Help! Tuning My Luke II

[Nicolarsen]

Hey guys!

I've got a frustrating problem with my Luke II. I have described the problem as follows:

I can tune the guitar in standard 440 hz. but when I use the wangbar or do some bending the problem
starts. It won't stay in tune!

Example: an open E-note, 1st string -> wangbar going down = The tuning of the string, has now come down ca. 1/4 step.
The problem is exactly the same, if the bar goes up instead. Only difference is, that the tuning has now come up ca. 1/4 step.

After a coulpe of minutes of playing, I need to retune. I've changed strings, cleaned the nut and checked the saddles for snagging/sliding... Didn't solve the problem.

I then took to my trusty guitarshop, and let them have a look at it. - The tech disassembled the tremolo and discovered, one of the knifeedges was worn more than the other. - Could this be the reason? Could this affect the tremolo in operating smoothly?

I've had the guitar adjusted one time. ( String action lowered, intonation adjusted etc. )

Thanks in advance...

Nicolai

 

[Colin]

one of the knifeedges was worn more than the other. - Could this be the reason? Could this affect the tremolo in operating smoothly?

hi Nicolai, welcome to the forum. how worn is it? That could be a factor.

 

[Nicolarsen]

Hi Colin.

Is hard to say. I'd say the worn side is a little bit "deeper" in the middle, where it rests on the studs, compared to the other side... Could this cause the tremolo to not be aligned correctly, and "grind" against the stud?

 

[Junior Luke]

hey man!!

Hi Colin.

Is hard to say. I'd say the worn side is a little bit "deeper" in the middle, where it rests on the studs, compared to the other side... Could this cause the tremolo to not be aligned correctly, and "grind" against the stud?

its hard to say, i never had that prob with my Luke, but make sure that you strech the string when you change them, i guess you already know that and then play a little bit, do another tuning and so on and the axe should stay in tune. If you chang strings from ex, 09-042, to 010 or 011, that can also be the answer, then you have to take a look at the intonate and the wang bar, maybe you need to do some addjustment on that, that could be the reason for getting out of tune. ok, hope you fix the prob man, have a nice weekend.

Per

 

[Nicolarsen]

Hi Per.

Yeah, I know I'll have to let the strings settle in, after a change. I've always used .009's on it.

It seems like the trem doesn't return to "neutral" after bending or using the bar. I wonder if the strings, somehow, gets stuck in the nut... Once and a while, some of the strings "pling" if I haven't played the guitar for a couple of days.

It's so annoying, when you really want to play the beast....

 

[flukather]

Welcome to a non-locking tremolo. I don't know if there is a problem on your guitar, but the kind of trem that is on the Luke isn't meant to be banging on like a floyd.

 

[Ang3lus]

you just need a minor setup ever luthier can do easily, dan erlewine explained that problem in his book, it's nothing major and very easy to adjust, but i'm sure EB would like to solve it on its own

 

[Nicolarsen]

Welcome to a non-locking tremolo. I don't know if there is a problem on your guitar, but the kind of trem that is on the Luke isn't meant to be banging on like a floyd.

I know FR's can take more beating than a non-locking. But I can barely use the bar, before the tuning's off.
I think the trem should be able to do a little better than that?

 

[Jimmyb]

I've had zero problems with the trems on my EBMM's (4 of them) and I'm not a light user of them.

A lot of people have said that they can hurl the same abuse at one of these as they can at a locking trem. If you check YouTube, you can find a video that one of the forumites did showing the Pet trem undergoing some serious abuse, then returning exactly to pitch, so I wouldn't say it was a case of 'welcome to the world of non-locking trems'.

My guess is that the string may be catching in the nut, although you can't diagnose these things over the 'net.

Edit: You said that you've got wear on the knife edges, this could be the route of it.

Take it to your dealer if they have a repair department and ask them to give it a check.

 

[Nicolarsen]

I've had zero problems with the trems on my EBMM's (4 of them) and I'm not a light user of them.

A lot of people have said that they can hurl the same abuse at one of these as they can at a locking trem. If you check YouTube, you can find a video that one of the forumites did showing the Pet trem undergoing some serious abuse, then returning exactly to pitch, so I wouldn't say it was a case of 'welcome to the world of non-locking trems'.

My guess is that the string may be catching in the nut, although you can't diagnose these things over the 'net.

Edit: You said that you've got wear on the knife edges, this could be the route of it.

Take it to your dealer if they have a repair department and ask them to give it a check.

I don't recall any problems when I got it ca. a year ago. I can't remember exactly, as to when the problem occured the first time.

It's only one of the knifeedges that seems worn. The tremolo itself i feel, is working ok. It "tilts" ok...It doesn't feel like anything is obstructing it... But as soon as i string it, and the tremolo floats again... - Same story...

 

[JeffreyB]

Have you contacted customer service yet?
both of my ass trems stay in tune very well...I've never done anything to them.

 

[Nicolarsen]

Have you contacted customer service yet?
both of my ass trems stay in tune very well...I've never done anything to them.

Hey Jeff...

Yeah...I mailed them earlier...Waiting for reply...I'm for Denmark, so we are 8 hours ahead of the Californians...:-D

I guess BP is rubbing the sleep from his eyes right now...:-D

 

[glockaxis]

Contact customer service an maybe send the old bridge back and get a new one. See what they reccomend, what you're saying could be the problem.

 

[glockaxis]

Sorry, your posting about already contacting them popped up right after I posted.

 

[Nicolarsen]

Sorry, your posting about already contacting them popped up right after I posted.

No problem...

I afraid, I'll have to wait a loooong time, if I send the trem-unit back til MM.
Can't live without my Ball, u know...