My Atom won't stay in tune with .011s :(

[olectric]

I'm a pretty bendy guy (on the fretboard, that is), but nothing more than a whole step. I CONSTANTLY have to retune my Atom. I put .011s on it, and I like the sound and the feel a lot. Up until this guitar, I had always played 25.5" guitars with .010s, and .010s on the 24.75" Atom felt a little sloppy.

Does it have to do with my string guages? Or is it the tuners? I've never had this issue before. I don't remember it happening when I had .010s on it. Also, this is my first Andy without locking tuners. Is that the problem? Any suggestions would be appreciated; I'm not used to this retuning-after-every-solo stuff.

[tom]

string gauge would not make a tuning diffenence, if you have split shaft tuners, did you cut the string 3 posts past where it's going so you get 2-3 wraps around the post? what kind of strings are they? have you stretched them till they don't drop pitch?

[morty]

I have a Fender strat with non locking tuners, and it holds the tuning as good as my Anderson. I think you didn`t stretch the strings enaugh! I also do much bending and country tric,

[olectric]

Since I bought the guitar new at Mass St, I get free service on it, so I had one of their techs put the .011s on while I was hanging out playing some of their great Dr. Z amps. There are 3-4 wraps on each string. The strings are Ernie Balls. They've been on my guitar for a few weeks, and I would think that they are good and stretched by now; I'll stretch 'em out one last time and see if that helps.

[sylvanshine]

Did the tech also intonate for 11's? Any change in string guage warrants a complete new set up.

[Janine Doubly]

Hey! Did Mike, Ted or Josh @ the Mass Street shop open up the nut slots a bit? Sometimes, .011's will hang up in the nut slots a bit, since the guitar was set up at the Anderson factory for .010's. A simple pass with a slightly wider nut file with the same measurement as your strings should do the trick, without lowering the nut slots too low. In my experience, going from .010's to .011's shouldn't warrant a new intonation set up, but I could be wrong.

[olectric]

Did the tech also intonate for 11's?

I didn't ask him. I'll do that next time. I just trusted that he knew what he was doing.


A simple pass with a slightly wider nut file with the same measurement as your strings should do the trick, without lowering the nut slots too low.

Now that you mention that, I did ask him about that when he brought it down to me, and he said that it shouldn't be a problem.

Wehhhll, maybe it is a problem.

[tom]

only the wound strings could possibly need to be widened.

[Janine Doubly]

It may not need it, its just a thought. They've seen the guitar up close recently, I haven't. I am just trying to think of possible solutions.