Dead G-string.

[Faugernauts]

My new acoustic/electric (Takamine EG531SSC) seems to have a problem with the G-string...It just doesn't sound as bright as the other strings and it takes more turns to tune it than the others...Is this a fixable problem?

 

I hope that made sense but anyway, I'm going to bed and I hope to have a remedy by tomorrow when I check the forum.

[JasmineTea]

I'll get right on it...

[Fred_Zeppelin]

First try changing the string for a new one.

 

If this doesnt fix it then since you've said that the guitar is new why not take it back to the shop and ask them to check it out.

 

It should be fixable , sounds like it might be a nut or bridge problem.

[Faugernauts]

Would putting in some new, maybe brass, bridge pins in help?

 

When I changed the strings the first time, they were hard as hell to get out and left my fingers aching for a couple days.

[JasmineTea]

 

Originally posted by Faugernauts Would putting in some new, maybe brass, bridge pins in help? When I changed the strings the first time, they were hard as hell to get out and left my fingers aching for a couple days.

Later for the brass. Get it to work right first with normal pins, brass pins change the sound (supposedly)

 

Dude, use a regular-everyday pliers or a pin-puller to pull the bridge-pins. Don't use your fingers, and don't use your teeth.

[JasmineTea]

 

Originally posted by Faugernauts My new acoustic/electric (Takamine EG531SSC) seems to have a problem with the G-string...It just doesn't sound as bright as the other strings and it takes more turns to tune it than the others...Is this a fixable problem?

Don't know why it's taking more turns. Mabey there was a lot of extra string in the body that had to pull through when you tuned it up.

 

For the dead string: Make sure the saddle is making good contact with the bottem of the slot. If the saddle or the slot is cut wrong, it may not have good contact under the G string.

[kwakatak]

First things first, you should check out www.frets.com and look around. There is a ton of very useful information. Start at this page:

http://www.frets.com/FRETSPages/OwnerManual/manssguitar.html

 

As for your questions, the easiest one to address would be the issue with the bridge pins. It's best to use a pair of wire cutters like they were a pair of pliers to pull the pin out. Because the sides are angled you won't mar the sides of the head of the pin, just be careful not to grip it too tight or you might snip of the head!

 

frets.com has another idea that I like where you use a dime to push the pin up from inside the guitar:

http://www.frets.com/FRETSPages/Musician/Guitar/Setup/SteelStrings/PullPin/pullpin.html

 

As for the choice of pins and how they affect tone, well that's a frequent cause for debate. Personally, I don't think they do much to affect tone and only serve a cosmetic purpose. Their only real job is to hold the ball-end of the string against the underside of the bridgeplate.

 

Re: your tuning problem, there could be several reasons why the string takes longer to tune than the others. My initial impression is that there's some slipping going on - either up at the tuning machine or underneath the bridge plate. If it's up at the tuner, the string may need to be wrapped a few more times around the post. If it's at the bridge, check to see if the ball-end is seated all the way up against the underside of the bridge.

 

Re: your string's tone issue, it may be related to the tuning problem. My first impression would be that the slot on the nut may not be a good fit for the string. A good indicator of this is if the string makes pinging noises while you're tuning it and the pitch does not change smoothly. This is caused by the string binding within the slot. The best ways to fix this would be to either try a lighter gauge string, use a little liquid graphite or have somebody file out the slot a little.

 

This same problem will affect the tone by dampening the string's vibration. To check to see if this is the issue, put a capo on any fret of your guitar and see if there's any improvement in the clarity of that string's tone.

 

If none of this advice works for you, then take your guitar to a local tech with a good repuation and have him to set your guitar up for you. It's not all that expensive; only $20-$30 for a routine setup. Be sure to ask questions; in my experience they really don't seem to mind it at all.

 

Sorry for the long post, but I've come up against many of these same problems over the years. Here's my disclaimer: these remedies are the combination of things I've tried that work for me, articles I've found or been referred to online (like www.frets.com) and general good advice by well-meaning forumites.