Why Is My Guitar Immediately Going Sharp?

[rogthefrog]

Originally Posted by Seagull S6

Why did you replace perfectly good tuners? One of the most unnecessary mods people do.

People do a lot of unnecessary things, like combing their hair or shaving.

I'd replace rotos with sta-tites too, given the choice.

[justonwo]

Originally Posted by kcnbys

Boom! I used pencil lead, and that seems to have done the trick. 35 years of playing and never encountered this issue. Thanks for the help!

Cool! Yeah, sharp strings are usually related to but issues. Flat strings are related to improper seating of new strings.

[jemartin]

Good for you for trying a modification to your guitar... that suited your liking.

[Seagull S6]

Originally Posted by Jeff Scott

Good thing you weren't around when we were doing all sorts of mods to our old (and new) instruments, back in the daze. You, surely, would have had a heart attack.

No, actually I can be a bit of a "modaholic" myself. You know, going to StewMac and other sources and asking myself what I could change on my axes to get "that" sound or improve them in some imagined way. The attitude that best helps me deal with my affliction is to only spend money on required maintenance and supplies. The absolute best mod is to practice to improve playing skills.

"Hello. My name is Seagull and I'm a modaholic. Hi, Seagull. It all started innocently enough for me. You know, brass bridge pins here a Buzz Feiten nut there".....................

[Jeff Scott]

Originally Posted by Seagull S6

The absolute best mod is to practice to improve playing skills.

What's the fun in that?

[Seagull S6]

Originally Posted by kcnbys

Wow - you really feel strongly about this. BTW - just to report - the graphite lubed not slots are doing great 24 hrs. later, and the guitar holds tune real nice now.

Oh yeah - I changed out the pickguard too, and it looks awesome!

Good news. So it was strings sticking in the nut and some quality lube fixed it. New pickguard and all play the hell out of it.

Tell us about your new axe. Is it the 800 series Taylor in your tag line?

[kcnbys]

Originally Posted by Seagull S6

Good news. So it was strings sticking in the nut and some quality lube fixed it. New pickguard and all play the hell out of it.

Tell us about your new axe. Is it the 800 series Taylor in your tag line?

Nope - it's not any of the guitars in my sig. It's actually a guitar my son recently picked up - a Sigma 000m-15+ out of Europe. I'm very impressed with Sigma. It's a superb guitar.

[Mr Fingers]

Glad you got your sharping issue sorted out. Luck it was on an acoustic, where it's almost always binding at the nut. On a Stratocaster... yikes. And my 2 cents on modding would be that of course you should swap parts and make changes that appeal to you. If you play that guitar a lot, the cost over time is nothing. Sure, Klusons and Grovers are all functional, but of course I removed the Klusons that did not feel good to me -- someone else might feel different -- and popped in Rotomatics that feel great. Unfortunately, there are owners who do irreversible alterations without appreciating that later users of that instrument might be limited or disadvantaged by some kinds of changes. It's often said that such mods mean that you'll find it hard to sell, so plan on keeping it, and that's true, but I try to look further down the road (not that others need to). I'm sure glad that the many owners of my '36 Gibson 00 didn't make alterations in "my" guitar. Enjoy yours!

[JayBee1404]

I tend to use Nut-Sauce if I get a sticking nut-slot, because it's clear and doesn't leave any visible evidence of its use. I've used graphite from a 2B pencil in the past, but I don't like the dirty black mark on the nut (I'm a bit OCD about cleanliness on my instruments - hell, I even use a toothbrush to clean out the nut-slots at a string-change! No apologies, it's just 'me'!). ;-)

[Seagull S6]

Originally Posted by Mr Fingers

Unfortunately, there are owners who do irreversible alterations without appreciating that later users of that instrument might be limited or disadvantaged by some kinds of changes. It's often said that such mods mean that you'll find it hard to sell, so plan on keeping it, and that's true, but I try to look further down the road (not that others need to). I'm sure glad that the many owners of my '36 Gibson 00 didn't make alterations in "my" guitar. Enjoy yours!

Right there, that's what I was getting at really. I got into Mod fever when I first got my L/H 78 Gibson SG. IDK, but maybe divine intervention kept me from doing any non reversible mods to it.

Today, other than a refret and scrubbing the upside down SG lettering off of the truss rod cover, she is 100% stock.

[Seagull S6]

Originally Posted by kcnbys

Nope - it's not any of the guitars in my sig. It's actually a guitar my son recently picked up - a Sigma 000m-15+ out of Europe. I'm very impressed with Sigma. It's a superb guitar.

Nice HOG. How does it sound? I guess I jumped to conclusions. After seeing the gits in your signature and rereading your post, My brain went WHA? and I wrote that post.

Not really a crime to upgrade the tuners on a guitar that sells at the price point of the Sigma. Might even fall into the category of required maintenance. A bone nut would be mandatory for me as well since it probably has a plastic nut.

[AndrewG]

Originally Posted by Seagull S6

Nice HOG. How does it sound? I guess I jumped to conclusions. After seeing the gits in your signature and rereading your post, My brain went WHA? and I wrote that post.

Not really a crime to upgrade the tuners on a guitar that sells at the price point of the Sigma. Might even fall into the category of required maintenance. A bone nut would be mandatory for me as well since it probably has a plastic nut.

Sigma fit bone nuts and saddles on the 15 series.

[cattzap]

Oh yeah - I changed out the pickguard too


your grounded mister

[kcnbys]

Originally Posted by Seagull S6

Nice HOG. How does it sound? I guess I jumped to conclusions. After seeing the gits in your signature and rereading your post, My brain went WHA? and I wrote that post.

Not really a crime to upgrade the tuners on a guitar that sells at the price point of the Sigma. Might even fall into the category of required maintenance. A bone nut would be mandatory for me as well since it probably has a plastic nut.

It sounds fantastic - no wonder the reviews on these AMI Sigmas are so good. We strung it with a set of Martin Retros (12's), and really love the result. As was mentioned, the spec sheet says bone nut & saddle.

[Seagull S6]

That's Fantastic. I only mentioned that because my old S-6 at about the same price point had IIRC a plastic nut. I saw the Micarda finger board and having worked with it in Aerospace it might even be a harder material than Ebony.