WAY out of tune...help please

stylo17
stylo17 Posts: 1,001
edited August 2007 in Musicians and Gearheads
just got new strings for my bass, put them on, and tuned it. tuned it perfectly. then i decided to adjust the truss rod, i tightened it. then i went to make sure it was in tune, and my tuner (a Boss with a display), said that my "A" string was a "D". so loosened my truss rod to how it was before i touched it. NOW my tuner says that ALL my strings are different than what they are AND i have a HUGE amount of space between my strings and the fretboard.

someone please tell me this is just because i changed the strings and they need to stretch out. i have no idea why this happened, and i dont know how to fix it.
6/11/08 WPB


♬♪♫ and I will not, grow tired of crayon stars and fire

♬♪♫ cause a soldier's death is so much better than defeat just hanging around
Post edited by Unknown User on

Comments

  • sennin
    sennin Posts: 2,146
    If you tighten/loosen the truss rod it will effect the strings...tune and height off the fret board, because it changes the bow of the neck. Even a 1/8 or 1/4 turn can have a big effect! Your tuning went wacked because changing the truss rod effected the tension on your strings. You should be able to tune it back the way it is....but sounds like you need to adjust the rod again.

    Adjust your rod....

    http://www.athensmusician.net/archive/2001-05-01_geneimbody1.shtml

    Then retune.

    Or take it to a shop.
  • who's_pearljam?
    who's_pearljam? Posts: 2,104
    Take a deep breath,,,, everything's gonna be alright! :D

    When you loosen the truss rod, the headstock comes forward and lowers the pitch of the strings until you retune.
    It may take you a couple of adjustments to get right, now but it'll happen.

    Start by tuning so that the A string is at about G, then tighten the truss rod nut to where you want the string height and relief, then tune to pitch.
    When you retune, then the neck may change again because you are changing the amount of string tension on the neck, and you may have to readjust the rod again. You may have to do this a few times, but then everything will settle in and you'll be fine.

    The strings may need to stretch a bit, too. Also, if they weren't wrapped tightly at the tuning posts, it may take a bit of time before they pull the wraps tight.
    Be kind, man
    Don't be mankind. ~Captain Beefheart
    __________________________________
  • who's_pearljam?
    who's_pearljam? Posts: 2,104
    Haha,,,,,Sennin! I didn't see your post! Look at you, you've become a guitar tech!
    Nice!!!
    :cool:
    Be kind, man
    Don't be mankind. ~Captain Beefheart
    __________________________________
  • stylo17
    stylo17 Posts: 1,001
    awesome. thanks a lot, i got it fixed
    6/11/08 WPB


    ♬♪♫ and I will not, grow tired of crayon stars and fire

    ♬♪♫ cause a soldier's death is so much better than defeat just hanging around
  • sennin
    sennin Posts: 2,146
    who's_pearljam? wrote:
    Haha,,,,,Sennin! I didn't see your post! Look at you, you've become a guitar tech!
    Nice!!!
    :cool:

    HAHA!

    I learned from a master online via the Pearl Jam Message Pit guitar tech teacher.

    :p

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