The Electra Forums

I play and electra omega x220. I am having terrible difficulty with one of my strings, (the G), constantly going out of tune. In fact, I can try to turn the knob ever so slightly and it will either go sharp or flat (very hard to actually get it right on the tone) All of the strings were doing this until i changed my tuners out to Grovers, now it is just the G. Sometimes, though after playing an hour or so it finally will settle in and not go out of tune, but if I turn the knob ever so slightly it might take foreve to get it back. This is not good for live playing, because we can't afford to have akward silence while I try to straighten out the problem between songs. I have had work done on the tuners and the nut. Could this be a problem in the bridge or saddle? I hope I can work this out because I love the guitar when it is playing in tune.

Have you tried Big Bends 'Nut Sauce' yet? It's a bit pricey, but it will lubricate the nut (and saddles if needed) and keep the string from getting kinked. Also stretch your strings out liberally after changing them. Historically I've had pretty good experiences with the Electra tuners. Best of luck.

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Proendorser says, the most likely culprit is the nut, not the tuners (especially if they are new). To check, simply de-tune and run the string back and forth through the slot. It should move smoothly with no catching. If it catches, try the nut sauce (or plain pencil lead). If that does not do the trick, you may have to get a nut file and carefully enlarge the slot.

I've had sealed tuners that need a little lubrication now and then. You could remove the button and put a drop of 3 in 1 oil or a shot of WD40 in.Scratch the WD40 - don't use it in the tuner. Don't overtighten the screw for the button - that's a good way to wreck your threads.

If your nut is ok, the saddle is probably worn and grabbing the string. Are you breaking strings? If so, check where the break is and that will give you a real good idea where its binding. Nut Sauce works great when everything is filed/slotted properly.

Some strings just don't cooperate. If everything else fails try a lighter or heavier gauge string.

I agree with all the above. I very rarely have any tuner issues with any of my Omegas. Occasionaly I run into a simular problem especially with the lighter gauge strings. The nut sauce or graphite usually takes care of the issue. You may want to check the nut alignment and make certain it has not moved any. Sometimes as the guitars gets older the glue on the nut begins to loosen on one side or the other and when you play or bend the strings the escess pressure may cause an ever so slight movement in the nut which would account for the sharp or flat issues. The easy way to check this is to loosen the strings and try to move the nut from side to side. If it moves any or feels loose then you can remove the nut, clean it and have it reset and glued. Simple fix. Most of the time I never have any problems with the Omegas as they are solid guitars. You can also do the same to the saddle to lock it in. Turn the saddle adjustment screw a small amount in each direction and then back to original spot. Sometimes the springs or screws work loose from the vibration of the strings also. Hope this works as I like to see the Electras out there in action.

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Many good ideas in this thread, but I recommend against using WD40. It's really a penetrant and will ultimately break down lubricants that you want in there. Use VERY LITTLE of a high quality light machine oil

By the way, I find G-strings tend to pop out of the slot more easily when a dollar bill is inserted underneath it.

Or not.

I get the G-String reference - Completely right about the WD40 too - bad choice for a sealed tuner.