Maybe Overtuning?

Rick Abbott · Post by **Rick Abbott** » 11 Nov 2022 5:05 pm

I have done a fair amount of searching about this without finding an answer.

Tomorrow I am going out to a friend's house to look at his 1978 Sho~Bud SuperPro. It has suddenly developed an overtuning problem. Only the 5th string. It has worked fine with no overtuning issues until now.

I went out last week and it was classically overtuned. I set it up by following the usual procedure. It worked perfectly until this afternoon. Now it is overtuned again and the C pedal is also affected. He tuned the guitar one time. I tuned it last week. He played it several days. The pedal needed a slight adjustment...now it's overtuned. He swapped a C-neck nylon end tuner onto the 5th string to be sure the nut wasn't slipping, or something. Still overtuned.

What am I missing? No ball end in the works. Nothing binding as far as I know. Could this be a lubrication issue? Maybe the fingers are sticking together?

Any thoughts?

Jon Light · Post by **Jon Light** » 11 Nov 2022 5:17 pm

Bellcranks good & tight on the cross shafts?

Rick Abbott · Post by **Rick Abbott** » 11 Nov 2022 5:32 pm

I will put that on the list of things to check!

Bobby D. Jones · Post by **Bobby D. Jones** » 11 Nov 2022 5:35 pm

IF the 5th and 10th string are sharing a cross rod together, For the A pedal pulls, Check the pulls on the 10th string too.
Check the C pedal pulls on 4-5 strings too.
Good Luck finding the problem, And a quick cure.

Donny Hinson · Post by **Donny Hinson** » 11 Nov 2022 7:08 pm

Could be a lube issue, but that's not likely. Also, check the string gauge. (Using a slightly heavier string could fix the problem.) Did you make sure there was slack in the pedal train? If there isn't slack somewhere, any up-tuning will cause over-tuning. Have him check the fingers to make sure they're all in a nice, straight row. That's how you can tell an all-pull guitar is over-tuned...without even removing it from the case.

(Any at-rest finger that's not firmly against the stop is overtuned.)

Rick Abbott · Post by **Rick Abbott** » 12 Nov 2022 8:58 am

Donny Hinson wrote:Could be a lube issue, but that's not likely. Also, check the string gauge. (Using a slightly heavier string could fix the problem.) Did you make sure there was slack in the pedal train? If there isn't slack somewhere, any up-tuning will cause over-tuning. Have him check the fingers to make sure they're all in a nice, straight row. That's how you can tell an all-pull guitar is over-tuned...without even removing it from the case. (Any at-rest finger that's not firmly against the stop is overtuned.)

If it were any of the "normal" issues, as you describe, I would have it fixed. He's used the same strings for years, it was working normally for years. Suddenly, overtuning. Fixed it...the next time he touched the tuning on the 5th string...overtuned. Something must be hanging up or slipping.

I appreciate all the replies. Heading out to his house momentarily. I'll check in with my findings.

Ian Worley · Post by **Ian Worley** » 12 Nov 2022 5:43 pm

Make sure it's not a weak lower return spring, if the lowering scissor is lifting off the stop toward the end of the pull it would cause that sort of problem. Easy to detect if you flip it over and engage the pedal.

Dan Beller-McKenna · Post by **Dan Beller-McKenna** » 13 Nov 2022 4:11 am

Here's another thing to check: are all of the stop bolts tightened down? If they are loose, they can drift, increasing or decreasing the length of travel.