[Fajah]

My SX bass has no problem staying in tune while I'm playing. However, when intially getting set up and tuning before playing, it's sometimes a challenge to get it spot on. I use a Korg electronic tuner and D'Addario half round strings.

At first glance, the culprit may be nut, since it looks pretty cheesy. The machine heads seems ok.

Any thoughts and/or advice?

Lawrie

 

[Hamm Guitars]

I have a few different tuners. I have two that are actually the same model, and one of them is 'slow' in its reaction time. It works, but it takes about half a second to catch up to what's actually going on.

At first I suspected something was off, but I was trusting the tuner over my ear. After a couple of minutes, I tried another tuner and verified that the tuner was wonky.

Barring tunning issues with the bass, have you pluged anything else into the tuner or tried another tuner on the bass?

Faulty instruments can really throw a wrench into things.

 

[Fajah]

I have a few different tuners. I have two that are actually the same model, and one of them is 'slow' in its reaction time. It works, but it takes about half a second to catch up to what's actually going on.

At first I suspected something was off, but I was trusting the tuner over my ear. After a couple of minutes, I tried another tuner and verified that the tuner was wonky.

Barring tunning issues with the bass, have you pluged anything else into the tuner or tried another tuner on the bass?

Faulty instruments can really throw a wrench into things.

Never thought about the tuner itself. I was originally using my Intellitouch tuner, which is great for guitar, but not so good for bass. I've used the Korg to adjust my intonation after some neck tweaking and it's spot on, so I don't think it's the tuner. I'm thinking that it may either be some binding in the slots of the nut, or maybe the gear ratio of the machine heads.

Lawrie

 

[james on bass]

I think it's probably a combination of the tuners and the nut. As you know, both are decent but not stellar. I have a Graphtek nut on my fretless and it stays in tune and tunes up just fine. The p-bass has the stock nut, and it does come out of tune a bit, but I've always tuned up between sets regardless of the basses I've been using.

 

[Fajah]

I think it's probably a combination of the tuners and the nut. As you know, both are decent but not stellar. I have a Graphtek nut on my fretless and it stays in tune and tunes up just fine. The p-bass has the stock nut, and it does come out of tune a bit, but I've always tuned up between sets regardless of the basses I've been using.

I happen to think the tuners are pretty decent as well. My gut instinct is that a good nut will probably do the trick. Did you replace the nut yourself?

 

[james on bass]

I happen to think the tuners are pretty decent as well. My gut instinct is that a good nut will probably do the trick. Did you replace the nut yourself?

Yes. If I were to do it again, I'd heat up the stock nut somehow first. The glue holding it let go with a bit of a snap and the nut came out in pieces. Light sanding on the bottom of the new one and a couple of dabs of glue and it has been fine.
I have a second one that I should really try to install on the p. Maybe with the new bridge, pups and pick gaurd in a week or so.

 

[Fajah]

Yes. If I were to do it again, I'd heat up the stock nut somehow first. The glue holding it let go with a bit of a snap and the nut came out in pieces. Light sanding on the bottom of the new one and a couple of dabs of glue and it has been fine.
I have a second one that I should really try to install on the p. Maybe with the new bridge, pups and pick gaurd in a week or so.

Thanks James. Sounds easy enough and heating up the nut before makes sense. One last question...what type of glue did you use?

 

[Greenman]

It dosn't matter what kind of nut you have if the string is tight in the slot you will have issues. Take your E string off the tuner post and slide it back and forth in the slot to see if it has to be cut for that particular string guage. I would also lube your tuners with a dab of vasoline.

 

[Fajah]

It dosn't matter what kind of nut you have if the string is tight in the slot you will have issues. Take your E string off the tuner post and slide it back and forth in the slot to see if it has to be cut for that particular string guage. I would also lube your tuners with a dab of vasoline.

Another idea.....thanks. Although I have changed the strings from stock, the gauge has remained the same. Pretty easy to do what you suggest as a first step.

 

[james on bass]

I just used a dab of white carpenter's glue.

I had to re-adjust the size of the slots anyway as I switched to tuning BEAD. Takes about 2 or 3 slides across with round wounds to widen the slot.