mellie Posted June 3, 2008 Share Posted June 3, 2008 About 18 months ago, I bought a Lindo electro-acoustic guitar , and I haven't had any problems until now. I think hotter temps and humidity are the culprit, because I never had this problem in Alaska or during the winter. Even if you've never seen a Lindo, you may understand a little about my problem. The guitar has a locking metal nut. I obviously loosen the locks to tune it, but as soon as I lock the nut again, the pitch of the strings goes up. This makes it hard to get a true pitch. I tune the G-string with a pitchpipe and adjust the other strings from there. If I tune a little flat, some strings sound high and others low. Can any of you offer suggestions for getting accurate tuning on this? Do I need to not tighten the nut as much during the hot and humid months? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnO Posted June 3, 2008 Share Posted June 3, 2008 Hmmmm....I presume you don't also have micro-tuners on it? With every locking nut axe I've ever had, I had to approximately tune it, lock everything down, and then use the micro-tuners (at the bridge) to get it exact. Without micro's, you're pretty much hit or miss...sorry. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bahoodore Posted June 3, 2008 Share Posted June 3, 2008 I concur with JohnO....The idea with these locking nut systems is to have a "close-enough to pitch" tuning by locking the strings....then a small cicular micro-adjusting screw winder allows you to tune it to perfection...you MUST have those or similar type of micro tuners on it....otherwise you could not tune "on the fly" when you are playing....you would have to unlock it all...take a picture of your headstock and your bridge and send it to me....I am really curious now...bahoobahoodore@gmail.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Danny S. Posted June 3, 2008 Share Posted June 3, 2008 well since its not a tremolo equipped(floating etc)and its an acoustic, probably with heavy strings, i dont see why you should even have to lock the nut?You are not gonna be bending strings? Try putting the screws at the nut hand-tight. See what happens....I just dont understand the reasoning behind a locking nut on an acoustic guitar? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hollies65 Posted June 4, 2008 Share Posted June 4, 2008 I share Danny's thinking. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roadie #3 Posted June 4, 2008 Share Posted June 4, 2008 I agree with Danny and don't forget to use nut sauce on the bridge. It really helps with tuning. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Duane Posted June 4, 2008 Share Posted June 4, 2008 Well, we know who the music geeks are...Mellie says she "tunes her G-string with a pitchpipe" and all they can think about is guitars!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Duane Posted June 4, 2008 Share Posted June 4, 2008 While I'm in the gutter....whatever Ernie wants to use while on the bridge is his business... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boopell Posted June 4, 2008 Share Posted June 4, 2008 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted June 4, 2008 Share Posted June 4, 2008 There are several G-strings in a piano, and I'm never gonna look at a piano quite the same way again! Been awake all night and can still laugh. Must be the large cup of Joe the kids bought for me last night. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnO Posted June 4, 2008 Share Posted June 4, 2008 Hmmmm...guess I should have checked the link for the photos. Reading "electro-acoustic" and "locking nut", I just assumed there was some sort of a whammy bar. Without one, I agree, what's the point of the locking nut? (Locking tuners would make one Hell of a lot more sense)....I thought the main point of a locking nut was to ensure that everything stayed in tune when you dive-bomb the whammy bar, or use it frequently..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MJ Posted June 4, 2008 Share Posted June 4, 2008 HAH!!! I was thinking the same thing Duane - Ernie are you serious about nut sauce - there is such a thing????? - I thought you would use WD-40 myself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roadie #3 Posted June 4, 2008 Share Posted June 4, 2008 Nut sauce is real. It lubricates the fiction points of where a string meets the bridges and/or saddles. This helps with tuning so the string does not bind while sliding through the bridge when you are tuning. This does a couple of things; makes it a little easier to tune and keep the guitar in tune, the strings seem to last longer and lastly reduces the buzz that is always prevalent with the strings riding on the bridge. Some guitar tech's use graphite but I prefer "Big Bends" nut sauce. It's a little cleaner than the graphite. The only downside that I have encountered is in the winter if it is really cold the sauce will crystallize and needs to be heated up before a gig. A hair dryer does a nice job. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MJ Posted June 5, 2008 Share Posted June 5, 2008 Sounds like you become a chef Ernie - heating up those sauces in the winter One learns new things every day! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stringer Posted June 6, 2008 Share Posted June 6, 2008 That's very strange, an acoustic guitar with a locking nut, and no fine tuners on the bridge. How do you tune it after locking it? And why is it there in the first place? Must be some reason. I'd remove the locking nut and replace it with a bone nut, which should give you a much more mellower acoustic sound, and then pretty up the empty space left by the locking nut with filler of some kind. I'm curious as to why they designed it this way. We have over 1,000 guitars in our store, and have never seen one like this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mellie Posted June 6, 2008 Author Share Posted June 6, 2008 Thanks all. Hand tightening seems to do the trick. Maybe I've been over-tightening all along and it just wasn't noticeable. As for why it was designed this way - I can't tell you. It's a pretty good learner guitar. The tech who did the setup for me said the sound was a lot better than most low-end priced guitars - but it was harder to setup than any other he's done. An acquaintance in Alaska had a weekly weekend gig at a coffee bar and tried it out one night with a small amp and without. He liked it and said it would be a real nice backup to keep once I graduate to a better guitar. In spite of it being different, I think I did okay.Ernie - thanks for the tip on the nut sauce. I'll have to get some. Now that I'm not tightening it down as much, I'm hearing that little buzz.Oh, and for the record - I tune from E like everyone else. I had G on my brain because I was trying to keep a mental note to get a new string since I had just put on the spare...and well... maybe I should start writing notes down instead. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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