Electric Guitars This is gonna sounds like a noobie question

MikeS

MikeS

Student Of The Blues
Staff member
On a couple of my guitars including my G&L ASAT Classic & Taylor T5, sometimes when I'm tuning it, it feels like I turn the tuning peg and nothing happens right away. It sometimes take 1/4-1/2 turn (maybe more) to get the needle to move on ANY tuner I use, while the next string moves the tuner immediately.
My primary tuner is a TC Electronic Poly Tune 3, but it happens withe my snarks, and my clip on Poly Tune as well.

Is the problem the:
-Tuners?
-Bridge?
-Nut?
-Me?
 
PapaRaptor

PapaRaptor

Father Vyvian O'Blivion
Staff member
MikeS said:
On a couple of my guitars including my G&L ASAT Classic & Taylor T5, sometimes when I'm tuning it, it feels like I turn the tuning peg and nothing happens right away. It sometimes take 1/4-1/2 turn (maybe more) to get the needle to move on ANY tuner I use, while the next string moves the tuner immediately.
My primary tuner is a TC Electronic Poly Tune 3, but it happens withe my snarks, and my clip on Poly Tune as well.

Is the problem the:
-Tuners?
-Bridge?
-Nut?
-Me?
Click to expand...

Probably the nut, or you. But I'm being redundant, aren't I? :whistle:
 
snarf

snarf

making guitars wish they were still trees
MikeS said:
It sometimes take 1/4-1/2 turn (maybe more) to get the needle to move on ANY tuner I use
Click to expand...
The question that I would have to ask, since you mentioned the needle moving, is this. What does your ear tell you? Does the string change pitch when you make that first 1/4 to 1/2 turn? If your ear says that the string is changing, then it may be the tuner still waking up. If the string isn't, and then it suddenly jumps and starts changing pitch, then I'd look at the nut.
 
Shodai

Shodai

Blues Junior
I'm going with nut as well. Quite often people change the strings to a gauge they like, and its a wee bit heavier that the strings they put on at the factory. The larger strings might "fit", but the tend to bind in the nut when tuning. Other times the nut slots are just not cut right at the factory, same result, the strings bind.

Tuners are pretty reliable, even the cheap ones, so my first thought was nut slots.
 
MikeS

MikeS

Student Of The Blues
Staff member
snarf said:
The question that I would have to ask, since you mentioned the needle moving, is this. What does your ear tell you? Does the string change pitch when you make that first 1/4 to 1/2 turn? If your ear says that the string is changing, then it may be the tuner still waking up. If the string isn't, and then it suddenly jumps and starts changing pitch, then I'd look at the nut.
Click to expand...

My ear hears nothing until the tuner does, so I don't think it's the tuner waking up.
It isn't s sudden "snap" either. It's like nothing happens, then it starts happening like I would expect it to. So i doesn't seem like it's the bridge either.
Which leaves the tuning machines, but they are brand new (I just bought this guitar a few months ago). I put "Me" as an option as a joke, but what else is left?

And no, Lloyd, as I'm sure you already know, I'm not offended . I would expect nothing less. I'm just surprised that @FrankL didn't beat you to the punch.
 
PapaRaptor

PapaRaptor

Father Vyvian O'Blivion
Staff member
MikeS said:
My ear hears nothing until the tuner does, so I don't think it's the tuner waking up.
It isn't s sudden "snap" either. It's like nothing happens, then it starts happening like I would expect it to. So i doesn't seem like it's the bridge either.
Which leaves the tuning machines, but they are brand new (I just bought this guitar a few months ago). I put "Me" as an option as a joke, but what else is left?

And no, Lloyd, as I'm sure you already know, I'm not offended . I would expect nothing less. I'm just surprised that @FrankL didn't beat you to the punch.
Click to expand...
Mike, try this. When you first move the tuner and nothing happens, either give the string slight tug or press down on the string between the nut and the tuner and see if it changes.

I should have also asked it this is on a Strat or other guitar with a whammy bar or a hardtail. I've notice this same effect on Strats while doing intonation, where I'm only turning the tuning peg an eighth of a turn or so. I notice it happens a lot less on hardtail guitars.
 
Shodai

Shodai

Blues Junior
I'm doubtful about the tuning machines.

Try this:

Tune up the guitar until you find a string that isn't causing the tuner needle to move when you adjust it. The try plucking the string above the nut. Does that pitch change? If so then your putting more tension on the string, it's just not getting past the nut... Until there's enough tension to force it through. Or try de-tuning slowly. The string will still get caught up if the nut slot is too narrow.

You shouldn't get a snap if the string is too tight in the nut. As more tension is applied it will pull the string through, but there won't be a pop because there's more string behind it trying to go through the same narrow slot.

My money is still on the nut slots.
 
Elio

Elio

Student Of The Blues
PapaRaptor said:
Mike, try this. When you first move the tuner and nothing happens, either give the string slight tug or press down on the string between the nut and the tuner and see if it changes.

I should have also asked it this is on a Strat or other guitar with a whammy bar or a hardtail. I've notice this same effect on Strats while doing intonation, where I'm only turning the tuning peg an eighth of a turn or so. I notice it happens a lot less on hardtail guitars.
Click to expand...

I find that happening on a couple guitars, as well. My assumption has always been that it is hanging at the nut because if I give the string a small bend and return, it usually changes the pitch. Every time that happens I make a mental note to lube the nut at the next string change. Every time I finish a string change I realize that I have forgotten to do it yet again. :sick:
 
JestMe

JestMe

Student Of The Blues
Just a quick thought here... I wonder if this could simply be a wee bit of loose slack around the tuning peg delays the tightening of the string as you are tuning it up?
 
MikeS

MikeS

Student Of The Blues
Staff member
PapaRaptor said:
Mike, try this. When you first move the tuner and nothing happens, either give the string slight tug or press down on the string between the nut and the tuner and see if it changes.

I should have also asked it this is on a Strat or other guitar with a whammy bar or a hardtail. I've notice this same effect on Strats while doing intonation, where I'm only turning the tuning peg an eighth of a turn or so. I notice it happens a lot less on hardtail guitars.
Click to expand...

It happens on more than one guitar. The one I'm playing with right now it a G&L ASAT Tele, but it happens to my Taylor T5 too.
 
MikeS

MikeS

Student Of The Blues
Staff member
Elio said:
I find that happening on a couple guitars, as well. My assumption has always been that it is hanging at the nut because if I give the string a small bend and return, it usually changes the pitch. Every time that happens I make a mental note to lube the nut at the next string change. Every time I finish a string change I realize that I have forgotten to do it yet again. :sick:
Click to expand...

That's me in a nut shell.
 
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