftovernoise it becomes even more apparent with heavier gauge strings. I have a guitar tuned to C standard that I use 12-56 strings on but the plain 3rd they come with is horrid. So I use a wound 22 I believe. Whatever the D string in a standard 9-42 set is. Its infinitely better
One thing you didn't mention I think is the scale length and picking strength. Depending on the gauge and these two factors, it's easier to get a string out of tune by hitting the string too hard
Immediately subscribed. Your experience with the "blacksmith grip" is something I've been struggling with forever (20 years now). I never had anyone look at my playing under a microscope and I was so used to violin (where if you have too light a touch, your note will not ring) that I thought "Well, the frets will compensate for everything, no worries." 100's of videos and I've never heard that the way you play can affect the tuning (other than obviously somebody who does a bunch of dives and such).
So many, even “Experts”, dont really understand how to, and the order of how to adjust a guitars. This fine Gentleman is always spot on. He knows what he’s talking about.
Great info, thanks! Ben Calhoun is providing a very clear insight of tuning issues. I did learn stuff the hard way, by replacing hardware&nut on my epiphone
All my guitars stay in tune very well. After I replace old strings, they stay in tune for days at a time. I do all my own setup and maintenance. I do my own fret work, nuts, electronics and setup / general maintenance. I think every guitarist should learn how to do all of these tasks. It takes a while to learn and become good at it but it's worthwhile and helps you discriminate when buying a new instrument going forward. Your first few goes at cutting a nut or fret levelling probably won't go to well so get a cheaper instrument to practice on. In the long run it will save you a lot of money too. Having a super well maintained instrument that never goes out of tune or has any issues is fantastic. It's satisfying when you know you are the reason it is so good. I have came across some guitars that are just garbage. No matter what you do they will never stay in tune and are just inherently bad. They are usually cheap and made out of wood that's probably better suited for furniture or floor boards. I don't mean to be rude or ignorant saying that, I'm just being honest. Knots, sap pockets and other defects are hard to mitigate. Buy one without issues is probably the best place to begin. I actually have a Les Paul that has perfect intonation across the entire fretboard. It came that way. I've check every fret with a stone tuner, it's nuts. I was told it wasn't possible but, it's the exception to the rule. The minute I picked it up I knew it was special. I've been playing for about 35 years and it's the only guitar I've ever played that is this perfect. Weird and most people won't believe it. Took it to a guy that's a jazz musician and teacher in my local area; he didn't believe me. He sat with it for about half an hour. He then left the room and came back with his early 60s Gibson and offered to trade it on the spot. I said no. He has since borrowed it a few times when doing recording work. He's a pro and a nice guy, so I trust him. Rare as hens teeth though. A good setup will often fix any issues. Tuning issues are usually nut related, start there. After that, old tuners or a wonky bridge. If not, it could be the neck is unstable. Look for structural reasons next. After that, it could just be the guitar was meant to be a table and is trying to tell you it is time to part ways.
I AGREE - Teach yourself. With so many videos on the Google-Gram you can learn just about anything. I have bought myself a proper soldering iron, and completed several pot replacements, new pick up installs, and various mods to my tele and strat. I have reached success in setting up my strat which is actually fairly easy...... once you know how. Ive had to walk away a few times when something would not go right at first. BUT, in the end SUCCESS!
I have a box of tools that I have put together over time. String action gauge, relief gauge, fretting saw, nut files and so on. I'm at a point now that I could pretty much build a guitar from scratch. Stewmac and others have great tools and videos. Books, loads of books too. I've got an old guitar under my bed that needs a new fretboard, all I need to do it is a wood blank, frets, inlay material and plastic binding. We will see what Santa brings me for Christmas :)
It is very encouraging to read your comment. Just before I bought a new guitar to start my journey, I found a broken guitar for a very low price, that came with a decent bag and stand (so was basically a free guitar). Knowing almost nothing about guitars, I also bought the junker so I could learn about it and fix it up myself. At this point, I don't own a soldering iron so I got the wiring fixed at a shop, but I plan on doing all the rest on my own, starting with changing the nut, and eventually upgrading the pickups.
A Les Paul needs to be wrestled while playing to be in tune, bending the neck and varying the pressure on the strings. My Fenders generally hold tuning for weeks to months with no problem.
Had to learn to lighten up my touch. Makes a big difference. You can still be assertive with the strings in picking or strumming for dynamics but lightening up on the left hand really improved things for me and it helps lower your playing fatigue.
It's an issue with bigger frets. I personally prefer small vintage frets, and there isn't this issue with it at all. It can wear the fretboard faster though, it's okay for that relic look
I'm sure someone's mentioned this, but the #1 issue I encounter is guitarists who don't know the correct method for tuning. ALWAYS tune UP to pitch, NEVER down. Bring the string up to correct pitch, give it a hard bend, and repeat. It's remarkable how many people don't know this.
Exactly. Ibanez even suggests to do this. That's because the tuners we use are geared, and mechanically speaking, they're put in a stronger, much more stable position when you tune up to the pitch.
I have a custom shop ES 330 that I love. Except that it won't stay in tune and has been out of tune up the neck forever. This video is the most helpful one I have about this trouble. I adjusted the screws in the bridge and Shazam!! The harmonic at the 12th fret and the fretted note at the 12th fret are all at once the same. Thanks so much. I am a big fan of your videos with Rick Beato and Dave Onorato.
@7:30 I noticed a huge difference moving from really slim frets on my Ibanez to chunkier frets on my Les Paul. Fretting pressure became much more important with taller frets, and I really needed to adjust my playing style
To be fair if you are using alot of tremolo on your guitar they can help quite a bit, for example if you dive the bar down and you have a pile of winds on the tuning peg the winds will unravel a little bit but they wont always fully return to how they originally where, where as in theory anyway a set of locking keys can remedy this by massively cutting down on the number of winds on the pegs
It's not ALL in the nut, but most of it is. And most guitars today have plastic nuts -- which are virtually impossible to correct because the plastic is relatively soft.
Wow this is incredibly helpful and insightful for guitarist. And musicians that play with guitarist's. All this info so quickly and efficiently. Dyi Could take years to set your guitars up right. And to know how and what your looking to fix, to get close as possible to perfect notes on an imperfect instrument. Greatwork. 👍👍
I agree. "It can never truly be Intonated" - try to get: as-close-as possible. I got lucky with my Suhr (floating Gotoh 510 and Locking tuners) = incredible tuning stability and return-to-pitch, with trem-arm. My Nut is cut-right. I vote: more Ben Calhoun. Very knowledgable guy. oNe LovE from NYC
John Suhr gets them right. Of course, as the guy mentioned in the video, a guitar is not a perfectly intonated instrument and we just have to learn to accept and deal with that fact. They still sound great to me!
The trick with a standard strat trem is ensure it is not resting on the body at all but floating on a knife edge against the screws, and then it will come back into tune immediately.
This was super informative and helpful, Thanks for a great video! In my old band, I had some challenges staying in tune, but it was because the lead guitarist often times would get me to use his amp that he provided for me instead of my own amp... I found I could never hear that amp properly on stage, and this tended to make me seriously overplay, like really hitting the strings as hard as I could always, it was just a mess. In my new band, I always play my amp through an angled 2x12 cab with an open back- It is aimed right at me and the drummer can hear it through the back, I dont have to turn it up crazy loud to hear it, and I let my amp do all the work instead of my fingers. I can play with a light touch and now my guitar really stays in tune for a long time, It is 100% better... So in my case, my tuning issues stemmed from my playing, not an issue with my guitar, which by the way is a G&L- I love that G&L strat and I think it is infintely better than a Fender strat...
Great vid. Let me add a note. 1. Temperatures will affect the wood and might change a bit tuning. I always get my guitars out of the gigbag wherever I will play, tune it, wait for it to settle and then tune it again 30 mins later. 2. Fender jazzmasters and jaguars. The nut "SAUCES" are great for a night etc. but will eventually turn into goo goo muck or dirt. Gotta clean those nuts and saddles afterwards. 3. After winding a string on a tuner that the string goes into a hole. Like jaguar tuners, after winding and tuning I always go to where the string corners coming out of the slot and push a bit down the string with my finger or nail. It reorganizes the winding a bit. Helps make it tighter.
When I replaced the nylon nut with a bone nut on my acoustic, I paid close attention to the nut slots, filing in the most neutral angle to the pegs. It helped immensely.
I learned that to figure out how much force you need to fret, push the string down on the back of the fret until it starts to buzz. Then try that same pressure on the front of the fret. It's almost perfect. This was shown to me on an acoustic, so I'm not sure if this is different for electrics because of tension or action or something.
Love Ben, he's great! Wish I would have found him about a month earlier than I did. Have a PRS SE Mark Tremonti Custom. Got locking tuners for it because it didn't want to stay in tune. I don't play a lot or hard....... yet (I'm a newbie). Took it in to him and he said the same thing, locking tuners don't help with staying in tune. He said I need to get the nut worked on or replaced.
Thanks Rhett, for the doing this vid. Everything seems pretty spot on. One thing I don't agree on a LPs the G (3rd) string, if Ben says that because it is angled away towards the tuner then why the D(4th) string can stay in tune??? it's angled out the opposition direction to the tuner. Another main point here is that all these are based on new guitars with new frets. What about worn frets or slightly worn frets ? At open tuning everything show fine. But when you fret down a chord it runs out, it won't sound right. A lot of players don't realized the problem is in the frets and usually blame it on the tuners, intonation, setups etc...😂
Wish this came out sooner! Struggled with my lp 2016 for yrs and eventually got a new nut and it fixed the tuning issue But it went for at least a yr with out getting played Now it's amazing!
On my guitars with a 3 per side headstock, I had problems with the G strings. I've found that winding the G string 'up', the capstan helps a lot, as it makes it a less of a sharp angle as it comes off the nut towards the tuner...less tension at that point. Got this idea from a Tim Pierce video. The G on my Yamaha Revstar 420 stays in tune all the time now. You can at least try it...it may work for you too.
I recently put a String Butler on my Les Paul and wow it fixes the tuning issue when bending, most notably the G-string. And I've also noticed that it holds tune much longer now too. Another way to improve tuning stability is to put on a thicker gauge string set.
I make my own compensated bone nuts from blanks. Properly cut nut slots with graphite lube, locking tuners + locking bridge does the trick. Correct intonation with again a little lube on saddles, no issues. Strat or tele style straight string pull headstock helps too.
For my Les Paul I put something called the String Butler on which redirects the strings to go though the nut slots straight and that fixed most of my issues. But it's all literally a balancing act when it comes to tuning stability. Also fun fact the Epiphone Les Pauls don't have as much of that issue since the headstock angle isn't as severe.
I know all of this but I had to watch it anyways! :) I put a little drop of 3&1oil on the nut and bridge on all my strats and it stays in perfect tuning!!!
Rhett, you're fortunate to have an "All In One" music store, from setup to sales, etc. I live in the California Bay Area and you'd think we'd have some killer stores that catered to its customers, like this one, but no... Most are Guitar Centers and honestly and sadly, most of them are lacking seriously in knowledge and professionalism. They just don't desereve our business and the good stores and mom and pop shops are almost all gone. Very hard to find a reputable and honest luthier and knowledgeable sales employees... Feel fortunate and thanks for the video! ✌🏼
Pretty timely. I have a '76 Ibanez Rocket Roll Sr that i love. Played a little bar gig in the early '80s and after a restring, it gave me trouble all night. I now take my time re stringing, doing the loose end loop around the back of the peg, pulling it under the nut side of the string, winding down the peg, especially on the plain strings. Cross it, ya can cut it. I hold it down at the nut while winding. Took this guitar out of its case for the first time in months this weekend. Rotating the herd. Had to use a tuner to dial it in to standard but once i did, it was rock solid. Ha, even chipped off a layer of crud from the B string, area between the bridge and V plate ! Yes, it's due for a restring :).
Hi Rhett, I've always taught beginning guitarists (and others that developed bad habits) not to use a "death-grip" when they play chords to help out stay in tune. Taught a guy who had 4 years of prior guitar lessons and he had mentioned to me that he learned more with me in one day than he did in all of his 4 years of lessons. (I'm assuming the teacher didn't know what they were doing). As far as staying in tune, one item I've found that helps are the nuts and bridges made by Graph Tech Guitar Labs. The set I installed on my LP has helped it hold it's tuning very well. Great video for those interested in the real reasons why your guitar won't stay in tune. 😁
In most cases pressing to hard will actually cause you to go sharp, especially with certain guitars. Apparently not the one you play. But I'm not sure that advice works for everyone.
I have a Dean VMNTX and for a $300 guitar it is awesome. The tuning stability is great, haven't had any issues at all. I've had the guitar for a year now and I've played it so much, it still serves me well. Grover tuners and some sort of plastic nut but still stays in tune even after I do crazy bends/vibrato on higher frets, even if I do a 24th fret bend on the high E string
The old builders always checked the nut for everything. Everything begins at the nut. I never got the “sustain” thing with a brass nut either. I have an Afinity Telecaster that stays in tune. I put a cheap set of “Willkenson knock offs” tuners and a cheap graphite nut cut right and the guitar stays in tune! I don’t! It’s in the hands too! Great great show!
I upgraded my Fender Strat with Wudtone CP 50s vibrato (narrow string spacing) and my tuning is very stable, even greater resonance, keeping vintage looks at the same time. Recommended!
It is important to note that a Graph Tech Tusq XL nut or a nylon nut is fine to use as long as the nut is cut correctly as Ben says. A bone nut is Rhett’s preference, but it isn’t necessary to use a bone nut in order to stay in tune. I use Graph Tech nuts often and I buy them blank rather than pre-slotted…I then have my experienced tech cut the slots themselves. The material doesn’t matter that much, but the experience and skill of the person cutting the nut slots does.
When I first got my ES-335 I had the typical G string tuning woes just like mentioned here, I had a really good luthier cut and install a good quality bone nut which helped tremendously. But it would go out of tune ever so slightly, me never being happy I bought a String Butler which installs in the headstock of the guitar, and makes the strings go over the nut perfectly straight before breaking off to the tuners. I've been able to put my ES-335 away for over a month, pick it up and it's dead on perfect in tuning.
The biggest surprise for me was my second-hand 1999-2001 CIJ Jazzmaster. The bridge (complete with those slotted saddles) and tuning keys are stock, and I use ordinary 0.10 strings. Even when the weather changes it always holds tune well! We've all read the complaints about how the JM vibrato system is hard to maintain and that they drift out of tune easily, but I've never had any of those problems. Maybe I just got lucky?
A better way to set intonation (which is an APPROXIMATION on any/every guitar (except those weird bent fret guitars)) is this: Tune the open string. Then adjust the saddle to where the 9th and 21st frets are as close to a perfect octave as possible. Adjust, retune the open string, check the octave again. This spreads the "error" across the fretboard better IMHO than the 12th fret check. Try it. I think you'll like the result.
Really good stuff. I want to put on a heavier gauge set of strings but didn't know how much it would affect the trem (strat trem) and stuff. Def great to know.
How have you fixed your tuning issues?
By becoming a total guitar snob and only playing PRS.
Hey.... it works.
By giving up on Gibson and buying a HH Fender Telecaster
I have 2 custom guitars that love staying in tune.
I didn't have to, bc my cheapo Epi SG stays in tune really great, and my Red Special is a great guitar and has a fantastic vibrato bridge unit
Set up, my tuning issues were cured,
Set up for me and my light touch.
Tunning the G string: flat, flat, flat, PING! Sharp.
I thought it was just me until now.
Oh the frustration
Nut too tight.
It's caused by the windings on the string catching on the nut slot. As you tighten all the tension increase is between the nut and the tuner until it suddenly slips to the next wind which makes the tuning sharp. As the guy said, getting the slot cut right is the solution.
The String Butler fixes the Gibson issues nicely by making straight string pull and using rollers afterward to go to the post.
1. Get a tele
2. tune once a month just to see that its already in tune.
Amen
real tho (i play a tele)
True...but no trem...
Always the G string!
Recently switched to wound g string, and I'm never going back. Still light gauge, 10-46 but the g string is 18g wound. To me at least it sounds much better than a non-wound g string. Also seems to hold tune much better than a non-wound g.
Now if you're doing crazy huge bends, this might not be for you. But for me it's not an issue
G strings do irritate your crack 🤣😂
Not just Gibsons. The G string is the only string that is ever out of tune on my Ibanez JEM.
Dude it really is tho. I just always thought it’s bc it is my choice bending string. The G string was just made for awesome bends.
@@leftovernoise it becomes even more apparent with heavier gauge strings. I have a guitar tuned to C standard that I use 12-56 strings on but the plain 3rd they come with is horrid. So I use a wound 22 I believe. Whatever the D string in a standard 9-42 set is. Its infinitely better
I like how honest the guy is about accepting that it will never be perfect. That is so true and the sooner you accept it, the more fun you will have.
naw F that... Perfect intonation till the day I die! You just aren't trying hard enough if its still out of tune...
@@wulfrache how’s progress?
thats what i used to tell the nuns in catholic school..i still got Ds.
There,s no such thing as perfectly intune guitar...but you can finds ways to play perfect pitch.
@@wulfrache 1 year later. I bet your guitars aren't perfectly intonated.
If you take off all the strings, and just never put them back on, your tuning issues are solved forever.
Genius!
Patent this system and become rich! ;)
😂😂😂😂 made my day!
Now you have some serious playing issues....
And that Air guitar tone you get with no strings is so sweet, especially when plugged into a microwave
I love listening to this man talk. Very soothing for some reason.
This is the most important video you've ever done for all us frustrated guitar players
One thing you didn't mention I think is the scale length and picking strength. Depending on the gauge and these two factors, it's easier to get a string out of tune by hitting the string too hard
Immediately subscribed. Your experience with the "blacksmith grip" is something I've been struggling with forever (20 years now). I never had anyone look at my playing under a microscope and I was so used to violin (where if you have too light a touch, your note will not ring) that I thought "Well, the frets will compensate for everything, no worries." 100's of videos and I've never heard that the way you play can affect the tuning (other than obviously somebody who does a bunch of dives and such).
So many, even “Experts”, dont really understand how to, and the order of how to adjust a guitars. This fine Gentleman is always spot on. He knows what he’s talking about.
Great info, thanks! Ben Calhoun is providing a very clear insight of tuning issues. I did learn stuff the hard way, by replacing hardware&nut on my epiphone
"Everything should be done in playing position". AMEN!!!
Great video, more in depth like this!!! I knew a lot of this but loved to hear Ben’s explanation again!
Been watching guitar videos for past 2 years, probably the most useful one Ive watched. great info!
I learn so much from Ben.🎸 I have a Gibson with a constant out of tune G string. Now I know why.
Thanks Ben❣️
Thanks for the set up info Ben, and Rhett.
Appreciate the slot angle info and the bridge stuff to look out for
All my guitars stay in tune very well. After I replace old strings, they stay in tune for days at a time. I do all my own setup and maintenance. I do my own fret work, nuts, electronics and setup / general maintenance. I think every guitarist should learn how to do all of these tasks. It takes a while to learn and become good at it but it's worthwhile and helps you discriminate when buying a new instrument going forward. Your first few goes at cutting a nut or fret levelling probably won't go to well so get a cheaper instrument to practice on. In the long run it will save you a lot of money too. Having a super well maintained instrument that never goes out of tune or has any issues is fantastic. It's satisfying when you know you are the reason it is so good.
I have came across some guitars that are just garbage. No matter what you do they will never stay in tune and are just inherently bad. They are usually cheap and made out of wood that's probably better suited for furniture or floor boards. I don't mean to be rude or ignorant saying that, I'm just being honest. Knots, sap pockets and other defects are hard to mitigate. Buy one without issues is probably the best place to begin.
I actually have a Les Paul that has perfect intonation across the entire fretboard. It came that way. I've check every fret with a stone tuner, it's nuts. I was told it wasn't possible but, it's the exception to the rule. The minute I picked it up I knew it was special. I've been playing for about 35 years and it's the only guitar I've ever played that is this perfect. Weird and most people won't believe it. Took it to a guy that's a jazz musician and teacher in my local area; he didn't believe me. He sat with it for about half an hour. He then left the room and came back with his early 60s Gibson and offered to trade it on the spot. I said no. He has since borrowed it a few times when doing recording work. He's a pro and a nice guy, so I trust him. Rare as hens teeth though.
A good setup will often fix any issues. Tuning issues are usually nut related, start there. After that, old tuners or a wonky bridge. If not, it could be the neck is unstable. Look for structural reasons next. After that, it could just be the guitar was meant to be a table and is trying to tell you it is time to part ways.
I AGREE - Teach yourself. With so many videos on the Google-Gram you can learn just about anything. I have bought myself a proper soldering iron, and completed several pot replacements, new pick up installs, and various mods to my tele and strat. I have reached success in setting up my strat which is actually fairly easy...... once you know how. Ive had to walk away a few times when something would not go right at first. BUT, in the end SUCCESS!
I have a box of tools that I have put together over time. String action gauge, relief gauge, fretting saw, nut files and so on. I'm at a point now that I could pretty much build a guitar from scratch. Stewmac and others have great tools and videos. Books, loads of books too.
I've got an old guitar under my bed that needs a new fretboard, all I need to do it is a wood blank, frets, inlay material and plastic binding. We will see what Santa brings me for Christmas :)
That guitar of yours sounds kind of magical 😅 thanks for sharing your story
It is very encouraging to read your comment. Just before I bought a new guitar to start my journey, I found a broken guitar for a very low price, that came with a decent bag and stand (so was basically a free guitar). Knowing almost nothing about guitars, I also bought the junker so I could learn about it and fix it up myself. At this point, I don't own a soldering iron so I got the wiring fixed at a shop, but I plan on doing all the rest on my own, starting with changing the nut, and eventually upgrading the pickups.
Congratulations! One of the best and simplest videos on this topic.
A Les Paul needs to be wrestled while playing to be in tune, bending the neck and varying the pressure on the strings. My Fenders generally hold tuning for weeks to months with no problem.
This probably applies mainly to beginning guitarists, but when you tune your strings, always tune up to the note, not down.
Unless you have lockers then tune down ( at least that is what I was told, seems to work)
I resonate with that title on a spiritual level.
This has been very informative and pointed me in the right direction to fix a tuning problem I have with an old Washburn.
Had to learn to lighten up my touch. Makes a big difference. You can still be assertive with the strings in picking or strumming for dynamics but lightening up on the left hand really improved things for me and it helps lower your playing fatigue.
It's an issue with bigger frets. I personally prefer small vintage frets, and there isn't this issue with it at all. It can wear the fretboard faster though, it's okay for that relic look
Great video guys! I was about to comment that you forgot to mention impact of changing string gauge, and then you squeezed that in the final stretch.
Thank you Rhett. I always learn something new from your videos.
Thank you so much for this video! It answered so many questions that I had. Super informative.
I came here because of the G string on my PRS! Never knew the nut angle affected the tuning like that
Same on my PRS too :)
Same here
Ben is my spirit animal. He's been my inspiration since starting my job at Guitar Center.
Great info. I've found that changing string gauges also requires slight saddle adjustments to dial in the intonation.
I'm sure someone's mentioned this, but the #1 issue I encounter is guitarists who don't know the correct method for tuning. ALWAYS tune UP to pitch, NEVER down. Bring the string up to correct pitch, give it a hard bend, and repeat. It's remarkable how many people don't know this.
Exactly. Ibanez even suggests to do this. That's because the tuners we use are geared, and mechanically speaking, they're put in a stronger, much more stable position when you tune up to the pitch.
@@TheCrimsonIdol987 Also, any chance of string slippage (finding equilibrium) between the tuning peg and nut is eliminated.
that was way more interesting than i thought it would be! today, i learned about nut slot angle!
I have a custom shop ES 330 that I love. Except that it won't stay in tune and has been out of tune up the neck forever. This video is the most helpful one I have about this trouble. I adjusted the screws in the bridge and Shazam!! The harmonic at the 12th fret and the fretted note at the 12th fret are all at once the same. Thanks so much. I am a big fan of your videos with Rick Beato and Dave Onorato.
Very comprehensive and easy to follow. Well done.
Wow, i never thought about high action messing up your tuning, thank you, Ben Calhoun!
Excellent video and a great guitar store - thanks Rhett.
Thank you both for this video.
I been playing strats for years and changed my nut out after watching this and it is night and day.
Thank you again.
@7:30 I noticed a huge difference moving from really slim frets on my Ibanez to chunkier frets on my Les Paul. Fretting pressure became much more important with taller frets, and I really needed to adjust my playing style
Thanks for this super interesting and helpful info. I just may start liking my guitar again!
I'm glad he mentioned locking keys don't fix tuning issues. It's all in the nut. I tell people this all the time.
To be fair if you are using alot of tremolo on your guitar they can help quite a bit, for example if you dive the bar down and you have a pile of winds on the tuning peg the winds will unravel a little bit but they wont always fully return to how they originally where, where as in theory anyway a set of locking keys can remedy this by massively cutting down on the number of winds on the pegs
It's not ALL in the nut, but most of it is.
And most guitars today have plastic nuts -- which are virtually impossible to correct because the plastic is relatively soft.
Wow this is incredibly helpful and insightful for guitarist. And musicians that play with guitarist's. All this info so quickly and efficiently. Dyi Could take years to set your guitars up right. And to know how and what your looking to fix, to get close as possible to perfect notes on an imperfect instrument. Greatwork. 👍👍
I agree. "It can never truly be Intonated" - try to get: as-close-as possible. I got lucky with my Suhr (floating Gotoh 510 and Locking tuners) = incredible tuning stability and return-to-pitch, with trem-arm. My Nut is cut-right. I vote: more Ben Calhoun. Very knowledgable guy. oNe LovE from NYC
John Suhr gets them right. Of course, as the guy mentioned in the video, a guitar is not a perfectly intonated instrument and we just have to learn to accept and deal with that fact. They still sound great to me!
The trick with a standard strat trem is ensure it is not resting on the body at all but floating on a knife edge against the screws, and then it will come back into tune immediately.
This was super informative and helpful, Thanks for a great video! In my old band, I had some challenges staying in tune, but it was because the lead guitarist often times would get me to use his amp that he provided for me instead of my own amp... I found I could never hear that amp properly on stage, and this tended to make me seriously overplay, like really hitting the strings as hard as I could always, it was just a mess. In my new band, I always play my amp through an angled 2x12 cab with an open back- It is aimed right at me and the drummer can hear it through the back, I dont have to turn it up crazy loud to hear it, and I let my amp do all the work instead of my fingers. I can play with a light touch and now my guitar really stays in tune for a long time, It is 100% better... So in my case, my tuning issues stemmed from my playing, not an issue with my guitar, which by the way is a G&L- I love that G&L strat and I think it is infintely better than a Fender strat...
Another great and informative vid. Thanks Rhett!
Great vid. Let me add a note.
1. Temperatures will affect the wood and might change a bit tuning. I always get my guitars out of the gigbag wherever I will play, tune it, wait for it to settle and then tune it again 30 mins later.
2. Fender jazzmasters and jaguars. The nut "SAUCES" are great for a night etc. but will eventually turn into goo goo muck or dirt. Gotta clean those nuts and saddles afterwards.
3. After winding a string on a tuner that the string goes into a hole. Like jaguar tuners, after winding and tuning I always go to where the string corners coming out of the slot and push a bit down the string with my finger or nail. It reorganizes the winding a bit. Helps make it tighter.
When I replaced the nylon nut with a bone nut on my acoustic, I paid close attention to the nut slots, filing in the most neutral angle to the pegs. It helped immensely.
Technique in tuning is also key. Always tune up to the desired note
Underrated comment.
Wasn't aware of this, great video.
Thanks for uploading.
Great video Rhett - nice job Ben!
Thanks. This post answered a number of questions I'd had.
I learned that to figure out how much force you need to fret, push the string down on the back of the fret until it starts to buzz. Then try that same pressure on the front of the fret. It's almost perfect. This was shown to me on an acoustic, so I'm not sure if this is different for electrics because of tension or action or something.
I knew my Vulcan Death Grip was a problem but I didn’t know how important the nut angle is. Great video!!!
On some of my Gibsons I wind the G string above the tuning peg hole rather than below, and this assists with tuning stability for that string.
Love Ben, he's great! Wish I would have found him about a month earlier than I did. Have a PRS SE Mark Tremonti Custom. Got locking tuners for it because it didn't want to stay in tune. I don't play a lot or hard....... yet (I'm a newbie). Took it in to him and he said the same thing, locking tuners don't help with staying in tune. He said I need to get the nut worked on or replaced.
Great video! It was really helpful, thankyou.
Very helpful. Thanks for this one!
Thanks Rhett, for the doing this vid. Everything seems pretty spot on. One thing I don't agree on a LPs the G (3rd) string, if Ben says that because it is angled away towards the tuner then why the D(4th) string can stay in tune??? it's angled out the opposition direction to the tuner. Another main point here is that all these are based on new guitars with new frets. What about worn frets or slightly worn frets ? At open tuning everything show fine. But when you fret down a chord it runs out, it won't sound right. A lot of players don't realized the problem is in the frets and usually blame it on the tuners, intonation, setups etc...😂
Wish this came out sooner!
Struggled with my lp 2016 for yrs and eventually got a new nut and it fixed the tuning issue
But it went for at least a yr with out getting played
Now it's amazing!
This is great information. It will help me diagnose issues with my Dean hollow body.
On my guitars with a 3 per side headstock, I had problems with the G strings. I've found that winding the G string 'up', the capstan helps a lot, as it makes it a less of a sharp angle as it comes off the nut towards the tuner...less tension at that point. Got this idea from a Tim Pierce video. The G on my Yamaha Revstar 420 stays in tune all the time now. You can at least try it...it may work for you too.
Great no-nonsense summary of tuning issues.
Thanks for thus post Rhett! I've been in tuning nightmare land lately, now with the help of a good tech I might get out!
I installed the String Butler on my Gibsons and it works fantastic!
Dude in the store. Fantastic advice. Loved it
Great stuff as always!!!! Thanks so much!!!!
I recently put a String Butler on my Les Paul and wow it fixes the tuning issue when bending, most notably the G-string. And I've also noticed that it holds tune much longer now too. Another way to improve tuning stability is to put on a thicker gauge string set.
Great vid, Rhett. I love my Gibsons, but my Fenders and Ibanez guitars have always stayed in tune much better
Thanks for clarifying so many issues with my guitar.
Thank you Ben & Rhett!
I make my own compensated bone nuts from blanks. Properly cut nut slots with graphite lube, locking tuners + locking bridge does the trick. Correct intonation with again a little lube on saddles, no issues. Strat or tele style straight string pull headstock helps too.
Reasonable. Thanks and rock on!
For my Les Paul I put something called the String Butler on which redirects the strings to go though the nut slots straight and that fixed most of my issues. But it's all literally a balancing act when it comes to tuning stability. Also fun fact the Epiphone Les Pauls don't have as much of that issue since the headstock angle isn't as severe.
just added a comment suggesting this. thank you! i believe its the nut on my gibson. this helps a lot. thank you again man!
I know all of this but I had to watch it anyways! :) I put a little drop of 3&1oil on the nut and bridge on all my strats and it stays in perfect tuning!!!
Rhett, you're fortunate to have an "All In One" music store, from setup to sales, etc.
I live in the California Bay Area and you'd think we'd have some killer stores that catered to its customers, like this one, but no... Most are Guitar Centers and honestly and sadly, most of them are lacking seriously in knowledge and professionalism. They just don't desereve our business and the good stores and mom and pop shops are almost all gone. Very hard to find a reputable and honest luthier and knowledgeable sales employees...
Feel fortunate and thanks for the video! ✌🏼
Pretty timely.
I have a '76 Ibanez Rocket Roll Sr that i love. Played a little bar gig in the early '80s and after a restring, it gave me trouble all night.
I now take my time re stringing, doing the loose end loop around the back of the peg, pulling it under the nut side of the string, winding down the peg, especially on the plain strings. Cross it, ya can cut it. I hold it down at the nut while winding.
Took this guitar out of its case for the first time in months this weekend. Rotating the herd.
Had to use a tuner to dial it in to standard but once i did, it was rock solid. Ha, even chipped off a layer of crud from the B string, area between the bridge and V plate ! Yes, it's due for a restring :).
great stuff great content man!
Ben explains things amazingly well
Great video! Really informative.
Best vid ever seen in intonating your guitar is the proper way.
Hi Rhett, I've always taught beginning guitarists (and others that developed bad habits) not to use a "death-grip" when they play chords to help out stay in tune. Taught a guy who had 4 years of prior guitar lessons and he had mentioned to me that he learned more with me in one day than he did in all of his 4 years of lessons. (I'm assuming the teacher didn't know what they were doing).
As far as staying in tune, one item I've found that helps are the nuts and bridges made by Graph Tech Guitar Labs. The set I installed on my LP has helped it hold it's tuning very well.
Great video for those interested in the real reasons why your guitar won't stay in tune. 😁
In most cases pressing to hard will actually cause you to go sharp, especially with certain guitars. Apparently not the one you play. But I'm not sure that advice works for everyone.
great video rhett! btw, that huss and dalton sounds killer...
I have a Dean VMNTX and for a $300 guitar it is awesome. The tuning stability is great, haven't had any issues at all. I've had the guitar for a year now and I've played it so much, it still serves me well. Grover tuners and some sort of plastic nut but still stays in tune even after I do crazy bends/vibrato on higher frets, even if I do a 24th fret bend on the high E string
Love Righteous Guitars. Bought my Brian Setzer Gretsch from Jeff there. Good video too..thanks for posting
Very informative video. Good job!
Great video, Rhett.
The old builders always checked the nut for everything. Everything begins at the nut. I never got the “sustain” thing with a brass nut either. I have an Afinity Telecaster that stays in tune. I put a cheap set of “Willkenson knock offs” tuners and a cheap graphite nut cut right and the guitar stays in tune! I don’t! It’s in the hands too!
Great great show!
Great information, thanks
Great content as usual. Dig this channel.
I upgraded my Fender Strat with Wudtone CP 50s vibrato (narrow string spacing) and my tuning is very stable, even greater resonance, keeping vintage looks at the same time. Recommended!
It is important to note that a Graph Tech Tusq XL nut or a nylon nut is fine to use as long as the nut is cut correctly as Ben says. A bone nut is Rhett’s preference, but it isn’t necessary to use a bone nut in order to stay in tune. I use Graph Tech nuts often and I buy them blank rather than pre-slotted…I then have my experienced tech cut the slots themselves. The material doesn’t matter that much, but the experience and skill of the person cutting the nut slots does.
As well as entertaining, this is super interesting. I learned a lot. Thanks
Very informative video. After t rainy season.. both my yamaha guitars are having tuning problems.
When I first got my ES-335 I had the typical G string tuning woes just like mentioned here, I had a really good luthier cut and install a good quality bone nut which helped tremendously. But it would go out of tune ever so slightly, me never being happy I bought a String Butler which installs in the headstock of the guitar, and makes the strings go over the nut perfectly straight before breaking off to the tuners. I've been able to put my ES-335 away for over a month, pick it up and it's dead on perfect in tuning.
Thx guys! Good info
Really helpfull video Rhett!
very informative, thanks!
great to see Ben again, its been too long!
The biggest surprise for me was my second-hand 1999-2001 CIJ Jazzmaster. The bridge (complete with those slotted saddles) and tuning keys are stock, and I use ordinary 0.10 strings. Even when the weather changes it always holds tune well! We've all read the complaints about how the JM vibrato system is hard to maintain and that they drift out of tune easily, but I've never had any of those problems. Maybe I just got lucky?
A better way to set intonation (which is an APPROXIMATION on any/every guitar (except those weird bent fret guitars)) is this:
Tune the open string. Then adjust the saddle to where the 9th and 21st frets are as close to a perfect octave as possible. Adjust, retune the open string, check the octave again. This spreads the "error" across the fretboard better IMHO than the 12th fret check. Try it. I think you'll like the result.
Really good stuff. I want to put on a heavier gauge set of strings but didn't know how much it would affect the trem (strat trem) and stuff. Def great to know.