GFI sixth string lower

Neal Vosberg · From: Tennessee, USA

Hey, so I'm playing this second hand Expo and I really like it. The guy who sold it to me gave me a great deal. One thing he mentioned was that he never used or tuned his sixth string lower. I still have the strings that were on it, and it's a wound sixth. I've attempted to tune the lower all the way down to F#, but without fail my open G# and my raise to A goes haywire, and my lowered note usually pulls back up somewhere close to G.

Here's my instinct. Detune everything, and loosen that sixth lower nylon nut as much as I can and start with tuning that change. I can only assume there's not enough slack. It could also be that it's a wound string.

Since I can't seem to locate a fine tune control for this split, is there a way to go about tuning a change like this on a GFI?

Georg Sørtun · From: Mandal, Agder, Norway

Have that change in tune with wound 6th on my GFI Ultra keyless, and it is a real stretch for that changer. Most seem to use a plain 6th string to cope with that change on a GFI, but I much prefer a wound 6th for tone and stability so I took the time to make it work.

As not all wound strings are created equal – varying core-thickness, note that it works for me with Jagwire and LSS .022W.

You'll need an extra "split-rod" to raise from same lower-lever, to tune the F# up from a little too low so you get a perfect G with both the lower-lever and the B-pedal activated. (A "split-rod" is what we used before s.c."split-screws" on changer came as standard on most PSGs.)

Use the lowest hole on changer and bellcrank for the lower-rod, and you may have to adjust stopp and neutral screws on the lever itself to get long enough lower-rod throw without upsetting neutral and raise of 6th string.
The "split-rod" goes in a free hole on raise-scissor, and highest hole on bellcrank.

The lower-return spring may have to be carefully adjusted – slackened – to avoid "lower-return to raise" and allow the lower-rod to pull the string down lower than a perfect F#. On mine I also had to turn the lower-return spring upside down, to change how it curved with full lower and scraped on the lower-scissor.

Tuning procedure…
- tune G on regular lower-rod with both lower-lever and B-pedal pressed.
- tune F# on "split-rod" with only lower-lever pressed.

Michael Hill · From: Arizona, USA

I also have a GFI (ultra). Good advice from Georg. I ran into similar problems on my first string change using a string set with a would 6th.

The 6th string split with a 3rd rod works perfectly on mine. I really like it a lot. Highly recommended.

What I don't like is after lowering the 6th, it comes back sharp every time. Sharp enough that it's a problem for me. Mine is a keyless so my thought is that something on the changer side is pulling the string sharp. I've been considering lubricating the 6th string all along the path where it contacts the changer and see if it helps.

I don't think I'm being overly sensitive either. For example, I get cabinet drop but that's not an issue for me as it's nowhere near as 'out' as 6th after lower.

Georg Sørtun · From: Mandal, Agder, Norway

Michael H. … on the keyless with solid nut-bolt, the string slips during lower and hangs on the bolt after lower and therefore comes back sharp. Easy to test by putting grease on the bolt where the string slides over it, which will fix it but only for a few lower-actions until the string bites through the grease-layer – just long enough to pinpoint the cause/problem.

This is in fact the only weakness that bothers me on my GFI keyless, they should have used proper nut-rollers. Luckily I have other PSGs, that don't exhibit this slip/hang problem at either end.

Jack Stoner · From: Kansas City, MO

My wife has an Expo S-10. The stock factory setup is to lower the 6th string a full tone. It came with plain .020 string for the 6th string and that's what we have always used. It lowers a full tone without any problems.

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