[EverDream]

Originally Posted by Toshiro

Is this happening with brand new strings, or is it getting noticeable only now?

It makes no difference it was this way when they were brand new and it's happened in the past on other string sets I've had on. The problem hasn't gotten any worse or any better since I put them on, I had just been ignoring it, but I can't any more it's just starting to bother me too much.

Originally Posted by Toshiro

It's not really a "hearing" issue. I would take the thing to a tech and see if there's something mechanically wrong with the instrument.

Well what I meant was if you have really good ears you can hear it drop in pitch too as well as see it drop in pitch on the tuner. Mainly all you need is to see the tuner go down, because the tuner doesn't lie. The way you can "hear" the effects of this is if I did a power chord on the last 2 strings with distortion, then you'd hear the chord start out sounding good but then after about 1 second you'd hear it starting to do that beating sound...

I can record that too if I have to but I think most people here know what I'm talking about. If you don't you can simulate what happens to me by doing a power chord, but bending just one of the strings a little so that it's a little sharp, and then you'd hear what I'm talking about, only that's how it is without bending anything!

[Toshiro]

Yeah, it's dropping 6 cents right off the bat, then fading to -10 cents. I'm just thinking you're better off taking it in to see if tech can sort out the problem.

[noodles]

Tighten the low B string tuning machine. It should have an adjustment screw on the key itself.

Always tune up from below, never down from above. It prevents the string from getting hung up in the nut.

[EverDream]

Originally Posted by noodles

Tighten the low B string tuning machine. It should have an adjustment screw on the key itself.

I've already done that, didn't help.

Originally Posted by noodles

Always tune up from below, never down from above. It prevents the string from getting hung up in the nut.

I always tune up from below, so that's not it either.

I think like Toshiro said, I guess I'm going to have to get a tech to look at it. The question is, would the tech charge me even if he can't fix it? Because I can't afford to just waste money like that. Also if he can fix it would it be worth it or would it just be better to buy a new 7 string? Because then for only a little more (depending on how much the tech charges) I could have a whole new guitar?

[Metal Ken]

might i suggest a bigger string? Its worth a shot. i usually use 65 or so (sometimes more) for the low B by itself. if you're tuning down another major 3rd, it might help.

[Stitch]

Your nut mod sounds suspect. Could it be simply that the string is sliding around in it?

[EverDream]

Originally Posted by Metal Ken

might i suggest a bigger string? Its worth a shot. i usually use 65 or so (sometimes more) for the low B by itself. if you're tuning down another major 3rd, it might help.

I'm not tuning down a major 3rd, that'd be G, I'm at G#. Also I'm not tuning the whole guitar down, just the last 2 strings. The rest of the guitar is in A# (half step down). I also have this same problem in A tuning (a little tighter than G#), in A# it doesn't drop 10 cents probably drops 10 cents in G#, 8 cents in A and 6 cents in A#.

Meanwhile my .046 string tunes fine down to C# and barely drops at all. .046 tension at C# is close if not less tension than .062 at G#, so if the problem was that I need more tension then it would effect the .046 at C# too and it doesn't. So that can't be it. Also I wouldn't like playing on strings that tight. But the fact that it drops in pitch even at A#, that's like similar to if I did what you said and added thicker gauge string to do G#. Similar tension. So that's not the problem.

It looks crystal clear that this is a problem with something in the 7th string slot, whether it be the bridge saddle, the pickups, the nut, the tuning pegs, or even the string thru body hole. Because all the other strings are fine, and this has happened before with other string sets so I don't think it's a bad string, because that would mean I'd have to have gotten bad 7th string everytime I ordered and that'd be kinda rare, especially since it's D'addario and they are so consistant.

So anyone know how techs work? I'd have to have them check it out for free but then only charge if they are sure they can fix it... otherwise I'd rather just buy a new guitar.

[JJ Rodriguez]

To rule out the tuner, swap it with the one for the low E, then try it. If the low E does the same thing, then your tuner is fucked.

[EverDream]

Originally Posted by stitch216

Your nut mod sounds suspect. Could it be simply that the string is sliding around in it?

This is what I have been thinking too. I will try to get a picture of the nut for you, so you can have a look. I'll take a picture with the string in the nut and a picture of it out of the nut and then I'll be back.

[Lethe]

1. If you tune your guitar so that ~3 seconds after you've picked the pitch is dead-on, how does it sound?

2. How close are your pickups to the strings? If you lower them as far as possible, does it get better?

3. If you tune to B, does the problem persist? Is it getting a little better or even worse?

4. In order to rule out the nut slot being too wide (although I think that's hardly the cause), could you try it with a 70 string, tuned to A? If you don't have one of those handy, try putting one or two thin layers of tissue in the nut, then put the string in, tune up, and cut away the parts that hang out. If you can't do that, try winding one layer of half an inch wide tissue around the part of the string that sits in the nut, then push the string in. This is no final solution, but it may help finding out what's wrong.

5. Report back.