335 tuning issue

[Jethro Rocker]

I have a 2019 ES335 I bought new. Practiced w it a coiple times and used it for 2 shows that year. Plus in studio.
It stayed in fairly good tune.
I used it in June this past year and my G string (yes I know..) kept falling flat with any bending to where I didn't even try n use it for sets 2 and 3.
The strings have maybe 3 hrs of playtime seems a bit early for string change.
What I did do in between:
I ĺifted tailpiece to make bending easier.
Intonation was out so had to move saddles back especially the G string.

That's it.
Yes, I am very familiar with stretching new strings out etc I have been doing it for 45 years.
It seems odd..

Any ideas?
Cheers

 

[fitz]

Random bad string?
Try a new set, or perhaps an old single that would be a suitable replacement, and see if the problem seems to be with the guitar or that one string.

 

[Don O]

Bad string or tuner. Not sure what else could make it go flat. If it went sharp then a nut or saddle could come into play.

 

[Thatbastarddon]

I have a 2019 ES335 I bought new. Practiced w it a coiple times and used it for 2 shows that year. Plus in studio.
It stayed in fairly good tune.
I used it in June this past year and my G string (yes I know..) kept falling flat with any bending to where I didn't even try n use it for sets 2 and 3.
The strings have maybe 3 hrs of playtime seems a bit early for string change.
What I did do in between:
I ĺifted tailpiece to make bending easier.
Intonation was out so had to move saddles back especially the G string.

That's it.
Yes, I am very familiar with stretching new strings out etc I have been doing it for 45 years.
It seems odd..

Any ideas?
Cheers

Detune the G, pull it out of the nut, and lube the nut slot. If you are going flat after bending the string, you’re getting hung up somewhere…the tuners(windings etc), the nut(commonly), or the bridge(you could lube that too).

 

[fitz]

If you are going flat after bending the string, you’re getting hung up somewhere

That makes sense.

 

[Jethro Rocker]

Detune the G, pull it out of the nut, and lube the nut slot. If you are going flat after bending the string, you’re getting hung up somewhere…the tuners(windings etc), the nut(commonly), or the bridge(you could lube that too).

Figured a nut hangup would be sharp?

 

[Jethro Rocker]

Random bad string?
Try a new set, or perhaps an old single that would be a suitable replacement, and see if the problem seems to be with the guitar or that one string.

I got lotsa swingin singles!

Bad string or tuner. Not sure what else could make it go flat. If it went sharp then a nut or saddle could come into play.

Yeah I wondered. Seems odd if it was the tuner that I got 2 full gigs out of it. Then the problem but it coild be. Temp n humidity changes etc..

 

[Jethro Rocker]

Maybe it's cause it took a dive down the stairs after??







Jk.....

 

[SG John]

Are you keeping humidity packs in the case? All my acoustics, my 335, mandolin, violins, and ululele get Boveda humidifiers in the cases. It's pretty dry where you're at in the winter, so that may be a cause?

 

[Jethro Rocker]

Strings.... even with not that much play time....
My guitar synth with the Godin LP started to mistrack, the top 3 strings wouldn't even sound on some settings. It has piezos in the bridge saddles.
Changed strings and perfect.
Maybe I'll fiddle with it this week. I couldn't even rely on it for the reet of that show.

 

[Thatbastarddon]

Figured a nut hangup would be sharp?

Nope. Picture it….you bend the string….the bend requires slack over the nut(or bridge)…release the bend…the part of the string that absorbed the slack remains flat if it’s not able to move freely(over the nut, or bridge, or windings on the tuner posts).

 

[Jethro Rocker]

Are you keeping humidity packs in the case? All my acoustics, my 335, mandolin, violins, and ululele get Boveda humidifiers in the cases. It's pretty dry where you're at in the winter, so that may be a cause?

Y'know, I never have. We have a humidifier on the furnace for winter but yeah it gets dry.

I picked up one of the Ibby Prestige thos fall for the first time since 2019 (!) (Hey I have lots n they get rotated) and it was almost in perfect tune still!
Different guitar tho and locking nit.

 

[Jethro Rocker]

Nope. Picture it….you bend the string….the bend requires slack over the nut(or bridge)…release the bend…the part of the string that absorbed the slack remains flat if it’s not able to move freely(over the nut, or bridge, or windings on the tuner posts).

My brain doesn't see it but it makes sense to try nut lube. I have some.
To me, the bend increases tension at the bend points, bridge and nut. Doesn't go back properly equals sharp to my brain.
But string bending going flat has been my experience over the years just doesn't seem logical.

 

[Thatbastarddon]

My brain doesn't see it but it makes sense to try nut lube. I have some.
To me, the bend increases tension at the bend points, bridge and nut. Doesn't go back properly equals sharp to my brain.
But string bending going flat has been my experience over the years just doesn't seem logical.

Hahahahaha! Sharp on the tuner side(or bridge to stop bar)…think about it…. Pull some of it over the nut…if it doesn’t all go back…you’re left flat…between the nut and bridge.

 

[Jethro Rocker]

Hahahahaha! Sharp on the tuner side(or bridge to stop bar)…think about it…. Pull some of it over the nut…if it doesn’t all go back…you’re left flat…between the nut and bridge.

Light bulb!
There we go.!
Yup.
String is slightly longer therefore flatter

 

[JohnnyGoo]

Ive seen the windings start to unravel by the string ball.just somethin to check.

 

[BFT Gibson]

Detune the G, pull it out of the nut, and lube the nut slot. If you are going flat after bending the string, you’re getting hung up somewhere…the tuners(windings etc), the nut(commonly), or the bridge(you could lube that too).

Yes , the great mystery of the G string, but instinctively since got first Gibson have de tuned then up, then whack string till it holds. Will say, its been nice on strats lately ,do they even go out of tune lol . Don' t have central air ,the Gibbys fluctuate quite often throughout the day with humidly/temp changes when my windows & doors are open

 

[smitty_p]

Yes , the great mystery of the G string, but instinctively since got first Gibson have de tuned then up, then whack string till it holds. Will say, its been nice on strats lately ,do they even go out of tune lol . Don' t have central air ,the Gibbys fluctuate quite often throughout the day with humidly/temp changes when my windows & doors are open

My experience with my Strat has been that once the strings are all done stretching out and have "settled in" that they stay in tune quite well. I have a hypothesis that there is some equilibrium in the tension between the springs and strings that keeps them in tune.

 

[Sapient]

I had a Lester L. Paul 'olieo that did this on the G (Beavis and Butthead laugh) string as well. You can also take a pencil and rub inside the slit where the G string goes (refer to previous paraphrase). Lubing as said can work as well. Under extreme conditions where it actually can hold up the whole string you may want to touch it a few times with your wife's nail file. Be sure it fits in there first and just rub the sides a dash. Don't file downward where you end up lowering the string though. OUCH.

 

[smitty_p]

Hahahahaha! Sharp on the tuner side(or bridge to stop bar)…think about it…. Pull some of it over the nut…if it doesn’t all go back…you’re left flat…between the nut and bridge.

Yup. This is the same mechanism, in reverse, why strings often return sharp after dropping pitch with a vibrato. Of course, I'm talking non-locking vibratos - not a Floyd, which effectively eliminates this issue.