Dropped Tunings

Shwn

I've been having a problem trying to keep one of my guitars in tune. It's an epiphone Les Paul, I have really heavy strings on it so I can tune down to D, then down another step or two. The problem is that it goes out of tune a few minutes after I start playing. The tuners are stock right now, I'm assuming that's the problem, since Epiphone doesn't put good tuners on their guitars. What kind of tuners would be reccomended for these kinds of tunings?

Pacomc79

Shwn wrote:

I've been having a problem trying to keep one of my guitars in tune. It's an epiphone Les Paul, I have really heavy strings on it so I can tune down to D, then down another step or two. The problem is that it goes out of tune a few minutes after I start playing. The tuners are stock right now, I'm assuming that's the problem, since Epiphone doesn't put good tuners on their guitars. What kind of tuners would be reccomended for these kinds of tunings?

some kind of lockers, http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Tuners/Guitar,_solid_peghead/Grover_Tuners.ssc

that's just an example, planet waves, sperzel, schaller, grover etc. would all be fine.

You also need to get some "nut lube" and lube your bridge and your nut.

Musicians Friend sells "Big Bends Nut Sauce" it's great.

also make sure the intonation and the truss rod are set correctly for the gauge strings you are using. If you've never done a set up before take it to a luthier and tell him what gauge you want, have it set up and then don't change gauges.

nailz100

I have Grovers on my Les Paul Studio and Locking Tuners on my PRS tremonti, both work fine. You'd think that with how expensive Gibson guitars are they'd at least put decent tuning pegs on them, those plastic ones are crap!

who's_pearljam?

If the guitar stays in tune pretty well in standard tuning, but not dropped to C, then I don't think it's the tuners.

If the guitar is normally in E and you drop it down,, the neck is going to bow backward a little because you're releasing a lot of tension on the truss rod. That would cause the strings to go sharp. You would have to keep it in C for a while to have it stabilize, then loosen the truss rod a hair.
The strings are slacker, too. If you really loosen them, then keep tension on them when you bring it up to pitch, they may stay in tune better, but those dropped tunings are hard to keep tuned anyway, but essentially, if you want low tuning, you have to keep it there.

mccreadyisgod

who's_pearljam? wrote:

...but essentially, if you want low tuning, you have to keep it there.

That's a good idea... if you're de-tuning and then returning to standard tuning, just dedicate a guitar to be de-tuned. Put a slightly heavier guage of string on there, tune it to where you want it, and after about a week of letting it set in, adjust the neck and action.

The other option is a baritone guitar.