Tuning...MAKE IT stable!

[Chris O]

Even though my ESP/LTD EC-1000's are head & shoulders better than a real Gibby in terms of tuning stability, they still left a little bit to be desired.

I picked up a couple EVH Wolfgang Special HT's recently, and while I scratched my head at first on why a hard tail guitar would need a locking nut, I was pleasantly surprised at how ROCK-SOLID the tuning was. I could play quite a bit before I needed to tune at all. Even more tuning stable than a well-set-up Floyd. The Schaller tail piece makes it EASY, and there is enough room to adjust from Standard to Drop D, etc...



Anyway, I picked up some Schaller fine-tuning tailpieces, and some Kahler strings locks. The Kahler part made it pretty easy - just drilled a few holes, so no major mods there.

Here's the finished product:

 

[mr coffee]

Cool mod!

-m

 

[feraledge]

Excellent! Thanks for sharing!

 

[littleredguitars2]

I like it!

 

[PBGas]

That is one way to make it really stable!!! Nicely done!

 

[loganflynn294]

Very cool! Form AND function! Looks very clean, almost like it was stock. I've always wondered about those tailpieces, might have to take the plunge...

 

[Shask]

Pretty cool mod there. I didnt know they still even made those Kahler locking nuts. I never did like those with using a whammy bar, but they probably work well in this example.

 

[Alex Kenivel]

Clean

 

[Chris O]

Thanks all!

You guys have been much more accepting of this than the "dudes" at Rig Talk. They took it as a personal affront to the Sacred Halls of Gibson, which certianly wasn't my intention. Oh well... I just thought it was an easy, cool mod to do, and I think it works great! Not many would think of doing something like this, so I thought I'd share, and maybe get some people thinking "outside the box".

That is one way to make it really stable!!! Nicely done!

Absolutely! EVH was (is) visionary - if he came up with it, it must be good, right?

Very cool! Form AND function! Looks very clean, almost like it was stock. I've always wondered about those tailpieces, might have to take the plunge...

Worth it. eBay - the bridge was about $50 I think? The lock nut was another $20? Pretty cheap & easy mod. Right around $200 to do all three of my guitars.

Pretty cool mod there. I didnt know they still even made those Kahler locking nuts. I never did like those with using a whammy bar, but they probably work well in this example.

Kahler does, but AllParts has theirs as well. I wasn't a fan with a trem either. As they wore (QUICKLY I might add...), they slipped. LOTS! Not a Kahler fan at all.

Clean

 

[charlessalvacion]

COOL MOD!

Do you think the Schaller tailpiece would fit a Gibson LP Standard?

 

[CrushingAnvil]

That looks f-cking KILLER, dude.

 

[TremontiFan16]

So this was a direct drop in? Looks awesome
Been wanting to do this to my ec-1k,but was worried about it not fitting.
Plus all my hardwares black...Can't seem to find one in black.

 

[Shask]

Thanks all!

You guys have been much more accepting of this than the "dudes" at Rig Talk. They took it as a personal affront to the Sacred Halls of Gibson, which certianly wasn't my intention. Oh well... I just thought it was an easy, cool mod to do, and I think it works great! Not many would think of doing something like this, so I thought I'd share, and maybe get some people thinking "outside the box".

Yeah, they can throw a fit over anything that is not traditional.


I actually agree with you a lot. My own story is that I played trem guitars for a long time. Then I started getting in with the hype thinking I didn't need the Floyd, so why not play hard tails. I bought hard tail guitars for several years. I noticed the same thing about tuning. No matter how nice the guitar, they always fell out of tune a little bit. Not like totally flopping out of tune (which is what I think people are thinking you mean), but just a small enough bit to annoy me. It seems like I had to fiddle with the tuning every 20 minutes or so. Eventually I started using bigger strings because they held tuning better. This lead me to not being able to play as easily, so I stuck with simpler stuff. Lots of chugging on that top string

In the last 6 months or so I decided to try something different. Go back to my roots. I have bought a few superstrats... flat top, Floyd, bolt on guitars. I feel like I am at home again. Rock solid tuning, going back to smaller strings, and I am playing things I haven't played in years.

I recently got a cheap Schecter Banshee. My favorite guitar in years, easily. I have been bonding with it instantly.

So, long story short, I am back to Floyds and locking nuts for good. I don't think I will stray any more. They are the most stable, and most comfortable guitars to me. I actually think the EVH guitars are a smart idea. Hell, I wish Ibanez would make their locking bridge that is on the MTM models and 8 strings more available. I think they would be a hit if more available.

 

[Chris O]

So this was a direct drop in? Looks awesome
Been wanting to do this to my ec-1k,but was worried about it not fitting.
Plus all my hardwares black...Can't seem to find one in black.

It was - but I did have to pull the Pro Tone studs & posts and use the Schaller ones. Not too tough though.

The black are tough to come by - every now & then, STRATosphere will have a couple.

 

[Chris O]

COOL MOD!

Do you think the Schaller tailpiece would fit a Gibson LP Standard?

You'd probably have to pull the Gibson studs & posts most likely, but yeah, I'm guessing the measurement post-to-post is pretty standard.

 

[Le Jeff]

Gotta say, I'd probably have gone with locking tuners instead of bolting that abortion to the headstock. The tuning stability is probably pretty nice though, I'd imagine. All my non-Floyd guitars need a tune every time I wanna play them.

 

[77zark77]

Classy and efficient, what else ?

 

[Smoked Porter]

This is really cool. I may do this for my Gibson SGJ, if the locking tuners I have coming don't help enough on their own. Even after a setup that thing can't stay in tune for shiznit.

 

[crg123]

Gotta say, I'd probably have gone with locking tuners instead of bolting that abortion to the headstock.

hahhhahah wth?!

 

[Duraesu]

IMHO, thats a tone killer you have on your headstock... you can have a stable tunning without that horrendous piece.