g&l tribute tuner issues?

[guttermouth]

so about 3 days ago the a string on my l2k started dropping pitch.the strings were a couple of months old and the wrap on the ball end of the a string was hosed so i went and got new strings today.
i took all the strings off the bass checked the nut,cleaned everything,made sure the bridge saddes were locked down,tightened the tuning gear on the a string tuner,touched up the nut with the nut file, lubed it with graphite and restrung it. checked the intonation and tuned it a bit sharp and let it settle in.
so all the strings are settled in and holding tune except the a string. if i'm playing (fingers)it will just periodically drop tune (sometimes as much as a half a step).
am i correct in assuming it's time for new tuners? if so what are the closest fitting tuners for the tribute l2k?

[guttermouth]

wow...did i stump everyone ?
seriously though - any input would be greatly appreciated.

[guttermouth]

well... it's got 3 and a half wraps on the post going from high to low.i also tuned it by turning the tuning keys (as opposed to wrapping by hand and then tightening) when i changed strings just to make sure i wasn't getting any twisting or anything weird.
i also dissassembled the tuning key last night just to make sure there was no foreign gunk or anything in it and it seems like the gear is fitting tightly and operating correctly.it just seems weird to me that it started doing this all of the sudden and nothing really looks out of place or different

o h - and thanks for the input joshua!!

[guttermouth]

Originally Posted by Joshua

It sure sounds like you've checked it thoroughly. It might very well be time to search out a replacement.

I don't know what kind would work as a replacement, but maybe someone can weigh in. Sounds like a call or email to G&L might be in order...

thanks man . looks like i'll be callin g&l monday morning.

[dlb1001]

Somebody on BABP found 'em here:
http://www.cocosound.jp/cocosound/go...achinehead.htm

[guttermouth]

Originally Posted by dlb1001

Somebody on BABP found 'em here:
http://www.cocosound.jp/cocosound/go...achinehead.htm

thanks for the heads up man. i marked all the contact points with a pencil tonight and i'm gonna see what doing in the morning.i'm hoping it's just something dumb i've missed as it looks like getting tuners is gonna be a pain.

[Turnaround]

If the A string suddenly drops while playing a half step, I would doubt that it's the tuner at fault. It sounds like one of two things:

1. The string is not seated at the bridge end properly.
2. The string windings are slipping at the tuner post.

Be sure that you make a sharp right angle bend in the string before feeding it into the tuner hole. Use a pair of pliers, not just your fingers. Then make sure that the string makes another sharp angle where it starts winding on the post. These two bends help to lock the string to the post and avoid slippage.

I hope this is clear - one right angle where the string comes out of the hole in the post, another right angle where the string comes out the side of the tuner and heads toward the nut.

[guttermouth]

Originally Posted by Turnaround

If the A string suddenly drops while playing a half step, I would doubt that it's the tuner at fault. It sounds like one of two things:

1. The string is not seated at the bridge end properly.
2. The string windings are slipping at the tuner post.

Be sure that you make a sharp right angle bend in the string before feeding it into the tuner hole. Use a pair of pliers, not just your fingers. Then make sure that the string makes another sharp angle where it starts winding on the post. These two bends help to lock the string to the post and avoid slippage.

I hope this is clear - one right angle where the string comes out of the hole in the post, another right angle where the string comes out the side of the tuner and heads toward the nut.

thanks for the pointers man.i marked averything the other night and let it sit for 24 hours to see where it was moving.well the crux of it is - nothing moved and the string still dropped.so i played it for a bit and was doing some bends on the a string to see if any of my marks would show movement and noticed it felt like the string was trying to roll under my finger.i pulled the string off and restrung it. right before the string tightened up i roatated the ball end in the direction the string was rolling and tuned it up.since then the tuning on the string has been rock solid so i'm guessing i had some string twist?
i've never had another bass do this so it's a new one to me.i guess i'll add it to the list of things i check on a regular basis

[dlb1001]

So, the ball end didn't get completely seated in the bridge...hmm, something to look out for, when I change strings on my Tribute.

[guttermouth]

Originally Posted by dlb1001

So, the ball end didn't get completely seated in the bridge...hmm, something to look out for, when I change strings on my Tribute.

well, the ball was actually seated in the bridge but for some reason when i was tuning the string it was putting enough twist on the string to allow the ball to rotate.
there are 4 grooves around the hole in the bridge that the string goes through that i'm assuming are there to keep this from happening but if the string has ANY twist the ball won't "catch".