Leaderboard

ive done some reading and some cheap machine heads are bad and you cant tune down to get it in tune because they just go out of tune too quick, likely by carrying on turning down by themselves. so you have to go lower and then tune up to get it in tune. thats what the seller told me tune back up. and it helped a tiny bit. but they still just turned by themselves no doubt encouraged by string tension. i mean they arent going to tighten up are they? i looked at the design and the worm is designed to be forced in one direction and hence persuaded not to turn. but it can and does. only a tiny bit but thats all it takes. but not now. its perfect thanks to the tiny washers making the screws actually do their job. thanks for trying to help Dad 3353. guitars arent as difficult to set up as people think. i am a builder and diy mechanic and there is nothing i wouldnt take on myself. ive made nuts from scratch even widened the spacing from std. shortened and packed saddles up. plus ive got a ruddy great big hammer.

ive sorted it. i dismantled one completely. the tiny screws in the centre of the button are supposed to tighten the button (windy bit) down so its tight to turn. or at least stiff. but even when its tightened up fully and at the bottom of its threads the button was free to turn in the slackening direction only. . much much much more willing to turn in the direction of slackening as opposed to tightening where it was as stiff as you would expect. the pathetic wave washer supposed to apply tension is wholly inadequate. far too thin and flimsy. so i simply fitted another washer over the spindle that the button keys onto so that the screw when tightened actually makes the button stiffer. luckily i have washers down to 3mm ID. and this made it so that the button was stiff to turn in either direction. 2 hours playing last night and what a lovely sound. i realised if i tuned it previously within seconds one or more of the strings would go ever so slightly out of tune and it always sounded funny/bad. im crap at playing a guitar but i can tune one by ear without having to press any frets. sadly with this same tuneful ear i can hear how crap my singing is. the tuners are very similar to these. fully enclosed. https://www.stourmusic.co.uk/product-page/eko-s300v-maple-sunburst

Good afternoon, @aljaxon, and ... ... Plenty to read and amuse you here, and lots to learn and share.

Hello and welcome. Plenty here to learn from and chuckle at. Frustration and patience are your biggest hurdles by the sound of it. You Tube is great, but no replacement for a proper teacher and I would heartily recommend visiting one, even just for a few months to even out your technique. I would also counsel against changing the songs to make them easier, if you only play the stuff you can already play you never progress. Changing them to fit your voice is one thing, but trying to avoid chords just because isn't doing you any favours long term. But also, don't get too hung up on playing them exactly as the records, most of us here can't play everything and do simplify songs to a degree. At the end of the day... just enjoy the journey!