tuning machines

[stevetx19]

hey,

i know this is talkbass, but i am a bass player who knows nothing about g*****, but has a severe interest in helping out my band; that said:

My guitar player plays a gibson les paul standard. nice sound yada yada, but it goes out of tune in the middle of every song at every practice all the time. Our local tech said that gibson has a bad habit of putting crap tuners on there low-mid end instruments, and that replacing them would be a good start. What are the best tuners money can buy for a les paul that will keep the instrument in tune forever? What is the best set for under $100?

thanks in advance, i know how much we all hate talking about g***** problems...

[Jaco D]

Replace the stock ones with locking tuning machines. Any of the ones in the market are good: Schaller, Sperzel (sp?), etc. Aside from having the string locking mechanism (which is a given), look for something that has very fine gear movement so you can finely tune the strings. The best bang-for-the-buck set of lockers that I've come across are those made by Planet Waves. Aside from the two features mentioned, the PWs also have a built-in string cutter that cuts the excess string as you tighten the tuners. Not even considering these features, the PWs are also the cheapest ones out there. Really under-rated if you ask me, and your $100 budget is more than enough. Of course, these things don't come without a payoff. Obviously, the added features give these puppies some weight. Some people like the added weight, some don't. Personally, I never found the added weight annoying.

[Turnaround]

Originally Posted by stevetx19

My guitar player plays a gibson les paul standard. nice sound yada yada, but it goes out of tune in the middle of every song at every practice all the time.

I don't think Gibson tuner are so bad that they go out of tune that easily. Are you sure that your git-player is stringing them right? Check this site for some tips...

http://www.activemusician.com/String...uitars--t13i52

[SGT. Pepper]

Sperzel!

[miasma94]

umm im just starting bass and i was jsut wondering how to tune into different tunes like drop D and stuff like that and i know im not good enough yet but i was looking at a mastodon tab and the tuning was AGCF and i was wondering how you would do that with a tuner to

[Zooberwerx]

Easy fix: Turn up your bass rig to 11 and drown him out. You'll be doing the audience a favor and chicks will dig you.

Alternative fix: I also post on Harmon* Centra* and they have an excellent guitar forum. I'm sure they could give better guidance re: the stated problem. It would probably be beneficial if your guitarist were to post himself as I'm sure the solution will require an ongoing dialogue with participating (and, hopefully, knowledgeable!) forumites.

Riis
Sometimes helpful...sometimes not!

[202dy]

Originally Posted by Turnaround

I don't think Gibson tuner are so bad that they go out of tune that easily. Are you sure that your git-player is stringing them right? Check this site for some tips...

http://www.activemusician.com/String...uitars--t13i52

+1. Les Paul tuners, especially the vintage style Klusons are nothing to write home about. That said, the problem with them is due to the fact that they are an open design (with a cover on them) instead of a sealed design and that the gear ratio is not as high as most other good tuners. This means it is harder to fine tune. But they will hold tune as well as any other.

When a guitar or bass player has problems keeping their instrument in tune it is almost always operator error. They are not stringing properly. It is a simple procedure. Line up the tuner holes nut to bridge. Poke the string through and pull it taut. Pull it back the distance of two tuners and begin winding down on the peg while keeping tension on the string. On the E and A a little less slack is called for. Tune the instrument. Then it is time to "stretch" the strings. Obviously one cannot actually stretch a piece of steel with their bare hands. The idea here is to pull all of the slack that was stored on the tuner during the winding process. Pull up on the string a few times. Then retune. Repeat a few times until it is holding pitch. Play the instrument with only a few touch up tunings until it is time to change the strings.

[stevetx19]

thanks guys,

He seems more inclined to chunk his les paul then to replace the tuners. and by chunk i mean sell it...
but i think i know how to fix the problem now, thanks for your help.

peace,
s