Cannot Cure A Tuning Stability Problem With Vibrato

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jgpouton
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Re: Cannot Cure A Tuning Stability Problem With Vibrato

Post by jgpouton » Sun Nov 29, 2020 4:48 am

Thank you. I will check that are and use sand paper on it. Will post the results here.

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mbe
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Re: Cannot Cure A Tuning Stability Problem With Vibrato

Post by mbe » Sun Nov 29, 2020 6:04 am

I have a Squier CV Jaguar stock except for a slightly thicker shim than the factory sandpaper. I recut the nut myself taking into account the strings are not a straight pull due to incorrect position of the tuners. The factory jig for drilling the tuner holes on the Squier CV Jaguar is positioned incorrectly so the strings don't line up for a straight pull when using the vibrato.

The performance of my Jag is problem free using the vibrato for a semitone up or down with the bridge rocking and returning to correct pitch. Besides cutting the nut with grooves that are biased toward the direction of the tuners, I used Music Nomad Tune-It nut lube.

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geoman
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Re: Cannot Cure A Tuning Stability Problem With Vibrato

Post by geoman » Mon Dec 14, 2020 8:25 am

Did you get your tuning to return to pitch?? Also I found a good file will cut the edge og the pivot plate much better than sandpaper. The file will keep the edge straight and not round the corners.

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Re: Cannot Cure A Tuning Stability Problem With Vibrato

Post by jgpouton » Tue Dec 15, 2020 12:13 am

I will bring my Jaguar to a luthier next week so that he can closely examine the vibrato and modify it. I could not do it before because of Covid but will report here.

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Re: Cannot Cure A Tuning Stability Problem With Vibrato

Post by ChrisDesign » Sun Dec 20, 2020 9:47 pm

If your nut is bone, and cut properly, it still need lubricator with every string change. One historic lubrication won’t cut it. I use this: https://www.andertons.co.uk/big-bends- ... ig%20bends

A poor spring will be a problem if you have one. Upgrading the trem would solve this. Maybe choose a Mastry vibrato?
"I own a '66 Jaguar. That's the guitar I polish, and baby - I refuse to let anyone touch it when I jump into the crowd." - Kurt Cobain

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Re: Cannot Cure A Tuning Stability Problem With Vibrato

Post by HarlowTheFish » Mon Dec 21, 2020 10:24 am

ChrisDesign wrote:
Sun Dec 20, 2020 9:47 pm
If your nut is bone, and cut properly, it still need lubricator with every string change. One historic lubrication won’t cut it. I use this: https://www.andertons.co.uk/big-bends- ... ig%20bends

A poor spring will be a problem if you have one. Upgrading the trem would solve this. Maybe choose a Mastry vibrato?
Definitely keep it lubed up -- pencil graphite works well, but it's messy and on a light nut it stains, vaseline works okay but needs to be cleaned off and redone pretty frequently to not gum up, and stuff like Big Bends and other guitar-specific ones work great and are less fussy.

I agree on a trem upgrade probably being an improvement, but I don't really see a reason to drop $180 on a Mastery when an AVRI unit is a bit over a third of the cost, around $70.

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Re: Cannot Cure A Tuning Stability Problem With Vibrato

Post by jgpouton » Tue Dec 22, 2020 1:14 am

I'm just back from the luthier (a recognized expert) and here's what we concluded. The guitar is perfectly set up (nut and everything) but the design of the vibrato cannot guarantee that string tuning will be perfect before and after vibrato use when checked on a tuner. For the luthier it's clearly the problem of the vibrato design.

I asked him to sand the metal parts that rubs against each other because I read comments that it would solve the tuning stability problem. He was doubtful but did that and we checked after. But the problem remains exactly the same.

As far as he's concerned the luthier thinks that the new Fender panorama vibrato is the way to go and he even does not understand why it's taken Fender half a century to offer such a design. I will wait until that panorama vibrato is available and will install it in place of my current vibrato.

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Re: Cannot Cure A Tuning Stability Problem With Vibrato

Post by mbe » Tue Dec 22, 2020 3:38 am

Have your strings got a straight in-line pull at the headstock or do they veer to one side towards the tuner posts?

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Re: Cannot Cure A Tuning Stability Problem With Vibrato

Post by BoringPostcards » Thu Dec 24, 2020 1:59 pm

Strange issue. Never had that problem, but I haven't had any guitars with that squier vibrato.
A standard AVRI US vibrato should be fine.
Det er mig der holder traeerne sammen.

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Todd Connelly
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Re: Cannot Cure A Tuning Stability Problem With Vibrato

Post by Todd Connelly » Sat Dec 26, 2020 3:35 pm

As you and your tech (and others) have surmised, your problem lies in the tremolo itself. It can be nowhere else. You have friction in it somewhere. The knife edge is only one possible place. It needs to be carefully shaped so that it is slightly sharper towards the back edge as shown in the pictures above and also perfectly square so that the plate doesn't shift to one side and wind up rubbing against one end of the slot or the other. Also you want to shape the brass "nut" that the tension screw threads into so that it doesn't rub against the inside of the spring. In the import tremolos they are rather crudely made. The part that fits inside The spring should be tapered. The final place is where the collet fits through the plate. Make sure it doesn't touch there. Good luck!

Cheers.......................Todd

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