String slippage?

[tylereot]

My jag has a squier neck and tuners on it.  They seemed exactly like the Fender standard, so I didn't really even think about replacing them.

Now, I think the high E string is slipping.  I replaced the strings (D'Addario 12-52's), and it did it again this morning.  I'd tune it to pitch, bend the string, and it would drop a tone or more out of tune!
Anyone have this happen?  Could it possibly be I got two sets of defective strings?
The tuner post has a lot of winds on it, and the string is in the slot at the top, and down the center of the post.  I can't figure it out... :dontknow:
thanks!

 

[stratamania]

It could have slipped at the bridge end, if it is only happening when fitting new strings the string may have not seated fully till you did the bend.

 

[tylereot]

It could have slipped at the bridge end, if it is only happening when fitting new strings the string may have not seated fully till you did the bend.

Good thinking.  I'm going to play and bend some more.  Last set wasn't new, and might have been defective.  This set might have been coincidence, as you suggest.  Thanks.

 

[rolloman]

You know for sure it's slipping and not stretching?  With new string set it takes me 15 minutes of string stretching checking with electronic tuner, retuning, stretching, checking, retuning, stretching, over and over until they finally don't change anymore. The wound strings take the most time. About 10 stretches on the high E usually does it. Also I think that lot's of winds actually makes slippage worse. Heres a good vid on stringing http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jcAhRs0z6l8 I have locking tuners so I don't have to worry about it. It still takes the string stretching though that I always do. Heres a good vid on string stretching http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_7DxlcE2A2M

 

[MikeW]

Chances are that it's the tuners. Our other guitarist got a Squire Strat for his kids to mess around on and it suffers from the same problem. I dropped an old set of Gotoh tuners onto it and the problem went away.

When I played with the tuners for a bit I could tell that the gears inside the tuner were not seated together very well since there was a bit of play in the tuner when I wiggled the knob back and forth. That play, under the tension of the string, caused the string to slip flat every time I bent the string. You might want to do the same test to see if you're seeing that same slippage. The good news is that a decent set of tuners is pretty cheap so the fix isn't hard or expensive.

 

[line6man]

The tuner post has a lot of winds on it

Get rid of the extra windings. You want as few as possible.

 

[Cagey]

The tuner post has a lot of winds on it, and the string is in the slot at the top, and down the center of the post. 

That's a large part of the problem. When you loosen/stretch the string(s) either by bending or with the vibrato, the winds on the tuner posts relax or tighten so the string(s) don't return to their original tension and you end up out of tune. Takes very little change. Also, if you have string trees, the strings can get hung up due to friction. Then the nut itself may have the slots cut too tight or at a bad angle.

In the guitar world, the greatest invention since steel strings has been locking tuners. It's pure foolishness to not use them. There are even versions of them that have the same physical appearance as junk beer can Klusons, so if you want to present yourself as someone who knows absolutely nothing about guitars, you can.

Good tuners aren't cheap, but they're worth every penny.

 

[rolloman]

The tuner post has a lot of winds on it, and the string is in the slot at the top, and down the center of the post. 

Good tuners aren't cheap, but they're worth every penny.

  :icon_thumright:  First commandment: "Thou shalt not own a guitar without locking tuners". Added benefit is changing strings is a breeze and can be done in 1/16th the time.

 

[tylereot]

Yeah, I've got locking tuners on my Jazzmaster.  They're nice.  They're the heaviest part of the guitar, so they're not without tradeoffs.  This Jag is heavy already.
After playing a few hours on it, it seems to be pretty stable now. 
Thanks gents.

 

[Cagey]

Contrary to popular opinion, here are some facts with evidence...

"Deluxe" beer can tuners from Kluson that won't hold a tune and wear out in 10 minutes

Delicious Locking Sperzels​

Almost no difference in weight at all. Certainly nothing to be concerned about. If you're sensitive to a couple/few grams of head weight, you've got much more serious problems than neck weight to deal with.