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Do shorter scale guitars not stay in tune as well?


iago

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It's just your J-45.

 

Has the weather in your area been fluctuating much? That'd do it. Or it could be the way you're winding your strings at the posts (please forgive me for that one if you've been playing for a trillion years - I don't mean anything by it). I was setting my strings at the posts in kind of a random way I thought looked purdy until I read Frank Ford's bit on stringing up a few years ago. My guitars never seem to go out of tune now, except that blasted classical. My short scale 000 is always in tune.

 

Edit: The Frank Ford bit I referred to is on Frets.com. I'd attach a link to the specific article, but I'm on an iPhone and navigating on this thing is a {censored}er.

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I've had it for 4 years and it's had tuning problems all along despite a couple of setups and swapped tuners. Very annoying as my other guitars stay in tune great--but don't sound as good.

 

Quite a conundrum. Considering looking at other J45's or maybe a Martin 000-18. Or a plain old D18.

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Yep but he set up my Martin and it stays in tune beautifully. And the J45 didn't stay in tune long before he ever touched it.


Trust me it's the guitar.

 

Are you going to keep it or sell it?

 

If you keep it, maybe you could set it up for slide? Of course, if it won't stay in tune that won't be too pleasant either.

 

Shoot, man, what a drag. :(

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Seriously, send your guitar to me.

If I can't fix it, I won't charge you anything. When I do fix it let, me borrow it long enough to do some recording...no charge.

I'll pay shipping too.

 

As said by DonK, I never experienced a problem with short scale guitars. You might have to swap out tuners and see if that doesn't work. I prefer Gotoh butterbeans for a J45 (1947 style).

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Variance in scale length is not something that would cause this problem. If your guitar is properly set up, if the nut is cut correctly so the strings don't bind, if you are stringing it so there is no slippage at the bridge or tuners your nut is not slipping, and if it hasn't been exposed to radical changes in heat and humidity, we're left with some structural instability. Is the bridge lifting? Check for loose or broken braces, bridge plate. Same for heel and end block. Something's wrong somewhere. Good luck, hope you find it.

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