Epi custom VS am I Deaf or just Paranoid :) ??

[Didgeman]

hey


this year or I should rather say last year ( best wishes for everyone ) santa brought me brand new epi custom VS.
AM i geting paranoid or just deaft but everytime I pick it up from the case to jam a bit it doesn't stay in tune after couple of minutes of playing. Not much just a bit but it is geting very anoying. Am I doing something wrong ? any ideas ?
My audition is quite ok but it just hurts if you know what I mean

ANy ideas Please what else to check or correct, to make it sound ok at least for a while.
Its going down or up, each time I tune one string after couple of minutes the other one goes out of tuning and so on . sometimes I spend more time tuning it then playing. Please notice its not tha bad but you can hear it denitely
I'd apriciate if you could help .

I'll be also looking for an amp up to 300-350 $ . I lay rocck like Led Zeppelin Hendrix re hot etc som jazz as well so nice clean chanell would be great / I also like to scare of some devils before a bed time so nice distorion or coupple of builed in effects wupld be great any idea what amp I shuold choose ???? some VOx AD30 or 50 VT or i dont know ???

best best regards from Poland
Irek

 

[LEFTY LES]

Try getting a set up man. Take it to a luthier. Cost you about $50 bucks and your good to go. Chances are thats all you need. Even a $4000 GIbson needs a set up man, you'll be ok. Welcome to the forum.

 

[The_Sentry]

The quickest, dirtiest thing you could try is to put some graphite shavings in the nut slots the next time you change strings. (off either a regular or mechanical pencil.) That should help lube things up a bit. If not, I don't think you're looking at the tuners so much as the nut on the guitar. (and, you can typically pick one of those up pre-slotted for around 10 USD.)

Lefty Les also has a good point about a setup if it hasn't been done yet.

 

[LEFTY LES]

if I ever get my pics up and running again I'll show you ny special nut lube !!!!!

 

[Gunner]

I agree with both of the above. Some graphite shavings are a great idea and if you still have problems look at getting a graphite or tusq nut. If that doesn't work then go to a luthier you trust and get a decent setup. Question? Have you changed the strings from the stock ones?

 

[Didgeman]

hey guys thanks a lot for your answers.
I did think about some graphite although I've already done a bit of set up in the very begining . The strings were slapping like crazy so I lifted them up a little bit just after loosening a thrust rod a little bit because it was dead straight .
DO you think that was a good idea: )???? Bass strings still slap a bit in some positions but its much better now . Should I try some more tricks . I dont wanna loosen the trust rod to much beacuse it might effect the sustain - am I right ???
Please correct me if I'm wrong and be cruel if you have to
I'm going to take it to the luthier anyway.

About the strings, Yes they are the stock ones . Any recomendations for this matter as well ?? I'm planning to change them cause they feel ..... hard to say in english ...... they feel like they are not fast enough .. you know what I mean like they've been stopping your fingers going down and up the fretboard, which has also the same feeling.

Thanks in advance for your answers

IREK

 

[Jody]

The quickest, dirtiest thing you could try is to put some graphite shavings in the nut slots the next time you change strings. (off either a regular or mechanical pencil.) That should help lube things up a bit. If not, I don't think you're looking at the tuners so much as the nut on the guitar. (and, you can typically pick one of those up pre-slotted for around 10 USD.)

Lefty Les also has a good point about a setup if it hasn't been done yet.

I take a little bit of vasoline and mix in some graphite and use a toohtpick to put it in the string slot in the nut..after you break in the nut this should go away...loosen your string ,add a little of the goop and re-string and tune works great for mebut I changed the strings and did a complete set up before anything else..

 

[zabikt]

Setup should do the thing. I am about to take my Epi for the setup too, because I can hear buzzing on some frets. It wasn't problem for me but I started to play a lot of things without distortion and it is very annoying. I changed stock strings asap - I prefer Ernie Ball RPS 10s but everyone have their own opinion (something like with/without pickguard threads ) Enjoy your Epi

 

[Jayers]

hey guys thanks a lot for your answers.
I did think about some graphite although I've already done a bit of set up in the very begining . The strings were slapping like crazy so I lifted them up a little bit just after loosening a thrust rod a little bit because it was dead straight .
DO you think that was a good idea: )???? Bass strings still slap a bit in some positions but its much better now . Should I try some more tricks . I dont wanna loosen the trust rod to much beacuse it might effect the sustain - am I right ???
Please correct me if I'm wrong and be cruel if you have to
I'm going to take it to the luthier anyway.

About the strings, Yes they are the stock ones . Any recomendations for this matter as well ?? I'm planning to change them cause they feel ..... hard to say in english ...... they feel like they are not fast enough .. you know what I mean like they've been stopping your fingers going down and up the fretboard, which has also the same feeling.

Thanks in advance for your answers

IREK

You didn't tell us if this is your first guitar or if you have owned or played guitars before. First off, the truss rod is not for raising or lowering your action. That adjustment is made at the bridge...only. There's lots of things at play that could be affecting your tuning:

1)You didn't install the strings; they may not be put on the post correctly. A google search will find the correct method for you
2)Sounds like the strings didn't get stretched well. Look that up too.
3)Strings themselves could be junky. Get a new set from a reputable manufacturer.

As for slapping, is this because you are playing too hard? I can make any guitar slap its strings. Not sure what's going on there. Try a lighter pick.

Good luck.

 

[Didgeman]

As for slappin no definitely not from playing to hard.
yes thats my my first Les paul but not the first I've been playing.
I started from the trust rod because the neck was dead straight or even bent back a little bit . I didn't want the action to be to high on 10th 12th fret and so loosened the trust rod firs jus a bit and that definitely increased the strings hight between 1st and 12th fret, then I took care of the action a t the bridge.
I'm going to see a luthier soon anyway to make it work 100% perfect as I like it to be.
Please correct me If I did something wrong . I won't do it again I promisse !

3)Strings themselves could be junky. Get a new set from a reputable manufacturer.

I'll get a new ste for sure cause these dont feel nice to me, any sugestions please ??? Ernie Ball RPS ???
best regards IREK

 

[dennistruckdriver]

I have to tune my guitars nearly every time if they have been sitting for a few hours. They have usually gone a bit sharp. I think it is ambient conditions causing it.

 

[motaki]

Sorry for hijacking, but i'm having similar issues and need advice.

I raised the bridge higher but did not touch the thrust rod becuase i just actually learned what the hell it was earlier today, lol.

Anyrate, I just eyeballed to see if both ends were even in height. The buzzing of the fretboard is pretty much gone, but sometimes i feel like the guitar is out of tune.. I thought i was being paranoid too. I heard from someone that the grover tuners on the customs suck, could i get a confirmation?

thanks in advance, and good luck with your guitar, I'm going straight to a pro to have it set up for me..

 

[motaki]

I have to tune my guitars nearly every time if they have been sitting for a few hours. They have usually gone a bit sharp. I think it is ambient conditions causing it.

ambient conditions? sorry for the ignorance, could you explain?

 

[dennistruckdriver]

ambient conditions? sorry for the ignorance, could you explain?

The humidity and temperature of the prevailing conditions in the area where the guitar is kept.

 

[Iceman0124]

If it wont stay in tuen period its likely the nut, if its a faulty tuner chances are you would know, you almost get a string to pitch then it jumps flat by nearly a whole step, spend a little money gettting a professional setup (try mom and pop before GC unless you really know whos doing the work), at the very least you'll get told its a dud, most likely you'll get a solid axe to grow on.

 

[Iceman0124]

Sorry for hijacking, but i'm having similar issues and need advice.

I raised the bridge higher but did not touch the thrust rod becuase i just actually learned what the hell it was earlier today, lol.

Anyrate, I just eyeballed to see if both ends were even in height. The buzzing of the fretboard is pretty much gone, but sometimes i feel like the guitar is out of tune.. I thought i was being paranoid too. I heard from someone that the grover tuners on the customs suck, could i get a confirmation?

thanks in advance, and good luck with your guitar, I'm going straight to a pro to have it set up for me..

If you adjusted the bridge or truss rod, you need to readjust the guitars intonation, Ie the little screws that move the saddles higher or lower. The same thing needs to be done when changing string guages as well.

Adjusting Checking Intonation on Electric Guitar Intonation Correction

 

[WillieG]

It's essential to have the correct intonation, if you raise or lower the bridge you must always adjust intonation as well.

Mine didn't stay in tune very well when I first got it, but after I changed the tuners, put on plenty of graphite in the nut and found some good strings it now stays in tune 100%.

The quality of strings makes a huge difference, sometimes a brand new set is just not "right", a particular string could be faulty etc.

 

[steamboat willy]

Where can I get one of these thrust rod's Motaki's got - They sound really cool

sorry Motaki, couldn't resist

 

[Akahito]

hey guys thanks a lot for your answers.
I did think about some graphite although I've already done a bit of set up in the very begining . The strings were slapping like crazy so I lifted them up a little bit just after loosening a thrust rod a little bit because it was dead straight .
DO you think that was a good idea: )???? Bass strings still slap a bit in some positions but its much better now . Should I try some more tricks . I dont wanna loosen the trust rod to much beacuse it might effect the sustain - am I right ???
Please correct me if I'm wrong and be cruel if you have to
I'm going to take it to the luthier anyway.

About the strings, Yes they are the stock ones . Any recomendations for this matter as well ?? I'm planning to change them cause they feel ..... hard to say in english ...... they feel like they are not fast enough .. you know what I mean like they've been stopping your fingers going down and up the fretboard, which has also the same feeling.

Thanks in advance for your answers

IREK

The string buzz will be eliminated with a professionally done fret leveling. The sticky fingerboard will be gone by going through the fretboard with steel wool and oiling it afterwards. You might also want to try sanding the neck for a smoother, slinkier feel. Like many others, I did this to mine and am very pleased with the results. For good strings, any reputable manufacturer will do, just try out a few different ones to see which ones you like. Try makes like Dean Markley, D'Addario, EBS, Ernie Ball, RotoSound or GHS to name a few.

For the amp, try out as many as you can, without looking at the price tag. Once you have tried enough different kinds of amps and figured out what you like, start looking for the kind you want used to fit your budget. Do not skimp out on sound quality or the features you want, be patient and sooner or later the kind you want will come across you.

 

[Didgeman]

Hey
Thanks a lot Akahito thats the answer I've been waiting for .
both thumbs up
thanks bro