Help! Tuning stability issue on Majesty Artisan

[Nafaryus]

Hello,

I am a proud new Majesty Artisan 6-string owner. I have only had the guitar for 5 days now, but I noticed that I am having some serious tuning stability issues that are troubling me. Anytime I bend the high E, B, and G strings, the tuning gets knocked right out. The guitar did come installed with 10's and I did swap out the high strings with a set of 9's to make it a hybrid set, so I'm not sure if that has anything to do with it. Either way, I am very disturbed by this issue, as I paid a lot of money for this fine instrument and it should NOT be getting knocked out of tune so easily. Any help would be much appreciated.

 

[Monster212]

did you stretch the strings after you put them on, sometimes strings take a few to stretch out, also maybe the Intonation need to be adjusted, I also would have changed all the strings at once, not sure if you used the same brand of strings that was on or a different brand but that could also be the issue also changing the gauge it might need a setup.. just some ideas, I am sure someone else will have a better answer for you or be more helpful.. but welcome to the forums and that is a very nice guitar you got..

 

[mikeller]

The bridge plate should sit perpendicular to the top of the guitar. Perhaps changing the high strings cause it to change a bit and the claw needs very slightly tightened? Hard to tell without seeing.

You might try some nut sauce or similar lubricant while it breaks in. Personally I use a very small drop of Tri-Flow lubricant in all the nut notches and saddles, dabbing off the excess.

 

[Rick C]

I changed from the stock 10s to 8s and it was a major affair. I have no doubt that dropping to 9s will have an impact on the trem set-up. Read recent post regarding Majesty stability/setups.

 

[DrKev]

The bridge plate should sit perpendicular to the top of the guitar.

AHEM! Parallel, lad. Parallel.

It doesn't need to be exactly parallel.

You might try some nut sauce or similar lubricant while it breaks in. Personally I use a very small drop of Tri-Flow lubricant in all the nut notches and saddles, dabbing off the excess.

Yes. A little lube can go a long way.

 

[mikeller]

AHEM! Parallel, lad. Parallel.

It doesn't need to be exactly parallel.



Yes. A little lube can go a long way.

That's what I meant, duh, long Monday. Sorry.....

 

[BrickGlass]

Big Bends Nut Sauce can solve such problems quite well.

 

[Nafaryus]

Thanks for all of your input, guys!

Honestly, I'm a bit depressed... I never would have dropped nearly $3000 on this guitar if I knew that I was going to have to play around with all sorts of string lube gimmicks. It seems to me that an instument this high-end should just stay in tune, period. (As a matter of fact, the supposed tuning stability of this guitar was one of the main selling points for me.)

Does JP have to resort to string lubes to keep his Majesty in tune? Hopefully all of this just has to do with the change of string gauge.

 

[JamieCrain]

Lube is commonly needed for all makes and models, basically any guitar without a locking nut but with a trem. I don't use it on my Maj, but I do on one of my Parkers. Maybe start with graphite first?

 

[Rick C]

To each his/her own. My Majesty is just fine now without lube. It just took a little while to settle down after jumping string gauges. Les Pauls are infamous for tuning issues due to headstock and tuner angles but all I do with mine is apply a tiny amount of graphite (pencil) shavings to the D and G and B nut slots when restringing and forget about it.

Nafyrus: How do you store your Artisan? Keep it in the case? Upright/lying down? on a stand? Does the temperature of the room you commonly play in very much? Did you wrap the higher strings around the tuners or just poke the strings through the hole, lock and turn? These things can factor into tuning stability. I've seen some guys wrap strings around the tuner several times (sometimes much more); this is not necessary with locking tuners. If you have done this, the extra string can become a tuning problem when dive-bombing the trem; the winding becomes loose and rewraps a different way when retightening. Not good. This does not explain tuning issues following simple string pulls.

My Arctic Dream is now like a rock tuning wise and as noted above, I dropped to 8-38. I'm new to a floating trem so still learning how to use it but I can dive until the strings are wobbly and it goes back to pitch without any issues.

Don't give up hope. I'm sure that you will find that your Artisan will settle down; there may be something else impacting the tuning stability. Did you read the other recent posts about setting up action? As indicated above, if you have not made any other changes to setup after dropping to 9s, I would expect to see your trem down at the back (not parallel to the body). This does not explain the tuning issue.

A really brief recap of my experience; my guitar arrived with a completely flat neck; no relief at all; perfectly intonated but with a much higher action than I like. I played it like this for about a month or two but it was not as slinky as my Les Paul Custom. I put on 8-38s, removed a spring, made some subtle claw and truss rod adjustments and dropped the saddles. This is an over-simplification; I kept my tools handy and made little truss rod and saddle height tweeks over the next couple of weeks until it was consistent.

I really love this guitar and I am sure that you will feel the same once the thing has settled down.

 

[SgtThump]

Going through this myself right now. Just got a new Majesty on Saturday and it wouldnt stay in tune. Pencil lead in the nut slot usually works for me, but it wasnt as effective this time around. I was successful using rem-oil on the nut, the saddles, and the knife edges. Just had a great time playing it tonight now that it stays in tune!

 

[Guitarshreda]

The guitar did come installed with 10's and I did swap out the high strings with a set of 9's to make it a hybrid set, so I'm not sure if that has anything to do with it.

You just answered your own question. Did you (or a tech) adjust to the new string gauge? If not, this is the reason for your tuning instability.

 

[Nafaryus]

You just answered your own question. Did you (or a tech) adjust to the new string gauge? If not, this is the reason for your tuning instability.

When I talked to the tech at Guitar Center, he told me that switching from 10's to 9's really isn't that big of jump and that no adjustment was necessary and I should be fine.

 

[Guitarshreda]

When I talked to the tech at Guitar Center, he told me that switching from 10's to 9's really isn't that big of jump and that no adjustment was necessary and I should be fine.

Yeah the tech at Guitar Center is wrong. The guitar's tremolo needs to be adjusted for the new string gauge.

 

[Nafaryus]

Yeah the tech at Guitar Center is wrong. The guitar's tremolo needs to be adjusted for the new string gauge.

You know, I knew in my gut that he was wrong when he told me that, but I figured that he knew best. If if switch back to 10's, do you think that I will notice an improvement?

 

[BrickGlass]

First of all that tech at Guitar Center is a bonehead if he said that. You will absolutely need to make an adjustment or two if you change gauges, particularly on a floating trem style bridge. Secondly, there is nothing wrong or abnormal about lubing the nut, saddles and knife edges. That is a super common practice. Spending a lot of money on a guitar doesn't mean you won't have to do stuff like that to help it hold tune better.

 

[Nafaryus]

First of all that tech at Guitar Center is a bonehead if he said that. You will absolutely need to make an adjustment or two if you change gauges, particularly on a floating trem style bridge. Secondly, there is nothing wrong or abnormal about lubing the nut, saddles and knife edges. That is a super common practice. Spending a lot of money on a guitar doesn't mean you won't have to do stuff like that to help it hold tune better.

Yep, listening to him went against every natural instict that I had. Oh well...

If I switch back to 10's, do you think that I will notice an improvement, or is the guitar all out of wack now from putting the 9's on?

 

[Guitarshreda]

You know, I knew in my gut that he was wrong when he told me that, but I figured that he knew best. If if switch back to 10's, do you think that I will notice an improvement?

It's worth a shot, but if you like the 9's all you need to do is reset the balance between the springs in the tremolo system and the tension of the strings.

The worst thing that happens is that when you put 10's on the guitar, the tremolo still needs to be adjusted. They don't need to put on a new set of strings or anything, just tighten/loosen the springs for the tremolo.

 

[Nafaryus]

It's worth a shot, but if you like the 9's all you need to do is reset the balance between the springs in the tremolo system and the tension of the strings.

How is that done? (I apologize, but I am not mechanically inclined in the slightest when it come to guitar. All I do is play.)

 

[mikeller]

When I talked to the tech at Guitar Center, he told me that switching from 10's to 9's really isn't that big of jump and that no adjustment was necessary and I should be fine.

So very far from the truth. There is a fair amount of tension difference in 9 sets and 10 sets.