It's been a while...and stayed in tune!

[zarfnober]

I took out my 66 Ventures model tonight for the first time in at least a year. Didn't even have to tune it. I'm amazed at how well the Moseley tailpiece stays in tune. Every time I've changed strings, I stretch them, retune, stretch again and repeat until it stays in tune, usually about 5-7 times. Then it seems to stay in tune "forever". I can hit the whammy bar countless times and it just stays there. It may drop down a little, but each string seems to drop the same amount. I can play it regularly for a few weeks, put it back in the case and whenever I decide to take it out again it's still in tune. I just love these guitars.

Played it thru my rehabbed Harmony 415 amp, sounded great. The only thing that is a problem on this guitar is a grounding issue. As long as my fingers are on the strings somewhere, it's quiet. Fingers off and it gets "scratchy".

I had a local guy set this guitar up a few years ago and he really took his time with it. Felt like a different guitar when he was done. Mainly, he readjusted the height of the pickup pole pieces and adjusted the pickup height. He is kind of a tube hi-fi nut and was a sound guy for years at the Park West in Chicago. All the strings ring out very evenly, just sounds great. If you can find a guy that really knows what he's doing with pickups, let him have your guitar. You'll be pleasantly surprised.

These guitars are just too cool.

Rocco

[olrocknroller]

I'm left to believe that you don't have huge climactic changes in your area... I find that from winter to summer, and from Canada to Yuma, that I am often having to change not only tuning, but also relief in the necks...even to smoothing fret ends! It's amazing how much wood can shrink when it gets to the desert! Short term trips aren't a real problem, but we stay in Yuma for over five months, and my guitars respond to the change in climate quite noticeably.

[MWaldorf]

A clear solution to your problem would be two of every guitar, one to leave in Canada, and one to leave in Yuma. Problem solved!

I used to have a Gibson ES-335 with a Bigsby - one time I pulled up on the arm so much the spring launched clear out of the guitar. I found the spring, put it back in, and the guitar was in tune!

[olrocknroller]

A clear solution to your problem would be two of every guitar, one to leave in Canada, and one to leave in Yuma. Problem solved!

I used to have a Gibson ES-335 with a Bigsby - one time I pulled up on the arm so much the spring launched clear out of the guitar. I found the spring, put it back in, and the guitar was in tune!

Whoa! That's cool, I just need to win the lottery, and hire a moving van to deliver all the guitars...then of course, a larger place in Yuma to store them all... As for the Bigsby, chewing gum keeps the spring in place nicely.

[zarfnober]

I'm left to believe that you don't have huge climactic changes in your area...

I live about 30 miles west of Chicago, so we don't have climate change, we have weather! Goes from high 90's with 90% humidity in summer to 15 below zero in winter, so not too huge a change. I think the trick is to set it up properly with strobe tuner to intonate properly. I have other guitars(Fender Tele,Washburn, and my friends Les Paul 1960)) that do not stay in tune as well as any of my Mosrites. the one I had out tonight was refretted with frets I got from Loretta, the other one has original frets and stays in tune too.

Maybe you should leave yours in the case

Rocco

[olrocknroller]

I'm left to believe that you don't have huge climactic changes in your area...

...
Maybe you should leave yours in the case

Rocco

Aha! So that's what I'm doing wrong! And I won't have to clean them so often either...