High Value Man Posted May 5, 2010 Report Share Posted May 5, 2010 So I am trying to tune my guitar a half a step down and the damn thing returns to standard tuning within a couple of minutes. Now I know that can be normal for a little while, but I've re tuned this thing down about 8 times and thing returns to standard tuning. It's kinda funny actually cause I am trying to record a song, and just when I think I am a half step down I am like "Wait a minute, that fucker sounds like it's gone back to standard tuning again". Sure enough.... Anything I can do to rectify the situation other than continuing to just tune it down for like the next 3 hours? It's not a cheap guitar either (Rickenbacker) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lmnop Posted May 5, 2010 Report Share Posted May 5, 2010 hmm how new are the strings? possibly stretch them out a little bit. i know some guitars are touchy when they are set up for a certain tuning they want to stay in that tuning because all the intonation and everything is (supposed to be) where it should be Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matticus001 Posted May 6, 2010 Report Share Posted May 6, 2010 I think it's because of your tremolo, there might be some trick to detuning it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OrganGrinderX182 Posted May 6, 2010 Report Share Posted May 6, 2010 thats so weird, ive never heard of strings tuning up, not down, on their own, have you tried tuning a whole step down? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dean Posted May 6, 2010 Report Share Posted May 6, 2010 Yeah I can't imagine why it would be tuning up, that doesn't make a great deal of sense to me. I'd try stretching the strings out anyway, tune up a half/whole step and play on it for a little while, then try tune it back down a couple of steps to the tuning you want. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ghost Posted May 6, 2010 Report Share Posted May 6, 2010 Maybe you have a Floyd Rose type of bridge? Anyway, to tune down a guitar is recomended to go to a luthier to do some several important changes. The 'insides' of the neck should be touched if you want to maintain the new tunning for a long time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Julian Casablancas Posted May 6, 2010 Report Share Posted May 6, 2010 Maybe it has to do something with the spring tension on your Bigsby tremolo? just guessing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
High Value Man Posted May 6, 2010 Author Report Share Posted May 6, 2010 Thanks everyone. It's a Bigsby, so I imagine it has something to do with that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tom18222 Posted May 7, 2010 Report Share Posted May 7, 2010 when you tune down, go lower Eb then tune back up to Eb, if you know what i mean. sometimes the strings can get caught up in the machine heads. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
david to the fifth power Posted May 7, 2010 Report Share Posted May 7, 2010 Maybe you have a Floyd Rose type of bridge? he said it's a rickenbacker, so it's definitely not that. Maybe it has to do something with the spring tension on your Bigsby tremolo? just guessing. bigsby's don't have adjustable spring tensions, the only way to change it is to change the spring keeping the arm floating. anyways, more to the point, guitars aren't meant to have tunings changed on a whim. they're made to be set up to one tuning type and stay there, constantly changing from e to eb is going to mess with the neck. when you lower the tension on the strings, you're lowering the tension on the neck. that's why you see people touring with several guitars, because they're all set up for one specific tuning. so definitely don't change the tuning just cause you want to play a different song. set up your nice guitar for e and then have whatever else you have set up to eb. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest GrandpaReefer Posted May 7, 2010 Report Share Posted May 7, 2010 dont spend $5,000 on a guitar when you don't know what you're doing loliver Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lmnop Posted May 7, 2010 Report Share Posted May 7, 2010 Maybe you have a Floyd Rose type of bridge? he said it's a rickenbacker, so it's definitely not that. Maybe it has to do something with the spring tension on your Bigsby tremolo? just guessing. bigsby's don't have adjustable spring tensions, the only way to change it is to change the spring keeping the arm floating. anyways, more to the point, guitars aren't meant to have tunings changed on a whim. they're made to be set up to one tuning type and stay there, constantly changing from e to eb is going to mess with the neck. when you lower the tension on the strings, you're lowering the tension on the neck. that's why you see people touring with several guitars, because they're all set up for one specific tuning. so definitely don't change the tuning just cause you want to play a different song. set up your nice guitar for e and then have whatever else you have set up to eb. /topic Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
High Value Man Posted May 7, 2010 Author Report Share Posted May 7, 2010 Got it David. Ifigured people just toured with other guitars in different tunings cause they were too lazy to detune it themselves. That makes sense now. Thanks everyone. dont spend $5,000 on a guitar when you don't know what you're doing loliver Yeah. I swear I've played guitar for 14 years and I am decent, but I don't know shit about the technical aspects and how to set one up and all that other stuff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ghost Posted May 7, 2010 Report Share Posted May 7, 2010 Maybe you have a Floyd Rose type of bridge? he said it's a rickenbacker, so it's definitely not that. Oh shit, sorry... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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