Grateful Dead Music Forum

I can not get my SG to stay in tune. I have the Kluson(sp) tuners and need to replace them. Any suggestions?

Chum

chummy wrote:I can not get my SG to stay in tune. I have the Kluson(sp) tuners and need to replace them. Any suggestions?

Chum

I have but I suggestion - make 100% sure that your tuners are the culprit. I had a Tele that didn't stay in tune so I installed locking tuners. Better but still didn't stay in tune well. Then I tried running a smidge of sandpaper through the nut, better but not stage worthy. Then checked the string ferrules, wobbly so glued, again better not stage worthy, then I reseated the neck and that was the last component needed.

Point is that most tuning issues I've seen have been the result of other things... The oddest one I saw was somebody who jacked up their truss rod and the neck was constantly flexing....

Agreed, I have found that the Kluson tuners are usually pretty good.

My very first thought would be to check the nut.

The string has to be able to move in there. You can do what strum said as well as trying some "nut sauce" or some graphite from a pencil for lubrication.

Thanks for the tips. I had the nut replaced and put a bone one in but did not do the trick. I will look at the other things you suggest.

I dunno what it is about some SGs but several I've played have had issues, my '78 LP standard has had similar problems with the G and B strings - new tuners did not fix it.

Like strummin six said, try the nut first and move down the line like he did. That is what a luthier would probably do. Most of the time it is friction or bunching up in the nut that causes the strings to not tune right. take a pencil and get some graphite pencil lead in the grooves liberally, that usually helps lubricate the slots until the nut breaks in on its own.