Tuning issue with Les Paul (tone pros tuners)

sunshinewelly

i picked up an immaculate slash signature rossa corsa a couple of weeks ago. its an amazing guitar.

however i noticed that the G string goes out of tune quite easy - i do like to do a lot of bends in my guitar playing.

the other strings are fine

if this an issue with the tuner itself

Legionreturns

That's pretty common on lps ... Check the nut is smooth and not catching. Other than that, welcome to owning a lp

stickyfiddle

It's the nut. 

sunshinewelly

cheers 

guitars4you

Chances are it is more likely to be the nut - I assume the guitar tunes up okay , but whilst playing it is when it goes out of tune

Try cleaning the nut slot first - if you have no fret files then use something like a wound D string (use off cut) - Only need to rub through a couple of times to clear any debris or if binding - Then use graphite paste, nut lube or even rub the slots with a pencil to add lubrication - Factory cut slots should be fine for 9's or 10 gauge, but if you are using heavier than that, then the slots will be adjusting

Can check it is the nut itself by doing the following - tune up - bend the G string gently behind the top nut (ie between nut and tuner) and see what happens then to the tuning - if it has gone out of tune again, then generally confirms the nut - Very rarely is it the actual tuner

guitargeek62

If you have any nut files and/or fine sandpaper it may be worth adding a (very) fine V to the headstock side of the G string nut-slot. This should help reduce the break angle from nut to tuner, and limit the chance of the string binding here too.

Be careful so as not to widen the overall slot however, or to deepen the slot by accident - you're only trying to knock off the inside edge of the slot really.

underdog

stickyfiddle said:

It's the nut. 

What he said.

Epsilon

If it's a les Paul and the G string is out of tune then it's the nut 99% of the time. It's remarkable that they charge so much and don't bother to install a well-cut bone nut. 

sunshinewelly

Cheers. I have some nut sauce so will use a bit of that 

adamm82

sunshinewelly said:

Cheers. I have some nut sauce so will use a bit of that 

Works really well for it. 
Its strange for my gibsons they either go out of tune all the time or stay in tune for ages without changing anything. 

FarleyUK

I'm assuming that  - if they're new strings - you've fully stretched them?

I've got a 2008 Standard and 2015 Traditional, and never really had any tuning issues on either - just make sure you stretch the strings fully after installing a fresh set, and if needed (as mentioned in the thread already) apply a pencil tip to the nut slots.

absolutpepper

It's a Les Paul - question answered ;-)

underdog

absolutpepper said:

It's a Les Paul - question answered ;-)

Yup I agree, people have been playing these shitty guitars since the 50s and everyone of them has been out of tune always, it's the reason those early models are worth nothing these days.

Epsilon

underdog said:

absolutpepper said:

It's a Les Paul - question answered ;-)

Yup I agree, people have been playing these shitty guitars since the 50s and everyone of them has been out of tune always, it's the reason those early models are worth nothing these days.

I do take the point, but it's well established that the headstock design on Les Pauls lends itself to tuning instability. Partly down to the string angle and partly down to them not really being designed for use with an un-wound G string. Without taking anything away from their clearly impressive legacy, it can also be acknowledged that Les Pauls are disproportionately affected by tuning issues.

underdog

Epsilon said:

underdog said:

absolutpepper said:

It's a Les Paul - question answered ;-)

Yup I agree, people have been playing these shitty guitars since the 50s and everyone of them has been out of tune always, it's the reason those early models are worth nothing these days.

I do take the point, but it's well established that the headstock design on Les Pauls lends itself to tuning instability. Partly down to the string angle and partly down to them not really being designed for use with an un-wound G string. Without taking anything away from their clearly impressive legacy, it can also be acknowledged that Les Pauls are disproportionately affected by tuning issues.

How disproportionately are we talking? I only ask as the 4 Gibson's I have aren't effected at all by tuning issues, so I'm guessing based on that internet factoid that some poor fucker somewhere has 10 Gibson's and none of them stay in tune.

Wouldn't a wound G actually bind more in the nut slot than an unwound one, as the wind produces more friction. The wound G string design is more an issue at the bridge with intonation not tuning stability.

99% of all tuning issues on any guitar is a problem with the nut, a correctly cut nut on pretty much any commercially available guitar will hold tune just fine, no matter what brand is on the headstock.

Don't mean to be pedantic it's just I'm bored of random Gibson bashing, there's plenty to bash them about without needing to make Shit up.

Epsilon

underdog said:

Epsilon said:

underdog said:

absolutpepper said:

It's a Les Paul - question answered ;-)

Yup I agree, people have been playing these shitty guitars since the 50s and everyone of them has been out of tune always, it's the reason those early models are worth nothing these days.

I do take the point, but it's well established that the headstock design on Les Pauls lends itself to tuning instability. Partly down to the string angle and partly down to them not really being designed for use with an un-wound G string. Without taking anything away from their clearly impressive legacy, it can also be acknowledged that Les Pauls are disproportionately affected by tuning issues.

How disproportionately are we talking? I only ask as the 4 Gibson's I have aren't effected at all by tuning issues, so I'm guessing based on that internet factoid that some poor fucker somewhere has 10 Gibson's and none of them stay in tune.

Wouldn't a wound G actually bind more in the nut slot than an unwound one, as the wind produces more friction. The wound G string design is more an issue at the bridge with intonation not tuning stability.

99% of all tuning issues on any guitar is a problem with the nut, a correctly cut nut on pretty much any commercially available guitar will hold tune just fine, no matter what brand is on the headstock.

Don't mean to be pedantic it's just I'm bored of random Gibson bashing, there's plenty to bash them about without needing to make Shit up.

Oh absolutely, and I do agree that Gibson-bashing is ubiquitous and often unfairly so. I own three Gibsons so it's not like I'm not a fan!

Two main factors create binding on Les Paul nuts, which are the angle of the headstock and more significantly the guiding angle of the strings as they break at the nut. If you compare the angle of the strings on a Les Paul headstock to a PRS or Fender, you'll see that the strings on the latter two run pretty much straight up from bridge to tuning peg. On a Les Paul the G and D strings break at a sharp angle which creates greater potential for binding. These are typically the strings that people complain about. The fact that Gibson have often used cheap plastic nuts in a lot of their models hasn't helped with this. This isn't "making shit up", and there's a very good reason why very few makers choose this design for anything other than historical reasons.

As to the wound vs unwound strings, the thicker the string the better the tuning stability, as a rule. That's why your high E and B strings are usually the first one's to go out of tune. The friction of the wind shouldn't really matter unless the nut is very poorly cut.

absolutpepper

underdog said:

absolutpepper said:

It's a Les Paul - question answered ;-)

Yup I agree, people have been playing these shitty guitars since the 50s and everyone of them has been out of tune always, it's the reason those early models are worth nothing these days.

Sigh. I didn't say anything about them being bad or anything of the sort. To qualify I have two very nice Les Paul's and they're my fav guitars but I couldn't resist the joke.

underdog

absolutpepper said:

underdog said:

absolutpepper said:

It's a Les Paul - question answered ;-)

Yup I agree, people have been playing these shitty guitars since the 50s and everyone of them has been out of tune always, it's the reason those early models are worth nothing these days.

Sigh. I didn't say anything about them being bad or anything of the sort. To qualify I have two very nice Les Paul's and they're my fav guitars but I couldn't resist the joke.

Sorry, I couldn't resist being "that guy"

absolutpepper

underdog said:

absolutpepper said:

underdog said:

absolutpepper said:

It's a Les Paul - question answered ;-)

Yup I agree, people have been playing these shitty guitars since the 50s and everyone of them has been out of tune always, it's the reason those early models are worth nothing these days.

Sigh. I didn't say anything about them being bad or anything of the sort. To qualify I have two very nice Les Paul's and they're my fav guitars but I couldn't resist the joke.

Sorry, I couldn't resist being "that guy"

It's ok, the Gibson bashing stuff annoys me too. I've had about 15 gibsons over the years and currently have 3 that I love. I get the odd g issue with the les Paul's but I don't love them any less for it. It's hard to explain sarcasm on a forum I s'pose