The ESP Guitar Company

think it could be the nut isnt cut properly?

trev-

Hey guys- I have an LTD Truckster and for some bloody reason the G string will not stay in tune! I tried setting it up, put some Big Bends Nut Sauce and even some graphite from a pencil and it still gets outta tune. I called up ESP and they said it couldn't be the Sperzels but what's left? I've changed strings and even string brands and gauges and nada. Ideas?

Trev-

Does it go sharp or flat? If it goes sharp mostly, it's too thick for the nut slot. Try either a thinner string or have the nut slot enlarged.

Damn G string is always out of whack.

i guess its a little flat? have to retune up a bit. its not much, just enough to be annoying sometimes.

trev-

take a file and gently file down the nut slot, sides only.

well i called ESP, talked to josh and he said if its the nut, take it to a luthier, dont try myself, but hes sending me a new tuner just in case. i hope it does something.

if i were to do the nut, you said file the sides- how much?

trev-

If it's going flat it means it's slipping. I'd wait with the nut untill you eliminate the tuner, as that's a much easier fix.

ok so i suck at theory and flats n sharps- it i have to tune the note up that means its flat. the note is lower than it should be. so..tuner?

trev-

get a piece of 1500 grit wet/dry sand paper. Fold a piece in half and run a pen or pencil down the folded edge. Get it slightly wet and slide it through the nut slot 3-5 times. It's likely that there is chatter in the groove that the graphite and lube can;t take care of. The sand paper will remove the chatter but won't make the slot sloppy like a file WILL. If you still get hung up repeat the process a few times. It all depends on how much chatter there really is.

StewMac also sells sanding cord that works excellent for removing chatter from a ut slot.

well josh at ESP was kind enough to send me a new sperzel n i threw it in there n it seems to hold a tune perfectly now!!

That's ace.

Really strange for a sperzel to crap out like that, they usually make pretty good stuff. I guess it stands to reason that if you make enough of them you're going to have a few bad ones.

yeah i hope its the fix cuz i'm gonna sell it and i want it to be in tip-top before someone gets it, cuz i would want that to be how im treated.