ESP eclipse keep going out of tune.. guitar gurus?

[AD Chaos]

From that pick seems like you need to wrap each string around it's corresponding tuning head way more that what you're doing. Especially the 3 bottom ones you mention, those don't seem to have even one whole turn around the machine heads.
As you wrap them around the tuning peg more times, the string locks better against the head; that should give you a much more stable intonation (especially in the absence of a locking nut).
Keep in mind you're trying to wrap metal against metal.

With practice you can also do a 'knot'* before wrapping the remainder of the string for even more stability, like this:





*(or at least a twist inside the first wrap in the same direction, if the string is really thick)


Here's Seymour Duncan explaining how to do some more wraps (around 7m20s):

 

[egan.]

AD, I get the impression from your post that you've never used locking tuners. They aren't designed to have a bunch of wraps. My guess (like everyone else) is that the strings aren't moving through the nut.

More than 15 years ago, Schaller was the first manufacturers to develop and patent locking machine heads.
These function like normal tuners but you do not need to wrap the strings around the shaft at the beginning. You position the string in the shaft hole with the clamp screw loosened, shorten the string approx. 10 mm behind the shaft, clamp the string with the clamp screw and tune the string.From then on, laborious, time-consuming string changing became a thing of the past.

 

[AD Chaos]

Ah dang, I didn't finish reading before posting haha

Carry on

 

[infectdsniper]

I do the same as mickrich almost constantly. Try to get a look at the nut under the string. the middle of the string should sit on the bottom middle of the nut with no gap at all if it is properly filed.

 

[Fbarre]

The picture looks like most of the strings fit into the nut very tightly and the bottom one looks like it would just sit on top of it. Again, be sure that the tuners and bridge are all setup correctly and are functioning as they should. If they do and you still have problems it's the nut.

 

[crillemannen]

I'd like to shoot the one who started the trend with droped ESP eclipse guitars. They are made for standard tuning not drop C-B whatever. Even though its intonated its always sharp or flat on pick for like 15ms later go back in tuning.

I hate them. Sell it and get a guitar that is made for drop tunings. Or get a evertune.

 

[aviel]

Thanks guys, so i just SLIGHTLY filled the slots, the strings seems to sit better in it, i will test how it affects the tuning problems, i did it onlt on the low "E" and "A" strings for now.
the bad thing is, that now when using regular gauge, they might be too big.

@crillemannen - well i really love the eclipse, its one of the better guitars i've ever played. and apart from that, does ESP or Ibanez or Shechter sells guitar that are "meant" to be dropped? and not 7 strings?

 

[crillemannen]

Its a nice guitar no doubt but its not good for recording in drop tunings. Its not fun to spend more time getting a take in tune then catching a good performance.

Yeah you want a baritone guitar, with longer neck. Its all about string tension. And my experience tells me that having thicker strings helps but it does not solve the problem.

 

[Astrikos]

http://www.espguitars.com/guitars/ltd-guitar/mh-1000et.html

 

[Fbarre]

http://www.espguitars.com/guitars/ltd-guitar/mh-1000et.html

Not sure if they're out yet. Might still take some time until it gets out.

 

[aviel]

Well I might switch to drop c then if it might reduce problems. I am quite sure though that teivium used gibson lp on their albums and they also play drop

 

[Robert W]

Baritones are good if you want to keep a relatively tighter string tension. The downside is that you end up with that "twonky" sound.

Getting a standard scale 6 string to do low tunings isn't that big a deal unless you want really low action. If you aren't playing a lot of leads, then a simple truss rod adjustment should do it. I've played a standard scale 6 string in G# without any problems, so it's definitely "do-able."

 

[Sweetnothing]

I've seen it working, but I couldn't play that guitar in tune, the thing just was out of tune all the time on the 6th string.

Depends on the player I guess, if you're a heavy picker, just forget it. You could try setting the truss rod with little relief and lower the action a little, sometimes that has worked for me with stubborn guitars.

Also, take in consideration the guitar's scale, the minimum I've gotten good results with was 25'5 with a 60 low string.

However...

 

[Pxz]

Yeah , dont forget Zakk Wylde , Dimebag Darrel , Rich Ward from Stuck Mojo , In Flames and hundred more doing tunings from C and below with short scale instruments. Baritones seems to be the right way if you are looking for B tuning or lower.

 

[Robert W]

I think it's sort of guitar specific. Some guitars sound good downtuned and others don't. I've owned a Schecter Hellraiser 7 string that could just barely handle A standard and an Ibanez Destroyer that had no trouble handling G# standard. I know Tom Warrior uses a standard scale Iceman in B standard without any problems and those guitars have a relatively short scale. Electric Wizard uses standard scale SGs in G or G# standard as well.

To the OP, you could always get another bridge with more over-travel if you're finding yourself having intonation problems.

 

[blue_fAng]

Not sure if they're out yet. Might still take some time until it gets out.

I saw them at sweetwater.com for arround 900 bucks.

One of my friends has a cheap indonesian, 24.75 scale guitar on drop B and it holds tuning well through the day even with a .46 low string, once recorded a song with it and tuned it just before the first track and that was it and the final product sounds perfect. An eclipse shouldn't have this problem.

 

[aviel]

what do you mean by stretching?

 

[bryan_kilco]

what do you mean by stretching?

*head explodes*

You physically stretch the strings after you put them on. What I do is hold a finger on 1st fret and grab the strings one at a time with your picking hand and literally pull them away from the body. Work your way from the bridge to the nut. Do this to every string. Tune. Stretch again. Repeat until guitar holds tune.

 

[aviel]

yea i do that when i change strings. but i didnt understand why i have to extra stretch them on the eclipse