Strange 'G' String Behavior:

Inspector #20

Inspector #20

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I've had zero tuning issues with my YelloStrat until today. Suddenly, my 'G' string started going flat when I would bend it. It would come back if I nudged the tremolo arm.

I changed strings and the problem persisted. I checked the tuners and the bridge saddles for movement with a dial indicator. There was zero movement while playing and bending and zero when the tremolo was used.

20210317_081038.jpg

I checked the nut slot and it looked good as well. The slots is about .022" wide on the .016" string with a fall away and bell profile at the back edge of the nut.

20210317_083027.jpg

In the image above, you can see the silver- polished area in the first 2/3rds of the nut floor. I doubt umyou could get a better nut profile...unless I am missing something???

No grooves in the brass alloy saddles...

20210125_160459.jpg

Ok,

I changed to a set of GHS boomers with a .017" plain G and I had the exact same problem.

By this time, I was frustrated beyond words.

I desperation, I swapped my .016" 'G' string for a Daddario. 017" wound G string.

Guess what???

No more issues with the G string going flat after bends.

WTF???

I doubt that I can retain this wound G because of the huge bends in the soloscthat I play with this band, but the issues is very distracting.

I think it's due to the overly soft material of the Graph Tech Tusq XL nut.

Thoughts???
 
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Ah, the joys of a 67-year old bridge design with lots of moving parts. I've owned enough Strats to believe the bridge is the culprit. Even Fender has moved to the dual-fulcrum design (that they pinched from G&L) on their better production models.
 
Robert Herndon said:
I've had zero tuning issues with my YelloStrat until today. Suddenly, my 'G' string started going flat when I would bend it. It would come back if I nudged the tremolo arm.

I changed strings and the problem persisted. I checked the tuners and the bridge saddles for movement with a dial indicator. There was zero movement while playing and bending and zero when the tremolo was used.

View attachment 61521

I checked the nut slot and it looked good as well.

View attachment 61522

I changed to a set of GHS boomers and I had the exact same problem.

By this time, I was frustrated beyond words.

I desperation, I swapped my .016" 'G' string for a Daddario. 017" wound G string.

Guess what???

No more issues with the G string going flat after bends.

WTF???
Click to expand...

This happens all the time and there is nothing strange about it.

You have to lock the string onto the tuner.
Either by tying the string with a sting lock method, OR using a locking tuner. Either way works fine.

Then tune the string to pitch...
PULL the string with a good amount of tug. STRETCH the string.
Then tune the string back to pitch.

Now TUG on the string again, and re-tune the string to pitch.

REPEAT this over and over, until pulling / tugging on the sting does not make the string slip out of tune.

The strings must be stretched over and over - then re-tuned.
IF you do not lock your strings on the tuner post, they will slip out of tune.

Simply inserting the string into the tuner post hole DOES NOT lock the string.
Wrapping several turns of the string around the tuner post DOES NOT lock the string.


BUT
you would be surprised:
no matter how many times we tell people how to do this...
They won't do it.

They will just keep complaining about the strings slipping...and they won't make any effort to learn how to do it the right way.
I have no sympathy for people who refuse to make the effort. (typical)
I have heard this complaint repeated 1000 times.
 
Amp Mad Scientist said:
This happens all the time and there is nothing strange about it.

You have to lock the string onto the tuner.
Either by tying the string with a sting lock method, OR using a locking tuner. Either way works fine.

Then tune the string to pitch...
PULL the string with a good amount of tug. STRETCH the string.
Then tune the string back to pitch.

Now TUG on the string again, and re-tune the string to pitch.

REPEAT this over and over, until pulling / tugging on the sting does not make the string slip out of tune.

The strings must be stretched over and over - then re-tuned.
IF you do not lock your strings on the tuner post, they will slip out of tune.

Simply inserting the string into the tuner post hole DOES NOT lock the string.
Wrapping several turns of the string around the tuner post DOES NOT lock the string.


BUT
you would be surprised:
no matter how many times we tell people how to do this...
They won't do it.

They will just keep complaining about the strings slipping...and they won't make any effort to learn how to do it the right way.
I have no sympathy for people who refuse to make the effort. (typical)
I have heard this complaint repeated 1000 times.
Click to expand...

That's pretty much how I always do it...so why no issues with the wound g and the same problem with 3 different sets of strings with a plain G????

And, after three weeks of flawless performance???
 
Here's the .017" wound G after a 90 minute set right now....

Can you see the huge dent in it right over the fret????

20210317_140940.jpg
 
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WHAT IN THE NAME OF ALL THINGS "BILL NYE THE SCIenCE GUY" is all this then?!?!?!
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Robert Herndon said:
I've had zero tuning issues with my YelloStrat until today. Suddenly, my 'G' string started going flat when I would bend it. It would come back if I nudged the tremolo arm.

I changed strings and the problem persisted. I checked the tuners and the bridge saddles for movement with a dial indicator. There was zero movement while playing and bending and zero when the tremolo was used.

View attachment 61521

I checked the nut slot and it looked good as well. The slots is about .022" wide on the .016" string with a fall away and bell profile at the back edge of the nut.

View attachment 61522

In the image above, you can see the silver- polished area in the first 2/3rds of the nut floor. I doubt umyou could get a better nut profile...unless I am missing something???

No grooves in the brass alloy saddles...

View attachment 61524

Ok,

I changed to a set of GHS boomers with a .017" plain G and I had the exact same problem.

By this time, I was frustrated beyond words.

I desperation, I swapped my .016" 'G' string for a Daddario. 017" wound G string.

Guess what???

No more issues with the G string going flat after bends.

WTF???

I doubt that I can retain this wound G because of the huge bends in the soloscthat I play with this band, but the issues is very distracting.

I think it's due to the overly soft material of the Graph Tech Tusq XL nut.

Thoughts???
Click to expand...



Like i have always said Robert, only D'Addario for me. Happy to see you solved the problem.. :)
 
TBTH, this Graph Tech Tusq XL nut is very soft. The strings are digging into the floor of the nut and getting pinched.

Junk, IMHO.
 
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