Les Paul Tuning Stability Trick

[scottcald]

1 hour ago, diablo175 said:

I know it's sacrilege but I avoid all that nonsense with this one. Locking nut and a blocked off Floyd actually work REALLY well for tuning stability. I dare say I really enjoy playing it more as a hard tail/fixed bridge than I did as a floating Floyd type.  

Saw a photo of Neal Schon with a Floyd nut on an LP but with a fine tuner tailpiece.  

Do you always block the Floyd?   

[diablo175]

35 minutes ago, scottcald said:

Saw a photo of Neal Schon with a Floyd nut on an LP but with a fine tuner tailpiece.  

Do you always block the Floyd?   

On that LP Axcess? Yeah, I keep it blocked and locked. The Charvel w/ a D-Tuna is also blocked to dive only because it has to be. 

Everything else is fully floating.  

[scottcald]

I've seen some guys do everything dive only and I get why, but just feels limiting. 

[RobB]

7 minutes ago, scottcald said:

I've seen some guys do everything dive only and I get why, but just feels limiting. 

Meh. Unison/double-stop bends are easier on decked trems. I hate having to over-bend strings to get to the proper pitch. Even Satch has some fancy-schmancy trem-stop on his custom Ibbys. 

[diablo175]

17 hours ago, scottcald said:

I've seen some guys do everything dive only and I get why, but just feels limiting. 

Absolutely it's limiting. Consider that I've spent decades playing and learning on floating trems. I can do double stops bend and bending to the stratosphere on them. It's a technique adjustment but it's instinctive now. I'll cop to the fact that it's easier on a decked or blocked bridge BUT you give up the techniques and nuances you can do on a floating Floyd.

I'd rather have to work a little more for double stop bends and bending to pitch (which is a non-fucking issue if the springs are tension-ed properly. Eddie and others did it all the time on two springs.) than give up some of the cool shit you can do on a floating bridge. 

17 hours ago, RobB said:

Meh. Unison/double-stop bends are easier on decked trems. I hate having to over-bend strings to get to the proper pitch. Even Satch has some fancy-schmancy trem-stop on his custom Ibbys. 

Kahler offers a locking device on their 2300 and 7300 models. There are are a few newer brands that have that same function. One made in Turkey that was demoed at NAMM had that function.

Edited March 13 by diablo175

[RobB]

4 hours ago, diablo175 said:

I'd rather have to work a little more for double stops bends and bending to pitch (which is a non-fucking issue if the springs are tension-ed properly. Eddie and others did it all the time on two springs.) than give up some of the cool shit you can do on a floating bridge. 

Eddie and others had decked Floyds with springs adjusted to hold the trem stable for at least a whole step bend.

With floating FRs, it doesn’t matter if, “the springs are tension-ed properly.” It will pitch forward. It’s the compromise for playing stunt-guitar. 

I’ve heard of some players using their picking hand to hold a floating bridge stable during bends. Seems like a PITA, but impressive none the less. 

[scottcald]

5 hours ago, diablo175 said:

Absolutely it's limiting. Consider that I've spent decades playing and learning on floating trems. I can do double stops bends and bending to the stratosphere on them. It's a technique adjustment but it's instinctive now. I'll cop to the fact that it's easier on a decked or blocked bridge BUT you give up the techniques and nuances you can do on a floating Floyd.

I'd rather have to work a little more for double stops bends and bending to pitch (which is a non-fucking issue if the springs are tension-ed properly. Eddie and others did it all the time on two springs.) than give up some of the cool shit you can do on a floating bridge. 

Kahler offers a locking device on their 2300 and 7300 models. There are are a few newer brands that have that same function. One made in Turkey that was demoed at NAMM had that function.

Kahler also has the auto latch for their Steeler - arm down, it's locked and when in use it's unlocked.  Cool set up. 

That one from Turkey was all titanium and for the bridge and nut is like a grand.  I think not many will buy that. 

[scottcald]

8 minutes ago, RobB said:

I’ve heard of some players using their picking hand to hold a floating bridge stable during bends. Seems like a PITA, but impressive none the less. 

Considering some of the things Eddie did with his Fender trem to keep it in tune, holding the bar seems like a little less work.  

[veatch]

On 3/10/2026 at 11:48 AM, Jimbilly said:

Joe talks about the old nylon nuts in this vid, - more stuff I did not know about

 

 

Guy seems like he did a good job, but anyone else wondering why the original nylon material was so damn important when the existing grooves were refilled with the special sauce anyways?  Seems like using one of the 107 original material blanks would have been a better choice?

I'm confused. 

[diablo175]

14 hours ago, RobB said:

Eddie and others had decked Floyds with springs adjusted to hold the trem stable for at least a whole step bend.

With floating FRs, it doesn’t matter if, “the springs are tension-ed properly.” It will pitch forward. It’s the compromise for playing stunt-guitar. 

I’ve heard of some players using their picking hand to hold a floating bridge stable during bends. Seems like a PITA, but impressive none the less. 

You said it yourself, the tension Ed used allowed him to bend up at least whole step. I'd call that sufficient. 

"Stunt-guitar" 😆 

I'm reminded of how Frank Zappa called Steve Vai his "stunt guitarist" as well as "little Italian Virtuoso". Floating trems are just another tool in a guitarist's tool belt. Between Jeff Beck, Vai and Brad Gillis and yes, Satch's innovative and expressive use of floating trems, I'd rather have that capacity vs. easier double stop bends.  Fact is, you can do both on a floater with some difficulty. The same cannot be said for decked or blocked, dive-only systems. Then it becomes a personal preference issue.

Edited March 13 by diablo175

[velorush]

IMO, the pinnacle of floating trem work is Vai's 1984 "The Attitude Song." Sure, it's impressive... and then you dig in and find out every dive-bombing, screeching harmony guitar was recorded individually with overdubs - no harmonizers used. Boggles the mind.

 

[RobB]

9 hours ago, veatch said:

Guy seems like he did a good job, but anyone else wondering why the original nylon material was so damn important when the existing grooves were refilled with the special sauce anyways?  Seems like using one of the 107 original material blanks would have been a better choice?

I'm confused. 

Don't be confused. Lubing the string slots is just SOP. I use Burt's Bees lip balm or Lizard Spit Slick Nutz. "Takes the 'PING' Outta Yer String."

[LucSulla]

On 3/11/2026 at 9:47 AM, veatch said:

Brings a slight wrinkle to the 14 degree vs 17 degree headstock angle argument, eh?

For what it's worth tuning stability isn't nearly as much of an issue on my guitars with a 14 degree angle, including a Les Paul. 

As far as I can tell, it makes fuckall difference with sustain as well. The partscaster I built doesn't have string trees because the neck is a roller nut neck off a Fender 40th Anniversary. I've gigged that guitar several times and ended up playing all night because I completely out of blind luck made a really good partscaster. It only struck me the other day that the strings run damn near straight from saddle to peg with just enough break angle that the nut does its job. Sustains just fine. 

[veatch]

1 hour ago, RobB said:

Don't be confused. Lubing the string slots is just SOP. I use Burt's Bees lip balm or Lizard Spit Slick Nutz. "Takes the 'PING' Outta Yer String."

I can certainly see lubing, but filling the slots and recutting the slots - what is contacting the string is no longer nylon, right?

I am not arguing either way here. I just think it is odd that if you want 6/4 nylon, I assume that's because you think that makes a difference. Great. But then why not use a blank and actually have 6/4 nylon. Why reuse a nut, fill the slots, and recut it?

Or is the point not at all about what is contacting the string?

I'll leave it alone from here. I just thought the whole operation contradicted itself. 

The net result is far better than I could ever do, so good on him. And a gorgeous guitar. 

[RobB]

2 hours ago, veatch said:

I can certainly see lubing, but filling the slots and recutting the slots - what is contacting the string is no longer nylon, right?

I am not arguing either way here. I just think it is odd that if you want 6/4 nylon, I assume that's because you think that makes a difference. Great. But then why not use a blank and actually have 6/4 nylon. Why reuse a nut, fill the slots, and recut it?

Or is the point not at all about what is contacting the string?

No argument here, either. I actually never made it to the part where this occurs. (I never do. There's not enough fucking time in the day to watch every flotard video that's posted here).

He could have used a second, spare nut, glued up a shim and fashioned a new nut. If done right, you wouldn't even see the work and you certainly wouldn't hear it.

Edited March 13 by RobB