Guitar going out of tune??

bigbadcon

Hey,

Was just wondering if anyone can suggest a reason for why my guitar keeps going out of tune.Its an ancient bc rich mockingbird (bottom of the range by the way).It was and still is a reliable guitar but lately its been going out of tune a lot. I know almost nothing about fixing guitars although there doesnt seem to be much to it (i could be wrong).

The guitar doesnt have a floyd rose or locking nut.Im assuming the locking nut helps keeping the guitar in tune??

My only theory is that the neck might be a bit loose where its conected to the base of the guitar.sorry i dont know all the proper terms It doesnt seem to be but its the only theory i have.

The G seems to go out of tune the most but what really confuses me is that sometimes when it goes out of tune it goes sharp instead of flat??

I can see if the string are slipping they would go flat .. but sharp??

they're not new strings by the way

any help would be appreciated

Johnny Storm

bigbadcon wrote:

The G seems to go out of tune the most but what really confuses me is that sometimes when it goes out of tune it goes sharp instead of flat??

That sounds like the string is getting stuck in the nut. (ie the slots the strings go through at the head end of the guitar)
Lube the nut by popping the strings out of their slots, then "color in" the slots with a soft pencil, pop the strings back in, Bob's yer Auntie.
3-in-1 oil also works. and chapstick.

bigbadcon

Thanks for the reply,

I tried that and im still not sure whether the problem is fixed.il have to give it a good bashing tonight to test it.I also noticed that the adjustable saddle on the bridge that was under the G was lower on one side than the other so i highered it up with a tiny alan key so that its even now.Il keep you posted

Doctor J

Firstly, always change the strings whenever you're having tuning problems.

You should have a read through some of the setup guides on the Instrument Resources sticky.

Out of curiosity, how close are the pickups to the strings?

bigbadcon

I think the bridge pickup is fairly close and the neck one isnt close at all.Might have a luke at that sticky now

bigbadcon

Nope my attempts so far have done nothing so any more suggestions would be appreciated

Johnny Storm

What have you tried so far?

bigbadcon

I tried doing the pencil trick on the nut and i highered the saddles on the bridge so that they were even and i took off the tuning machine(is that what they're called ) for the G and loked inside it and it looked ok (to me anyway) no sign of corrosion etc

Johnny Storm

The way you described the G string going sharp really makes it sound like the string is catching somewhere after you bend it or use the trem. Check out everywhere the string touches something ie the bridge, nut, string tree (if any) and lube them (again). Maybe try 3-in-1 oil (sparingly) if the pencil lead didn't do the trick.
Did the tuning machine seem smooth in its operation? Any loose bits? If there are any screws on the outside of your tuning machines, tighten them all up. Dont lube the tuning machine posts (where the string goes in).
The bridge saddle height should not effect tuning.
If you think the neck joint might be loose tighten up the bolts (if any)
Strings can get damaged/corroded/gungy over time so as Dr J said I would try a new set of strings and to ensure tuning stability lock the strings like this. Follow the instructions exactly. Make sure you wind the strings very neatly around the post. Not too many winds. Less winds on the thicker strings.

This is the Fender Strat set-up guide. Have a read and see if there's anything that might apply to your guitar. Let us know how this turns out.

BossArky

have you changed the strings yet?

bigbadcon

No havent got around to it yet cause i got my new Ibanez rg370 in the post so Ive been kind on neglecting my bc rich

But ill defo do it soon and from the sounds of it ,it probably is the strings cause the way i have them on is very very messy so i wouldnt be surprised if that was the problem

BossArky

bigbadcon wrote:

No havent got around to it yet cause i got my new Ibanez rg370 in the post

My first suggestion is to change the strings, the second is to change the guitar. However it seems that you have just done that - problem solved