software

My Les Paul is probably my favorite guitar to play but it seems to give me the most trouble with staying in tune. I restring and wrap the strings on my guitars the same way at the tuning pegs, and I stretch out the strings the same way too. But for some reason it seems like the G and B strings keep fighting me. They not only go flat on me but sharp as well within minutes of playing sometimes. I use a .010/.052 set and top wrap them around the tail piece. I also trust the tech that I take it to, seeing how he's a Les Paul fiend (has 14 of them) and I've never had a problem with my other guitars that he's set up for me. The frets are in good shape and the intonation is right on. Any suggestions would be most helpful. Thank you.

LP's are pretty sensitive to tuning, mostly because of the sharp headstock angle. It all comes down to these things....The nut slots MUST be cut to the perfect depth, so that nothing bends sharp, when fretting the 1st and 2nd fret.
The nut slots need to be wide enough so that there's no 'ping' noise when you loosen or tighten the tuners. Fold a piece of gray 220 grit sandpaper in half and swipe it through the plain string slots a few times. Or have your tech do about $20 worth of work getting it perfect. And, the intonation has to be spot on......not just on open/12th fret, but on all the notes high up on the neck. Try to get everything reading dead center on the tuner, up to the 22nd fret....as close as humanly possible.

Thanks, GJ. Yeah, I do hear that little quot;pingquot; from time to time. I think I'll try the 220 sandpaper tonight, seeing how I was going to restring the guitar anyway.

Yeah, that's common when guitars are shipped with 9's, then you put on 10's or 11's. The string sticks in the slot, so when you bend a note, it doesn't return to pitch, it goes flat instead. If you ever hear that ping when you're tweaking your tuners, the string is sticking.

I've heard that Joe Perry's tech rubs a little Carmex lip balm in the nut slots before stringing up his guitars, just so the tuning stays perfect. I bought a tube of White Teflon Powder at a hobby store, which they use to lube model airplane engines. I use it because it's like baby powder. It lubes the slots like graphite, but you can blow the white powder off, so it's not a black mess like graphite. If the nut is cut perfectly, you don't even need to do that, but it helps, especially if you're playing a show and don't even want a hint of tuning hassles.

I like the Big Bends Nut Sauce as a nut and bridge lubricant. Just a small amount in the nut and saddle slots is all you need. This works well on tuning machines that aren't sealed and require occasional lubrication.

You need to make certain that there is no play or slop in the tailpiece studs, and that the TOM posts are in solid. Make sure that the TOM is clean--dirt and dust in those areas can cause problems.

Good luck.

Bill