Help! My flatwound G keeps detuning on Bongo

[Kevsy71]

Hi all, as the title says...just put a set of Group II flats on Bongo 4 HH, and the G will lose tuning slowly (leave it overnight and it's a semitone). Other strings behaving fine. I went from Hybrid Slinkys and didn't adjust the truss rod, since it didn't seem to need it...any tips please?

Thanks for your time!

 

[bovinehost]

Did you trim the extra off the tuner end of the string?

 

[Holdsg]

Since the G string is so narrow, it can "grab"less than the other strings on the same sized tuner post.
Couple of options, getting to what jack is hinting at:
1)more wraps around the tuning post, or
2) looping the end of te string trough the slot in the tuning post before the wraps start, to get a stronger anchor point.

But if you've already trimmed the excess string, neither of these options might be available to you.

 

[Kevsy71]

Thanks for the tips! I had cut the excess at the point where the string reached the D string tuner, so enough for 2.5 wraps around the post. I've rewrapped, and have a spare string in case it continues...

 

[Golem]

Since the G string is so narrow, it can "grab"less than the other strings on the same sized tuner post.
Couple of options, getting to what jack is hinting at:
1)more wraps around the tuning post, or
2) looping the end of te string trough the slot in the tuning post before the wraps start, to get a stronger anchor point.

But if you've already trimmed the excess string, neither of these options might be available to you.

I faced that "But if" situation .... had only about one turn wrapped onto the peg.
I solved it, and it's held up for over a year. I do have the down-the-center-hole
section of leader, plus about one turn, kinda scary by itself, so I drove a rather
small wood screw down the hole after threading up, to further secure the string
onto the peg.

Very important ! !! ! !! You gotta "unsharpen" [desharpen?] the biting edges of
the screw's threading [outer edges] so it doesn't cut thru the string wrap ! ! !
Effectively, you're converting a biting screw into a nonbiting, jam-it-into-place
peg ... but aided by the now "friendlier" threads, you twist it into place instead
of pushing, or hammering, it straight in [as you'd do with a nonthreaded peg].

You don't need to forcibly torque home the screw, since it's only aiding in the
overall friction game, thus not carrying the whole load of retaining the string.

 

[nurnay]

I had this problem with a regular slinky (not flatwound) on my Ray. Just popped out, then when I went to restring, it kept detuning. Tried a different G, same issue. Just did a little loop before sticking the end into the tuner, then it stayed put. Talked to customer service, they were stumped (but nice as always). Might replace the tuner if it keeps up.

 

[Soulkeeper]

I had this problem with a regular slinky (not flatwound) on my Ray.

Same here. Same problem, same solution. (And just to top it off, same bass.)

I remember having the exact same thing going with my first Ray too (the one that was stolen in '04). The tuner splits are just too wide for G strings.

So I usually make a hairpin bend, about half an inch from the end of the string, before I insert it in the split shaft hole. That'll make it stay put. Or one could wrap it one extra time around one half of the shaft, that could work even better but I don't think it looks as clean.

 

[jasper383]

I have had this problem a few times with the G string tuner, too. The edge of the tuner just seems to cut into that G string in such a way as to make it slip.

Cut the string about 3" extra long, put the string into the tuner hole as usual, then make it go over the slot 1.5 times instead of the usual .5 times before winding.

Sometimes if you call a string company and explain what happened, they will send you a new string.

 

[fevitz]

Ive too had this happen with the G string . Ive on occasion after inserting the string into the tuning peg looping it half way around the peg and again laying the string across the groove in the peg then holding it down below the double wind,s so as to not sit above the level of the nut

 

[tkarter]

My flat wound C string did that the first time on my Bongo6. I just bought another string and threw a half hitch in before turning the tuning peg. I tune off it now. LOL

tk