Tim Pierce to the rescue yet again. My LP had the same issue until I came across this vid. I ordered one immediately and IT WORKS!!! The installation demo sealed the deal - I didn't want to drill holes and it wasn't necessary. Thanks Tim!
Yes that was a mistake on my part! Aidan was in my dining room and I didn't have the proper tools! Luckily he was very careful.. but next time I'll know not to bring out those vise grips !
Oh, God, is it safe to look now? I mean you can use vice grips without tearing something up but they are usually for when something is already torn up. It doesn't take that many tools to do most work on a guitar, they aren't hard to carry around.
When I put the String Butler on my Epiphone LP standard I was skeptical about how effective it would be. The installation was very simple and straightforward. After restringing the guitar it took a while to get the strings all stretched out. Once things were set the tuning issues I’d been having were diminished to the point where I could pick up the guitar and pretty much play away. Per the video, it took a day or so of playing and tuning until everything was dialled in. Now, 2 weeks later, I can pull the LP out of the case and just play away. I have a Casino that has simple, though as severe tuning issues and I’m thinking a String Butler will be going onto it pretty soon too.
These are a must on all my Gibson’s. I love them. I also devalue everything by putting roller bridges and locking tuners but I literally never have Gibsons tuning issues anymore
Have had one on my 335 for 3 or 4 months now, has made all the difference in the world. Will be getting one for my Les Paul soon. I agree with Tim, they don't detract from the appearance at all and actually look kinda neat.
I saw that comment as well....and ordered one!! I hardly have any tuning issues with my Les Paul since I use nut sauce and files the nut well.........but I ordered so I can bend the g string more than 2 semitones with confidence.
Man o man Tim....you never stop amazing me with your dominance of the fret board!...and Thank You for introducing me to the string butler....very clever creation...👍✌️
I seriously just had to search that strobe tuner app. Petty freakin cool. I used to fight tuning soo much in my early days! I seriously wanted it to be an exact science, but simultaneously didn't realize that IT IS NOT, or how my own bad habits & missing information of some basic setup knowledge was ultimately compounding my overall struggle. That said? I still find that with some Gibson style 3x3 guitars I own? That inherent angle break/nut binding issues will become a pesky pest to wrangle in. I think this product might actually solve some of that for some of my guitars. Thanks for sharing Tim. Man! This certainly is an older vid. I really appreciate your channel though. It has really helped me soo much! Stay gold man! Cheers!
Very interesting. I always have trouble with the G coming out of tune in my Les Paul. I installed these carbon graphite bridge saddles which were steel and that helped better tuning and less B and D string breakage when playing hard (SRV stuff).
I took my grover locks off my les Paul when I got the string butler. Just to put them on a guitar that I built with a Ernie style headstock and tremelo...so I put the vintage style Gibson tuners back on the LP and it stays in tune just fine with the butler. So it’s my favorite 3x3 option now. With a bone nut of course. I think The plastic nut was most of the problem anyways.
LOL i scratched my Head Stock when Vice Grips slipped... I have 152 Piece Socket Wrench set and did not have the Right Size Hex Nut for the Damned Gibson!
Thank you for this great two part video - (1) tuning with the String Butler and (2) installation of the String Butler. Your playing sounds great. Love the tone and feel that you play with. That's also a beautiful, white ES 355(?)! Never seen one like that before.
Hey Tim, how's the String Butler been holding up? Does it perform as well as it did exactly 5 years ago? Do you have any reservations about it or do you still recommend it?
Thanks for this vid, Tim. I use the SB on my Gibson Vs w/vibratos and there is a marked improvement. That said, you pretty well need to address all contact points: Roller or graphtech saddles; properly cut nut with lube; and locking tuners or good stringing technique with standard tuners. Together, these measures plus the SB make for a pretty stable platform.
I’ve had one on my les Paul for 18mnths and it’s superb after the initial stretching and fettling on new strings it really work it basically puts the strings in a straight pull situation as it leaves the nut the the only surface it contacts is the hard steel rollers that have very very little resistance.
I've got a Bigsby B7 and Vibramate as well as the Kluson Revolution locking tuners on the way for my les paul. A friend of mine told me to get one of these also so hopefully it'll help keep things clean with the vibrato. Right now strings bind in the nut (graphtech, no less) like it's it's job.
Wow. The effortless fluidity you possess is a lifelong goal of mine... and I'm still workin' on the solo for 'You Better Love Somebody!' Yikes, a few more years and I'll have that down, then just thirty years of ctaching up to go! LOL
This is why my main guitar for playing live is a gibson explorer. You have the real Gibson tone with 6 inline mini grovers. I can play for 2-3 hours without having to touch a tunning peg. I love my Les Paul , but i use it mostly at home. I put some graphite in the nut, but it is never perfect.
I watched Darrell Braun's video on the String Butler a few months a ago, then I saw the Fluff's video on this and now your video. I was hesitant to go ahead with the purchase (mainly because the price), but now I'm sold. …It's as if the community has spoken.
I believe when you install a string butler, you should have a new nut made with string slots cut perfectly straight. Unless my eyes are lying to me, Gibson cuts the outer slots at an angle to get the strings to aim better at the tuning pegs, if you install the string butler - you've introduced a kink in the path which will give you issues.
Thanks Tim, I will order this Butler for my Gibson es Copy from Höfner (Hofner) Germany producet. This Guitar is 34 Years old and original handmake. With two Gibson Burst Bucker. Really nice Guitar and i think with the String Butler there are works better. Or what you mean? Merry Chrismas and a Happy New Year from Robby - Germany. Sorry for my bad English.
Is it me, or does his British accent make me feel like I can trust him more? Seriously, I’ve been looking at this contraption for months, but somehow seeing Tim give it his endorsement pushed me over the edge into ordering some of these for my Gibsons. Thank you Tim for sharing.
Don’t know if Tim will see this, but here goes… You had another video where you had a TruGlide on your guitar, and I’m wondering if you have compared them and would recommend the String Butler over the TruGlide. The String Butler is much more expensive, but a much more complicated piece of engineering. Which one do you prefer?
Big Bends Nut Sauce seemed to really help my Les Paul, after seeing one of your videos using it, I just think the price of the stuff is way out of line, I got a tube of it about half the size of a thin pencil from Amazon with shipping was around $20 dollars, so once that's gone , I'm not sure I'll buy anymore. Maybe a jar of vasellene, but I've used in the past Never Seize but it can be very messing and you must not be in a altered state when using it.
Tim.... TOTALLY unrelated, but was having a discussion the other day about some of your older studio work.... and there’s debate on who played the guitar solo on Runaway by Bon Jovi... some say it was you, some say Aldo Nova, and even others say it was Sabo... could you clear it up for us? Thanks so much for everything you share with us!!!
I winced and made faces when he applied the channel locking pliers to the head stock.😱😱 As for the actual string location on this piece of gear-Once the unit is installed, where are you placing the strings again? @8:53 it looks like you have the strings running at the bottom of the String Butler posts? So does this alleviate tuning issues?
I took it off my 2015 SG, and the NITRO FINISH has been slightly "dulled" at spots under the "string butler" after a couple of years of playing. I guess it's the fine dust that had made its way under the string butler (and I regularly clean up my guitars) combined with the constant vibration while playing, and the fact that NITRO is somewhat "soft" (compared to polyurethane) which wound up working like small touches of fine sand paper after a while. So, with nitro finishes, although the string butler fully accomplished its tuning stability mission ... well ... I'd say : Maybe I'd insert a piece of very soft thin felt??? Or maybe I'd clean up under the "string butler" more often??? I don't know. I'll try putting a piece of black soft thin felt under the "string butler" ... see if it stops the "micro rubbing". Anyway, Tim, your TH-cam channel is really great! 2 thumbs up!
One of the reasons I prefer Fenders. I am jonesing for a double hum bucker/shorter scale guitar to change it up, but I think I'd rather go with Reverend or something else that doesn't have these tuning issues.
My schecter has a 3 + 3 head with a tusq nut and it never seems to have a problem. I seen a video on using a string tree on the truss rod cover screw for D & G strings but I think that might be overkill. I've used some straight through neck designs and they still having tuning problems if the nut is cheap and the tuners have to many wraps. I feel it's all in the tuners(locking is best) and the nut being cut and lubricated. People will say the nut is too thick on LPs but the string only contacts around 36% of the nut on both fender and Gibson styles. I wish people did scientific method testing on these things. It seems like a onslaught of little problems that make Gibsons seem awful, but make any guitar awful
I've been using for some years waxed dental floss in each nut slot. It's simple, easy to find and really helps a lot. You should don't have tuning problems in any kind of guitar with this combined with properly cut nut slots.
Good setup, nut sauce on nut and saddles, making sure the angle isn't to severe between the tailpiece and bridge. Not to mention making sure all the slack is pulled out of the new strings when restringing . The issue isn't just between the nut and tuners. It's cumulative along every point something touches the strings in regards to tuning stability. At least that's been my experience and I don't have tuning issues. Just one more thing. Vice grips to loosen and tighten the nuts on the posts??? Nice!!!!
I was so frustrated with the tuning instability of my Gibson ES-339 that I actually put it up for sale. Fortunately, it did not sell and I discovered the String Butler. It does work and the guitar now plays like it should.
@@AndykWilhelmI don’t recall. I ended up selling the Gibson after all. If you buy one of those string things be careful. Unless they’ve changed them they do not have any padding. They are metal which could damage/ scratch the headstock.
Gibson/Epiphone should change their headstock design to solve the problem. They could keep the old design for the traditionalists and offer a headstock design more like the PRS guitars that corrects the tuning issue. Why not offer both and everybody would be happy?
Yes, because the public has been so appreciative whenever Gibson tries something new. I think they did that with the weight relief, G-force, expanded lines, finishing techniques. Yet, somehow, people continue to bitch.
Gibson has the coolest headstock in the biz.. Just use some nut sauce on it.. Or pick up a "String Butler" No reason to make a Paulie look like crap over a little tuning instability! lol..
SITH GIRL, people pay hard earned big dollars for their guitars, they could solve the problem by offering a String Butler type device if folks wanted it. Maybe if enough people sent them an email about the issue they would do something.
Interesting VT ! So could you say that there is an inherent design flaw in the key positioning of guitars to begin with that you need The String Butler - let's call him Jeeves, to correct for us? I do remember seeing guitars which have the strings going straight to the pegs as required. I also noticed though that the angle after Jeeves is more acute, is this not just simply moving the problem further up?
Hello Tim, you have probably answered this question hundreds or thousands of times before, but I have to do it anyway: in case you had to stay with only one strings gauge, what would it be and why?; please, consider for this example (if it has any importance) a Fender Stratocaster electric guitar. Thanks, man, you are amazing! Regards (**If someone here knows his answer could you tell me please? thanks!!**)
@@sneifert1968 yeah I was thinking that also. My schecter has a 3 + 3 head with a tusq nut and it never seems to have a problem. I seen a video on using a string tree on the truss rod cover screw for D & G steingz but I think that might be over kill. I've used some straight through neck designs and they still having tuning problems if the nut is cheap and the tuners have to many wraps. I feel it's all in the tuners(locking is best) and the nut being cut and lubricated. People will say the nut is too thick on LPs but the string only contacts around 36% of the nut on both fender and Gibson styles. I wish people did scientific method testing on these things. It seems like a onslaught of little problems that make Gibsons seem awful, but make any guitar awful
A Gibby with a tremelo is the perfect recipe for this String Butler. I have good luck with a little filing on bone nut and nut lube for my hardtails but, what the hell, I think I'll give one a try and see if the result is stability beyond normal bending.
I have a $250 Harley Benton LP style guitar that stays in tune forever, despite severe abuse in form of wide vibratos, two whole step bends etc. It's rock solid at tenth of the price. No string butler necessary.
Man I love Gibsons. The feel the tone, but they really do have tuning issues. Particularly LP Juniors. Great tone but I cannot justify 6k on a guitar that cannot play basic rock licks and hold tune.
My 2 cents worth, I am old enough to know Gibson with a vibrato always were a pain to keep in tune, that is why you see some with a added stop tail piece, some would put on new locking Grover tuners to help, even the stereo 345’s, some players would disconnect the stereo wire and run just mono because the two plug in and cord was always a problem. You would think after 40 years they would have solved these problems. Same problem with Fender vibrato not staying in tune, but like many players, I own both brands and love them.
I think Gibson should keep the head the same for the historic models, but the USA standard should have the angle etc changed. It doesn’t need to be at 17 degrees any more.
does the string butler scratch or harm the headstock in any way??? i have a few expensive guitars but the G goes out on me alot, if this thing doesnt harm the headstock then i think i might try one, awaiting your reply
The String Butler comes with two thin plastic washers. Either they had an earlier version that maybe wasn't supplied with these or they missed to put them between the headstock and the String Butler.
I have a custom shop Jeff Beck Strat that I swear I could throw off the Empire State bldg. and it would still be in tune... it's mind boggling how stable that guitar is.
Made by Roy Blankenship. He's talked about it on a video or two; either here on TH-cam, or in his master class vids. He's mentioned that Roy is legendary in the area.
I've never understood why Gibson simply didn't design a tuner with successively longer tuning arms. That way they could keep the traditional headstock, but have the peg section of the tuners more in line with the nut. The pegs would take the shape of a V headstock, but the longer arms would allow them to keep the rectangular head.
What can you expect from a guy using vise grips to work on a guitar ? He obviously doesn't give a sh1t, or doesn't know what he's doing. My guess is it's a bit of both.
Tim Pierce to the rescue yet again. My LP had the same issue until I came across this vid. I ordered one immediately and IT WORKS!!! The installation demo sealed the deal - I didn't want to drill holes and it wasn't necessary. Thanks Tim!
When he went at that gold hardware with the vicegrips I couldn't breathe...
Yes that was a mistake on my part! Aidan was in my dining room and I didn't have the proper tools! Luckily he was very careful.. but next time I'll know not to bring out those vise grips !
Yeah, two things you never bring in for guitar work... vice grips and a hammer. But, all in all, you did a very fair review of the product.
Me too. I would strangle anyone who took that tool to my many thousands worth of guitar. Dammit man, if you're
a luthier, get the proper tool!
Oh, God, is it safe to look now? I mean you can use vice grips without tearing something up but they are usually for when something is already torn up. It doesn't take that many tools to do most work on a guitar, they aren't hard to carry around.
@@timwood958 What's wrong with vice grips and a hammer? Don't you know the motto "Beat to fit, paint to match"
Tim’s guitar playing is so good, we will watch him tune a guitar for five minutes, without complaint. Amazing.
Thanks for this Tim, this is the first time i'm hearing of the String Butler. Ordering some now!
Thanks RJ -and to everyone who sees this-check out RJ's TH-cam guitar channel it's crazy good!
wow. true.
When I put the String Butler on my Epiphone LP standard I was skeptical about how effective it would be. The installation was very simple and straightforward. After restringing the guitar it took a while to get the strings all stretched out. Once things were set the tuning issues I’d been having were diminished to the point where I could pick up the guitar and pretty much play away. Per the video, it took a day or so of playing and tuning until everything was dialled in. Now, 2 weeks later, I can pull the LP out of the case and just play away. I have a Casino that has simple, though as severe tuning issues and I’m thinking a String Butler will be going onto it pretty soon too.
Does it affect your sustain in any way?
@@galantreentrant sustain was pretty good. I ended up getting the nut properly profiled and I didn’t need the SB anymore.
You should have had the nut looked at, that’s the likely culprit.
These are a must on all my Gibson’s. I love them. I also devalue everything by putting roller bridges and locking tuners but I literally never have Gibsons tuning issues anymore
It’s the nut that was the issue
Have had one on my 335 for 3 or 4 months now, has made all the difference in the world. Will be getting one for my Les Paul soon. I agree with Tim, they don't detract from the appearance at all and actually look kinda neat.
Absolutely love Tim's soloing - his synapses are so in-tune it's awesome to hear. BTW the string butler is pretty good too.
When Tim Pierce endorses something, I listen. As everyone should. Thanks, String Butler. I’m officially a customer.
Dude, I just love your style of playing solos so much! Merry Christmas and greetings from Germany.
I saw that comment as well....and ordered one!! I hardly have any tuning issues with my Les Paul since I use nut sauce and files the nut well.........but I ordered so I can bend the g string more than 2 semitones with confidence.
Man o man Tim....you never stop amazing me with your dominance of the fret board!...and Thank You for introducing me to the string butler....very clever creation...👍✌️
What's up with the visegrips, couldn't find a wrench? Cool product.
I seriously just had to search that strobe tuner app. Petty freakin cool. I used to fight tuning soo much in my early days! I seriously wanted it to be an exact science, but simultaneously didn't realize that IT IS NOT, or how my own bad habits & missing information of some basic setup knowledge was ultimately compounding my overall struggle.
That said? I still find that with some Gibson style 3x3 guitars I own? That inherent angle break/nut binding issues will become a pesky pest to wrangle in. I think this product might actually solve some of that for some of my guitars. Thanks for sharing Tim.
Man! This certainly is an older vid.
I really appreciate your channel though. It has really helped me soo much!
Stay gold man!
Cheers!
I did all my Gibson Les Paul guitars it does work I was very impressed with it and I love it
Very interesting. I always have trouble with the G coming out of tune in my Les Paul. I installed these carbon graphite bridge saddles which were steel and that helped better tuning and less B and D string breakage when playing hard (SRV stuff).
I took my grover locks off my les Paul when I got the string butler. Just to put them on a guitar that I built with a Ernie style headstock and tremelo...so I put the vintage style Gibson tuners back on the LP and it stays in tune just fine with the butler. So it’s my favorite 3x3 option now. With a bone nut of course. I think The plastic nut was most of the problem anyways.
Thanks Tim!
Been wanting to take a look at these for a while, will definitely get one now!
Happy Holidays!
“A steady hand and a pair of pliers you can’t go wrong.” Rufkm?! Of course it can go wrong. You can and will tear up those nuts w vise grips.
LOL i scratched my Head Stock when Vice Grips slipped... I have 152 Piece Socket Wrench set and did not have the Right Size Hex Nut for the Damned Gibson!
I thought the same thing when he said that. I was like "Shit, you don't have my luck obviously. "
@@cheezhedd a size 10 combination wrench should do the job.
First time I've come across The String Butler,looks like it will do the job,will def pick one up for my SG,Thanks Tim...
Just what my Les Paul and 335 are needing! Thanks a lot, Tim!!!
Top English accent on the chap fitting the kit-not heard anything that plummy for ages -excellent
Thank you for this great two part video - (1) tuning with the String Butler and (2) installation of the String Butler. Your playing sounds great. Love the tone and feel that you play with. That's also a beautiful, white ES 355(?)! Never seen one like that before.
Hey Tim, how's the String Butler been holding up? Does it perform as well as it did exactly 5 years ago? Do you have any reservations about it or do you still recommend it?
Thanks for this vid, Tim. I use the SB on my Gibson Vs w/vibratos and there is a marked improvement. That said, you pretty well need to address all contact points: Roller or graphtech saddles; properly cut nut with lube; and locking tuners or good stringing technique with standard tuners. Together, these measures plus the SB make for a pretty stable platform.
I’ve had one on my les Paul for 18mnths and it’s superb after the initial stretching and fettling on new strings it really work it basically puts the strings in a straight pull situation as it leaves the nut the the only surface it contacts is the hard steel rollers that have very very little resistance.
Tim.. I use the string butler on all of my Sg's, Les Paul's. It really works, It's a great product.
Thank you so much for sharing! Do you have the "V3" installed on all of them ? Thanks and Regards
I've got a Bigsby B7 and Vibramate as well as the Kluson Revolution locking tuners on the way for my les paul. A friend of mine told me to get one of these also so hopefully it'll help keep things clean with the vibrato.
Right now strings bind in the nut (graphtech, no less) like it's it's job.
The String Remains The Same.
Wow. The effortless fluidity you possess is a lifelong goal of mine... and I'm still workin' on the solo for 'You Better Love Somebody!' Yikes, a few more years and I'll have that down, then just thirty years of ctaching up to go! LOL
This is why my main guitar for playing live is a gibson explorer. You have the real Gibson tone with 6 inline mini grovers. I can play for 2-3 hours without having to touch a tunning peg. I love my Les Paul , but i use it mostly at home. I put some graphite in the nut, but it is never perfect.
I have never heard of a string butler.Thanks for showing.My Gibson needs one.
I watched Darrell Braun's video on the String Butler a few months a ago, then I saw the Fluff's video on this and now your video.
I was hesitant to go ahead with the purchase (mainly because the price), but now I'm sold. …It's as if the community has spoken.
I believe when you install a string butler, you should have a new nut made with string slots cut perfectly straight. Unless my eyes are lying to me, Gibson cuts the outer slots at an angle to get the strings to aim better at the tuning pegs, if you install the string butler - you've introduced a kink in the path which will give you issues.
Really? Sheet - I'll have to get my '04 SG special out and take a closer look.
The nut slots are all straight on my Gibson Les Paul. No angled cuts
Thanks Tim, I will order this Butler for my Gibson es Copy from Höfner (Hofner) Germany producet. This Guitar is 34 Years old and original handmake. With two Gibson Burst Bucker. Really nice Guitar and i think with the String Butler there are works better. Or what you mean? Merry Chrismas and a Happy New Year from Robby - Germany. Sorry for my bad English.
Is it me, or does his British accent make me feel like I can trust him more? Seriously, I’ve been looking at this contraption for months, but somehow seeing Tim give it his endorsement pushed me over the edge into ordering some of these for my Gibsons. Thank you Tim for sharing.
what an awesome idea, i did not know about this thing! thanks
Don’t know if Tim will see this, but here goes… You had another video where you had a TruGlide on your guitar, and I’m wondering if you have compared them and would recommend the String Butler over the TruGlide. The String Butler is much more expensive, but a much more complicated piece of engineering. Which one do you prefer?
Big Bends Nut Sauce seemed to really help my Les Paul, after seeing one of your videos using it, I just think the price of the stuff is way out of line, I got a tube of it about half the size of a thin pencil from Amazon with shipping was around $20 dollars, so once that's gone , I'm not sure I'll buy anymore. Maybe a jar of vasellene, but I've used in the past Never Seize but it can be very messing and you must not be in a altered state when using it.
I found an alternative that's less expensive it's called "Tune-It"
Try a bit of Amsoil X-Treme Food Grade Grease. 1-tube, $11. Will supply a guitar-army tech enough lube for a lifetime.
pencil lead
Gonna try it out. Thanks Tim.
Thanks Tim. I play so bad, hardly notice when my Gibson loses tune.... Happy Holidays!
Tim.... TOTALLY unrelated, but was having a discussion the other day about some of your older studio work.... and there’s debate on who played the guitar solo on Runaway by Bon Jovi... some say it was you, some say Aldo Nova, and even others say it was Sabo... could you clear it up for us?
Thanks so much for everything you share with us!!!
This is awesome! I want one for my old LP deluxe
Hi Tim. Sorry I know its an old post but.... Just wondering if that nut has angled slots cut into it?
Freaking brilliant. Ordering now.
Badass tone! gonna check these out too!
I winced and made faces when he applied the channel locking pliers to the head stock.😱😱
As for the actual string location on this piece of gear-Once the unit is installed, where are you placing the strings again?
@8:53 it looks like you have the strings running at the bottom of the String Butler posts? So does this alleviate tuning issues?
Informative info Tim. Well done and thank you! If I wasn’t watching, I guess you were playing a strat with the tons at the beginning.
I remember seeing a similar product back in the 90's. Found in the back ads of an old guitar player magazine
I took it off my 2015 SG, and the NITRO FINISH has been slightly "dulled" at spots under the "string butler" after a couple of years of playing. I guess it's the fine dust that had made its way under the string butler (and I regularly clean up my guitars) combined with the constant vibration while playing, and the fact that NITRO is somewhat "soft" (compared to polyurethane) which wound up working like small touches of fine sand paper after a while.
So, with nitro finishes, although the string butler fully accomplished its tuning stability mission ... well ... I'd say : Maybe I'd insert a piece of very soft thin felt??? Or maybe I'd clean up under the "string butler" more often??? I don't know.
I'll try putting a piece of black soft thin felt under the "string butler" ... see if it stops the "micro rubbing".
Anyway, Tim, your TH-cam channel is really great! 2 thumbs up!
Hi, Tim. What tuner are you using on this video?
Thanks TIm, nice job of showing the gizmo in action. IT's a shame Gibson doesn't have enough sense to correct the issue on the guitar but hey.
One of the reasons I prefer Fenders. I am jonesing for a double hum bucker/shorter scale guitar to change it up, but I think I'd rather go with Reverend or something else that doesn't have these tuning issues.
PRS is the way to go
My schecter has a 3 + 3 head with a tusq nut and it never seems to have a problem. I seen a video on using a string tree on the truss rod cover screw for D & G strings but I think that might be overkill. I've used some straight through neck designs and they still having tuning problems if the nut is cheap and the tuners have to many wraps. I feel it's all in the tuners(locking is best) and the nut being cut and lubricated. People will say the nut is too thick on LPs but the string only contacts around 36% of the nut on both fender and Gibson styles. I wish people did scientific method testing on these things. It seems like a onslaught of little problems that make Gibsons seem awful, but make any guitar awful
One piece of advice here. Use a Combination Wrench size 10 for the nuts.
Hi great video
I have a bigsby my my 50's tribute sg did you string your guitar differently because of the Bigsby?
thanks
VESTRO
Number one by italian enthusiast guitarist
Forget the topic that lead was awesome!!
I had the same thought lol
I've been using for some years waxed dental floss in each nut slot. It's simple, easy to find and really helps a lot. You should don't have tuning problems in any kind of guitar with this combined with properly cut nut slots.
Do you just rub the floss into the nut slot?
Good setup, nut sauce on nut and saddles, making sure the angle isn't to severe between the tailpiece and bridge. Not to mention making sure all the slack is pulled out of the new strings when restringing . The issue isn't just between the nut and tuners. It's cumulative along every point something touches the strings in regards to tuning stability. At least that's been my experience and I don't have tuning issues. Just one more thing. Vice grips to loosen and tighten the nuts on the posts??? Nice!!!!
After all these years, is this still a product you'd recommend?
I was so frustrated with the tuning instability of my Gibson ES-339 that I actually put it up for sale. Fortunately, it did not sell and I discovered the String Butler. It does work and the guitar now plays like it should.
Which version did you get? Did you need the adapter piece for vintage tuners?
Thanks
@@AndykWilhelmI don’t recall. I ended up selling the Gibson after all. If you buy one of those string things be careful. Unless they’ve changed them they do not have any padding. They are metal which could damage/ scratch the headstock.
Gibson/Epiphone should change their headstock design to solve the problem. They could keep the old design for the traditionalists and offer a headstock design more like the PRS guitars that corrects the tuning issue. Why not offer both and everybody would be happy?
Yes, because the public has been so appreciative whenever Gibson tries something new. I think they did that with the weight relief, G-force, expanded lines, finishing techniques. Yet, somehow, people continue to bitch.
I believe the Gibson guys know this pain in the ass, they just do nothing about it.
Gibson has the coolest headstock in the biz.. Just use some nut sauce on it.. Or pick up a "String Butler" No reason to make a Paulie look like crap over a little tuning instability! lol..
Ray Ross Well said, I totally agree.
SITH GIRL, people pay hard earned big dollars for their guitars, they could solve the problem by offering a String Butler type device if folks wanted it. Maybe if enough people sent them an email about the issue they would do something.
I just hear Peter Griffin yelling, "Buttle my string! Buttle it!!"
This Ian fellow needs to be a narrator. Amazing accent and voice!
Tim and co. branch out into ASMR? :D
I’ve ordered 2 of the V3 clear acrylic ones for 2 of my SGs. 👍🏻
Interesting VT ! So could you say that there is an inherent design flaw in the key positioning of guitars to begin with that you need The String Butler - let's call him Jeeves, to correct for us? I do remember seeing guitars which have the strings going straight to the pegs as required. I also noticed though that the angle after Jeeves is more acute, is this not just simply moving the problem further up?
Hello Tim, you have probably answered this question hundreds or thousands of times before, but I have to do it anyway: in case you had to stay with only one strings gauge, what would it be and why?; please, consider for this example (if it has any importance) a Fender Stratocaster electric guitar. Thanks, man, you are amazing! Regards (**If someone here knows his answer could you tell me please? thanks!!**)
Standard tuning?
I don’t know what Tim uses but I would use 9s, 10s for Eb tuning, 11s for D Standard.
Nut lube worked wonders for my LP
Sickie Wifebeater a little graphite and a properly cut nut is all you need
the true fix, back file the nut so binding wont happen, and a dab of nut lube, you are correct my friend.............................
@@sneifert1968 getting it properly cut is the problem. Simple answer , Gibson needs to employ people who know how to do this at the factory.
Don't they use a Plek machine now? unless they don't use it to cut the nut slots.@@chrisdaviesguitar
@@sneifert1968 yeah I was thinking that also. My schecter has a 3 + 3 head with a tusq nut and it never seems to have a problem. I seen a video on using a string tree on the truss rod cover screw for D & G steingz but I think that might be over kill. I've used some straight through neck designs and they still having tuning problems if the nut is cheap and the tuners have to many wraps. I feel it's all in the tuners(locking is best) and the nut being cut and lubricated. People will say the nut is too thick on LPs but the string only contacts around 36% of the nut on both fender and Gibson styles. I wish people did scientific method testing on these things. It seems like a onslaught of little problems that make Gibsons seem awful, but make any guitar awful
A Gibby with a tremelo is the perfect recipe for this String Butler. I have good luck with a little filing on bone nut and nut lube for my hardtails but, what the hell, I think I'll give one a try and see if the result is stability beyond normal bending.
What is that a tuning app you are using?
Thank you Pierce
I have a $250 Harley Benton LP style guitar that stays in tune forever, despite severe abuse in form of wide vibratos, two whole step bends etc. It's rock solid at tenth of the price. No string butler necessary.
This string Butler looks to be a way to get a straighter pull on the string as well as allowing it to move on the roller pin. I will try it. Thanks
Man I love Gibsons. The feel the tone, but they really do have tuning issues. Particularly LP Juniors. Great tone but I cannot justify 6k on a guitar that cannot play basic rock licks and hold tune.
Do I need one if I have a Black Tusq installed already?
Very Cool video I did not install Washers because i want the Full Hard Tone. Thanx
Nice tip, I'll be after one of these, hopefully make me sound just as good as Tim..., well in my dreams anyway.
I've never had a problem with my 3 + 3. When I went 10-52 the 335 needed graphite, which I still do occasionally.
My 2 cents worth, I am old enough to know Gibson with a vibrato always were a pain to keep in tune, that is why you see some with a added stop tail piece, some would put on new locking Grover tuners to help, even the stereo 345’s, some players would disconnect the stereo wire and run just mono because the two plug in and cord was always a problem. You would think after 40 years they would have solved these problems. Same problem with Fender vibrato not staying in tune, but like many players, I own both brands and love them.
I think Gibson should keep the head the same for the historic models, but the USA standard should have the angle etc changed. It doesn’t need to be at 17 degrees any more.
Scarf joint too
Do you have locking tuners on that guitars?
What’s that strobe tuner app you used?
A zero fret solved all my problems.
The Gold Tone Zero Glide is amazing.
I think I read somewhere it doesn't fit vintage style tuners. Is that correct?
Take care of the size when ordering! V3 = post distance 35-58 mm, V2 = 44-58mm.
does the string butler scratch or harm the headstock in any way??? i have a few expensive guitars but the G goes out on me alot, if this thing doesnt harm the headstock then i think i might try one, awaiting your reply
The String Butler comes with two thin plastic washers. Either they had an earlier version that maybe wasn't supplied with these or they missed to put them between the headstock and the String Butler.
Smoking intro Tim. Love it.
What model 335 is that with the big block inlays
Aiden has an awesome voice
Tim, What tuning app are you using?
Ian Eisenberg I happen to know-it’s the “IStroboSoft” tuning app by Peterson. It’s great!
Dennis Pack thank you!
Hey my pliers don't make that chipmunk sound when I remove the E Tuners.
Am I doing it wrong?
I have a custom shop Jeff Beck Strat that I swear I could throw off the Empire State bldg. and it would still be in tune... it's mind boggling how stable that guitar is.
Hey Tim big fan from Oklahoma what is that Princton head behind you ?
Made by Roy Blankenship. He's talked about it on a video or two; either here on TH-cam, or in his master class vids. He's mentioned that Roy is legendary in the area.
what tuner are you using here?
why Gibson never game up with this idea, is beyond me. FYI I remember seeing these things advertised in the back pages of guitar player 20 years ago.
I've never understood why Gibson simply didn't design a tuner with successively longer tuning arms. That way they could keep the traditional headstock, but have the peg section of the tuners more in line with the nut. The pegs would take the shape of a V headstock, but the longer arms would allow them to keep the rectangular head.
Great idea, mole grips on tuner nuts though, no!😵
My fault, we were in a hurry and it's all I had... I realize it's not a good idea :(
What tuning app was that?
He did not use the plastic washers under the butler to avoid scratching
What can you expect from a guy using vise grips to work on a guitar ? He obviously doesn't give a sh1t, or doesn't know what he's doing. My guess is it's a bit of both.