Severe tuning probs (guitar)

[sjt269]

Exact duplicate of a thread posted on Jemsite, hoping someone here will be able to help me:


Oooookay, strange one here.


I had a set of 9s on my guitar (RG550) a few weeks ago. I had switched to Slinkys, since they were the only 9s in the shop, and the tuning on the E and A strings was pretty bad (the others were fine), and so I put it down to a freak occurance. I stuck a set of 10s on it a few weeks ago, and after a marathon nightmare trying to get the thing in tune with the trem at the proper angle, all was well. Until, that is, I went to use the trem.

For the last 2 weeks or so, even the slightest trem movement sends the strings way out of tune, and the trem doesn't return to any sort of zero point, leaving the strings as much as a half step sharp or flat. But here's the strange bit...some strings go flat, some sharp, some stay the same. Whatever ones change tuning, after a bit of whammy bar wiggling, the guitar is totally out of tune. As you can imagine, it's a bit of a nightmare trying to play it like this, constantly retuning every few minutes.

I've already checked the Ibanez Rules tech section, but I'm not entirely sure what I'm looking for, and didn't find anything to help me out. I'm considering getting the guitar set up by someone who knows what they're doing (important, as I *may* have a gig coming up in a month or so with a currently half-formed band).

So, advice, anyone? Or shall I blow £80 on getting it set up, and possibly move the purchase of a PGM back by a few months?


Thanks
tTz

 

[sjt269]

Your first mistake was replacing the 9's with 10's because it needs a whole new setting up.

I know that, and I did all that myself. I reset the trem angle and everything so that it played exactly as it did with 9s, just with a little more tension on the strings and on the trem springs.


Strings have been on it for a few weeks now, and I'm sure that I stretched them when I put them on. Since then I've had to unlock the nut and re-tune several times anyway, so I don't think it's the strings.


Plus, I want to clarify this, it happened with the previous set of 9s as well.


Gut feeling is that something's wrong with the trem, but I'll double check the locking nut (again) just to be sure before I start fiddling about with the trem.