Taylor GS Mini going out of tune

thomasross20

Frustratingly, this has never kept tune as well as my Larrivee. It's not awful, but it's enough for me to cringe.

It's small and has electrics for gigs so it's a convenient guitar, but I don't know if I'd spend more on it or use toward funding another.

In any case, I'm sure it's strung correctly and all that jazz so I'm guessing it might be the nut? 

richardhomer

Mine wasn’t great - the nut from the factory wasn’t brilliant. If you like the guitar it’s probably worth having someone look at it. They are inherently stable in my experience, so it can only really be the nut.

thomasross20

Did you keep yours, @richardhomer ? What acoustics do you have now?

richardhomer

thomasross20 said:

Did you keep yours, @richardhomer ? What acoustics do you have now?

I sold it - it was a bit of an impulse buy - I never really needed it. I already had a Martin D28 which I bought new over 25 years ago - the longest I’ve owned any guitar. In fact apart from my watch it’s the longest I’ve owned anything....

thomasross20

Wow  
I got mine specifically as I got tired lugging a full sized one so I guess it meets its purpose other than I'm not lugging any guitar around anymore! 

Winny_Pooh

Mine has always been good. Although... its the only acoustic I have elixirs on so that may help with slipperyness at the nut. Try some graphite grease at the nut and dont add too many winds on the posts. (Aside from the low E on these) On a budget you can also lightly dip a 2b pencil in some machine oil and draw in the nut slots. 

BigLicks67

I had a Baby Taylor years ago and that wouldn't stay in tune either. What size strings are you using on it?

ICBM

Try what Winny_Pooh suggested, but if you can’t get it sorted out I’ll have a look at it for you.

ToneControl

usually the nut
on a cheaper guitar they are often not cut low enough anyway, so it's worth paying £20 to get a quick check and adjustment done by a good guitar tech

is there a massive different in string height above fret one compared to fret 2 when fretting at fret 1?
If so you will find the guitar will be more playable after professional adjustment, as well as staying in tune better

thomasross20

That's a good point btw, the nut defo seems a tad high..

ToneControl

thomasross20 said:

That's a good point btw, the nut defo seems a tad high..

if the nut is cut high, you might also find the notes on the first 2-3 frets are a little sharp, because of the extra pressure you are having to use to fret the notes

ICBM

ToneControl said:

if the nut is cut high, you might also find the notes on the first 2-3 frets are a little sharp, because of the extra pressure you are having to use to fret the notes

... so the guitar then sounds as if it's going out of tune, when in fact it's *playing* out of tune - subtle difference, but important.

thomasross20

I got this guitar because I used to go to a friend's every week and carrying the Larrivee in the hard-case was a pain. 
I no longer do that...
Just cleaned and re-strung the Larrivee and it's such a better guitar. I don't know if having two now is ridiculous. I like to have a clear-out every now and then hmm..

ToneControl

you'll always have some better guitars
I keep the runners up for a year before getting rid
You might find a use for it yet:
Leave it round a friend's house to play there, tune it to DADGAD or some other tuning?

thomasross20

I've left it in Eb for "more than words" right now  

It was just as I was setting up the Larrivee I thought "can't be arsed doing this for another guitar" #lazy?

Do folk who do acoustic gigs ever take a second acoustic?

ICBM

thomasross20 said:

Do folk who do acoustic gigs ever take a second acoustic?

Only if one is a 12-string.

thomasross20

It's not something I've thought about but for electric gigs folk usually take a spare. Can't say I've seen too many acoustic gigs