Do D-Tunas work well?

[Guitar G]

Inside the barrel of the d-tuna - check and see if there is some metal casting slag. Some of the d-tunas I have seen had this slag in it and, once removed, settled down. This slag can get in the way of the string lock screw and cause it not to have the travel it needs. Another thing to try is to contact Adam Revier at Floyd Upgrades - fu-tone.com. He sells these things and may have been part of the development of it with EVH. Email him and tell him what you are facing. He may have a solution - he did with my issue runnings 9s in Eb.

 

[7 Stringer]

Something is wrong when in E by the picture above. Your screw should be closer to the actual bridge than is pictured. Pull out the D tuna further out. Seems the D Tuna is hanging on the bridge edge. Either the spring is too long, the screw too short or like mentioned, might have something in there jamming the unit from fully being out.

 

[7 Stringer]

Definitely from the picture in E position, seems like the D tuna is caught on the edge of the bridge. The D tuna is not out fully. Needs to go back further out.

This is your problem. Pretty sure.

 

[7 Stringer]

I actually purchased longer screws for my Peavey’s. The original ones where too short for me, D tuna fully out and it was forcing against the bridge. It needs some slack to work good. On my EVH guitars, the screws are actually longer, so the D tuna has more play.

 

[zz666]

I thought about getting one but I can go from E to D using my fine tuner in under 5 seconds.

 

[Speeddemon]

I thought about getting one but I can go from E to D using my fine tuner in under 5 seconds.

While that may be nice, it's not really useable mid-song, should the need arise.

 

[zz666]

I thought about getting one but I can go from E to D using my fine tuner in under 5 seconds.

While that may be nice, it's not really useable mid-song, should the need arise.

Tuning mid song?

 

[Speeddemon]

I thought about getting one but I can go from E to D using my fine tuner in under 5 seconds.

While that may be nice, it's not really useable mid-song, should the need arise.

Tuning mid song?

Switching from dropped-D to E or vice versa?
Why not. People apparently even play 8 string guitars these days, so crazier stuff has happened.

Or just really quick between songs?
Play an Ozzy cover set, where Bark at te Moon is followed directly by No More Tears, and you'd be happy to instantly switch to dropped-D, just sayin'.
Those 5 seconds of tuning can lead to the typical 'Slayer, Slayer!' chants of a restless audience.

 

[GreatRedDragon]

I thought about getting one but I can go from E to D using my fine tuner in under 5 seconds.

While that may be nice, it's not really useable mid-song, should the need arise.

Tuning mid song?

I do that when I play Mr Crowley. I play the whole song in Drop D, then switch to E for the last solo.

 

[Speeddemon]

I thought about getting one but I can go from E to D using my fine tuner in under 5 seconds.

While that may be nice, it's not really useable mid-song, should the need arise.

Tuning mid song?

I do that when I play Mr Crowley. I play the whole song in Drop D, then switch to E for the last solo.

Good call!
We did Mr Crowley for a while too with my band, although I'm really partial to playing it on a Les Paul (I have a '83 Randy Rhoads LPC, tweaked to the nines)

The only song that required a total seperate guitar was Shot in the Dark, because of the unusual tuning (E->F# and A->B) on the lowest two strings.
At the time, I used a Hamer Californian for that.

 

[GreatRedDragon]

I thought about getting one but I can go from E to D using my fine tuner in under 5 seconds.

While that may be nice, it's not really useable mid-song, should the need arise.

Tuning mid song?

I do that when I play Mr Crowley. I play the whole song in Drop D, then switch to E for the last solo.

Good call!
We did Mr Crowley for a while too with my band, although I'm really partial to playing it on a Les Paul (I have a '83 Randy Rhoads LPC, tweaked to the nines)

The only song that required a total seperate guitar was Shot in the Dark, because of the unusual tuning (E->F# and A->B) on the lowest two strings.
At the time, I used a Hamer Californian for that.

Whenever I want to play Shot in the Dark the proper way I reach for my Warmoth, since it's just got a Gotoh 510. But honestly most of the time I'm lazy so I just play it Zakk-style in straight Eb tuning.

I wonder if a pair of D-Tunas could be used to bump up the bottom two things for Shot in the Dark?

 

[Speeddemon]

I wonder if a pair of D-Tunas could be used to bump up the bottom two things for Shot in the Dark?

My guess is that it's not feasible due to the width of a D-Tuna; having 2 of them next to on another would probably require a larger string-to-string offset, and secondly I think it would screw with the overall tuning, unless you've tightened the trem springs so much, it's basically a fixed bridge.

 

[GreatRedDragon]

I wonder if a pair of D-Tunas could be used to bump up the bottom two things for Shot in the Dark?

My guess is that it's not feasible due to the width of a D-Tuna; having 2 of them next to on another would probably require a larger string-to-string offset, and secondly I think it would screw with the overall tuning, unless you've tightened the trem springs so much, it's basically a fixed bridge.

A quick Google shows that D-Tunas can be used next to each other:

That guitar was apparently tuned to D Standard, with the D-Tunas used to switch between GDGCFAD and ACGCFAD tunings. Pretty cool idea, I'm going to throw that in my big fat notebook of "guitars I want and will just find a use for afterwards."

Shot in the Dark was recorded in F-Bb-Db-Gb-Bb-Eb. String tension calculator says that on a 25.5" guitar with a standard set of 10s, the total string tension at Standard tuning is 114.5lb and in Shot tuning is 111.3lb. So the springs don't have to be tightened anymore than they would on a guitar tuned to Standard.

The real question is, will the D-Tuna be able to hit those notes? If they come up flat they can be pushed up with the set screw, but if the D-Tuna pulls them sharp there's not much than can be done short of modifying the D-Tuna itself. I don't know enough about the geometry of the thing to predict the outcome of that.

So it's plausible I guess?

If you want to get really crazy, put a D-Tuna on every string. Pop the low E D-Tuna out to play Ultimate Sin. When you're done, pop the bottom D-Tuna in and pop out the top four out to jump into Shot in the Dark. Now that's style.

The irony of this particular discussion focusing on the music of the player most infamous for not using a whammy of any kind is not lost on me.

 

[blackie13]

Thanks for the help guys, much appreciated!!

Yes sir, I tried both screws and in the pic its the long one. I had the bridge fine tuner all the backed out until it was almost losing is grip in the bridge thread hole, but I'll see if I can get it further out without it falling out.
The weird angle in the pics is the resulting position it ends up by the time I've had to screw the set screw in to its full limit, at which it still doesn't achieve full E pitch and is a few cents lower than Eb and the set screw into its full range to get it up almost into pitch.
If I just undo that screw and push the d-tuna in it will stay flat to the body as it should, but then the pitch is barely half a step higher at Eb and its not even close to getting me pitching fine tuning set screw range of E.

I'll find the D-tuna from the bottom of the fiery pit of hell I cast it yesterday to give it another try and will take some more pics to demonstrate.

Thanks again!, and I'll be back with "How to Fit a D-TUNA for a Dummy" chapter 2.

I have a detuna in a OFR tremolo and works wonders...
I just bought a new Black detuna for my gotoh floyd rose bridge...let's see if I can make it work...

I just got the new Dtuna and I have the same problems with Phil with the gotoh...
The d-tuna does not seem to be able to do the whole move and go up a whole step...
I will take it to my tech but I don't think that it can work...

 

[Philhouse]

Keen to hear how you go Blackie, mine is back on my shelf.

 

[5150]

I actually purchased longer screws for my Peavey’s. The original ones where too short for me, D tuna fully out and it was forcing against the bridge. It needs some slack to work good. On my EVH guitars, the screws are actually longer, so the D tuna has more play.

Reviving necro thread. One thing to note, is to clip off the clamp or spring that pushes up underneath the mini tuner screw when D-Tuna in place. This is standard on EVH Wolfgang USA guitars, too. That stuff can interfere with the D-Tuna. Those are all clipped off at the base of the plate.

 

[5150]

I had another go today and tried to install the D-tuna again..for at least an hour... an hour of frustration and futility and it was lucky I didn't throw it off a bridge.
It will NOT work. Either I got a dud unit or something is seriously wrong elsewhere. I've watched every YouTube clip I can and read all the online help... nup.
I got it from a legit shop on eBay for the standard price, so there should be nothing dodgy about it.

I do all the steps but when I push it in it will only go barely back up to Eb, tightening the set tiny screw wont even take it to E, and the I screw it in all the way it goes so far in the tuna hits the guitar body and bottoms out, and even well before it hits the body its at such angle its almost impossible to pull out unless you used pliers. It should go up close to E by just pushing it in and then a small fine tune... nup not on my piece of **** D-tuna.

I get it all tuned to D with it out as per the instructions, lock the nut, push it in, it only just gets to Eb, and have to adjust the setscrew and fine tuner like below and it still wont get up to E, and you can see there is no way to even pull it out again.

D-tuna's are DEAD to me.

I saw your post, I ran into this for a long time, not knowing what the cause could be, pulling most of my hair out in the process. First, check your intonation - it has to be dead-on for the D-Tuna to work, else you'll come up short no matter what you try. Get your hands on a

ACCU-LOCATOR/Intonation Adjuster for Floyd Rose, Ibanez EDGE, Schaller, GOTOH 1996T​

from Red Bishop, which makes intonating a Floyd a no-brainer. No need to pay a tech to do a half-a$$ job and charge you an arm and a leg for it.
After you tune the low E string to D first, you can then adjust the D-Tuna to E with the set screw, and get it dead-on. It helps if you tune your guitar with a proper tuner like say a Peterson HD Strobe Tuner. You can do all this within 10 minutes with this setup. I am willing to bet that many on this forum never considered reviewing the intonation of their guitar prior to installing a D-Tuna. If you go at it with wonky intonation, the D-Tuna simply will not work, as many have experienced. I have set up the D-Tuna with both 9-42 in E and 9.5-44 in Eb, and had zero problems AFTER I properly intonated my guitar, first. The documentation and videos out there are pretty poor, but it cán be done.

Addendum: I personally happen to use the EVH 'Sweetener' on the Peterson HD tuner. I intonate ánd tune my guitars to this setting for accuracy. You can really use any of the 'sweetened' tunings that Peterson offers, it is all about being consistent and tuning strings so they sound in tune together when playing chords all over the neck, rather than individual strings in tune on their own. Doing this really made a noticeable difference in being able to hit harmonics all over the neck with ease, as well as sounding more in tune all over the neck. The D-Tuna install also became a lot easier once intonated properly. Before, I would tune to D and the E always came up sharp, no matter what I did. I checked intonation and sure enough, 12th fretted note was sharp to the open D. Adjusted saddle away from the nut with the Red Bishop tool mentioned above and quickly got the open string intonation right. The D-Tuna install was a piece of cake after that. I leave the long end of the tiny allen key in the D-Tuna so I can easily adjust the set screw whilst looking at my tuner. Works every time.

 

[tpruitt]

Inside the barrel of the d-tuna - check and see if there is some metal casting slag. Some of the d-tunas I have seen had this slag in it and, once removed, settled down. This slag can get in the way of the string lock screw and cause it not to have the travel it needs. Another thing to try is to contact Adam Revier at Floyd Upgrades - fu-tone.com. He sells these things and may have been part of the development of it with EVH. Email him and tell him what you are facing. He may have a solution - he did with my issue runnings 9s in Eb.

This. I couldn’t get mine in tune. Even had the set screw all the way out. I took a small round file to the insides and removed some of the chrome plating and now the set screw works and it tunes up fine.