I so agree with you on the proper fret level and dressing. The big box stores also do wonderful things like crappy leveling without releasing the truss. I can go on for days. Every LP I do, always stays in tune. I use bone for the most parts.
As a guitar beginner few years ago, I noticed that the last frets are in the way of getting a very low action. I thought of dressing them down, but because I could not find any confirmation, I supposed it is a flaw in this idea. Then I‘d seen a YT- vid about this and started doing it to all my guitars. Happy now! Later I casted a compensated nut out of brass- big improvement in tone and intonation👌🏼 The slots are curved, lubed, and have contact with the strings the last third of the width
I do one thing nobody talks about when I set intonation or change strings I lightly tap each bridge saddle forward till it's stops so they don't rock back and forth a small amount like they are prone to do when tuning. Just a little tip. One thing is to put a small angel in the back of each nut slot to help relieve the steep angle of the d and g string my Gibsons stay in tune well enough for me.
Just got my first Les Paul. I noticed the high e string frets 17-22 go slightly sharp when fretting. I previously adjusted the neck to minimal relief and raised the action to 4/64 treble and 5/64 bass. It was super low from the factory and have no instruction for the proper tension of the stopbar. I had to turn the high e saddle around for intonation and to gain clearance, it has an abr1. Any thoughts? Thanks!
Turning the saddle around to squeeze out the intonation is a common move on that type of bridge. Unlike the Tele / Strat bridges where you have double the amount of travel, to line things up.
I just bought a 2022 les paul custom eepiphone, and for some reason my g string goes sharp while playing cowboy chords, thats after i tuned it perfect too, idk what to do i. I lowered the nut height, ive gone up from 9s to 11 gauge strings csn u help me?
I would have enjoyed watching you demonstrate exactly how you leveled & dressed those particular frets that you discussed along the neck joint. I would be particularly interested in how you only leveled & dressed those at the neck joint without having screwed up the others
Hi Mathew, I have a couple of hundred detailed videos already posted on this subject. Search fret dress in the search bar ... you'll find plenty. Happy New Year ... 2023 \m/ !
I just installed a set of ratio Tuners on a 335'. I will cover all of the tuning accuracy considerations which apply to all Gibson 24 5/8" scale guitars. ... you'll see this in upcoming video .... Stay tuned ;^ ) !
I just bought a 2016 les Paul standard and I am having a time getting in tune. I’m hoping that a proper set up can remedy the problem. It’s a beautiful guitar with a great sound, but the tuning is a real pain. I wish you lived in my town, I’d bring it in ASAP! Cheers
They are a good addition once all of the calibration and regulation is done for the intonation . Once that is accomplished and your guitar is actually in tune across the entire fingerboard; THEN the locking tuners come into play, KEEPING the guitar in tune.
I love the sound and feel of my Les Paul Custom but, fixed my tuning problem by playing my Fender Stratocaster. I can put my strat down for days, pick it up and it is still in tune. Rock solid and reliable when I perform.
It's true .... the longer Fender scale is much more forgiving than the 24 5/8" Gibson scale ( especially with chords ) . Although a Gibson with a compensated nut is even more accurate than a stock Fender.
I do .... but I have a former student out of London who has more wiring experience than I do. Email me at mcconvilleguitars@gmail.com .... and I'll hook you guys up.
Hey Mike I got two questions for you, when you check for the hump at the end of the fretboard, do you straighten the neck first then check or check with some relief in the neck? Also If nut slots are cut to deep can that cause buzzing even on fretted notes? I know the second one may sound silly but I respect your opinion.
I get the neck as straight as possible before levelling the top end of the fingerboard. Ultimately , the nut slots should be cut with .016” clearance above the crown of the first fret.
don't know if you'll see this to reply but...where can I get those Graph Tech Ratio Kluson-lookalike, drop-in replacement locking tuners for my Les Paul Studio?...and why is there not a link for this 'compensated nut' you mention for my Les Paul?...also, what do you think of the Zero Fret to solve these tuning issues?
OK BLG: The Ratio Tuners are available through "Solo Guitars" here in Canada. You'll have to check their website for other countries. The 20-packs of compensated nut blanks are made available to my Patreon Tier 3 subscribers. Zero fret will do "Zero" to correct the tuning issues, and will not calibrate the guitar to this level of precision.
@@StringTechWorkstations Thank you so much for the reply...the Ratio tuners you display on the Les Paul in the video...they seem to be missing from every place I search...Solo does not seem to have them either...oh well...I actually have used the Zero Fret on a couple of Gibsons and found it to improve this tuning issue, but I just ordered a Earvana compensated nut for another Gibson, and I'm anxious to see if it works as well...I've also been told about something called a String Butler...heard of these? Thansk again sir. Loved the videos!
Question: Would you say the nut slots between a Les Paul Standard and a Studio are exactly the same size in depth, width, and length? Are all of them slightly different? I have a friend who lives 1000 miles away with a Standard, and I have a Studio...if I set up the compensated nut for the Studio, is it possible to simply send the nut to him and have him ( or someone he trusts) install it? Thanks
Anything is possible. You'd be best to make it slightly thick ... and let whoever is doing the install ... thin it down, for a press fit. For all of the final adjustments, adjusting the final string height at the nut, final touch up for precise values for each string etc. It will take someone who really knows and understands, precisely, step-by-step, all of the remaining work.
I have a Chibson(Chinese guitar, I replaced the bridge with one made to make it better, but it fits lose and moves about a millimeter. My strings keep going out of tune all the time. I used nut oil and it helped a bit, but I still can’t get the intonation to work right and stay in tune. I don’t know if there is anything you would suggest but I’m running out of ideas ?
I'll keep that in mind .... next time I get one across the bench. I had a Joe Bonamassa LP through the shop last year. If I remember correctly, I swapped out the stock bridge for a "roller saddle " bridge .... and a compensated nut ... fret dress at the neck junction of course ;^ )
That was my guitar Mike and yes you swapped out the stock bridge for a roller bridge. The reason was because with the bigsby on a short body like the Les Paul, there is a very sharp angle of the strings coming up onto the bridge. That caused some of the strings to actually hit the frame of the bridge rather than the saddle (not enough clearance). It had tuning stability issues and scratchy frets. I was a little worried about using a roller bridge thinking it might lose some sustain. But it sounds great and it still plays like a dream since you set it up buddy! The compensated nut is soooo much nicer than stock too.
Again my name is Charles and is thank you very much for everything you've taught me I'll keep watching your videos till I'm not around anymore watching but I have two guitars to get done and one is a Chinese SG that the net come loose on I wore the frets out it was a 140 dollar guitar that played like a $2,000 guitar and I didn't know what I had or how to handle it and I have to reset that neck I'm never done it before but I do know wood and I do no metal I can't measure and I have most of the tools any kind of info would be very helpful thank you very much once again for your service to music and the mankind
The Gibson's guitars with a 24-3/4" scale length definitely need a compensating nut. It annoys me with every Gibson that I own how out of tune there are. At what scale length is a compensated nut not needed? How about the 25-1/2" scale length guitars?
All scale lengths need a bit of compensation because guitars a are "fixed pitch" instruments, with frets that stops the string at an exact length each time .... unlike the violin family that allows the player to adjust the pitch by moving the position of their fingers ( no -frets ).The 24 5/8" LP scale. is more sensitive to these tuning discrepancies that the longer Fender ( 25 1/2" ) scale. That is why you see countless musicians strumming G-C-D chords on a Tele or a Strat. .... and virtually NEVER on a LP. I will address this question further in the next video. Cheers Jody ! MMcC
Yes Abel, I do have instruments coming up from the USA. Please keep in mind that I am a one man shop, so I need to book in the work ( usually ) 3- 5 weeks in advance. What product / service were you looking for ? Thank you for your support and encouragement. Respectfully, MMcC
Yes !! Precisely. The closer you get to the nut the more "back pressure" you will get from those strings ( and chords ) close to the nut. This is why that first position D chord is always out of tune ( especially the F# on the second fret ! ). Secondly : The left hand fretting pressure is the "Zen Factor " when it comes to tuning accuracy. I am always very careful not to " Death Grip " the notes when I am setting up a guitar. I go to great lengths to make sure that I am using a controlled confident fretting pressure when I do all of the intonation checks. Stay tuned ;^ ) .... a Taylor and a PRS are coming up next. Safety and blessings to you and your loved ones in these crazy times. MMcC
IMO: Locking tuners are an unnecessary gimmick. The Ratio Tuners will make a huge difference on ANY guitar. But ... more importantly, it is the minute details and calibration of the instruments that stabilize the tuning ... even more important than the tuners.
StringTech Workstations Ever work on Harmony's Kent's,Norma, Silvertones,Goya,Kay brand guitars ever? Ever work on old parlor guitar's made out of Birch? What if head stock is broken small peaces of wood are missing?
Hi Brian ... wow ! that's a LOT of questions ... lol ! OK ... first of all ... YES ... I have worked on all of those guitars. As far as the headstock with missing pieces .... it depends on "where the sites of the missing pieces" are located. If the absent wood is in the path of where the neck surgery splines are glued; then the splines replace the missing wood ... this is a scenario that I have faced more than once. Hope that helps ... Cheers ... MMcC
Thanks Pal. I am humbled by your comment. I have my own quirky way of exploring on the guitar. That cross-sectional check is used to verify the "trueness" of the harmonic structures along the neck. Stay Safe / Happy / Healthy ... MMcC
StringTech Workstations Thanks, if I wasn't in the UK I'd parcel it to you. A good part of my style and music relied on interval playing. Waiting for my radiotherapy Dupuythenter's Contraction treatment, so am until then unable to play my old style. I've had to replace the A string with a .14 B for what is called mi-Solo. Regular surgery is too risky because possible loss of feeling in finger extremities. Although progress is already 7% so might have to take the risk. Loong story, just like an eleventh interval or worse 13ths.
Why does Jimmy Page have the saddles slanted towards the pickups and yours here are towards the tailpiece ? Does this make a difference in intonation ?
I have a request I want to let you know that you are the very best I've ever seen ever in my life and I study your work all the time I've got terminal cancer I don't know how many days I have left but I have two guitars to get done and they need to be refreted and compound radius done with compound the nut done and I've not been to your school but any kind of help that you could do one and show me I don't have any money to give you but I'm going to leave these to my son and only way I know how to do something is right and I'm trying to do what you have shown and I use everything that you have taught me and I could never repay you with money but it's so valuable but if you could do one of these that I can watch it very soon it would help me a lot and I can help other people and I'll try to send you any kind of business I can I live in French lick Indiana I just think that your magnificent and your your gift to all musicians what you do on UA-cam and I thank you very much for everything you've taught me
To be clear; FYI: A compound radius is only done on guitars that have bridge saddles that can be "individually adjusted vertically" like the Strats and Tele etc ... a fixed bridge guitar ( like the SG you mentioned ) will have a pre-engineered radius that ( hopefully ... Lol ! ) matches the fingerboard radius. Always glad to be of help. Gratefully in your service. Michael
Winding the string on the post from the bottom up is not a good idea. This increases the tension on the headstock exponentially .... a dangerous proposition for the the "already inclined to break" LP headstocks !
@@StringTechWorkstations That might be so but it is a known fact by Les Paul owners that this will often work as far as keeping the G in tune. You can weigh the trade-off for yourself!
@@StringTechWorkstations Well supposedly that string is the most common culprit to keep in tune. I know it is for me and Robert Baker who shared this with me. Check it out on his channel.
U shouldn't have to do a fret job, change the tuners and nut on a brand new $1000+ guitar just so it stays in tune. U might as well get an epiphone and do all that to it and U will have a decent guitar whose headstock won't break just by looking at it.
Stay tuned ... Lol ! There are 3 more Les Pauls / a 335' / 339' / and a PRS all lined up for the same treatment. My customers ship guitars up from California / Penn / this next one came up from Wisconcin ... all for good reason. BTW: They didn't need a fret job ( that entails changing all off the frets ) it's a "fret dress" at the neck junction. BTW: There is an Epiphone LP in for the same treatment as well ( and a neck surgery ) ... as always ... there will be a step by step play by play before and after on all of these guitars .. to clearly show WHY people are sending their guitars up for these treatments. Best Regards, MMcC
Well John .... there are many variations on a theme ( player's preferences / string gauges / tunings / scale length etc ... ) ... when it comes to setting up and regulating the guitars to absolute perfection, I will often spend a full day to reach this level of accuracy. BT Barnum ... not withstanding ... ; ^ ) ... ! MMcC
All Les Pauls have the tuning / intonation problems built into every guitar. The headstock angle and tuning machine placement, in conjunction with inadequate nuts, are a recipe for trouble. (I suspect that ABR-1 + Stoptailpiece may also play a role with intonation problems in general.) In short, EVERY Gibson Les Paul will NOT hold pitch. No amount of fret dressing or other "work-arounds" will fix the basic STRUCTURAL issue. Therefore, I strongly recommend NOT purchasing a Gibson Les Paul, unless it's a valuable vintage guitar worth big $$$, and they seller only wants $300 bucks for it! Otherwise, save yourself a LOT of frustration and buy a guitar with IN-LINE tuners and also with little to no head-stock break angle. PRS figured it out and "fixed" the MAIN structural issue plagueing all 3+3 headstock guitars like Lesters.
@@StringTechWorkstations Gibson guitars are well-enough suited for Tercian Harmonie music. Great! However, Gibson guitars were not designed for the probablility, within the Tercian tradition of course, that players would begin bending and playing on these guitars so rigorously. Starting with a freshly stringed, trussed, dressed, intonated and tuned guitar isn't a problem. No. A Lester CAN BE tuned....but...will she REMAIN in tune is the question, right? You played very beautifully in the video you recommended. Very nice. Thank you. But you really didn't demand much from the instrument, as a structural being. I wrote that the guitars will NOT HOLD pitch, ya' know? Especially after some really, REALLY sick playing! Lots of bends and such devastation. Hehe. Physical playing, dig? After a mere 5-10 minutes of DEMANDING something from a Gibson, I doubt any of 'em will be in tune. Well, let's find out shall we? Put yours through the paces. Then, make a video documenting the effects. I await as always....patiently.
No need to wait ...here are 6 more Gibsons ... perfectly tuned : I check them in Quartal as well as Tercian harmony. Imho ... I think "the hot setup" for super stable Gibson tuning entails : Ratio Tuners / Compensated Nut / Faber or Tone - Pro bridge and some uber tweaking. They'll behave themselves once that is all done. Cheers Joszef ! ua-cam.com/video/tdGF4BLkmpA/v-deo.html ua-cam.com/video/PWgyCj7pj6c/v-deo.html ua-cam.com/video/d4wYcLZEFxg/v-deo.html ua-cam.com/video/3vIaONiL6tk/v-deo.html ua-cam.com/video/DaobuOjN2rk/v-deo.html ua-cam.com/video/cIuJy92cMg0/v-deo.html
I so agree with you on the proper fret level and dressing. The big box stores also do wonderful things like crappy leveling without releasing the truss. I can go on for days.
Every LP I do, always stays in tune. I use bone for the most parts.
As a guitar beginner few years ago, I noticed that the last frets are in the way of getting a very low action. I thought of dressing them down, but because I could not find any confirmation, I supposed it is a flaw in this idea. Then I‘d seen a YT- vid about this and started doing it to all my guitars. Happy now!
Later I casted a compensated nut out of brass- big improvement in tone and intonation👌🏼 The slots are curved, lubed, and have contact with the strings the last third of the width
ua-cam.com/video/8RAVQ5RG2cE/v-deo.html
I do one thing nobody talks about when I set intonation or change strings I lightly tap each bridge saddle forward till it's stops so they don't rock back and forth a small amount like they are prone to do when tuning. Just a little tip. One thing is to put a small angel in the back of each nut slot to help relieve the steep angle of the d and g string my Gibsons stay in tune well enough for me.
Good tips. MMcC
Just got my first Les Paul. I noticed the high e string frets 17-22 go slightly sharp when fretting. I previously adjusted the neck to minimal relief and raised the action to 4/64 treble and 5/64 bass. It was super low from the factory and have no instruction for the proper tension of the stopbar. I had to turn the high e saddle around for intonation and to gain clearance, it has an abr1. Any thoughts? Thanks!
Turning the saddle around to squeeze out the intonation is a common move on that type of bridge. Unlike the Tele / Strat bridges where you have double the amount of travel, to line things up.
@@StringTechWorkstations thanks for the reply, I hope you have a good holiday!
This also has a compensated nut ... forgot to mention... MMcC
I just bought a 2022 les paul custom eepiphone, and for some reason my g string goes sharp while playing cowboy chords, thats after i tuned it perfect too, idk what to do i. I lowered the nut height, ive gone up from 9s to 11 gauge strings csn u help me?
Compensated nut.
@@StringTechWorkstations what does that mean like too deep?
ua-cam.com/video/VxG5g0eLVQo/v-deo.html
I would have enjoyed watching you demonstrate exactly how you leveled & dressed those particular frets that you discussed along the neck joint. I would be particularly interested in how you only leveled & dressed those at the neck joint without having screwed up the others
Hi Mathew, I have a couple of hundred detailed videos already posted on this subject. Search fret dress in the search bar ... you'll find plenty. Happy New Year ... 2023 \m/ !
Hi, I have a 2008 Gibson SG Standard. If change the tuning machines for the lock-in tuning ones, would it help? Thank you.
I just installed a set of ratio Tuners on a 335'. I will cover all of the tuning accuracy considerations which apply to all Gibson 24 5/8" scale guitars. ... you'll see this in upcoming video .... Stay tuned ;^ ) !
I just bought a 2016 les Paul standard and I am having a time getting in tune. I’m hoping that a proper set up can remedy the problem. It’s a beautiful guitar with a great sound, but the tuning is a real pain. I wish you lived in my town, I’d bring it in ASAP! Cheers
I regularly have people shipping their guitars to me for setups and compensated nuts ( especially shorter scale guitars ). Thanks for watching ! MMcC
Most of the LP's I do are brand new. Although I just had a 1976 LP Custom dropped off this morning for a comp nut.
Upgrading to locking tuners is a huge upgrade and gives you total surety that your guitar will stay in tune no matter what
They are a good addition once all of the calibration and regulation is done for the intonation . Once that is accomplished and your guitar is actually in tune across the entire fingerboard; THEN the locking tuners come into play, KEEPING the guitar in tune.
I love the sound and feel of my Les Paul Custom but, fixed my tuning problem by playing my Fender Stratocaster. I can put my strat down for days, pick it up and it is still in tune. Rock solid and reliable when I perform.
It's true .... the longer Fender scale is much more forgiving than the 24 5/8" Gibson scale ( especially with chords ) . Although a Gibson with a compensated nut is even more accurate than a stock Fender.
What a great channel thanks so much
How can i get hold of you for setups. This makes sense for my les paul.
mcconvilleguitars@gmail.com I am not taking anymore work until late April.
Bravisimo!
great video, question, do you rewire guitars? I live near Stratford and need a couple guitars rewired
I do .... but I have a former student out of London who has more wiring experience than I do. Email me at mcconvilleguitars@gmail.com .... and I'll hook you guys up.
HELP!!! My Les Paul is in horrible shape. Low E will not intonate and of course it won’t stay in tune. Where/ who should I send it to?
mcconvilleguitars@gmail.com
StringTech Workstations do you have any videos of working on Harmony guitars how often do you have Harmony's brought in for repair?
Do you have a Harmony guitar ... with a particular issue that you need to address ?
Hey Mike I got two questions for you, when you check for the hump at the end of the fretboard, do you straighten the neck first then check or check with some relief in the neck? Also If nut slots are cut to deep can that cause buzzing even on fretted notes? I know the second one may sound silly but I respect your opinion.
I get the neck as straight as possible before levelling the top end of the fingerboard. Ultimately , the nut slots should be cut with .016” clearance above the crown of the first fret.
Ah ha thanks mike just wanted to check that one bout the top of the fretboard.
don't know if you'll see this to reply but...where can I get those Graph Tech Ratio Kluson-lookalike, drop-in replacement locking tuners for my Les Paul Studio?...and why is there not a link for this 'compensated nut' you mention for my Les Paul?...also, what do you think of the Zero Fret to solve these tuning issues?
OK BLG: The Ratio Tuners are available through "Solo Guitars" here in Canada. You'll have to check their website for other countries. The 20-packs of compensated nut blanks are made available to my Patreon Tier 3 subscribers. Zero fret will do "Zero" to correct the tuning issues, and will not calibrate the guitar to this level of precision.
@@StringTechWorkstations Thank you so much for the reply...the Ratio tuners you display on the Les Paul in the video...they seem to be missing from every place I search...Solo does not seem to have them either...oh well...I actually have used the Zero Fret on a couple of Gibsons and found it to improve this tuning issue, but I just ordered a Earvana compensated nut for another Gibson, and I'm anxious to see if it works as well...I've also been told about something called a String Butler...heard of these? Thansk again sir. Loved the videos!
ua-cam.com/video/tD2QU5N0cCA/v-deo.html
Careful about going down the rabbit hole ...... just saying .... good luck ! MMcC
Question: Would you say the nut slots between a Les Paul Standard and a Studio are exactly the same size in depth, width, and length? Are all of them slightly different? I have a friend who lives 1000 miles away with a Standard, and I have a Studio...if I set up the compensated nut for the Studio, is it possible to simply send the nut to him and have him ( or someone he trusts) install it?
Thanks
Anything is possible. You'd be best to make it slightly thick ... and let whoever is doing the install ... thin it down, for a press fit. For all of the final adjustments, adjusting the final string height at the nut, final touch up for precise values for each string etc. It will take someone who really knows and understands, precisely, step-by-step, all of the remaining work.
I have a Chibson(Chinese guitar, I replaced the bridge with one made to make it better, but it fits lose and moves about a millimeter. My strings keep going out of tune all the time. I used nut oil and it helped a bit, but I still can’t get the intonation to work right and stay in tune. I don’t know if there is anything you would suggest but I’m running out of ideas ?
Oftentimes you can tighten up those threads by wrapping them with teflon tape.
thanks boss ....have you done any vids on les paul with bigsby tuning problems?.....have a great week
I'll keep that in mind .... next time I get one across the bench. I had a Joe Bonamassa LP through the shop last year. If I remember correctly, I swapped out the stock bridge for a "roller saddle " bridge .... and a compensated nut ... fret dress at the neck junction of course ;^ )
thanks boss
That was my guitar Mike and yes you swapped out the stock bridge for a roller bridge. The reason was because with the bigsby on a short body like the Les Paul, there is a very sharp angle of the strings coming up onto the bridge. That caused some of the strings to actually hit the frame of the bridge rather than the saddle (not enough clearance). It had tuning stability issues and scratchy frets. I was a little worried about using a roller bridge thinking it might lose some sustain. But it sounds great and it still plays like a dream since you set it up buddy! The compensated nut is soooo much nicer than stock too.
StealthParrot thank you
Again my name is Charles and is thank you very much for everything you've taught me I'll keep watching your videos till I'm not around anymore watching but I have two guitars to get done and one is a Chinese SG that the net come loose on I wore the frets out it was a 140 dollar guitar that played like a $2,000 guitar and I didn't know what I had or how to handle it and I have to reset that neck I'm never done it before but I do know wood and I do no metal I can't measure and I have most of the tools any kind of info would be very helpful thank you very much once again for your service to music and the mankind
Have a look at this video Charles :ua-cam.com/video/VMmryoBoQWU/v-deo.html Blessings to you and your loved ones.
The Gibson's guitars with a 24-3/4" scale length definitely need a compensating nut. It annoys me with every Gibson that I own how out of tune there are. At what scale length is a compensated nut not needed? How about the 25-1/2" scale length guitars?
All scale lengths need a bit of compensation because guitars a are "fixed pitch" instruments, with frets that stops the string at an exact length each time .... unlike the violin family that allows the player to adjust the pitch by moving the position of their fingers ( no -frets ).The 24 5/8" LP scale. is more sensitive to these tuning discrepancies that the longer Fender ( 25 1/2" ) scale. That is why you see countless musicians strumming G-C-D chords on a Tele or a Strat. .... and virtually NEVER on a LP. I will address this question further in the next video. Cheers Jody ! MMcC
Hey there I love your channel. Was wondering your price rates and if you take any orders from the USA??
Yes Abel, I do have instruments coming up from the USA. Please keep in mind that I am a one man shop, so I need to book in the work ( usually ) 3- 5 weeks in advance. What product / service were you looking for ? Thank you for your support and encouragement. Respectfully, MMcC
Thank you for the response. My Les Paul doesn’t stay in tune and it’s been dropped in the past on to the floor and needs complete string restoration
Send pictures and details to mcconvilleguitars@gmail.com .... Cheers, MMcC
At 2:45 did anyone else hear Radiohead's "Scatterbrain" in the chord progression?
ua-cam.com/video/r7mN9BLr4jU/v-deo.html
Wasn't intentional ..... ;^ ) ... !
@@StringTechWorkstations I think it sounded great!
:-)
What an EXCELLENT demonstration. I immediately subbed.
Thank you sir.
Thanks for the sub! MMcC
My problem is with tuning on the lower frets. A chord on second fret sounds out when the guitar is in tune. Worse the harder I play.
Yes !! Precisely. The closer you get to the nut the more "back pressure" you will get from those strings ( and chords ) close to the nut. This is why that first position D chord is always out of tune ( especially the F# on the second fret ! ). Secondly : The left hand fretting pressure is the "Zen Factor " when it comes to tuning accuracy. I am always very careful not to " Death Grip " the notes when I am setting up a guitar. I go to great lengths to make sure that I am using a controlled confident fretting pressure when I do all of the intonation checks. Stay tuned ;^ ) .... a Taylor and a PRS are coming up next. Safety and blessings to you and your loved ones in these crazy times. MMcC
So.. locking tunner?
IMO: Locking tuners are an unnecessary gimmick. The Ratio Tuners will make a huge difference on ANY guitar. But ... more importantly, it is the minute details and calibration of the instruments that stabilize the tuning ... even more important than the tuners.
I know he playing notes but it sounds incredible like a song
StringTech Workstations Ever work on Harmony's Kent's,Norma, Silvertones,Goya,Kay brand guitars ever? Ever work on old parlor guitar's made out of Birch? What if head stock is broken small peaces of wood are missing?
Hi Brian ... wow ! that's a LOT of questions ... lol ! OK ... first of all ... YES ... I have worked on all of those guitars. As far as the headstock with missing pieces .... it depends on "where the sites of the missing pieces" are located. If the absent wood is in the path of where the neck surgery splines are glued; then the splines replace the missing wood ... this is a scenario that I have faced more than once. Hope that helps ... Cheers ... MMcC
It kills me that $6000 guitars have such tuning problems!?! For that much money I would demand perfection!
I've just finished up 4 of the 5 Les Pauls that I'm working on now ... detailed videos to follow. Stay Tuned ;^ ) MMcC
I always use a slight angle when I level the frets.....from about the 12th fret to the end of the fingerboard.
Where the neck joins the body and up to the end of the fingerboard extension is the issue, 90% of the time.
Your intonation checking sounds like something Eric Johnson would put out as a tune 😳
Thanks Pal. I am humbled by your comment. I have my own quirky way of exploring on the guitar. That cross-sectional check is used to verify the "trueness" of the harmonic structures along the neck. Stay Safe / Happy / Healthy ... MMcC
StringTech Workstations - keep up the good work, best wishes
In tune or what? Sheer bliss!
Ya BW ... it's pretty tantalizing to play the shorter scale guitars with this level of intonation accuracy !
StringTech Workstations
Thanks, if I wasn't in the UK I'd parcel it to you.
A good part of my style and music relied on interval playing. Waiting for my radiotherapy Dupuythenter's Contraction treatment, so am until then unable to play my old style. I've had to replace the A string with a .14 B for what is called mi-Solo. Regular surgery is too risky because possible loss of feeling in finger extremities. Although progress is already 7% so might have to take the risk.
Loong story, just like an eleventh interval or worse 13ths.
Take care Brother ... wishing you a speedy recovery. MMcC
God it's frustrating when the guitar goes out of tune.
In most cases, it's not a matter of it going out of tune. It was never in tune + calibrated , to begin with.
Why does Jimmy Page have the saddles slanted towards the pickups and yours here are towards the tailpiece ? Does this make a difference in intonation ?
Those saddles can be flipped 180 degrees when needed, to squeeze some more travel out of the saddles..
Well intonation os one thing, getting out of tune is another one.
So true.ua-cam.com/video/tD2QU5N0cCA/v-deo.htmlsi=N9sHlKXEYvzQ9b0a
I have a request I want to let you know that you are the very best I've ever seen ever in my life and I study your work all the time I've got terminal cancer I don't know how many days I have left but I have two guitars to get done and they need to be refreted and compound radius done with compound the nut done and I've not been to your school but any kind of help that you could do one and show me I don't have any money to give you but I'm going to leave these to my son and only way I know how to do something is right and I'm trying to do what you have shown and I use everything that you have taught me and I could never repay you with money but it's so valuable but if you could do one of these that I can watch it very soon it would help me a lot and I can help other people and I'll try to send you any kind of business I can I live in French lick Indiana I just think that your magnificent and your your gift to all musicians what you do on UA-cam and I thank you very much for everything you've taught me
To be clear; FYI: A compound radius is only done on guitars that have bridge saddles that can be "individually adjusted vertically" like the Strats and Tele etc ... a fixed bridge guitar ( like the SG you mentioned ) will have a pre-engineered radius that ( hopefully ... Lol ! ) matches the fingerboard radius. Always glad to be of help. Gratefully in your service. Michael
Wind the G string going up the peg and that's suppose to do the trick.
??
Winding the string on the post from the bottom up is not a good idea. This increases the tension on the headstock exponentially .... a dangerous proposition for the the "already inclined to break" LP headstocks !
@@StringTechWorkstations That might be so but it is a known fact by Les Paul owners that this will often work as far as keeping the G in tune. You can weigh the trade-off for yourself!
Interesting.... Just the one string ?
@@StringTechWorkstations Well supposedly that string is the most common culprit to keep in tune. I know it is for me and Robert Baker who shared this with me. Check it out on his channel.
U shouldn't have to do a fret job, change the tuners and nut on a brand new $1000+ guitar just so it stays in tune. U might as well get an epiphone and do all that to it and U will have a decent guitar whose headstock won't break just by looking at it.
Stay tuned ... Lol ! There are 3 more Les Pauls / a 335' / 339' / and a PRS all lined up for the same treatment. My customers ship guitars up from California / Penn / this next one came up from Wisconcin ... all for good reason. BTW: They didn't need a fret job ( that entails changing all off the frets ) it's a "fret dress" at the neck junction. BTW: There is an Epiphone LP in for the same treatment as well ( and a neck surgery ) ... as always ... there will be a step by step play by play before and after on all of these guitars .. to clearly show WHY people are sending their guitars up for these treatments. Best Regards, MMcC
I can solve the Les Paul tuning problems, ESP Eclipse (made in Japan). You're welcome.
OK Thanks; Problem solved ! Ha! Cheers Merry Christmas. Lol !
@@StringTechWorkstations LOL!!
pay thousands for a guitar then take it to the shop and spend even ore money to fix it, PT barnum was right again.
Well John .... there are many variations on a theme ( player's preferences / string gauges / tunings / scale length etc ... ) ... when it comes to setting up and regulating the guitars to absolute perfection, I will often spend a full day to reach this level of accuracy. BT Barnum ... not withstanding ... ; ^ ) ... ! MMcC
All Les Pauls have the tuning / intonation problems built into every guitar. The headstock angle and tuning machine placement, in conjunction with inadequate nuts, are a recipe for trouble. (I suspect that ABR-1 + Stoptailpiece may also play a role with intonation problems in general.) In short, EVERY Gibson Les Paul will NOT hold pitch. No amount of fret dressing or other "work-arounds" will fix the basic STRUCTURAL issue. Therefore, I strongly recommend NOT purchasing a Gibson Les Paul, unless it's a valuable vintage guitar worth big $$$, and they seller only wants $300 bucks for it! Otherwise, save yourself a LOT of frustration and buy a guitar with IN-LINE tuners and also with little to no head-stock break angle. PRS figured it out and "fixed" the MAIN structural issue plagueing all 3+3 headstock guitars like Lesters.
Have a listen ......ua-cam.com/video/HLGIa1CBWi8/v-deo.html
@@StringTechWorkstations Gibson guitars are well-enough suited for Tercian Harmonie music. Great! However, Gibson guitars were not designed for the probablility, within the Tercian tradition of course, that players would begin bending and playing on these guitars so rigorously. Starting with a freshly stringed, trussed, dressed, intonated and tuned guitar isn't a problem. No. A Lester CAN BE tuned....but...will she REMAIN in tune is the question, right? You played very beautifully in the video you recommended. Very nice. Thank you. But you really didn't demand much from the instrument, as a structural being. I wrote that the guitars will NOT HOLD pitch, ya' know? Especially after some really, REALLY sick playing! Lots of bends and such devastation. Hehe. Physical playing, dig? After a mere 5-10 minutes of DEMANDING something from a Gibson, I doubt any of 'em will be in tune. Well, let's find out shall we? Put yours through the paces. Then, make a video documenting the effects. I await as always....patiently.
No need to wait ...here are 6 more Gibsons ... perfectly tuned : I check them in Quartal as well as Tercian harmony.
Imho ... I think "the hot setup" for super stable Gibson tuning entails : Ratio Tuners / Compensated Nut / Faber or Tone - Pro bridge and some uber tweaking. They'll behave themselves once that is all done. Cheers Joszef !
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