My les paul gets out of tune whenever i bend a lot on the 3rd and 2nd string.

[mbengs1]

what's the solution to this? i guess its because the string pull isnt straight. it does not go out of tune that bad but i have to be careful when i bend strings.

[jtr654]

Fewer turns of the string around the post of the tuners and stretching the strings.

[sammyreynolds01]

Sounds like the problem is in the nut.

[mbengs1]

the only solution i can think of is oiling the nut. but the nut is plastic, not brass or metal

[billybilly]

Hmm... My Les Paul Studio Faded with Burstbuckers that cost me $600 has never had that problem. Weird?

[wankdeplank]

My Custom Lite either. I've seen a few with tuning instability though and always thought it was those Kluson knock-offs. Who knows, neck angle maybe. Doubt it's the nut though, unless the boys at Gibson have been cutting corners again.

[DeepEnd]

the only solution i can think of is oiling the nut. but the nut is plastic' date=' not brass or metal[/quote']

As far as I know, the nut is Corian, softer than bone, TUSQ or brass but usually adequate.

[WRGKMC]

Paul nits are cut to .009 gauge strings and my fit 10's without pinching. If you're using heavier gauges strings you may need the nut slots and the bridge saddles widened. The saddles can pinch just as much as the nut can.

 

A quick test to check for binding is to use a tuner. Then press the string down between the nut and tuner. It should return to tune immediately. If not try lubing the slots with graphite grease.

 

Another possibility is the ball ends are gradually unwinding. What I do when putting new strings on is unwrap my strings and put a drop of crazy glue on the ball end winds. I let it dry awhile while I'm removing the old strings then I wipe them off and make sure its dry before putting the new strings on. This essentially gives the strings a bullet end that wont slip. If you still have the string going out its either binding or improper string winding.

 

There are 2 methods for locking strings that can be used. The first is this one which is the under over methods which locks the string with the wraps. This used to be on the back of guitar string packs.

 

 

 

Another method is the one wrap over which pinches the string from both sides. This should have also had a right angle bend at the end.

 

 

 

I use both. I use the first one then do a half turn over the top then crossover to the bottom.

I never, ever have an issue with string slippage on the tuners. I may need to stretch them in a bit to tighten the turns but that's it.

 

 

One other item I've never seen mentioned on any site is string twist.

 

Its easy to get the string twisted up like a phone cord gets when installing them. After you get your strings on and before you tune up, its a wise thing to slacken the string so the ball end can spin free and allow the string to unwind end to end so the string has no cork screw twist. You'll find you have less oddball string vibrations, less fret buzz, and better sounding strings after the strings are tuned up and broken in.

[1001gear]

Wrapping the posts upwards and manually before tying up through the hole is supposed to address the twisting issue. Never done it that way though. I've always crimped the loose string at the hole and guided the wind downward at the post until tension was achieved and then continued winding up to pitch. 3 turns for wounds and a couple more for plains. Works out to 4, 5 inches slack off the fretboard before crimping the end. Once the string is wound you can clip the end at an 8th of an inch. I find this sufficient for fixed bridges. Nice clean store looking wind too.

I take care of any binding at the nut with spray type silicone.

 

[billybilly]

Sounds like the problem is in the nut.

 

Don't call him that!

[DeepEnd]

Paul nits are cut to .009 gauge strings and my fit 10's without pinching. If you're using heavier gauges strings you may need the nut slots and the bridge saddles widened. . . .

I may be wrong but I was under the impression this was a new guitar with stock strings so that shouldn't be a problem. If so, they're Gibson Brite Wires nickel plated steel. I'm betting the strings haven't finished stretching yet. Pinching issues should be minimal with plain strings like the 2nd and 3rd. If the problem is with the nut slots, a bit of graphite from an ordinary pencil should cure it, at least in the short term. If it does, the OP will know what the problem is. Meanwhile, we need more data.

[Bucksstudent]

Get it professionally set up. Perhaps you'll want to have the nut replaced.

[WRGKMC]

Thats likely the answer then. Gibson hasn't sold decent quality stings in over 25 years. I've tried them all on my paul and they have the same symptoms the OP is having. The winding on the wrapped strings is very large and can hang up on the nut and saddles too. You'll find the large wraps chew the hell out of the frets. The labels make you think you're getting something good but they're just cheap branded low quality strings.

 

They must have used someone else to make their strings (like 30+ years ago) because they used to be darn good strings. My guess is they had a company like Labella make them back then using good Pittsburg steel.

I think they've done the same as Fender did and have them made some other third world country that uses inferior materials now.

 

There are so many other great brands out there in comparison today. No need to stick with crummy strings. Other then to try the instrument out a little, the first thing I do is change strings to my normal brands then set it up for those strings. Something new out of the box or off the rack, forget it. Who knows what might have changed wile it sat on a rack or in a box.

 

Do what Buckstudent said and get it set up with decent strings.

[WRGKMC]

Try it, it works very well.

[Phil O'Keefe]

the only solution i can think of is oiling the nut. but the nut is plastic' date=' not brass or metal[/quote']

 

It won't hurt it. I use PTFE, which is liquid teflon. You used to be able to buy tubes of it at Radio Shack. I'm not sure where you'd buy it now. In a pinch, you can use graphite - just use a pencil and rub a bit into the nut slots. Basically it does the same thing - lubes the nut slot and reduces binding, which can cause the string to "catch" and tuning to suffer.

 

 

[badpenguin]

Plus one for Phil's pencil suggestion. A little graphite rubbed into the slots should be an easy fix. If these are the strings the guitar came with, trash them and get a real set on it. Stock strings are garbage, since, 1) you don't know how long they have been on the guitar, and 2) you don't know how many hands have been on them. Replace, with a little pencil dust, and you should be good to go.

[RGfretter]

Solution Floyd Rose.

 

Easy

what's the solution to this? i guess its because the string pull isnt straight. it does not go out of tune that bad but i have to be careful when i bend strings.

[eeddings]

Paul nits are cut to .009 gauge strings and my fit 10's without pinching. If you're using heavier gauges strings you may need the nut slots and the bridge saddles widened. The saddles can pinch just as much as the nut can.

 

A quick test to check for binding is to use a tuner. Then press the string down between the nut and tuner. It should return to tune immediately. If not try lubing the slots with graphite grease.

 

Another possibility is the ball ends are gradually unwinding. What I do when putting new strings on is unwrap my strings and put a drop of crazy glue on the ball end winds. I let it dry awhile while I'm removing the old strings then I wipe them off and make sure its dry before putting the new strings on. This essentially gives the strings a bullet end that wont slip. If you still have the string going out its either binding or improper string winding.

 

There are 2 methods for locking strings that can be used. The first is this one which is the under over methods which locks the string with the wraps. This used to be on the back of guitar string packs.

 

 

 

Another method is the one wrap over which pinches the string from both sides. This should have also had a right angle bend at the end.

 

 

 

I use both. I use the first one then do a half turn over the top then crossover to the bottom.

I never, ever have an issue with string slippage on the tuners. I may need to stretch them in a bit to tighten the turns but that's it.

 

 

One other item I've never seen mentioned on any site is string twist.

 

Its easy to get the string twisted up like a phone cord gets when installing them. After you get your strings on and before you tune up, its a wise thing to slacken the string so the ball end can spin free and allow the string to unwind end to end so the string has no cork screw twist. You'll find you have less oddball string vibrations, less fret buzz, and better sounding strings after the strings are tuned up and broken in.

 

This is great information. Thank you for taking the time to write and share!

[1001gear]

The Polish wind? I can see it'll work but not that it'll make a difference to me. I'd like to hear an untwisted strings vs down n dirty standard winds comparison.

[GAS Man]

 

There are 2 methods for locking strings that can be used. The first is this one which is the under over methods which locks the string with the wraps. This used to be on the back of guitar string packs.

 

 

 

Another method is the one wrap over which pinches the string from both sides. This should have also had a right angle bend at the end.

 

 

 

I use both.

 

I use both too. I routinely use the "under over wrap" method for the plain strings and the "pinch wrap" method for the wound strings. I think I just find the "under over wrap" method to just be a bit too bulky on the capstan for the thicker wound strings.

 

 

 

I usually cure most of my binding/tuning issues with a bit of Big Bends Nut Sauce. The stuff is a bit overpriced, and looks like nothing more than a thick Vaseline, but its a convenient tool and works well for me.

[Radar-Love]

the only solution i can think of is oiling the nut. but the nut is plastic' date=' not brass or metal[/quote']

 

 

 

I use "Nut Sauce" (band) lubricant, which is basically a safe viscous mineral oil in a syringe-like applicator. You only need one drop at the most in each slot.

 

Graphite will also work well (see second photo).

 

 

 

 

 

Pencil graphite will also work well. Just carefully carve some off some dust directly into the nut slot, like below. You only need a small amount in the affected slots.

 

 

[gdsmithtx]

I have a precision oiler that I use to take care of most guitar nut-related ills.

[WRGKMC]

There's one other method I used to use allot. With the thinner strings you can feed it through the holes, take it 1/2 way around then feed it through the hole again. This does a good job locking it off. It just winds up being a bit more difficult removing the strings.

 

On slotted tuners like the old Fender Klusons I used to put the string end in the hole, take it half way around, then across the slot (if the strings fit) You could also add the over under as well. The vintage didn't allow allot of wraps so any kind of lockage helped.

[WRGKMC]

I have a tube of graphite power that I bought at the hardware store. It got a hypo needle to feed it out but its too puffy to feed directly on a nut. I found it best to mix it with a few drops of Teflon oil (Tri Flow) which makes it easier to apply using a tooth pick. You want to be sure you do the nut slots and saddles because the string stretches at both ends when you bend strings and any binding prevents the string from coming back to neutral tension.

[1001gear]

I use dental floss or a strand of string. Good for just cleaning the slots too.