New Guitar Tuning

I recently bought a beautiful new Gibson ES 335 and I'm having a tough time with the tuning of it. When I am finally able to tune it, it doesn't stay in tune for very long and as I tune it I hear the string suddenly twang as if it were sticking on something like the nut or the tuner. Also when it is in tune some chord tones sound a little sharp especially anything involving the 'G' string. I was also wondering if when it is in tune (open strings), if I put a capo on, for example, the third fret should my tuner then read G C F Bflat D g all in perfect tune (because it doesn't)? Any advice here would be greatly appreciated

Originally Posted by: ianroxI recently bought a beautiful new Gibson ES 335 and I'm having a tough time with the tuning of it. When I am finally able to tune it, it doesn't stay in tune for very long and as I tune it I hear the string suddenly twang as if it were sticking on something like the nut or the tuner. Also when it is in tune some chord tones sound a little sharp especially anything involving the 'G' string. I was also wondering if when it is in tune (open strings), if I put a capo on, for example, the third fret should my tuner then read G C F Bflat D g all in perfect tune (because it doesn't)? Any advice here would be greatly appreciated

There could be some resistence in the nut. Try taking a pencil and getting some pencil lead (graphite) in the grooves. Also try getting any grit that might be it he nut grooves out.

Did you put on different strings (heavier guage) that what came with the guitar? If you went to heavier strings, you may have to have somebody widen the slots in the nut for the larger strings.

If if never sounds like it's in tune, even though it is, perhaps the intonation is off.

If you just bought it, I suggest you take it back and have one of their techs give it a once over.

Another possibility that comes to mind is it could be a defective set of strings - you could try putting a fresh set on.

Thanks maggior, all good ideas. I was thinking the same thing regarding lubricating the nut. I have a service agreement with sam ash so I will most likely have them set it up and put new strings on it.

Be sure that the strings are seated firmly in the holes when you're changing strings. Those little twangs are sometimes the string twisting in it's slot and changing the seat of the little roller end of the string in the string retainer.

Also, it sounds like your intonation is off on your guitar. Theoretically, a standard fretted guitar will never be in perfect intonation on all six strings at any given time. It's not physically possible. However, you should always be able to get it close enough to where people with normal ears can't tell the difference.

Search for "intonation" and see if you can find some spots where this has been explained a bit better... i know I have explained it at length on here before as well as a basic step by step of how to do it.

Hope that helps.

Also, since this is a Gibson 335 I imagine that it has a tune-o-matic bridge?? Make sure the bridge saddles are all tightened into place.... if they're not, they could be moving around on you. That would cause both the twanging and the poor intonation.

I would go with the nut because of that 'twang' sound. A Les Paul I had many years ago did something similar. maggior suggested graphite and that is a good stop gap but if it's snagging, it could use a tiny bit of filing. I recall that ES's tend to have tightly slotted grooves. If it is a new ES335 or a new nut, that's possible.

Pretty much all have been covered here but I would break it down this way:

-Start with getting a set up by a qualified guitar tech. This will include intonation with the bridge saddles and when you do the set up, mention the twang etc and ask to have the nut looked at for a possible bit of filing (remember, filing is how the slots are made in the first place). Also, replace the strings...start fresh.

...if that doesn't work...

-Look at the tuners. While's it's probably not the tuners, Klusen's that come on many Gibsons are not great tuners. They're ok and my ES has them and they work fine, but this could possibly be a culprit. If I did replace my tuners (which I won't because they work fine), I prefer Grovers.

...if that doesn't work...

It's the atmosphere your guitar exists within (heat, cold, humidity). For lack of a better way to explain it, I ended up having my ES willed to me. It was my wife's uncle's guitar. His old house was always damp or humid and just was not a good temperature controlled house. He told me that he just could never play it and asked if I would take it for 'permanent storage'. So I did and when he passed, the family willed it to me.....and you know what? I almost never have to tune my ES. So, temp can be a factor but it is usually in extreme circumstances.

So, that's my breakdown....go with the most likely to the least likely.