2 petrucci questions

[peat]

1. when i first got it, it hardly went out of tune, now that ive changed string guage, saddle height and truss rod it's still pretty good but im finding all the strings will always go slightly sharp after even a few minutes of playing (with little or no trem wankerage) have i done something wrong with my set up?

2. i saw this talked about before
my low e string touches the wood just behind the nut
like it is resting on the wood
is this a bad thing?
what can i do to rectify it?

thanks guys

 

[TNT]

1. when i first got it, it hardly went out of tune, now that ive changed string guage, saddle height and truss rod it's still pretty good but im finding all the strings will always go slightly sharp

Peat,

I assume you went to heavier gauge strings?? It can be one thing or a combination of several things. One thing that seems to be evident is: The heavier gauge strings put a heavier load on the neck (truss tod), and you probably tightened the truss rod to keep your neck straight (from bowing.)

As your strings begin to "stretch out" the load lightens on the truss rod, thus the neck automatically straightens out slightly further, thus "sharpening" the strings.

Stretch your strings out adequately when re-stringing your guitar then set the truss rod adjustment afterwards. Also, when adjusting your truss rod, hit the neck firmly a few times with the palm of your hand (this "sets" the truss rod.)

Hope this helps a little. Check with Jon at EBMM for this and the other issue.

 

[peat]

i actually changed down from .10's to .09's
i messed around with the truss rod for days, even weeks
letting it settle

i think i just need to take it to a pro who really knows what hes doing
but i am very sceptical
any one here live in sydney and know a good luthier?

 

[SteveB]

peat,

did you level the tremolo after swtiching from 10's down to 9's?

I switched from 10's to 9's also, and the tremolo needed a little adjusting to get it level again. Nothing major, just a few minutes turning the screws that loosen the tremolo claw and then re-tuning... repeat until trem is level.

 

[peat]

yeh it took a few tries
let it settle over a few days
the bridge always comes back perfectly level now

 

[tommyindelaware]

truss rod doesn't need to settle......
all you should have needed to do is loosen the truss rod just a little , adjust your springs so the bridge is level again........and lube the nut slots.......
(assuming you have properly stretched out yer stings)

 

[peat]

ah yes
lubing the nut slots is something i have meant to do for a while now
i cant get any nut lubricant where i live
im going to sydney next week hopefully ill get some then
tommy do you think this could be the problem of why my strings are always coming back slightly sharp?
also any idea about the e string touching the headstock behind the nut?

 

[tommyindelaware]

ah yes
lubing the nut slots is something i have meant to do for a while now
i cant get any nut lubricant where i live
im going to sydney next week hopefully ill get some then
tommy do you think this could be the problem of why my strings are always coming back slightly sharp?
also any idea about the e string touching the headstock behind the nut?

just take a pencil .......& one at a time while tuned to pitch......lift each string out of the nut slot....scrape the pencil graphite across the slot filling it w/ graphite...& repalce the string into the slot.
this dosn't last as long as nut sauce...but it should do the trick......

 

[peat]

must i do it when im tuned to pitch?
im just finding it hard to pull the strings out
it hurts my fingers

 

[rrhea]

You can tune them down one at a time, then return it to pitch after using the pencil.... move on to the next and so on.

Those bass strings, especially A and E are nearly impossible to remove at pitch.

RR

 

[tommyindelaware]

must i do it when im tuned to pitch?
im just finding it hard to pull the strings out
it hurts my fingers

awe.....too bad......
yes...
if u do it while the strings are loose.....alot of the grahite gets pulled out of the slot when u tune the string to pitch

 

[peat]

ok its done
i used my fingernails
thanks very much for your help tommy

 

[dannymusic]

I actually made a little jar of vaseline mixed with black graphite powder (any hdwr store). That jar has lasted me 6 years and counting.

 

[TNT]

truss rod doesn't need to settle......
all you should have needed to

By firmly hitting the neck with the palm of your hand or grabbing the neck firmly and slightly twisting it back and forth certainly does help to settle in the truss rod adjustment!

After adjusting the truss rod, out of necessity it changes the formation of the wood to some degree. Sometimes the wood doesn't shift/adjust to this change immediately.

By applying the above method it helps to expedite and eliminate any subsequent wood settling, e.g., while playing, etc. . ..

This was a tip for me from Jon at EBMM.