Ernie Ball Strings- anyone else having problems getting them to stay in tune?

[whiteop]

Lately, I've been having problems getting my Ernie Ball Super Slinkys to stretch out all the way so they will stay in tune. It seems like no matter how much I stretch them there's still a little more stretch left over. Having played for over 30 years I'm pretty familiar with the proper string wrinding methods, intonation, and setup of a guitar to make it sound optimal. It doesn't matter which guitar I use the problem still exists and some have locking tuners while others have vintage or regular tuners.

Is anyone else having the same problems. Any tips on how to keep your guitar complately in tune? I've set and reset the intonation and stabilized any floating trems but still am having problems.

[butrus]

I have no problems,using Beefy Slinkys

[TwoTubMan]

Quality strings will never be the cause of tuning problems. What gauge are we talking about?

[whiteop]

9's and I'm putting them on some quality guitars; Fender Strat, Fender Tele, Gibson Les Paul Traditional Plus (10s on this one). Never had this problem before like this. I'm just wondering if they changed up some of the metals / alloys they're using in the strings.

[TwoTubMan]

I'll admit, everything is getting made cheaper. You may have a point.

[SB53]

Hi,
A friend of mine has been having the same problem. So I took his guitar,
pulled on it to get the feel and I actually felt them loosen a bit even though they had been on for a while.
It finally gave out and "broke". What was really happening is that the brand of string he gets has had this problem before.
The winding from the ball end up toward the bridge was very very slowly unraveling itself. Never seen that before. So I suggested a fix- I took a very small drop of super glue and put it on the string ravel and the ball(lightly).
Let it go for an hour and after stretching it for a while it stopped slipping. I don't know what brand he was using so try this while you check out other brands. I use D'Adario and have never had that problem.
SB53

[StompBoxBlues]

Originally Posted by SB53

Hi,
A friend of mine has been having the same problem. So I took his guitar,
pulled on it to get the feel and I actually felt them loosen a bit even though they had been on for a while.
It finally gave out and "broke". What was really happening is that the brand of string he gets has had this problem before.
The winding from the ball end up toward the bridge was very very slowly unraveling itself. Never seen that before. So I suggested a fix- I took a very small drop of super glue and put it on the string ravel and the ball(lightly).
Let it go for an hour and after stretching it for a while it stopped slipping. I don't know what brand he was using so try this while you check out other brands. I use D'Adario and have never had that problem.
SB53

Great tip! I read somewhere else someone talking about tinning (solder) the ball ends before installing the strings helping a lot.

There has been some controversy over D'Addario (I've used them for 20 years or more solid...and also noticed a difference now) as to whether they have gone cheaper (they say no), changed things (they admit that they changed the color, brightness to dull on the ball ends that identify which is which, to help against counterfieting) and also I am not clear as to whether I may be running into couterfeit strings...some of the deals where you get 15 in a box at really inexpensive prices make me wonder.

Just last night, first time I can ever recall, the FOURTH string on my strat "broke" and it did it just like you describe, unravelling more. The ball end was gone but the string stuck in the slot, unraveled, and useless.

The strings had been on there for over a month (haven't played it much though)...very weird.

[Truxton Spangler]

Have you tried not tensioning the strings? Put them on out of the package and just play & retune until it works?

That's how i've always done it and i've never had any tuning stablity issues.. also make sure to bend the ends of the wound strings

Best regards -T

[Webfoot]

I've always used D'addarios .009s and still do. But somehow my last set seemed bad. Maybe it was me.... too long on the guitar, too much bending, removing the pick guard over and over and changing neck pickups (tele) etc. It would not intonate right and everything was wrong. However at the time, I did not think it was the strings but thought it was the guitar setup. After some more pickup mods and a new set of strings. Everything was perfect again. Bell tones, great intonation, sounds great clean or dirt, action is good etc. Really don't know what was going on.

I was also really fighting intonation. But with the new strings, the only intonation I fight now is on the low E strings at the 1st, 2nd and 3rd fret (the G note on the low E string is a biggie for being off and have to learn to press lightly).

If you have a floating trem, you may want to lock it down or block it (disable it) for a while and see how things work. The other thing I guess that makes strings sound bad is if the pickups are powerful and set too high. The magnetic pull can make them warble of be slightly out of tune... solution is to lower the pickup. More true for Alnico V pickups that are more powerful then Alnico II pickups.

[Structo]

Every once in a while you will get a duff set of strings that just don't work.

It can be aggravating if you try to figure out what is wrong, in effect chasing your tail.

I have pretty much always used D'Addario strings.
I occasionally stray and try something new but always seem to come back.

If you are a real whammy bar player then perhaps soldering the ball end should be done.
Remember SRV's tech used to also put wire insulation on the string where it bent down to the block when it rode on the plate to avoid breakage.

I seem to remember a few sets years ago that slipped where the string was twisted at the ball end.

[chinstrap]

I had a case of GHS nickel boomers with improperly wound D strings. All defective. Weird.

[NJVenom]

i use EB's, "not even slinky's" 012, 016, 024p, 032, 044, 056...i tune to standard pitch and have never had an issue. They're on Strats & my SG. The guitar is a very simple mechanical device. It's easy to go thru the steps of restringing, intonation, neck adjustment, action and tuning...give her a little love, and she will be a happy lady...
pattyo
www.ghostandthebigsky.com

[redbeardrob]

Originally Posted by butrus

I have no problems,using Beefy Slinkys

me too. NEVER have problems.

[spookyelectric]

Ernie Ball 9's tend to take more time to stretch out for me. I recently moved up to Slinky 10-46's and don't have any problems. I usually tune down 1/2 step too, which makes 9's a little trickier.

[SB53]

Hi again, bear with me.
One thing I do that I've never seen anyone else,(not that there isn't). On the string path from ball end to tuning pegs is this :
1. I used a very thin,fine rat tail file and smoothed all the bend points including on my fender trem, and all of gibson style bridges.
2. On Fender-the string bends at a sharp angle from the top of block and very steep bend on plate on way to saddles. I then did the whole thing again with fine sandpaper(600 grit) then emery cloth or similar.
3. Don't laugh, this next step I got from and old guy when I first stared 40 years ago. I thought he was having a laugh on me but it worked: I used the edges of a matchbook(the stiff carboard) and "polished" all the points again.
4. I then used a 10 for an E string on my fender and gibson and tuned the string until it broke, and with trem tuned it way up and worked the trem heavy up and down, and tuned higher till it snapped.
5. I use a 9.5 for an E string so I had a nice permanent groove the string would always gravitate to. Did same on the rest of my strings.
6. The gibsons have a break on the edge of the unit just before the saddles, some strings do and some don't, so this is where I used the files and sandpaper. The nut on both systems is a long thread addressed elsewhere you don't need me to go over again. Lastly I use a little 3&1 oil & secure the string wraps. I only do this once for each new guitar I get. I very rarely break strings. good luck. I know this helps me.
SB53