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I've recently encountered a problem with my 2016 Gibson Les Paul 50's Tribute. A few weeks ago I replaced my set of Ernie Ball 11's with a set of 10's. All was going well until I went to tune the high e string. Once it had reached about the C or D below in tune, it began to de-tune rapidly. Tuning it up again, it reached the same point before letting out a ping noise, and instantly tuning right down again. I was using the G force electric tuner to tune, which I though might be a little fast for the fresh string.

I threaded a new string and wound up the string manually, and slowly, but the same problem occurred. I tried again later using another new string, with no luck.

I believe the string is coming unwound at the end where it threads around the little ring, as I can't imagine what else would cause it to de-tune so quickly. Any help with what might be wrong would be much appreciated. The guitar has a G force tuners, titanium nut, titanium saddles and a stop bar tailpiece

Cheers

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  • Put more windings on it at the tuning peg?
    – Todd Wilcox
    Dec 30, 2017 at 6:35
  • If it is unwinding itself off the brass ring at the bridge, you'll be left with that ring separate or nearly so from the end of the string. Sounds like it came from a faulty batch, and should go back to the supplier. I've known it happen, but only once in thousands of string changes. If that end is intact, as Todd says, use three or more turns round the tuning post. But you suspect the bridge end - look carefully at the string there. String not actually broken?
    – Tim
    Dec 30, 2017 at 8:47
  • Todd's comment should be an answer.
    – Sarkreth
    Dec 31, 2017 at 1:12

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What you've described is the sound of the string slipping at the tuning peg end.

Are you threading the string through the tuning peg correctly? (Don't be embarrassed, I didn't find out I was doing it wrong until I took lessons).

On a Les Paul 1st String you should turn the tuning peg until the hole through it is running parallel to the nut i.e perpendicular to the string. Then you thread the string through the bridge, pull it hand-tight (not too tight) to the tuning peg, insert it through the left side of the hole, pull it out through the right side, wind it counter clockwise back UNDER the string and bend it up so as the string tightens, it locks the string tighter - the string end should stick vertically up from the peg. On the thinner strings you should have the string slightly looser so that you get more turns before it gets up to tension and each turn should be over the string-end to increase the "locking" effect. On a wound string (4,5,6), you don't need as many turns of the tuning peg to lock it efficiently so you can pull it tighter as you put it through the peg.

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When this has happened to me, it was slippage on the tuning post and I remedied it with more windings on the tuning post.

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