Acoustic Guitar problem: can someone help?

[StevenYoo]

hello all,

i have a Takamine G330S acoustic guitar.

i have a problem with the G-string (no wisecracks, PLEASE, no matter HOW tempting).

the G always pops on me. It's always flat and so i have to tune it up, but the string is stretching real tight, and the tuning peg is hard to turn. I do not have this problem with any other string.

has anyone ever been through this? This a problem with the guitar or the strings i'm using? (which are D'Addario light bronze strings, btw)

anyone know of any good guitar message boards where i can ask as well?

 

[AlienCraft]

There are a bunch of guitar players that hang around www.vai.comand www.meniketti.com
Are you trying to tune that G to the octave above where it should be? That's a common mistake.
It is possible that the tuning key has a "flat spot" that makes it difficult to tune smoothly.
Difficult to say without seeing it.

 

[Howard]

So you think the G string is too short?

 

[KingNothing]

I suppose you should check if the D string at the 5th fret sounds the same as the open G string. If it does, take your guitar to a music shop and have them look at it. Maybe you need a new tuning peg.

 

[StevenYoo]

Originally posted by: AlienCraft
There are a bunch of guitar players that hang around www.vai.comand www.meniketti.com
Are you trying to tune that G to the octave above where it should be? That's a common mistake.
It is possible that the tuning key has a "flat spot" that makes it difficult to tune smoothly.
Difficult to say without seeing it.

thanks for the links.

*EDIT*
no, i'm pretty darn sure i'm NOT tuning it an octave up. it's NOT an octave up. sorry for confusion!

What does a "flat spot" look like on a tuning peg? How does a flat spot cause this problem?

 

[GeneValgene]

of all the strings, the g-string is under the highest tension, and pops the most often.
however, it shoudln't happen as often as it sounds like it has been happening to you.
switch to higher gauge strings, or maybe you can take it to a luthier to have it checked out.

 

[Feanor727]

Well, if you're tuning it an octave up, then stop or else you'll break a string

Otherwise, take it to a guitar shop, explain your problem to their technician and have it set up properly

 

[Lithium381]

Originally posted by: GuybrushThreepwood

Originally posted by: AlienCraft
There are a bunch of guitar players that hang around www.vai.comand www.meniketti.com
Are you trying to tune that G to the octave above where it should be? That's a common mistake.
It is possible that the tuning key has a "flat spot" that makes it difficult to tune smoothly.
Difficult to say without seeing it.

thanks for the links.

no, i'm pretty darn sure i'm tuning it an octave up.

What does a "flat spot" look like on a tuning peg? How does a flat spot cause this problem?

yeah, that'd be the problem. The flat spot would be inside, not something you could really see, it's on the gear-head, and it causes it to slip since it's not holding it quite as well as it should be, and once you get the tension on there, it slips

 

[Lithium381]

Nice choice on the guitar BTW......*Drool*

 

[StevenYoo]

eeesh, sorry for the typo,

i am NOT, i repeat, i am NOT tuning the G an octave up.

it's tuned normally, and it's popping on me.

 

[faZZter]

Sometimes taking a pencil and rubbing some of the graphite off onto the groove where the string goes through at the nut will "lube" it up so it wont get stuck and "pop" (slip) on the nut as you tune it.

In other words if it gets too much friction there it can hold the string till it slips again making smooth tuning impossible.

Try it, it works for me.........

Oh yeah, also if your guitar has those little pegs that hold the non tuning end of the string in the guitar body, sometimes they slip there and pop out a little bit. Get a new peg if thats the case.

 

[Kelemvor]

Are you tuning them with an actual tuner, or just tuning them based on the other strings? If not using a tuner, it's possible the other strings are also set too high so when you set the G high to match, it pops it.

 

[fonzinator]

The next time your G string breaks, take a look at the saddle. Check for any burrs (read: rough spots) where the string has indented the saddle and sand them out with fine sandpaper. I do this regularly to prevent premature string breakage. I am NOT saying to sand out the grooves in your saddle - they are fine. You just want to get rid of sharp edges. Sand VERY lightly. You don't want to change the height or angle of your saddle.

Another suggestion is to look at the angle of your saddle underneath the G string. If the angle is too steep, the saddle could be placing too much stress on the string, casing premature breakage. You'll probably need a luthier's opinion for this one.

As for your tuning peg being hard to turn - are these sealed keys or open keys? Sealed keys are ideal for keeping out dirt and grit that will eventually wear out the gear. Is your guitar old? Is the G key really dirty? Is the screw on the key wound too tightly?

Final note: The band I used to play in was called Broken String because I broke an incessant amount of G-strings on my axe. I feel your pain.

 

[tweakmm]

How new are your strings?

 

[StevenYoo]

Originally posted by: fonzinator
The next time your G string breaks, take a look at the saddle. Check for any burrs (read: rough spots) where the string has indented the saddle and sand them out with fine sandpaper. I do this regularly to prevent premature string breakage. I am NOT saying to sand out the grooves in your saddle - they are fine. You just want to get rid of sharp edges. Sand VERY lightly. You don't want to change the height or angle of your saddle.

Another suggestion is to look at the angle of your saddle underneath the G string. If the angle is too steep, the saddle could be placing too much stress on the string, casing premature breakage. You'll probably need a luthier's opinion for this one.

As for your tuning peg being hard to turn - are these sealed keys or open keys? Sealed keys are ideal for keeping out dirt and grit that will eventually wear out the gear. Is your guitar old? Is the G key really dirty? Is the screw on the key wound too tightly?

Final note: The band I used to play in was called Broken String because I broke an incessant amount of G-strings on my axe. I feel your pain.

thanks for all the tips. i took my guitar (it's about 2 years old) to Sam Ash and explained to them. The guy took a look at it and immediately told me that the tuning key is bad (it's a sealed key, btw). he replaced it in 5 min and charged me $20 (which my church covers, luckily). Works like a charm now. No problem with the saddle or the nut or anything.

Thanks for all your help, guys.

Tweakmm - at the time of the problem, the strings were a couple weeks old. But it's all good now. thanks for helping.

 

[TheNinja]

I came in too late. I was going to say that your tuning peg was bad. If all the others hold and the G string slips, 9 times out of 10 that tuning peg is bad. I recently replaced all my tuners in my Ibanez guitar b/c they were cheap pieces of dung and always slipped flat if I played hard or long.

 

[StevenYoo]

Originally posted by: Staley8
I came in too late. I was going to say that your tuning peg was bad. If all the others hold and the G string slips, 9 times out of 10 that tuning peg is bad. I recently replaced all my tuners in my Ibanez guitar b/c they were cheap pieces of dung and always slipped flat if I played hard or long.

i bet ya LIKE it hard & long, eh?

 

[TheNinja]

Originally posted by: GuybrushThreepwood

Originally posted by: Staley8
I came in too late. I was going to say that your tuning peg was bad. If all the others hold and the G string slips, 9 times out of 10 that tuning peg is bad. I recently replaced all my tuners in my Ibanez guitar b/c they were cheap pieces of dung and always slipped flat if I played hard or long.

i bet ya LIKE it hard & long, eh?

Ya, I especially like to play long and hard on the G-string

 

[Harvey]

Which end is breaking? You may must need to do a light polish on the groove in the bridge or the nut.