Obviously your nut slots are not cut straight which is a minimum requirement to install it. You didn't even evaluate it's functionality. Terrible review...
@@DylanTalksTone if you were trying to evaluate it then you should have put it on a guitar that had straight cut nuts. Nut slots cut on an angle are not properly cut according to Gibson and Epiphone.
@skogenburzum Technically not. However...the locking tuners have been on the guitar for years prior to the string butler installation so why should I replace them back with regular tuners? They make string changes alot faster. Bottom line...the string butler fixed typical Les Paul tuning issues so string windings have nothing to do with it.
@skogenburzum Locking tuners insure that the guitar strings do not slip and are also convenient because locking tuners do not require as many wraps as standard tuners do.Locking tuners do not help if strings are catching and hanging on the bridge saddles or on the guitar nut.
I have one on a Les Paul that has a Stetsbar trem. I can do Floyd Rose type bends and it stays completely in tune with no locking nut. They are a must for Bigsbys, too.
I've used it on four instruments. I never screwed mine into the headstock. Chinese Gretsch g5220. Gibson LPJ, Studio & Les Paul Standard The Gretsch had some minor nut binding going on and leaving the butler on for a months worth of playing solved the issue, took it off and put it on the LPJ. The LPJ was having nut binding and first 4 fret intonation problems. Had 3 different techs work on it and the B and G would just spring out of tune off bends. Putting the Butler on stopped the bending issues and no more nut binding, but the first 4 frets had serious tuning issues. Turns out the neck was corkscrewed. Traded the LPJ in for a Studio. Studio was the same song and dance, except the bridge mounting was done incorrectly and it's frets needed releveled. I credit Gibson for getting me back into tech work, took about 10 years off, and so during this I was buying / fixing up and flipping guitars off facebook market place and tinkering with fixer uppers. Through some service / guitar trading I ended up getting a Hotrod deluxe and 2018 Les Paul Standard. It was fine, but had nut binding. Fret butler solved it, although leaving it on a month didn't fix it permanently like the Gretsch. Ditched the LP standard for an EC1000T and I'm never going back to Gibson. I think an issue with the Epiphone example is that their necks have a smaller degree of back bend to the head stock. There isn't a lot of bend on the neck, not a lot of break tension on the head side of the nut, sharply jutting out to the sides for G / B. Also, those cheapo Epiphone nuts hold up pretty well, at least at initial purchase and they're very consistently done. It probably just needed some nut butter. The string Butler is for design flaws; Gibson headstocks with their larger break angle. It's easier to simply straight cut a straight nut into the string butler, than trying to juggle the intonation side and then the tuning pole angle side. It simplified that whole process where anyone could reliably cut a nut for it, no binding occurred and bends never pulled you out of tune. Also, having a nut cut in my area is about 70-90$, because it's packaged with a "pro" setup and brand a new nut.
@Steve We went through about 5-10 different nuts through those guitars. I'm never buying a Gibson again, so I won't have that problem going forward. If I did though I'd put a string butler on it to ensure a stable intonation.
@Steve intonation of the first 4 frets is handled by nut height, not bridge saddle height. That's what it has to do with it. For Gibson you have to balance the entry nut height and angle against a slopping angled exit carve. Graphite helps for bends, not for intonation. Go get a good tuner. .1 cents accurate or better and check each fret 1-4 on each string. They should perfectly be in tune. If not your nut height is off.
@Steve your exact tuning is achieved via touch pressure. Guess you need to work on your fretting :-/ The string Butler allows you to do straight nut filing, eliminating the complexity of the bellhorn tuner post side carve. This method is easier/more accurate when intonating the nut. That's how it relates to intonation. You're really stretching here. I've had this type of talk with Gibson owners frequently. The fact your guitar doesn't have 1-4 frets in tune is just highlighting the problem. Just remember a lot of newer players need this information to set their instruments up and to become better players. So, when I advise a straight nut slotting because it's easier and you ignore it because your instrument is out of tune just remember I'm talking to someone who cares about the quality and care of their instrument. Not you. As an edit; you should be able to play those first frets in tune, through reasonable adjustment of playing pressure. Squiggly frets or tuning to chords won't solve the small nuances that stringed fretted instruments experience. The goal is to bring your instrument in it's entirety closer together in it's broad timbre than farther. TBH most Gibson's I worked on were so out of tune for cowboy chords you didn't even need a fancy tuner a 5$ clip on would show them massively off. Adding a string Butler tackles those, that players lacking ear training miss. It also helps preserve the tune, so no 10 minute retunes. That's with a properly slotted nut, the design is just bad get over it. The extra precision I do is only because of recording studio work / instrumental variety when I first became a musician. Playing a fretless bass and other fretless instruments disturbs mixes with guitars that aren't sorted in tuning. Was not abnormal for us to work on an artists guitar to get it "perfect" for the recording. As an aside though, even my squire (with tuning issues) can play frets 1-4 in tune open and octave. Kinda disappointing Steve's Gibson cant do it.
@Steve 1). All frets will be out of tune to various degrees except the open strings and the 12th fret! It's IMPOSSIBLE to have every fret on every string in perfect tune! This is by design so that the guitar can play in every key. I already covered this. You ought to, through finger pressure, be able to play each note in tune on your instrument. As previously stated I already checked a few instruments I worked on. That is the case for all 4 of them. I'm sorry you're struggling with the intonation on your instruments. Maybe consult a tech about the problems you're experiencing. Most of the "out of tune" examples for a guitar are on chords, where we're uniformly applying pressure to multiple strings causing out of tune issues to occur. To mitigate that issue you set the instrument up to be able to achieve proper tuning through finger pressure for individual notes. You can achieve a range of sharp/flat based off the softness or firmness of your pressure. The instrument should be setup to maximize the range you use as a player. This seems like a concept that's way over your head, as it's been explained several times and you just don't get it. 2) Professionals have been playing Gibson guitars on thousands of recordings for decades without needing this string butler thing. People have also been complaining about the tuning issues for decades. At the record company I worked at we would commonly have to cut a fresh nuts for Gibsons and lube the shit out of them, occasionally having to fit them with a Brass bar to eliminate the bends. With improvements in technology we've also gained clarity and stability with our setups. There isn't a reason to suffer through that garbage anymore. 3). There are plenty of cheap tuners that do a great job. You don't need a Petersen tuner, that's overkill and being anal. A polytune 3 has .1 cent tuning and is ~50$ used. You don't need to break the bank to get an accurate tuner, like it was in the past. Why do you think I'm using a Petersons? Don't you know plenty of on market tuners are .1 cent accurate? 4) The string butler has no effect on intonation. the string butler allows straight nut slotting. This allows you to easier set the nut height, avoid binding and control where the pitch point is on the nut. All of that effects intonation. Without it you have additional hurdles to setting up intonation I've exhaustively explained to you. If your guitar already has straight nut slotting, then the string butler won't do much. Gibsons do not have straight nut slotting, however. So in this instance a string butler will impact intonation by allowing straight nut slotting. 5. How can musicians be so stupid and believe the things you do??? I mean your posts are literally a bucket of ignorance and you're a musician I assume. You've gone from giving advice on an instrument you've never owned, to missing the fact nut height impacts intonation, don't understand the difference between straight nut slotting VS angled slotting and also don't own a string butler to even test your proposition out. I guess if you're wondering why musicians are so stupid, just look in a mirror. You're your own answer. You literally contribute nothing to this conversation.
All good points you make, but my experience is it actually worked as advertised. I have several Gibson Les Pauls and two had G string issues. All guitars were set up by the same tech. I put Butlers on the two troublesome guitars and tuning is far more stable now. I didn't drill holes- that would definitely be a "No".
Its meant to solve tuning instability and you put it on a guitar that didn't have an issue with tuning stability??? You also don't test to see if any change is even noticeable. seriously?
The point is that you have to fix your guitar, not add some new variable to have new problems. Summing up, if you have your nut cut the wrong way, you probably have to replace the nut.
This thing ABSOLUTELY works on Gibson LP's.. My strings exactly line up now, unlike on your Epi. I installed it without drilling holes, no problem. And its not high up on the hole in the tuner, maybe Epi tuners are smaller than gibson's? It does do what it says it does (on my guitar at leasst, it's super), trust me, Im a pro player with lots of work. Cheers!
I had my Les Paul Style guitar professionally set up .. G string still wouldn’t stay in tune for more than 10 minutes.. bought a string Butler, stays in tune like a telecaster now , for hours.
@@DayRider76 You are still bending the string in a direction they shouldn't, not at such a steep angle anyway. Its a flawed design................by design... The strings are bending down, and outward, at the same time. If it had a locking nut, no problem, but with a regular nut, if you say you can keep in tune for more than a few minutes, you will be lying to yourself.
@@davestephens3246 Your wishful thinking is commendable, but the track record work against it. To make a point, Epiphone LPs have less trouble keeping tune (shallower break angle), not to mention PRSs, even the SE range.
I have found the String Butler does help. I check 3 on a side headstocks for nut friction by doing a behind the nut bend. If, after you release the bend, the tuning of that string has gone sharp then the string is probably binding in the nut. Often you will find that a gentle bend on the fretboard will bring the string back into tune and an exaggerated fretboard bend will leave the string flat. The D and G strings have the worst angles across the nut and so have the worst tuning problems. With the StringButler you have to do a few fretboard bends to help it find its stable point. Unfortunately the small rollers the strings are supposed to run around have a fair amount of vertical play on their support pins. So checking for nut stick with a behind the nut bend just pushes the roller down the post and you need to do several fretboard bends for the roller to settle. For 3 on a side headstocks many people will insist that "oh you just need to dress the nut properly and perhaps add some nut lube". I haven't found that to be the case. Epiphone guitars are better in this respect than Gibsons because they have a shallower headstock angle, so not necessarily the best guitar to test the Sting Butler. As you point out the Gibson stop bar is poorly designed for top wrapping with modern strings (maybe the old strings had shorter twist locks). PRS and other modern stop bars and bridges are wider and contain the twist lock under the bridge / stop bar.
Thanks for the effort and time you spent on this video. I exchanged several messages to String Butler before installing in my Gibson. You are right about not wanting to screw it to the guitar BUT that is explained as an OPTION in the directions ... A last resort. String Butler suggested using 3M command strips to secure the String Butler. That works fine and I don't believe it will hurt the finish on the guitar. I actually cut off the parts that go around the tuning pegs, drilled a hole in the Butler and used the screw of the truss rod cover to secure it. (I used foam tape under the Butler and 3m command strip between the foam tape and guitar to raise Butler up to match height of the truss rod cover.) Therefore, no problem with string winding on tuning pegs. I also installed one on my Epiphone FlameKat with no problems. I am very happy with String Butler on both guitars. I hope you find this helpful. TY again.
I installed this on my Les Paul Standard. Just a few observations: 1) it definitely worked for me, 2) the low-E post on my LP didn't have the issue you had (maybe they've modified the design?), 3) I almost didn't get this because of the mentioned drilling, but I thought I would try it anyway without drilling; however, once I installed it and read the documentation and videos, there was no mention of drilling (as others have mentioned too). Respectfully, I hope this helps some people who are on the fence after watching this video, because it almost convinced me not to buy, but I'm glad I did.
The String Butler definitely made a big difference for my Les Paul. It's been on mine for a number of years now. Even after installing a Duesenberg Les Trem it is still very stable.
I own a no name ES-335 clone, Asian manufactured, that is a splendid sounding and playing instrument, almost. Tuning stability is an issue. My local tech created a new nut for it (I can’t fault her work. She did a splendid job) last year and while the tuning stability improved, the new nut did not cure the issue. The issue is at the level of the nut. There’s no binding at the tail piece/bridge and the guitar has a set of Gotoh tuning machines (also a last year mod) on it that do their job without fault. Dylan, I really like this guitar and I’m thinking this String Butler will solve the issue. I can’t afford the $50 right now. I’m struggling to keep a roof over our heads. I’d appreciate it if you’d consider me as a recipient of the String Butler you’re gifting.
I have them on a number of guitars, absolutely excellent engineering idea. Sven even has a V1 which solves the problem if you want to use locking tuners on a vintage headstock with 8.8mm peg holes. Thoroughly recommend them.
Got one when it first came out;worked perfect an I have a Biggby, a roller Bridge , a spited Callaham front bar, Callaham no peg rear bar . I didn’t Drill any holes . It’s a beast
It does increase the string angle in relation to the tuner.. If you consider that the tension in the part of the string you play is an angular component of the string tension between the device and the tuner then you must have a higher tension at the tuner now... This will create a higher moment force on the tuner peg which will in turn create a high static frictional force due to the increased forces on the barrels and likely some aditional binding from slight angular changes at tension.... So if your tuners suck because of poor machining or a high gear ratio then this device may stablize your tuning by increasing the static friction of the tuner itself... but... you should probably just install higher quality tuners because this is really just a bandaid and the aditional forces are going to wear out your tuners faster anyway.
My Les Paul Custom is a 1977 and the formica nut went bad after a few months and the store serviceman put an Ivory nut on it and after43 years it still works fine. I don't think it was even lubed until about a year ago. The frets are worn bad and need replaced but the nut is still good
Fyi guitars with vintage push in bushings require a String Butler Vintage Adapter Kit 1 for none Gibson guitars and for String Butler Vintage Adapter Kit 2 for Gibson guitars. Visit the distributor 's website. The instructions on the packaging is old.
It works perfect for me on my Les Paul and Gibson Blues hawk. Solved all problems with tuning stability I had before. I didn´have to drill holes in the headstock and String change is absolut easy.
I learned of the truglide on Ben Eller's video about his Les Paul. I hope it's okay to mention other youtubers and products here. I don't mean it as advertising.
My R8 came with the nut cut straight. If you cut the nut at an angle then you just move the problem to the front of the nut, so you need a curved slot, hard to do. This will cure the problem of string sticking in the nut. You don't add increased angle at the posts because they are round and have a "radius", also they spin. But it does create some of the issues you describe. My fix was I play PRS. Still like my Gibby's but all around PRS is better.
I’ve found that angling the slot for D and G does not really help with the binding situation, as It seems to just change where the binding occurs. The String butler works better with straight not slots.
Two alternate suggestions: 1. Anybody ever heard of a good tuner? Practice talking and tuning between songs or tuning during the song or re-tune even right after your solo. 2. Put a little coconut oil, sewing machine oil or in a pinch, 10w30 in the nut slot. “Oh but it gets dirty” CLEAN IT AND DO IT AGAIN. LOL
Installing one on my Eastman AR610 archtop right now. I don't know what eastman were thinking when they designed it, but the D and G strings touch the A and B tuner posts on their way to the nut. I hadn't considered the nut slots being cut to angle toward the tuner posts, but luckily mine are cut straight. So for me it looks like a good solution.
Just my 2 cents. I have a Schecter Solo 3+3 headstock and have been using the String Butler for 1.5 years. Work for me and I like the product. I didn't have to put any screws in the headstock as the tuning keys hold it down just fine, so the screws aren't applicable. Just got a db Instruments TruGlide plan to test out. I do not want to get into some interest battle, but for those that keep saying, just get a properly cut nut ( and I hear understand what you are saying), but why in the hell do these manufactures just not address the issue on the guitars we purchase so we could put an end to all of this! All Gibby's and other brands should already come with properly cut nuts! : )
Doesn't matter how you cut the nut. You're either putting a bind on the string on the headstock side of the nut with a straight cut or the fretboard side of the nut with an angled cut. As long as there's an angle change at any point through the nut, there will be binding. Having the angle change at the roller makes binding impossible. You would need a straight cut on the nut to make the String Butler work best, but 'properly cut nuts' still bind the strings.
I have a String Butler on my Les Paul Studio. Installed without drilling holes in the headstock. It helped tremendously with the tuning stability. Especially with the G string. But my nut doesn't have deep grooves like yours does.
Some pointers from a little experience. My only experience is with Gibsons & some of them need this because there is no getting the nut right. Tuning stability is simply evasive. Some just need a proper cut, some lubrication, others need something like this. I have never seen anyone drill the screws you mentioned, I didn't even know they suggested it. Lose the washers after adding the butler. You will have more room for winds. I wouldn't buy one just because I had a LP but I would if other normal solutions failed. I have seen them work fabulously. Did the Epi have tuning issues?
you should have a look at the "stay toon'd" spring claw for strats next, they supposedly help a regular strat bridge stay in tune because of 2 different spring tensions, or something to that effect
It works pretty well. Makes the bridge real stable and helps with unison bends and return to zero. Clunky if you wanna pull up alot. Not good for Floyds. I have them on 2 guitars( 1 Traditional Wilkinson and 1 VN100S Wilkinson). They also make Drop D tuning a hella lot easier. Kills the warble when set up right. Not good if your a warbler. Haha 👍 Worth the $11 I paid.🤘😎
@@guitarmainiac80 ah see i like a warble with a strat trem haha. i actually made my own out of 2 spring claws i had a few years ago (for a strat i could never get to stay in tune if i used the trem) it looked ugly but it worked perfectly lol, however since then i've found a pretty reliable method for setting the spring tension for floating strat style trems (including floyd roses) i can flutter and warble all day long now :D however it didn't work on a floyd rose with an "EVH D-tuna" fitted but i've got a different trem i can use if i want to drop tune with a locking system lol
My Epiphone Black Beauty from 2005 can sit without being played for weeks and still be in tune when I go to finally pick it up. The string butler is not needed at all with a proper nut.
I have an Epiphone Les Paul myself. I have been interested in trying one of these for quite some time. And I think properly installed, it would make a difference. I would love to try it out and see for myself for myself. I have no problem letting you know how it worked, we're passing it on to the next person for you to charge if it doesn't. Thanks for posting the video.
I have 4 Gibsons/Epiphones but all have vintage tuners and the string butler simply takes the place of the truss rod cover. What I like is that the D and B strings no longer have an extreme angle as they pass over the nut. A well cut nut is great but this seems to take a lot of unnecessary tension away. Peace.
For your comments, it's great to see the true side of the string butler. And the downsides I think it's a very fair comments that you made. Was thinking about getting one but I will not screw holes in my guitar two good luck with your RUclips in and thank you
It only works as advertised if you recut the slots in the nut so that the strings go straight back to the rollers on the device. After re-cutting the slots, it works great.
Hey Dylan, I noticed in your video you said "you had" to drill in your headstock. There are actually 3 ways you can install these according to the website. Your Epiphone headstock in not fitted with vintage hex-less nut tuners - so no screws are needed. Only tuners that do not have the hex nut on the top. You can also add adapter kits to vintage instruments to resolve that issue as well. So you will be safe not using the screws in the majority of cases.
i did something similar on my SG (it's not a gibson, it's a "signature series" SG) based on the string butler, i got 4 small nails and 4 string ferrules/ends left over from a string change, drilled and glued the nails in the head with the ferrules on and i found it works, the nut slots were cut straight so the strings actually go through straight and the ferrules can spin on the nails, they can even go up and down ia bit if need be. i have a bigsby style trem on it and it really does make a difference -on my particular guitar. i don't have the tuning peg clearance problem either as theres no plate to tighten down. the idea being a string tree that goes vertical instead of horizontal like a fender style head :)
*PRS and Ernie Ball guitar head stocks are designed well. The tuning keys close in toward the top of the head stock, thus creating a straight string line from nut to tuning posts. Check them out.*
I'm a Gibson guy from way back. I have only had 1 guitar with tuning issues, a 2015 Les Paul Jr. Got it with Kluson tuner upgrade, wouldn't stay in tune. Changed to Grover, still wouldn't stay in tune. Went out both sharp and flat. Had to return it .My Les Paul's never go out of tune unless the strings are fresh before a stretch. After a stretch, they stay in tune very nicely.
Installed mine on a 2013 Gibson Les Paul that actually had tuning stability issues, even after a professionally cut bone nut replacement by a highly reputable luthier. I was even considering a headstock reshape mod until these hit the market. It has been on my guitar for about 3 years and had completely solved all my issues. Expected better from you. Very disappointed.
Johnny M did the same thing to my ‘13. It fit better than this video shows. Did you get a new nut after putting on? I am going to replace, and wonder if they get cut straighter now?
Hey Matt I did get a new nut after I installed the Sting Butler. I went for brass just to try something different. The slots are cut straight and I also use Big Bends Nut Sauce for a bit of extra lube. Absolutely no more binding issues at all.
I have an Epiphone Sheraton 2, '89, with a zero fret, so the nut is effectively taken out of the equation. It stayed in tune fine when playing rhythm, but would not stay in tune with the bending on lead work. I installed the string butler and I have had no problems since.
I’ve been using these on 3 of my Gibson’s for the last 3 or 4 years, it works great and I will never look back. I haven’t had to screw it down to my headstock, I use locking tuners so I don’t need to use any string wraps around my tuners, and I had replacement nuts installed in all my Gibson’s to allow for straight string pull through the nut through the rollers. Having said all that, if you don’t feel any need to invest that much time and money into this mod then forget about it and forget about the string butler, it’s not for you. As for the rest of you, please check it out. I can attest that if you are like me, it really won’t matter what master tech you take your guitar to nor will the “well cut nut” make any difference to you. Another poster here made the comment and I wholeheartedly agree…to paraphrase “if you want your guitar to play in tune, play a Fender”, but if you’re traditionally a Fender player who can’t get a Gibson to play in tune to save your soul then the String Butler could be a solution for you. It’s been a solution for me and I’ll keep using them. I’m not here to convert anybody, if you don’t want to use it then simply don’t, it’s your choice.
I want to try the truglide...but they are sold out everywhere...had a bone nut put on by a “professional luthier” shop and the strings still bind up...and I’ve done everything you can think of!!!
I have the String Butler v1 on my Epiphone LP, so instead of going on the pegs it replaces the truss rod cover. Tuning is now more stable than on my strat style guitar. If you have a plastic nut, I'd change that first but these things do what they say.
I bought and using it and it really works for me. I'm on the category that do not have a luxury of knowing any Guitar Luthier. I am in the medium to heavy strumming on my Epi and it really holds in tune for a long time than back when I don't have it installed. One weird thing I noticed, though. When I leave my guitar for, lets say 3 days, and picked it up, somehow ALL of the strings were tuned higher. I use a tuner and all of them are evenly tuned up a decimal point or two higher when I tune-check it. But yeah, it works for me.
I have an Ibanez ART100 that has poor tuning stability and string binding at the nut. I would like to try this out, if possible. Thank you for the consideration. 👍🏼👍🏼
I could scream this from the roof tops. Just file the slots of the nut in the direction of the tuner. I have a lp (style) guitar that I filed the nut, filled the bridge and tail piece holes. mounted a roller bridge and ran a string through setup. I have to tune it about once a month.
I feel like this whole video was a little too focused on aesthetics. I mean in theory if a nut was slotted absolutely perfectly it would be angled toward the tuner which would create a sharp angle where the string enters the nut, or slotted straight which would create a sharp angle where the string exits the nut, so even if a nut is slotted the best it can be, it's never ideal, vs a scenario where the string moved straight through a groove without pushing against any corners and then is guided around a series on cylinders. I've never used one of these but in theory I get it and it makes sense, but I think you're off in claiming that a properly set up Les Paul won't have G string issues, I think even if the execution is perfect, the design itself is imperfect and this might not be the most ideal fix but it's a more perfect design that deserves consideration. I love your videos btw thanks for making all these and hopefully this comment comes off as a respectable dialogue and not just hating.
I have a cheap Harley Benton SC-450Plus, 185€ new, that has no tuning stability issues. The nut is well cut and made of a material that doesn't seem to grab strings. Maybe it's because I put pencil graphite in it.
I think if you want or need the straighter pull on the strings, although I can't imagine why, then yeah, it works. It's just that the nut is cut for the angled strings. Put this on, and another nut cut to match the more straight strings, and you're probably moving in the right direction. Some locking tuners to defeat the shortened pegs would be a good idea, too. You'd think with all the real and imagined issues with Gibson-style headstocks, they would just change.
It seems that you would have to replace the Nut for this device to work its best . Also if it’s that great the the guitar makers should build them into their headstocks at the factory ?
I got it for years nbow on my Tokai SG. It had bad tuning problems, especially on the G string. For some reason the D was not as affected. At first I swaped the cheap nut with a Graph Tech TUSQ XL, which I've used before and did the job perfectly, but, though somewhat better, it didn't really solve the problem. I bought the string butler and now it's all good, though I must mention it is not really mentenance free situation. Every string change I put a little drop of WD40 in the wheels of the string butler. I should also mention that the guitar had a good setup done on both the cheap nut and on the TUSQ as well.
Weird. I have an Epi Paul with a string butler. The manual said nothing about drilling any holes, and the unit sits totally differently on the headstock, and the strings go straight across the nut. It works great. I'm not sure what the deal is with your rig there. Maybe you have the older version. There are a few different ones. In any case, mine works fine, and goes on straight, and there is plenty of clearance for the strings to go through the machine head posts. None of these criticisms apply in my case.
I was looking at this product, I am not slamming it nor am I buying that it works so much. I really like your perspective, objectives, and explanations. The drilling of a really nice head stock is definitely a no and the look at the nut / cut tells me Its worth $50 to keep re tuning my G string. I also use lub at string points. The truth is I was looking at an Epiphone standard thinking that would be a cool add on. This video saved me from disappointment or caused me to suffer G string twadanging. Thank you.
Seems, to me, that these are more for custom builders, who want bells and whistles ,or for a guitar ,that has tuning instabilities , that cannot be corrected , by proper nut slotting and alignment. .Don't know what situation , that may be...but, hey! to each, his own. Right?
You don't need to drill holes to attach it if you have the vintage push and bushings There are special string Butler adapter kits or use the 3M 2 sided tape that they use to hang pictures on the wall which is safe and won't damage the guitar
I have seen quite a few modern [current] Gibsons and Epiphones come with the nut cut properly for their headstocks. The ones that aren't are not difficult to fix with some slotting files and some patience.
Just wondering. Did you actually PLAY the guitar to test if it works as far as tuning stability? Or did you just ASSUME that you “know” that it doesn’t work?
String Butler is very nice. Works wonders for my Gibsons and my tuning stability. Not an issue with the set up...it has more to do with the string break angles.
I think Epiphones have those first tuner posts a bit closer. There is another version which fits a Gibson that looks to be a better fit when you clamp it down so maybe less need for those other screws. I think a new Graph Tech nut would be a good install with this. Another thing is that my Les Paul appears to have the string holes higher. The basic problem is that the Gibson headstock is a terrible design. I have a Heritage and the strings are not nearly as splayed out and it stays in tune much better. I don't think you necessarily need this but they do a slightly different version for vibrato guitar. If you had a Bigsby, I can see this being useful.
How would you cut the slots in your guitar nut differently than what the manufacturer did? It would be nice to see a video of you cutting a nut from scratch.
Hey Dylan, I don't want to try one of these yet, but I have a Les Paul that my brother recently gave me for my birthday. He gave it to me to be a project guitar. The headstock was cracked, so I will probably go ahead and replace the neck. What do you do to replace a set neck on a guitar? Do you use a neck steamer? If so, is this the best solution or is there a better easier way? Can I, say, remove the fret that is nearest to the neck joint and take the guitar into the bathroom with me when I take a shower? Let me know what I should do to remove the neck.
I get your criticisms of installation of the low E not leaving enough room for winding, and the screws in the headstock (a big no no). They should have made other ears to connect to the middle two tuners then you wouldn't need to drill holes and it would be locked in at 4 points and been rock solid. I think to be fair you really didn't give it a chance on the tuning part which really is it's main claim to fame. It would have been nice to take a guitar with known tuning issues, then install it and see if it fixes the problem. Then take it off and send it to a luthier to see if he could fix it without the String Butler to test your theory. Then compare costs. I've been contemplating one of these for my Les Paul with a Bigsby which complicates the tuning aspect.
my 2 cents.....this Epi Les Paul, a Gibson, a Gretsch (even streamliner) or any other QUALITY 3X3 headstock probably doesn't "need" the string butler. I bought a Firefly FF338 to see what all the hype was about. The butler worked perfectly on it...I didn't drill the holes, but I wouldn't be afraid to, either...Hell, the guitar was only $160. The tuners it came with are trash, so I had installed a spare set of locking tuners I had lying around. The nut is supposedly bone, but it wasn't worn, or cut properly for the string angle coming off of it. So in my case, or in the case of pretty much most budget guitars, this is probably one of the best "upgrades" to make it more playable. I don't think it's necessary on a guitar that is already a quality build, unless there are glaring issues that it might solve.
String Butler - amzn.to/3fhMxOB
I bought one over a year ago, i forgot I even had it on. Works well.
@DylanTalksTone try Truglide
Obviously your nut slots are not cut straight which is a minimum requirement to install it. You didn't even evaluate it's functionality.
Terrible review...
@@clover042001 But the nut sluts were cut properly already. Why would I create a problem that wasn't there?
@@DylanTalksTone if you were trying to evaluate it then you should have put it on a guitar that had straight cut nuts. Nut slots cut on an angle are not properly cut according to Gibson and Epiphone.
I have used it for a year now. Made a huge difference in tuning stability and I will never go back. 🤘
@skogenburzum I use locking tuners.
@skogenburzum Technically not. However...the locking tuners have been on the guitar for years prior to the string butler installation so why should I replace them back with regular tuners? They make string changes alot faster. Bottom line...the string butler fixed typical Les Paul tuning issues so string windings have nothing to do with it.
@skogenburzum why not? Locking tuners should be standard on all guitars moving forward just simply on convenience alone.
@skogenburzum Locking tuners insure that the guitar strings do not slip and are also convenient because locking tuners do not require as many wraps as standard tuners do.Locking tuners do not help if strings are catching and hanging on the bridge saddles or on the guitar nut.
I have one on a Les Paul that has a Stetsbar trem. I can do Floyd Rose type bends and it stays completely in tune with no locking nut. They are a must for Bigsbys, too.
Same here, also with Bigsby
Same with Duesenberg tremolo.
I use it with Stetsbar on my Gibson and bigsby on my FlameKat. Works as described by String Butler.
I've used it on four instruments.
I never screwed mine into the headstock.
Chinese Gretsch g5220.
Gibson LPJ, Studio & Les Paul Standard
The Gretsch had some minor nut binding going on and leaving the butler on for a months worth of playing solved the issue, took it off and put it on the LPJ.
The LPJ was having nut binding and first 4 fret intonation problems. Had 3 different techs work on it and the B and G would just spring out of tune off bends.
Putting the Butler on stopped the bending issues and no more nut binding, but the first 4 frets had serious tuning issues. Turns out the neck was corkscrewed.
Traded the LPJ in for a Studio. Studio was the same song and dance, except the bridge mounting was done incorrectly and it's frets needed releveled.
I credit Gibson for getting me back into tech work, took about 10 years off, and so during this I was buying / fixing up and flipping guitars off facebook market place and tinkering with fixer uppers.
Through some service / guitar trading I ended up getting a Hotrod deluxe and 2018 Les Paul Standard.
It was fine, but had nut binding. Fret butler solved it, although leaving it on a month didn't fix it permanently like the Gretsch.
Ditched the LP standard for an EC1000T and I'm never going back to Gibson.
I think an issue with the Epiphone example is that their necks have a smaller degree of back bend to the head stock. There isn't a lot of bend on the neck, not a lot of break tension on the head side of the nut, sharply jutting out to the sides for G / B. Also, those cheapo Epiphone nuts hold up pretty well, at least at initial purchase and they're very consistently done. It probably just needed some nut butter.
The string Butler is for design flaws; Gibson headstocks with their larger break angle.
It's easier to simply straight cut a straight nut into the string butler, than trying to juggle the intonation side and then the tuning pole angle side.
It simplified that whole process where anyone could reliably cut a nut for it, no binding occurred and bends never pulled you out of tune.
Also, having a nut cut in my area is about 70-90$, because it's packaged with a "pro" setup and brand a new nut.
@Steve We went through about 5-10 different nuts through those guitars.
I'm never buying a Gibson again, so I won't have that problem going forward.
If I did though I'd put a string butler on it to ensure a stable intonation.
@Steve intonation of the first 4 frets is handled by nut height, not bridge saddle height. That's what it has to do with it.
For Gibson you have to balance the entry nut height and angle against a slopping angled exit carve.
Graphite helps for bends, not for intonation.
Go get a good tuner. .1 cents accurate or better and check each fret 1-4 on each string. They should perfectly be in tune. If not your nut height is off.
@Steve your exact tuning is achieved via touch pressure. Guess you need to work on your fretting :-/
The string Butler allows you to do straight nut filing, eliminating the complexity of the bellhorn tuner post side carve. This method is easier/more accurate when intonating the nut. That's how it relates to intonation.
You're really stretching here. I've had this type of talk with Gibson owners frequently. The fact your guitar doesn't have 1-4 frets in tune is just highlighting the problem.
Just remember a lot of newer players need this information to set their instruments up and to become better players. So, when I advise a straight nut slotting because it's easier and you ignore it because your instrument is out of tune just remember I'm talking to someone who cares about the quality and care of their instrument. Not you.
As an edit; you should be able to play those first frets in tune, through reasonable adjustment of playing pressure. Squiggly frets or tuning to chords won't solve the small nuances that stringed fretted instruments experience.
The goal is to bring your instrument in it's entirety closer together in it's broad timbre than farther.
TBH most Gibson's I worked on were so out of tune for cowboy chords you didn't even need a fancy tuner a 5$ clip on would show them massively off. Adding a string Butler tackles those, that players lacking ear training miss. It also helps preserve the tune, so no 10 minute retunes. That's with a properly slotted nut, the design is just bad get over it.
The extra precision I do is only because of recording studio work / instrumental variety when I first became a musician. Playing a fretless bass and other fretless instruments disturbs mixes with guitars that aren't sorted in tuning. Was not abnormal for us to work on an artists guitar to get it "perfect" for the recording.
As an aside though, even my squire (with tuning issues) can play frets 1-4 in tune open and octave. Kinda disappointing Steve's Gibson cant do it.
@Steve
1). All frets will be out of tune to various degrees except the open strings and the 12th fret! It's IMPOSSIBLE to have every fret on every string in perfect tune! This is by design so that the guitar can play in every key.
I already covered this. You ought to, through finger pressure, be able to play each note in tune on your instrument. As previously stated I already checked a few instruments I worked on. That is the case for all 4 of them. I'm sorry you're struggling with the intonation on your instruments. Maybe consult a tech about the problems you're experiencing. Most of the "out of tune" examples for a guitar are on chords, where we're uniformly applying pressure to multiple strings causing out of tune issues to occur. To mitigate that issue you set the instrument up to be able to achieve proper tuning through finger pressure for individual notes. You can achieve a range of sharp/flat based off the softness or firmness of your pressure. The instrument should be setup to maximize the range you use as a player. This seems like a concept that's way over your head, as it's been explained several times and you just don't get it.
2) Professionals have been playing Gibson guitars on thousands of recordings for decades without needing this string butler thing.
People have also been complaining about the tuning issues for decades. At the record company I worked at we would commonly have to cut a fresh nuts for Gibsons and lube the shit out of them, occasionally having to fit them with a Brass bar to eliminate the bends. With improvements in technology we've also gained clarity and stability with our setups. There isn't a reason to suffer through that garbage anymore.
3). There are plenty of cheap tuners that do a great job. You don't need a Petersen tuner, that's overkill and being anal.
A polytune 3 has .1 cent tuning and is ~50$ used. You don't need to break the bank to get an accurate tuner, like it was in the past.
Why do you think I'm using a Petersons? Don't you know plenty of on market tuners are .1 cent accurate?
4) The string butler has no effect on intonation.
the string butler allows straight nut slotting. This allows you to easier set the nut height, avoid binding and control where the pitch point is on the nut. All of that effects intonation.
Without it you have additional hurdles to setting up intonation I've exhaustively explained to you.
If your guitar already has straight nut slotting, then the string butler won't do much. Gibsons do not have straight nut slotting, however. So in this instance a string butler will impact intonation by allowing straight nut slotting.
5. How can musicians be so stupid and believe the things you do???
I mean your posts are literally a bucket of ignorance and you're a musician I assume.
You've gone from giving advice on an instrument you've never owned, to missing the fact nut height impacts intonation, don't understand the difference between straight nut slotting VS angled slotting and also don't own a string butler to even test your proposition out.
I guess if you're wondering why musicians are so stupid, just look in a mirror. You're your own answer.
You literally contribute nothing to this conversation.
I tried one several months ago and now all my guitars have it on. Really amazing little gadget that improved my guitars significantly.
All good points you make, but my experience is it actually worked as advertised. I have several Gibson Les Pauls and two had G string issues. All guitars were set up by the same tech. I put Butlers on the two troublesome guitars and tuning is far more stable now. I didn't drill holes- that would definitely be a "No".
Its meant to solve tuning instability and you put it on a guitar that didn't have an issue with tuning stability??? You also don't test to see if any change is even noticeable. seriously?
The point is that you have to fix your guitar, not add some new variable to have new problems. Summing up, if you have your nut cut the wrong way, you probably have to replace the nut.
@@gabibonza from what I’ve heard, it doesn’t give new problems
“I don’t know if it fixes anything...” then FUCKING TRY IT OUT!!!!
This gizmo makes a lot of sense for Gibson style headstocks with straight nut slots, I'm getting one for a Les Paul with a straight titanium nut.
This thing ABSOLUTELY works on Gibson LP's.. My strings exactly line up now, unlike on your Epi. I installed it without drilling holes, no problem. And its not high up on the hole in the tuner, maybe Epi tuners are smaller than gibson's? It does do what it says it does (on my guitar at leasst, it's super), trust me, Im a pro player with lots of work. Cheers!
Gibson machine head posts are shorter then most. To address his concern you can install the String Butler without the washers below it.
I had my Les Paul Style guitar professionally set up .. G string still wouldn’t stay in tune for more than 10 minutes.. bought a string Butler, stays in tune like a telecaster now , for hours.
I just file my nut slots in the direction of the tuner.
@@DayRider76
You are still bending the string in a direction they shouldn't, not at such a steep angle anyway.
Its a flawed design................by design...
The strings are bending down, and outward, at the same time. If it had a locking nut, no problem, but with a regular nut, if you say you can keep in tune for more than a few minutes, you will be lying to yourself.
@@00Resev I dont have tuning issues with a lp style headstock. Shallow nut and a little filling.
@@00Resev so get a graphite or black tusq nut
@@davestephens3246
Your wishful thinking is commendable, but the track record work against it.
To make a point, Epiphone LPs have less trouble keeping tune (shallower break angle), not to mention PRSs, even the SE range.
I have found the String Butler does help. I check 3 on a side headstocks for nut friction by doing a behind the nut bend. If, after you release the bend, the tuning of that string has gone sharp then the string is probably binding in the nut. Often you will find that a gentle bend on the fretboard will bring the string back into tune and an exaggerated fretboard bend will leave the string flat. The D and G strings have the worst angles across the nut and so have the worst tuning problems. With the StringButler you have to do a few fretboard bends to help it find its stable point. Unfortunately the small rollers the strings are supposed to run around have a fair amount of vertical play on their support pins. So checking for nut stick with a behind the nut bend just pushes the roller down the post and you need to do several fretboard bends for the roller to settle. For 3 on a side headstocks many people will insist that "oh you just need to dress the nut properly and perhaps add some nut lube". I haven't found that to be the case. Epiphone guitars are better in this respect than Gibsons because they have a shallower headstock angle, so not necessarily the best guitar to test the Sting Butler.
As you point out the Gibson stop bar is poorly designed for top wrapping with modern strings (maybe the old strings had shorter twist locks). PRS and other modern stop bars and bridges are wider and contain the twist lock under the bridge / stop bar.
Thanks for the effort and time you spent on this video.
I exchanged several messages to String Butler before installing in my Gibson. You are right about not wanting to screw it to the guitar BUT that is explained as an OPTION in the directions ... A last resort.
String Butler suggested using 3M command strips to secure the String Butler. That works fine and I don't believe it will hurt the finish on the guitar.
I actually cut off the parts that go around the tuning pegs, drilled a hole in the Butler and used the screw of the truss rod cover to secure it. (I used foam tape under the Butler and 3m command strip between the foam tape and guitar to raise Butler up to match height of the truss rod cover.)
Therefore, no problem with string winding on tuning pegs.
I also installed one on my Epiphone FlameKat with no problems. I am very happy with String Butler on both guitars.
I hope you find this helpful.
TY again.
I have two, if I had the money I would put them on all my guitars, they really make a difference
I installed this on my Les Paul Standard. Just a few observations: 1) it definitely worked for me, 2) the low-E post on my LP didn't have the issue you had (maybe they've modified the design?), 3) I almost didn't get this because of the mentioned drilling, but I thought I would try it anyway without drilling; however, once I installed it and read the documentation and videos, there was no mention of drilling (as others have mentioned too). Respectfully, I hope this helps some people who are on the fence after watching this video, because it almost convinced me not to buy, but I'm glad I did.
I think it does work, but a good nut and solid tuners should do the job.
The String Butler definitely made a big difference for my Les Paul. It's been on mine for a number of years now. Even after installing a Duesenberg Les Trem it is still very stable.
I have these on several guitars and it helps immensely. While I disagree with the review, I enjoy the channel.
I own a no name ES-335 clone, Asian manufactured, that is a splendid sounding and playing instrument, almost. Tuning stability is an issue. My local tech created a new nut for it (I can’t fault her work. She did a splendid job) last year and while the tuning stability improved, the new nut did not cure the issue. The issue is at the level of the nut. There’s no binding at the tail piece/bridge and the guitar has a set of Gotoh tuning machines (also a last year mod) on it that do their job without fault.
Dylan, I really like this guitar and I’m thinking this String Butler will solve the issue. I can’t afford the $50 right now. I’m struggling to keep a roof over our heads. I’d appreciate it if you’d consider me as a recipient of the String Butler you’re gifting.
What happened in the end?
Previous String Butler videos I have found "Do Not" show, or mention any "Drilling"!
I have them on a number of guitars, absolutely excellent engineering idea. Sven even has a V1 which solves the problem if you want to use locking tuners on a vintage headstock with 8.8mm peg holes. Thoroughly recommend them.
Got one when it first came out;worked perfect an I have a Biggby, a roller Bridge , a spited Callaham front bar, Callaham no peg rear bar . I didn’t Drill any holes . It’s a beast
I have these on my 3 of my gibsons. Love them.
It does increase the string angle in relation to the tuner.. If you consider that the tension in the part of the string you play is an angular component of the string tension between the device and the tuner then you must have a higher tension at the tuner now... This will create a higher moment force on the tuner peg which will in turn create a high static frictional force due to the increased forces on the barrels and likely some aditional binding from slight angular changes at tension.... So if your tuners suck because of poor machining or a high gear ratio then this device may stablize your tuning by increasing the static friction of the tuner itself... but... you should probably just install higher quality tuners because this is really just a bandaid and the aditional forces are going to wear out your tuners faster anyway.
2 in the morning, didn't want to miss this, hi everyone
Locking tuners and this. 100% good combo.
My Les Paul Custom is a 1977 and the formica nut went bad after a few months and the store serviceman put an Ivory nut on it and after43 years it still works fine. I don't think it was even lubed until about a year ago. The frets are worn bad and need replaced but the nut is still good
Oh the irony that you get washers to protect the headstock that you need to drill holes in.
Fyi guitars with vintage push in bushings require a String Butler Vintage Adapter Kit 1 for none Gibson guitars and for String Butler Vintage Adapter Kit 2 for Gibson guitars. Visit the distributor 's website. The instructions on the packaging is old.
Have a 335... couldn’t play though a song without it going out of tune. Purchased a string butler... seems to never go out of tune. Didn’t use screws.
It works perfect for me on my Les Paul and Gibson Blues hawk. Solved all problems with tuning stability I had before. I didn´have to drill holes in the headstock and String change is absolut easy.
Didn't work on my Les Paul, but I didn't have the nut adjusted/replaced. Don't remember it calling for any screws, but I didn't use any.
Interesting. There's also the TruGlide, same idea, different design. I haven't tried either.
I learned of the truglide on Ben Eller's video about his Les Paul.
I hope it's okay to mention other youtubers and products here. I don't mean it as advertising.
I always round out the nut around D & g string. I never have binding or tuning issues.
I put a zero glide fret on my guitar and this works well with it
My R8 came with the nut cut straight. If you cut the nut at an angle then you just move the problem to the front of the nut, so you need a curved slot, hard to do. This will cure the problem of string sticking in the nut. You don't add increased angle at the posts because they are round and have a "radius", also they spin. But it does create some of the issues you describe. My fix was I play PRS. Still like my Gibby's but all around PRS is better.
you are exactly rite Dylan. .Open up the nut ends properly.Tusq is a good replacement for plastic.
I’ve found that angling the slot for D and G does not really help with the binding situation, as It seems to just change where the binding occurs. The String butler works better with straight not slots.
Two alternate suggestions: 1. Anybody ever heard of a good tuner? Practice talking and tuning between songs or tuning during the song or re-tune even right after your solo. 2. Put a little coconut oil, sewing machine oil or in a pinch, 10w30 in the nut slot. “Oh but it gets dirty” CLEAN IT AND DO IT AGAIN. LOL
Installing one on my Eastman AR610 archtop right now. I don't know what eastman were thinking when they designed it, but the D and G strings touch the A and B tuner posts on their way to the nut. I hadn't considered the nut slots being cut to angle toward the tuner posts, but luckily mine are cut straight. So for me it looks like a good solution.
Just my 2 cents. I have a Schecter Solo 3+3 headstock and have been using the String Butler for 1.5 years. Work for me and I like the product. I didn't have to put any screws in the headstock as the tuning keys hold it down just fine, so the screws aren't applicable. Just got a db Instruments TruGlide plan to test out. I do not want to get into some interest battle, but for those that keep saying, just get a properly cut nut ( and I hear understand what you are saying), but why in the hell do these manufactures just not address the issue on the guitars we purchase so we could put an end to all of this! All Gibby's and other brands should already come with properly cut nuts! : )
I'd like to think it's not, but then again a properly cut nut probably renders this as superfluous.
Doesn't matter how you cut the nut. You're either putting a bind on the string on the headstock side of the nut with a straight cut or the fretboard side of the nut with an angled cut. As long as there's an angle change at any point through the nut, there will be binding.
Having the angle change at the roller makes binding impossible. You would need a straight cut on the nut to make the String Butler work best, but 'properly cut nuts' still bind the strings.
Sassy cat...come on...you can’t use words like superfluous...you’ll just confuse people!!!!!!
I just had to open up a second window to look up the definition for superfluous...
@@jeffking8903 Physics doesn't lie. A change in string direction will bind unless it's on a roller, no matter where along the string path it occurs.
I have a String Butler on my Les Paul Studio. Installed without drilling holes in the headstock. It helped tremendously with the tuning stability. Especially with the G string. But my nut doesn't have deep grooves like yours does.
Some pointers from a little experience. My only experience is with Gibsons & some of them need this because there is no getting the nut right. Tuning stability is simply evasive. Some just need a proper cut, some lubrication, others need something like this. I have never seen anyone drill the screws you mentioned, I didn't even know they suggested it. Lose the washers after adding the butler. You will have more room for winds. I wouldn't buy one just because I had a LP but I would if other normal solutions failed. I have seen them work fabulously. Did the Epi have tuning issues?
to me its pretty obvious that if you want straight string pull through, then you also need to change the nut.
Put mine on a washburn. Excellent
you should have a look at the "stay toon'd" spring claw for strats next, they supposedly help a regular strat bridge stay in tune because of 2 different spring tensions, or something to that effect
It works pretty well. Makes the bridge real stable and helps with unison bends and return to zero. Clunky if you wanna pull up alot. Not good for Floyds. I have them on 2 guitars( 1 Traditional Wilkinson and 1 VN100S Wilkinson). They also make Drop D tuning a hella lot easier. Kills the warble when set up right. Not good if your a warbler. Haha 👍 Worth the $11 I paid.🤘😎
@@guitarmainiac80 ah see i like a warble with a strat trem haha. i actually made my own out of 2 spring claws i had a few years ago (for a strat i could never get to stay in tune if i used the trem) it looked ugly but it worked perfectly lol, however since then i've found a pretty reliable method for setting the spring tension for floating strat style trems (including floyd roses) i can flutter and warble all day long now :D however it didn't work on a floyd rose with an "EVH D-tuna" fitted but i've got a different trem i can use if i want to drop tune with a locking system lol
My Epiphone Black Beauty from 2005 can sit without being played for weeks and still be in tune when I go to finally pick it up. The string butler is not needed at all with a proper nut.
Play a fender. Problem solved!
Dumb comment
String Trees... lmfao.. What
David Murray Holland I mean I would personally rather have a small piece of metal over a neck that can be troublesome
@@fentom92 people who love Fenders rag on Gibson and vice versa.. Meanwhile companies like Jackson and Solar are just doing it right.
David Murray Holland limiting yourself to one brand is stupid. I'm just saying fenders way is a lot better than Gibson's.
I have an Epiphone Les Paul myself. I have been interested in trying one of these for quite some time. And I think properly installed, it would make a difference. I would love to try it out and see for myself for myself. I have no problem letting you know how it worked, we're passing it on to the next person for you to charge if it doesn't. Thanks for posting the video.
Nice review. Very practical 👍🙏☮️
I have 4 Gibsons/Epiphones but all have vintage tuners and the string butler simply takes the place of the truss rod cover. What I like is that the D and B strings no longer have an extreme angle as they pass over the nut. A well cut nut is great but this seems to take a lot of unnecessary tension away. Peace.
Thanks for the insight! Amazing as always Dylan.
For your comments, it's great to see the true side of the string butler. And the downsides I think it's a very fair comments that you made. Was thinking about getting one but I will not screw holes in my guitar two good luck with your RUclips in and thank you
My sg maestro has one of these on it. Wondering if I should have my Luthier just inspect my nut, remove this string butler, and add a roller bridge.
It only works as advertised if you recut the slots in the nut so that the strings go straight back to the rollers on the device. After re-cutting the slots, it works great.
Which makes it pointless
Hey Dylan, I noticed in your video you said "you had" to drill in your headstock. There are actually 3 ways you can install these according to the website. Your Epiphone headstock in not fitted with vintage hex-less nut tuners - so no screws are needed. Only tuners that do not have the hex nut on the top. You can also add adapter kits to vintage instruments to resolve that issue as well. So you will be safe not using the screws in the majority of cases.
i did something similar on my SG (it's not a gibson, it's a "signature series" SG) based on the string butler, i got 4 small nails and 4 string ferrules/ends left over from a string change, drilled and glued the nails in the head with the ferrules on and i found it works,
the nut slots were cut straight so the strings actually go through straight and the ferrules can spin on the nails, they can even go up and down ia bit if need be. i have a bigsby style trem on it and it really does make a difference -on my particular guitar.
i don't have the tuning peg clearance problem either as theres no plate to tighten down.
the idea being a string tree that goes vertical instead of horizontal like a fender style head :)
*PRS and Ernie Ball guitar head stocks are designed well. The tuning keys close in toward the top of the head stock, thus creating a straight string line from nut to tuning posts. Check them out.*
I'm a Gibson guy from way back. I have only had 1 guitar with tuning issues, a 2015 Les Paul Jr. Got it with Kluson tuner upgrade, wouldn't stay in tune. Changed to Grover, still wouldn't stay in tune. Went out both sharp and flat. Had to return it .My Les Paul's never go out of tune unless the strings are fresh before a stretch. After a stretch, they stay in tune very nicely.
Installed mine on a 2013 Gibson Les Paul that actually had tuning stability issues, even after a professionally cut bone nut replacement by a highly reputable luthier. I was even considering a headstock reshape mod until these hit the market. It has been on my guitar for about 3 years and had completely solved all my issues. Expected better from you. Very disappointed.
Johnny M did the same thing to my ‘13. It fit better than this video shows. Did you get a new nut after putting on? I am going to replace, and wonder if they get cut straighter now?
Hey Matt I did get a new nut after I installed the Sting Butler. I went for brass just to try something different. The slots are cut straight and I also use Big Bends Nut Sauce for a bit of extra lube. Absolutely no more binding issues at all.
I have an Epiphone Sheraton 2, '89, with a zero fret, so the nut is effectively taken out of the equation. It stayed in tune fine when playing rhythm, but would not stay in tune with the bending on lead work. I installed the string butler and I have had no problems since.
I’ve been using these on 3 of my Gibson’s for the last 3 or 4 years, it works great and I will never look back. I haven’t had to screw it down to my headstock, I use locking tuners so I don’t need to use any string wraps around my tuners, and I had replacement nuts installed in all my Gibson’s to allow for straight string pull through the nut through the rollers. Having said all that, if you don’t feel any need to invest that much time and money into this mod then forget about it and forget about the string butler, it’s not for you. As for the rest of you, please check it out. I can attest that if you are like me, it really won’t matter what master tech you take your guitar to nor will the “well cut nut” make any difference to you. Another poster here made the comment and I wholeheartedly agree…to paraphrase “if you want your guitar to play in tune, play a Fender”, but if you’re traditionally a Fender player who can’t get a Gibson to play in tune to save your soul then the String Butler could be a solution for you. It’s been a solution for me and I’ll keep using them. I’m not here to convert anybody, if you don’t want to use it then simply don’t, it’s your choice.
I want to try the truglide...but they are sold out everywhere...had a bone nut put on by a “professional luthier” shop and the strings still bind up...and I’ve done everything you can think of!!!
5:31...........Fender LSR Roller Nut -Would this be a reasonable alternative.?
Great vid.
Great info. Enjoy your travels
I have the String Butler v1 on my Epiphone LP, so instead of going on the pegs it replaces the truss rod cover.
Tuning is now more stable than on my strat style guitar.
If you have a plastic nut, I'd change that first but these things do what they say.
I bought and using it and it really works for me. I'm on the category that do not have a luxury of knowing any Guitar Luthier. I am in the medium to heavy strumming on my Epi and it really holds in tune for a long time than back when I don't have it installed.
One weird thing I noticed, though. When I leave my guitar for, lets say 3 days, and picked it up, somehow ALL of the strings were tuned higher. I use a tuner and all of them are evenly tuned up a decimal point or two higher when I tune-check it. But yeah, it works for me.
I have an Ibanez ART100 that has poor tuning stability and string binding at the nut. I would like to try this out, if possible. Thank you for the consideration. 👍🏼👍🏼
I could scream this from the roof tops. Just file the slots of the nut in the direction of the tuner. I have a lp (style) guitar that I filed the nut, filled the bridge and tail piece holes. mounted a roller bridge and ran a string through setup. I have to tune it about once a month.
@@DayRider76 What..... Every month???
@@MrAZed209 I forgot? Locking tuners to. I designed it to be a stay in tune monster.
I feel like this whole video was a little too focused on aesthetics. I mean in theory if a nut was slotted absolutely perfectly it would be angled toward the tuner which would create a sharp angle where the string enters the nut, or slotted straight which would create a sharp angle where the string exits the nut, so even if a nut is slotted the best it can be, it's never ideal, vs a scenario where the string moved straight through a groove without pushing against any corners and then is guided around a series on cylinders. I've never used one of these but in theory I get it and it makes sense, but I think you're off in claiming that a properly set up Les Paul won't have G string issues, I think even if the execution is perfect, the design itself is imperfect and this might not be the most ideal fix but it's a more perfect design that deserves consideration. I love your videos btw thanks for making all these and hopefully this comment comes off as a respectable dialogue and not just hating.
Excellent review. Thank you.
I have a cheap Harley Benton SC-450Plus, 185€ new, that has no tuning stability issues. The nut is well cut and made of a material that doesn't seem to grab strings. Maybe it's because I put pencil graphite in it.
I think if you want or need the straighter pull on the strings, although I can't imagine why, then yeah, it works.
It's just that the nut is cut for the angled strings. Put this on, and another nut cut to match the more straight strings, and you're probably moving in the right direction. Some locking tuners to defeat the shortened pegs would be a good idea, too.
You'd think with all the real and imagined issues with Gibson-style headstocks, they would just change.
My old ragged sg have so many holes anyway...would be a match ...and maybe it would stay in tune better...
String Butler ABSOLUTELY works.
It seems that you would have to replace the Nut for this device to work its best . Also if it’s that great the the guitar makers should build them into their headstocks at the factory ?
I got it for years nbow on my Tokai SG. It had bad tuning problems, especially on the G string. For some reason the D was not as affected.
At first I swaped the cheap nut with a Graph Tech TUSQ XL, which I've used before and did the job perfectly, but, though somewhat better,
it didn't really solve the problem.
I bought the string butler and now it's all good, though I must mention it is not really mentenance free situation. Every string change I put a
little drop of WD40 in the wheels of the string butler.
I should also mention that the guitar had a good setup done on both the cheap nut and on the TUSQ as well.
Weird. I have an Epi Paul with a string butler. The manual said nothing about drilling any holes, and the unit sits totally differently on the headstock, and the strings go straight across the nut. It works great. I'm not sure what the deal is with your rig there. Maybe you have the older version. There are a few different ones. In any case, mine works fine, and goes on straight, and there is plenty of clearance for the strings to go through the machine head posts. None of these criticisms apply in my case.
I was looking at this product, I am not slamming it nor am I buying that it works so much. I really like your perspective, objectives, and explanations. The drilling of a really nice head stock is definitely a no and the look at the nut / cut tells me Its worth $50 to keep re tuning my G string. I also use lub at string points. The truth is I was looking at an Epiphone standard thinking that would be a cool add on. This video saved me from disappointment or caused me to suffer G string twadanging. Thank you.
Seems, to me, that these are more for custom builders, who want bells and whistles ,or for a guitar ,that has tuning instabilities , that cannot be corrected , by proper nut slotting and alignment. .Don't know what situation , that may be...but, hey! to each, his own. Right?
ahhh very useful. thanks DY-Lan
I would definitely try that on my cheap acoustic!
Waiting for a TruGlide vid now with your opinions to close this topic once and for all.
thanks, so if a gibson headstock has a correct set up nut (slots cut to fit angle of strings) . . . it does stock what the string butler
I wonder if it would help with a bigsby
I bought one of these at a guitar show, but never tried it. I’m not drilling any holes, so I guess I’ll chuck it.
I'll take it...even pay shipping.
You don't need to drill holes to attach it if you have the vintage push and bushings There are special string Butler adapter kits or use the 3M 2 sided tape that they use to hang pictures on the wall which is safe and won't damage the guitar
I have seen quite a few modern [current] Gibsons and Epiphones come with the nut cut properly for their headstocks. The ones that aren't are not difficult to fix with some slotting files and some patience.
I appreciate your opinions. I am not convinced either.
Just wondering. Did you actually PLAY the guitar to test if it works as far as tuning stability? Or did you just ASSUME that you “know” that it doesn’t work?
String Butler is very nice. Works wonders for my Gibsons and my tuning stability. Not an issue with the set up...it has more to do with the string break angles.
Tune it to pitch and do some note bends. And check the tune.see if it goes out
I think Epiphones have those first tuner posts a bit closer. There is another version which fits a Gibson that looks to be a better fit when you clamp it down so maybe less need for those other screws. I think a new Graph Tech nut would be a good install with this. Another thing is that my Les Paul appears to have the string holes higher.
The basic problem is that the Gibson headstock is a terrible design. I have a Heritage and the strings are not nearly as splayed out and it stays in tune much better.
I don't think you necessarily need this but they do a slightly different version for vibrato guitar. If you had a Bigsby, I can see this being useful.
It does work until you change to locking tuners. At least that was my experience. Why not just have the nut filed correctly.
How would you cut the slots in your guitar nut differently than what the manufacturer did? It would be nice to see a video of you cutting a nut from scratch.
Are you sincerely asking? Because we have some live Patreon workshops where we have done that.
@@DylanTalksTone Whoah.... Very cool! Looking into subscribing now!
Weird that it says to drill into headstock, all their press photos show without screws
Hey Dylan, I don't want to try one of these yet, but I have a Les Paul that my brother recently gave me for my birthday. He gave it to me to be a project guitar. The headstock was cracked, so I will probably go ahead and replace the neck. What do you do to replace a set neck on a guitar? Do you use a neck steamer? If so, is this the best solution or is there a better easier way? Can I, say, remove the fret that is nearest to the neck joint and take the guitar into the bathroom with me when I take a shower? Let me know what I should do to remove the neck.
I get your criticisms of installation of the low E not leaving enough room for winding, and the screws in the headstock (a big no no). They should have made other ears to connect to the middle two tuners then you wouldn't need to drill holes and it would be locked in at 4 points and been rock solid. I think to be fair you really didn't give it a chance on the tuning part which really is it's main claim to fame. It would have been nice to take a guitar with known tuning issues, then install it and see if it fixes the problem. Then take it off and send it to a luthier to see if he could fix it without the String Butler to test your theory. Then compare costs. I've been contemplating one of these for my Les Paul with a Bigsby which complicates the tuning aspect.
I have a 2004 Standard that looks just like that. The G string was the one that gave me trouble.
I think it’s a amazing idea/product!!!
my 2 cents.....this Epi Les Paul, a Gibson, a Gretsch (even streamliner) or any other QUALITY 3X3 headstock probably doesn't "need" the string butler. I bought a Firefly FF338 to see what all the hype was about. The butler worked perfectly on it...I didn't drill the holes, but I wouldn't be afraid to, either...Hell, the guitar was only $160. The tuners it came with are trash, so I had installed a spare set of locking tuners I had lying around. The nut is supposedly bone, but it wasn't worn, or cut properly for the string angle coming off of it. So in my case, or in the case of pretty much most budget guitars, this is probably one of the best "upgrades" to make it more playable.
I don't think it's necessary on a guitar that is already a quality build, unless there are glaring issues that it might solve.
im trying to help my stets bar problem . wound strings only go sharp