Big bends solution

[parker_knoll]

So I was merrily playing my black SF III-90 last night and it's still my favourite guitar. I just bond with it ergonomically and it usually pulls out my best playing.

BUT I'm always pulling the G string out of tune. I blame my preference for heavy bends, almost all on the G. I have given the nut a little attention from time to time (just making sure the slot is clean, a bit of pencil graphite, no obvious burrs) but it always happens. It happens with my Rickenbacker as well. I use standard 10 gauge strings so it should be fine.

I was shopping around to see if there might be a solution. It seems there's a few options that may or may not work - I've been playing long enough to be wise to all the snake oil salesmanship that abides in the guitar world.

Has anyone else had this problem? Have you tried any of the below, or other solutions?

1. a new nut - Delrin, Tusq, titanium, brass etc. that may be more slick and able to cope with the bends

2. lubricant - Big Bends Nut Sauce, D'Addario Friction Remover etc.?

3. String tree - I saw this aftermarket product called String Butler. It looks ugly IMO but is at least available in all black so won't be very visible: https://www.string-butler.com/

 

[parker_knoll]

Here's a spurious picture because people like pictures

 

[GGJaguar]

Can't help with the bending issue, but the SF-III-90 in black looks awesome.

 

[walrus]

Beautiful guitar! I'd suggest trying D'Adarrio 110W's - a standard 110 set with a wound G. I have had a wound G on every electric I've ever had, including a few Starfires. But a wound G is not for everyone. Just $5 to try them - up to you!

Good luck!

walrus

 

[parker_knoll]

oh, i do use wound Gs sometimes, e.g. on my old Duane Eddy, but actually you can't bend to the same degree. The whole delight with the unwound G is that you can bend up about 2 whole tones or more, a delight sullied only by the fact that it puts the string out of tune

 

[Default]

On my DeArmond, I have locking tuners and a graphite nut. You can divebomb that thing and it will stay in tune.

 

[AcornHouse]

One thing that can help is to have the back of the nut slot fanned a bit towards the tuner, so that the string has more of a curve than a bend. This is common practice in hand cut nuts especially on 3 on a side headstocks where the inner strings have to angle.

 

[parker_knoll]

On my DeArmond, I have locking tuners and a graphite nut. You can divebomb that thing and it will stay in tune.

It's got locking Grovers on it right now. To be honest, it's fine with Bigsby use (after I fixed the bridge) - it's just excessive bending of the G that confounds it

One thing that can help is to have the back of the nut slot fanned a bit towards the tuner, so that the string has more of a curve than a bend. This is common practice in hand cut nuts especially on 3 on a side headstocks where the inner strings have to angle.

yes, i thought that looking at the nut just now. The slots are completely straight. I'll have a chat with the luthier

 

[walrus]

How about bending the same notes in a different octave on a different string? Then you can stop abusing the G string!



walrus

 

[AcornHouse]

End G String Abuse Now!

 

[parker_knoll]

How about bending the same notes in a different octave on a different string? Then you can stop abusing the G string!



walrus

that would mean moving my hand from the first fret

 

[GAD]

One of the things I learned from my years with a Floyd Rose is that I don't lock down the floyd until I've played the guitar for maybe 10-15 minutes just bending the heck out of that G string. It needs to stretch before its stable. I do the same on even my fixed-bridge guitars where I find that a smooth nut slut and good tuners are the key.

I have used big bends, but an old trick is to roll a pencil in the slot. Pencil "lead" is graphite which is an excellent lubricant.

 

[fronobulax]

smooth nut slut

I like big bends and I cannot lie.

I'll let you fix the typo and delete this post, or not.

 

[parker_knoll]

GAD should be doubled shamed for replying without reading the original post

 

[Walter Broes]

Big bends nut sauce. It's pretty great. I used the pencil graphite, chapstick, hair pomade, vaseline, whatever was handy. Might as well use nothing compared to the big bends stuff.

 

[Jeff Haddad]

That guitar is really cool-looking!

Bending 2 whole tones - who are you, Buddy Guy?!

In addition to Big Bends on the nut, use some on the bridge saddle too.

 

[walrus]

Huh. I had to look up Big Bends Nut Sauce, never heard of it before. A very cool product!

https://www.sweetwater.com/store/de...-sauce-in-groove-luber-1.5cc-tuning-lubricant

walrus

 

[Quantum Strummer]

I use Stew-Mac's Guitar Grease on troublesome G string slots. I'm not a big string bender so I don't have issues with that, but I do like wound Gs and on 3-on-a-side headstocks they tend to be the strings most prone to hanging up. A tiny amount of the grease (more like wax but less crumbly) applied with a toothpick every so often does the job.

-Dave-

 

[Nuuska]

I like big bends and I cannot lie.

I'll let you fix the typo and delete this post, or not.

Does all this mean - including some following messages content parts - that I can revert to my non-family-jokes on the condition, that I learn better US-english ???

 

[Guildedagain]

The G string has the most radical angle, angle the slot slightly as mentioned. Make sure nut slots are cut slightly oversized, use a .013 file for .010 string and so on.