Need help! Kay guitar

[Left4alive1]

I have a old kay guitar,I want to know some stuff about it.

also when i tune it(even with a guitar tuner) it always sounds horribly out of tune..i'm thinking new tuners/tuning pegs? I don't know what kind to buy tho


http://s970.photobucket.com/albums/ae182/left4alive1/

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[cheepaxes]

If you have old strings on it, the first thing I would do is replace them.

I'd be more inclined to suspect the placement of the bridge than the tuners. What happens when you play a harmonic at the 12th fret and compare to fretting at the 12th fret? Try that. If the fretted notes are sharp compared to the harmonic, carefully slide the bridge toward the tailpiece. If they're flat, carefullly slide the bridge toward the nut. Retune after each time you move the bridge and compare again. Keep doing that until the notes are tuned the same for the harmonic and the fretted notes. Do this for both high and low E strings. When those are correct, hopefully all other strings will be in tune. Then try playing the guitar. Does it seem seem out of tune when all the open strings are in tune?

If you get it in tune, but the strings slip and go out of tune, *then* I would suspect the tuners.

Let us know how that works.

-Scott

[Spud1950]

The fact that the guitar is missing all the tuning post bushings probably isn't a good thing either as far as tuning stability.

[Left4alive1]

[johnnyb]

[cheepaxes]

I've wondered whether it would be possible to make jury-rig bushings by cutting plastic (e.g., from a sour cream container), rolling it into a tube and sliding it down into the hole. It wouldn't be pretty but it might provide a slippery enough surface to make tuning easier. I guess a potential problem would be a tendency for them to work their way out of the hole over time.

Looking back at my earlier response, I don't know why I didn't suggest finding the proper location for the bridge by measuring the distance from the nut to the 12th fret and placing the bridge the same distance from the 12th fret. If the bridge position was way off, that certainly would have been the quickest way to get into the ballpark.

-Scott

[Left4alive1]

like i said this was my grandfathers guitar...he's a righty and i play lefthanded

I figured i could just flip the bridge and string it up and play...no i didn't even think that that tail piece slots are sized according to string size so is the nut at the top of the neck...i stringed it up and tuned it fine the bushing went to easily

My problem now is the to bottom strings(thinest) buzz alot

i'm afraid to move the bridge again cause i finally got it to where the 12th fret harmonic match the 12th fret (fretted note)

[cheepaxes]