Lowering standards a bit is one thing Shredd but that girl......
From Kate to ... hmmmm NATE? I can't tell
Had to poke a little fun at these guyz that're telling me my lack of female companionship has to do with too-lofty standards. A woman (?) like this one probably isn't even aware she's human. :shock:
Good choice, you won't be dissapointed! As long as you ordered the right nut (i.e. not blank) it should be a snap. Drop another post (hopefully you'll have a new avatar by then...yeeeuuccchhh!!) when the nut shows up, and I'm sure between yourself and all of the geniuses on the site, you should be able to git 'er done. I think there are even directions on the graph-tech site. Anyway, good luck on the nut thing, and sorry about your newly lowered standards :shock:
I'm very jazzed to be getting the GraphTech for this ax, I think it'll make a world of difference. I even thought about getting one for my Dean el/ac, which also has tuning issues (even though it has a bone nut!). But I'm replacing the cheap plastic SADDLE on that one first...what is it with these git'r companies putting 25 cent parts on $500 git'rs??? :?
Anyway...They didn't have a TremNut in the exact dimensions I need for the 'binez, so I talked to one of their tech guys about shaping it to fit. THe important figure - string spacing - is exact, so it's just a matter of height, which I'll match exactly to the original. Should fit like a dream.
As for the new dream girl - hey, all these guys have been prodding me to lower my standards to increase my chances. Look at it this way - with this \"woman\", it'd be a step up from livestock, and she can put gas in the car.
I just used a piece of sandpaper against the back of the nut to reduce the overall height. If you have to sand it down significantly, they say you can keep that graphite dust, and when mixed with a small amount of glue, it can be used to fill a string groove if it wears down low enough to cause problems.
As for your new avatar, I'm glad it's only in jest, but I do wonder....where the hell do you even find something like that? :shock:
BTW I put the graph tech nut, saddle and string tees on my fender a/e...and I can say it really improved it's ability to be/stay in tune, it's super slippery stuff.
I just used a piece of sandpaper against the back of the nut to reduce the overall height. If you have to sand it down significantly, they say you can keep that graphite dust, and when mixed with a small amount of glue, it can be used to fill a string groove if it wears down low enough to cause problems.
As for your new avatar, I'm glad it's only in jest, but I do wonder....where the hell do you even find something like that? :shock:
Google \"Ugly Women\". Or else hang around where I live, they're everywhere. :evil:
The tech at GraphTech was really helpful with tips and info about altering the size or shape of a grpahite piece, so I'm confident it'll go in fine. I intend to match it identiacally to the original, so the geometry is the same in terms of string spacing and height and fit and so on. Wish me luck! 8)
FYI - he advised against the dust/glue solution...
Hey Shredd, in regards to those DM pups you've stuck in - maybe the pafs are designed to fit floyd trem bridges?? Its just a thought so don't quote me on it. I've found trems have a string spacing thats the tiniest bit wider so they will be a bit out for a hardtail guitar. I've seen the exact same thing on a hardtail Ibanez with my ax techy down the road.
You say its 2mm out to the poles - is that on side of the strings like your bottom 2 or 3 or is it across the strings in general? Personally, I don't think 2mm is much to worry about, it could actually balance the sound level of each string which is never a bad thing. I guess you should think about a string's sideways movement when you pluck it - as it moves each way it could actually reduce that 2mm gap when you're playing perhaps. Some pups bring out the top strings, some the bottoms....and this could be in the same brand of pups. Wierd how they do that, especially if you have a pup that stuffs up, you replace it with the same model and it sounds/responds different. :?
I remember years ago sticking a red tele lace bridge pup in a tele deluxe I had and even tho it had heaps more balls, the top string was a bit weak compared to the other 5. At first I hated this but it made the guitar much more friendly on stage - less peaky etc. I didn't take the cover off the lace but I think the top pole was out a bit maybe, wasn't an issue tho.
But if you like the sound of em, just go with the flow man. 8)
The F-spaced pups were the right size for the git'r, despite it's being a hard tail...standard spaced pups woulda been WAY too narrow. And it's not the overall width of the pups that's the problem - it's that the ENTIRE pup is sort of \"off-center\", by those coupla mm.
But...it doesn't seem to affect the output or the string balance, so I'm not gonna sweat it. It sounds good, and way better than it did with the factory EMG's in it. I just thought it was an odd thing to happen...
OK, here's how the graphite nut install played out.
BAD. :evil: :evil: :evil:
I'm a pretty handy guy and I've done it all with guitars, not counting refinishing. I've replaced and adjusted every part there is, done neck/truss adjustments, intonation, bridge & saddle adjustments, you name it. I even formed a genuine bone saddle from a blank for my acous/elec. that came put PERfect. So I was pretty confident that, armed with really good information, I could do a proper graphite nut fitting and install.
Well. I got the nut, worked it to match the orginal cheepie plastic nut to the closest tolerances I could measure with the stuff I have to work with...once I'd finished it, it looked perfect - and identical to the original.
BUT...once I installed it, the git'r played like s**t. It seems that even the most microscopic difference in dimension/s has a profound effect on the tuning of a git'r, or more specifically the ability of a string to STAY in tune when fingered at various fret positions.
So....guess what? I ended up reinstalling the original cheepie nut, and now it plays fine again - just won't stay in tune, 'cuz of the strings sticking to the cheap plastic nut. :roll: :evil: MEGA frustration.
So in my mind, the only solution is to have a real live pru-fesh-nul luthier cut and install a graphite nut for me...once this tuning issue is resolved, this is going to be my main git'r. At least until 'wild lets me have his PRS. 8)
Any 'o youse guyz wanna come over and get this thing sized up??? I'll have Shania come over for post-op entertainment!!!
Man that sucks....I was hoping this would work out for you, then try it myself...nut & bridge placement must really be a precise measurement
Yeah, I really expected it to go well, since I intended to match the shape/size/etc of the nut exactly. I've done very well with other mods/repairs/replacements I've done. And even though it appeared identical and measured right, once in, the guitar was totally out of whack. Now, there's just as good a chance I did something wrong, but I gotta admit, I'm getting gun-shy about putting one of these on my Dean... :?
Man that sucks....I was hoping this would work out for you, then try it myself...nut & bridge placement must really be a precise measurement
Got interesting newz for ya 'blooz...
Tonight I sat down to play the 'binez, original cheepie plastic nut and all. Lo and behold, the same string-tuning issue is still there, even after doing a full setup after putting the original nut back. I did bridge and action adjustment, and intonation; it's all spot on, so tonight I put the graphite nut BACK on, and once the cement dries, I'll do full setup again, and see if the dang thing'll stay in tune.
If it doesn't, it's going to be firewood and I'm joining a quilting circle. :shock:
Maybe you needed a truss rod adjustment after the 1st install?...where is Lured Maul when you need him...
I think you're right...I hadn't notice the git'r playing so poorly before the graphite nut project, but even after I pulled it off and put the cheepie back on, it wasn't right. So now, I have the graphite one back on. The neck seems straight as an arrow - I have a steel straight-edge I use for this - but it ain't quite right. I'm going to adjust a slight bow into it, see if that helps... :roll:
Comments
Anyway...They didn't have a TremNut in the exact dimensions I need for the 'binez, so I talked to one of their tech guys about shaping it to fit. THe important figure - string spacing - is exact, so it's just a matter of height, which I'll match exactly to the original. Should fit like a dream.
As for the new dream girl - hey, all these guys have been prodding me to lower my standards to increase my chances. Look at it this way - with this \"woman\", it'd be a step up from livestock, and she can put gas in the car.
I just used a piece of sandpaper against the back of the nut to reduce the overall height. If you have to sand it down significantly, they say you can keep that graphite dust, and when mixed with a small amount of glue, it can be used to fill a string groove if it wears down low enough to cause problems.
As for your new avatar, I'm glad it's only in jest, but I do wonder....where the hell do you even find something like that? :shock:
BTW I put the graph tech nut, saddle and string tees on my fender a/e...and I can say it really improved it's ability to be/stay in tune, it's super slippery stuff.
Peace,
Dobb.
Google \"Ugly Women\". Or else hang around where I live, they're everywhere. :evil:
The tech at GraphTech was really helpful with tips and info about altering the size or shape of a grpahite piece, so I'm confident it'll go in fine. I intend to match it identiacally to the original, so the geometry is the same in terms of string spacing and height and fit and so on. Wish me luck! 8)
FYI - he advised against the dust/glue solution...
Maybe thats a good thing, keeping dust in a baggie might raise suspicions about what I do in my spare time
Peace,
Dobb.
You say its 2mm out to the poles - is that on side of the strings like your bottom 2 or 3 or is it across the strings in general? Personally, I don't think 2mm is much to worry about, it could actually balance the sound level of each string which is never a bad thing. I guess you should think about a string's sideways movement when you pluck it - as it moves each way it could actually reduce that 2mm gap when you're playing perhaps. Some pups bring out the top strings, some the bottoms....and this could be in the same brand of pups. Wierd how they do that, especially if you have a pup that stuffs up, you replace it with the same model and it sounds/responds different. :?
I remember years ago sticking a red tele lace bridge pup in a tele deluxe I had and even tho it had heaps more balls, the top string was a bit weak compared to the other 5. At first I hated this but it made the guitar much more friendly on stage - less peaky etc. I didn't take the cover off the lace but I think the top pole was out a bit maybe, wasn't an issue tho.
But if you like the sound of em, just go with the flow man. 8)
But...it doesn't seem to affect the output or the string balance, so I'm not gonna sweat it. It sounds good, and way better than it did with the factory EMG's in it. I just thought it was an odd thing to happen...
BAD. :evil: :evil: :evil:
I'm a pretty handy guy and I've done it all with guitars, not counting refinishing. I've replaced and adjusted every part there is, done neck/truss adjustments, intonation, bridge & saddle adjustments, you name it. I even formed a genuine bone saddle from a blank for my acous/elec. that came put PERfect. So I was pretty confident that, armed with really good information, I could do a proper graphite nut fitting and install.
Well. I got the nut, worked it to match the orginal cheepie plastic nut to the closest tolerances I could measure with the stuff I have to work with...once I'd finished it, it looked perfect - and identical to the original.
BUT...once I installed it, the git'r played like s**t. It seems that even the most microscopic difference in dimension/s has a profound effect on the tuning of a git'r, or more specifically the ability of a string to STAY in tune when fingered at various fret positions.
So....guess what? I ended up reinstalling the original cheepie nut, and now it plays fine again - just won't stay in tune, 'cuz of the strings sticking to the cheap plastic nut. :roll: :evil:
So in my mind, the only solution is to have a real live pru-fesh-nul luthier cut and install a graphite nut for me...once this tuning issue is resolved, this is going to be my main git'r. At least until 'wild lets me have his PRS. 8)
Any 'o youse guyz wanna come over and get this thing sized up??? I'll have Shania come over for post-op entertainment!!!
Tonight I sat down to play the 'binez, original cheepie plastic nut and all. Lo and behold, the same string-tuning issue is still there, even after doing a full setup after putting the original nut back. I did bridge and action adjustment, and intonation; it's all spot on, so tonight I put the graphite nut BACK on, and once the cement dries, I'll do full setup again, and see if the dang thing'll stay in tune.
If it doesn't, it's going to be firewood and I'm joining a quilting circle. :shock: