Issues with my new ESP LTD EC-1000

noisenet · Post by **noisenet** » Wed Oct 17, 2007 2:40 am

I just got this guitar in on Friday of last week. I've had major tuning issues with it. Following is a post from another forum detailing the steps I've already taken, as well as more description......

BTW - the guitar has Schaller locking tuners (Sperzel knock offs), Earvana compensated nut, Tone Pros bridge and tailpiece, Duncan JB (bridge) and '59 (neck).

Ok, now I'm at my wits end with this guitar. I've had the nut slots filed. I've adjusted the tailpiece to lessen the angle of the strings to the bridge (suggested by the dude at ESP), I've lubricated the nut, checked the saddles AND bridge for movement, made sure the locking mechanism on the tuners is tightened, checked the tightness of the tuners, tightened the peg screws on the tuners, gone through the nut slots with an old string to try an eliminate any remaining obstructions. But still, I cannot keep this damn guitar in tune. I can tune the guitar to perfect pitch. Then if I strum the pick across all the strings (hard, like if I was playing a really loud section of a song), like 5 or 10 strums, then check the tuning, without fail, the "G" string is sharp. Not real sharp, just enough to make an open D and G together sound like total ass.

Just to clarify, the intonation is spot on. I'm not a noob. I've played professionally for over 20 years. Prior to this year, I was playing roughly 325 gigs per year for the past 3 years (changing strings 3 times a week, on two different guitars, plus twice a week for my daytime guitar - 8 string changes a week total), and a couple hundred gigs a year before that. I know how to tune a guitar. I know how to stretch strings. In fact, as a practice, I stretch the hell out of strings when I put 'em on. I've never encountered a guitar that had these problems. For years I've played Mexi Strats (with Sperzels). I play hard, I bend the ever loving shit out of my strings (like a 14th fret "A" on the g string bent up to an "E" pitch). But on my strats (and other guitars before them), if I've sufficiently stretched my strings, I'm fine.

This guitar has the Schaller locking tuners, identical (in operation) to the Sperzels.

Here's the thing. I can sit there and shred for an hour or more on this guitar, including some pretty agressive bending and vibrato, and it stays in tune fine. Then all of a sudden, out of nowhere, it'll go out of tune. Dunno what triggers it. And if I strum aggressively, or do some heavy handed chicken pickin (chordal), the tuning goes to shit. It's mostly the "G" string, but the "B" goes out sometimes (mostly flat, although it, too, will occasionally go sharp) and the "D" will go flat. If I lie the guitar in it's case for a while, when I pick it up, it's out of tune, even if the tuners haven't been touched.

And to top things off, I ordered the guitar from World Musical Supply. They charge a 15% restocking fee for ALL returns. There's even a section in there about guitar playability, setup, etc - saying that as things change with climate changes, they can't be responsible for that. Hence, I lose 15%. That's roughly $120 - I cannot afford to lose that. I don't know if ESP will take it as a warranty issue. They should, but who knows. The guy I spoke to is the warranty director (as well as a guitarist and luthier) so perhaps I can appeal to his good nature. But damn, I'm still out whatever the shipping fee is. That would suck.

And here's the extra kicker - I LOVE playing this guitar (well, when it's in tune). Everything about it, it's tone, playability, the neck is perfect for me, the pickups rule, the resonance is unbelievable (thanks, I guess, to the Tone Pros bridge and tailpiece coupled to the Mahogany body and Maple top). Even it's appearance is perfect. So I hate the idea of getting rid of it. Plus, I can't lose the aforementioned $120.

So, any suggestions for a dude at his witts' end?

Necrovore · Post by **Necrovore** » Wed Oct 17, 2007 3:10 am

Is the bridge shifting? Im not talking tilting forward or back on the posts. I am talking the posts themselves shifting.

noisenet · Post by **noisenet** » Wed Oct 17, 2007 3:14 am

Nope, the studs are rock solid tight. Also, it's a tone pros setup, meaning the bridge and tailpiece are secured to their respective studs, and they're tight.

Necrovore · Post by **Necrovore** » Wed Oct 17, 2007 3:24 am

and the nut isnt shifting right? The only thing I could think of is that those Schaller keys are slipping.

noisenet · Post by **noisenet** » Wed Oct 17, 2007 3:31 am

The nut is in there solid, but I also was wondering about the Schallers. When I first took it to my tech, he tightened the locks a little more than I had them, and that seemed to make a difference. But it's still going out of tune.

I've been reading reviews from people who, for the most part, say the tuning stability on these guitars is astoundingly good, so mine's GOT TO BE a lemon. I'm gonna call ESP tomorrow and see what they'll do for me.

Dammit - I wanna play this guitar on a gig, but with tuning problems, no way Jose`.....

the_haunted · Post by **the_haunted** » Wed Oct 17, 2007 3:52 pm

I've got the older EC-1000 with the Serzels, and the tuning IS rock solid. 9/10 times I don't even tune for practice, just pull it out of the case & play.

The only issue I had was the low E string was slipping off the bridge saddle slightly (just jumping out of the groove) I fixed this by filing the groove deeper. are you only wrapping the strings around the tuners a 1/2 turn?

Otherwise I would suspect the tuners, and get it checked out under warranty.

noisenet · Post by **noisenet** » Wed Oct 17, 2007 4:20 pm

Ok, figure this out if you can:
I just sat here and played the guitar for the better part of two hours solid, lots of shredding, bending, and rhythm chugging. I kept checking the tuning, it was solid. Not out a little. Then, as a test, I untuned, then retuned the guitar. After doing that, I can't get it to stay in tune for anything. I'm really at a loss here. Am I doing something wrong? I always tune UP to the note, going below the correct pitch, then tuning up to it. The strings are well stretched.

I did notice that when I'm turning the tuning keys, the locking mechanism (on the rear of the tuner) is also turning. I've used Sperzels since 1993 and haven't ever noticed that. It's doing it on all 6 tuners though, so I imagine that's by design.

Nonetheless, I'm way stumped.