Help!! Tuning Stability Issue

crushpoint

The Lotus Eater
Joined
Aug 4, 2014
Messages
199
Location
Harlequin Forest
My 513 WILL NOT stay in tune if I use the tremolo arm at all. The bridge is setup correctly, and I have lubed the nut. It's random as to which strings go out...sometimes sharp, sometimes flat.

I can't figure it out. I have 2 other Core models with trems and don't have any problems with them at all.

Suggestions?
 
My 513 WILL NOT stay in tune if I use the tremolo arm at all. The bridge is setup correctly, and I have lubed the nut. It's random as to which strings go out...sometimes sharp, sometimes flat.

I can't figure it out. I have 2 other Core models with trems and don't have any problems with them at all.

Suggestions?

Have you oiled the pivot points on the trem?
 
Hm. Due to my experiences - lasting more than 3 years - with my 513 I state she is ever in tune.
But my custom made guitar had severe tuning problems. Everything was set up perfect by the luthier. The angle of the headstock, the bone nut, the set up of the tremolo (with a blackbox as countermeasuring device for not going out of tune).
Even strumming the guitar without tremoloing lead to untune the guitar in nuances.

First I changed from Sperzel Trimlocks to Phase III. Than I put more tension on the springs. Third I changed string gauge from 009 to 010.

I started getting better but not with perfect result.

I decided to call a guitar tech in my neighbour hood. And beside his own business he does professional reviewing of guitars for German Gitarre & Bass magazine.
I descriped the problem.

And he ripped off the blackbox out of the spring compartment, put in a third spring, than he rasped the nut. And than he puts his full attention on the tremolo (Fishman VS-50P, same as Wilkinson VS-100, but with piezo).
He inspected the guitar and found out, that the strings go over 90° edges from the block to the slide (where the piezos are integrated). Especially the the wrapped strings got stuck in there while tremoloing which lead made the made out of tune.

He rasped all the edges to made the strings go around very smooth corners.

After his work the vibrato works well and the guitar has got it´s supposed very stable tuning.

He compared the Fishman VS-50P with Wilkinson VS-100. The VS-100 has very smooth edges, but not my VS-50P.

SoundRanger.jpeg


Maybe - whatever cause - you have the same problem.


Is it a problem from the beginning or is it new? Did you change anything?
 
Last edited:
OK. did you just get this guitar? Have you changed anything to maybe cause this? Are the strings the correct size for the nut slots? Can we have pics of the guitar? Need to see the trem for sure.
 
I just had this conversation with my luthier over my core Mira He said the nut is the problem 80% of the time. Then look to the tremelo.
 
I ended up dousing the knife edge with 3 in 1 oil. I really worked it in there by rockin the trem for a few minutes. I played a gig with it last night and it stayed in tune much better. I think the nut may need to be filed just a bit, but it's already a vast improvement since last week.

Thanks for the suggestions everyone.
 
My Custom 24 30th just got fixed by the techs at Sweetwater. It wasn't staying in tune when I used the trem. They found that the bridge was too low and the strings were binding in the nut even though it was brand new from factory with factory gauge strings. Could just be the nut.
 
My Custom 24 30th just got fixed by the techs at Sweetwater. It wasn't staying in tune when I used the trem. They found that the bridge was too low and the strings were binding in the nut even though it was brand new from factory with factory gauge strings. Could just be the nut.

My 2014 custom 24 had its trem too low from the factory as well... It was at 1/32 instead of 1/16. The difference after adjusting it was astonishing.
 
My 2014 custom 24 had its trem too low from the factory as well... It was at 1/32 instead of 1/16. The difference after adjusting it was astonishing.

I can't wait to get it back. I was getting a nasty warble sound on the g string which has been fixed as well.
 
Back
Top