Pelikanen
Inspired
My goal is to record an album but I think my guitar is not cutting it. I like the sound of it (when it stays in tune etc) but I wonder if anything can be done about it or if it's better to just buy a guitar with an EverTune and never have to waste time tuning/intonating/lubing again?
The guitar I've played the last 5 years is a LTD EC-401B baritone. Always had issues with making it perform optimally for recording. I spend more time tuning it, intonating, lubing the nut etc than actually playing it. It still has the original nut (a tech says it's a TUSQ nut, and yes I've had it cut) and bridge on it (Tune-O-Matic). I've only changed the machine heads because the plastic bearings got so worn out. I've had it PLEK:ed and the nut was shimmed (the effect of the shimming seems to have worn off though).
Questions:
* My tuning is drop A, strings are D'Addario EXL 13-17-26w-36-46-70, they all stay bright w/ maintenance except for the 70 which goes dead upon touching it once. Is this common? Is it better use a bass string or something?
* Am I supposed to apply Big Bends Nut Sauce in the nut every time before I play? (the 46 in particular gets stuck in the nut and goes sharp). Is the nut badly cut after all?
* The C-clips round the screws on the bridge cause buzz pretty often, is this common or would I be better off some other bridge? My fix is to slack the string, get it off the saddle and go in with a flatheaded screwdriver and flatten the clip against the bridge, is this a bad or good method?
* I have to check intonation every time I play, is this crazy?
* Is it better to make a sharp break angle on all strings at the bridge for intonation purposes or does it not matter if the string intonates?
* Do you think changing the nut and bridge would make any difference or does my knowledge of guitars just suck haha?
TO SUM IT UP:
Do I need new hardware or are old school guitars just this much of a hassle?
Or do I need to take a class in teching?
The guitar I've played the last 5 years is a LTD EC-401B baritone. Always had issues with making it perform optimally for recording. I spend more time tuning it, intonating, lubing the nut etc than actually playing it. It still has the original nut (a tech says it's a TUSQ nut, and yes I've had it cut) and bridge on it (Tune-O-Matic). I've only changed the machine heads because the plastic bearings got so worn out. I've had it PLEK:ed and the nut was shimmed (the effect of the shimming seems to have worn off though).
Questions:
* My tuning is drop A, strings are D'Addario EXL 13-17-26w-36-46-70, they all stay bright w/ maintenance except for the 70 which goes dead upon touching it once. Is this common? Is it better use a bass string or something?
* Am I supposed to apply Big Bends Nut Sauce in the nut every time before I play? (the 46 in particular gets stuck in the nut and goes sharp). Is the nut badly cut after all?
* The C-clips round the screws on the bridge cause buzz pretty often, is this common or would I be better off some other bridge? My fix is to slack the string, get it off the saddle and go in with a flatheaded screwdriver and flatten the clip against the bridge, is this a bad or good method?
* I have to check intonation every time I play, is this crazy?
* Is it better to make a sharp break angle on all strings at the bridge for intonation purposes or does it not matter if the string intonates?
* Do you think changing the nut and bridge would make any difference or does my knowledge of guitars just suck haha?
TO SUM IT UP:
Do I need new hardware or are old school guitars just this much of a hassle?
Or do I need to take a class in teching?
