Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

Hello All, I recently got a mint condition '97 MG 330. She's a beaut and my Gretsch has been sitting in the corner ever since. After I got my MG, I switched to a set of Rotowound .10s and tweaked the intonation, but the problem I'm having is that it refuses to stay in tune. Are the tuners more cheap than they appear or is there some other reason for this that's specific to Rics? How about string gauge, is that a possibility? I usually use .12s on my other gits. Anyway, thanks for any tips you all can give.

Hi Lee. Welcome to the forum. MG is my favourite finish. Can you post a pic?
I assume you are talking 6 string here. I have never had a tuning problem with my Rics...ever. In fact this week, my 1997 did a rehearsal on wednesday & a gig on thursday, without having to be tuned at all! If you are stretching the strings ptoperly & winding them properly, then I would suggest a trip to your local luthier to check it over. My own experience would confirm that Rics do not have tuning problems (I use 12 string as well). I doubt a '97 is old enough to have worn tuners & the stock ones are great. If you move over to .12 gauge strings, remember to have the truss rod adjusted to accomodate the extra tension.

Thanks Tony, will do. I'd like to keep on with the .10s for a while at least, it's nice to have such an easy playing guitar. I'd also be surprised if the tuners are worn or defective, so off to the luthier's she goes!

Lee, have you tried stretching your strings after you install them? What I do is this: after a new string is put on a guitar, I tune it to pitch; then grab it at the 12th fret and pull it UP about an inch a couple times, re-tune it, repeating the process 'til the string is sufficiently stretched.

Tuning problems are frustrating. My Rics are pretty stable, my $200 Danelectros NEVER go out of tune, but my Gibson superjumbo -$1500 guitar- is plagued with tuning issues. It barely stays in tune past one song. New strings, stretched strings, trips to the guitar tech., I'm still working at it. Grrrrr.

Best of luck to you.

Noel

Noel,
Thanks for the tip, I'll give it a go.

A guitar shop guy that I showed it to today told me that the depth of the slots in the nut may be off and besides that, he'd had good luck with Sperzel locking tuners. Do either of these ideas ring a bell for anyone? He could have just been trying to drum up business, but you never know.

The stock Schallers should not slip. You can tighten them by adding a little more tension to the screw that holds on the button.

Thanks Ken, I didn't think that they were the culprit, but I'll see if they need tightening.

What is the guide on how deep/shallow the nut slots should be? This guy was fretting it at the second fret and looking at it from the headstock end, but I'm not sure what he was doing. He explained that if the slots were too shallow, it might pull a fretted note sharp.

He also went on about the wobbly bridge design, but I think he was on his soapbox by that point.

Lee, welcome. Like everyone else has said I doubt if there is anything wrong with the tuners or the like. This is just my input but if the Rotosounds continue to have problems, even after making the aforementioned adjustements folks have suggested it might be worth looking into a change of strings, like Ric strings or Pyramids. I prefer the Ric's but that's just me

Thanks for the welcome! I should have mentioned above that the 'original' set gave me the same trouble, but I've got another brand around that I'll pop on, stretch and see what happens. I picked the Rotosounds because that's the brand that Paul Weller favored on his, but I'm willing to try others.

Most tuning problems have nothing to do with the tuners. They can usually be traced to sticky nut slots or (less often) worn saddle slots. And - dare I say it - it could be operator error. Make sure that you are installing the strings correctly, and that the strings aren't slipping on the pegs. Swapping out tuners would be the last thing I'd try.

I'm not sure what the tech was doing by fretting at the second fret and looking down from the headstock. Nut slots are usually cut to a depth that provides minimal clearance over the first fret when the string is fretted between the second and third frets - but I don't know how he could see string clearance at the first fret from his position.

Finally, if you make multiple trips to the same luthier without solving the problem, try a different luthier. At the very least, your guy should have cleaned up (not just lubed) both the nut slots and saddle notches by now.

Thanks Adam,
I hadn't considered lubing the nut slots. I used to push a pencil lead in and around the slots and didn't do that this time. Any other/better lubes you'd recommend? I'll double-check my installation, too. I'd be happy if I was the only problem this guitar has!

Check the ring nuts above the chrome washer around the tuning pole piece. These were loose on my 330, one with a rattling washer. Tuning was stable once I tightened these.