My guitar broke! do you know different guitar tunings?

Question

my acoustic is a cheap johnson. this guitar means a lot to me because i have been playing on it for years, and it is the only acoustic i own. the k**b to tune the G string has been bent for a couple years now and just tonight when i was tuning it, the metal gave and the k**b broke off, separating inside the tube it that connects connect the k**b to the guitar. for the most part i take very good care of this guitar. In my 8 years of owning it i have never had to take it in for a repair..

is replacing the k**b expensive?

also... the G string is stuck in F, even when i try to tune it with a pliars the gear staps back to F.

are there any cool guitar tunings that involve the G string tuned to an F?

i am an optimist and would like to try new tuning during tonights opprotunity because i never have before. such as jimmy p.

suggestions? thanks!

Answer 1

Replacing the k**b is not expensive, unless you're broke and live underneath a bridge.  

Just tune everything else an entire step lower or design a tuning that suits your style.

Answer 2

Take it to a guitar store, and have them replace the tuners.

Answer 3

Replace the entire machine heads for $30 or replace the broken one for $6.

What is happening is that the gear is sliopping inside which prevents you from tuning it any higher.

What you can temporarily do is to lower the remaining strings one tone so that it matches the g-string's F.

At least, you can still practice with a lower tuning until you get the replacement key.

Eventually, some other keys might give way on your guitar and that is why I suggested to buy trhe entire set. You can even put cheap ones at $19 for the 6 of them , instead of $30.

Answer 4

If you're adventurous, you can try to install a new tuner (or a set of three.) Some guitar shops carry them, but they're all over the net:

http://www.allparts.com/

http://www.guitarpartsusa.com/cat--Guita...

and if you don't like what you see, try this:

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&safe=...

Meanwhile,  don't tune the whole guitar down two steps or it will sound  awful and feel "loose." You want to tune the other strings down exactly one whole step to DGCFAD.

Kabum

Answer 5

Replacing a tuning machine is simple enough but the key is to find one that will properly fit your guitar, hopefully even using the same s***w holes.  The best resource is the Stewart-MacDonald company (www.stewmac.com).  They give, for each of the tuners they sell, complete measurements and specifications (see link below).

By the way, most people consider the best tuners on the market to be the Gotoh 510.

Answer 6

Take it to a guitar shop and replace all 6 tuners with better quality ones, as I think the tuners that come on the Johnson guitars are pretty cheap.  Its not that expensive and that way you won't have to worry about breaking any more tuners.  

Gotohs or Grovers are both good brands.