“…as low as possible without any buzzing…” says Steve Vai. That’s one of those phrases that really rattles my cage. Simplistic and missing an important nuance. Read me disagree with Steve Vai.
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So, we need to talk. There’s one thing in the whole ‘tuning chain’ that is worth considering as being a source of tuning problems. It’s a bit delicate, though. And, well… it’s you!
No, really…
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If you were lining tuning problems up against a cop-station height chart, the NUT would be the prime suspect. He’s got motive and opportunity and his alibi is looking shaky.
That damn nut is probably the biggest cause of tuning problems.
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More ‘found’ stuff from the Haze Guitars archives. This time it’s an unusual opportunity for luthiery education from the early ‘60s.
I give you, the View-Meister…
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String-stretching is an oddly contentious subject so I’m not opening the floor for arguments or opinions. What follows is my considered view on how and why to stretch new strings. It works and it helps.
Feel free to disagree but do it on your own site. 😉
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Continuing our look at tuning problems, let’s start with something pretty fundamental. If your guitar’s not strung well, you’re already on the back-foot. Get this right and it just might lead to a more stable instrument.
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It might be counter-intuitive but replacing your tuners might not actually solve your tuning problems. Here’s the story…
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When you say your guitar goes out of tune, what to you mean? Does the tuning slip over time as you play or does it sound out of tune in different places? How we attempt to solve things means we have to get to the bottom of what’s really wrong.
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Advances in piezo materials paved the way for an evolution in under-saddle transducer pickup design. Let’s see the main types available now…
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First time you encounter a Takamine Palathetic pickup, you’re all, like, “Woah! Dude!? What gives?”
Yeah, it’s a bit weird-looking compared to most other under-saddle transducer pickups but there’s method behind Takamine’s madness.
Check it out… (Dude)…
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Normally, Id recommend a bone saddle as a good upgrade for an acoustic instrument. However, here’s a rare instance where I’d advise against bone. Takamine-style integrated pickups don’t always play nicely with bone saddles.
Find out more…
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Lowering the action on an acoustic guitar is generally a (relatively) straightforward task.
Unless, of course, your guitar has a Takamine-style ‘integrated pickup’. Then you need to regroup.
Get the low-down…
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