Installing an EVH d-Tuna? WATCH THIS FIRST!

[@jameshartwell4345]

“That’s what she said “,,,,,,,,, automatically liked. 😂

[@larsdahl6594]

I started watching this video about 6 months ago, having bought an EVH Wolfgang (against the sales clerk's advice; "Floyd Rose trems will make your life miserable"), but not knowing JS about Floyds. I stopped watching at about five minutes. Having gained some more wisdom in the interim it now makes more sense, and I'd like to thank Timothy for posting this helpful video. Ordering a D-tuna as soon as I'm done posting this comment. Hint to Tim: sign up with an affiliate program, you're leaving money on the table! 😀

[@timbmusician]

I'm glad the video helped you! The instructions it comes with are my only gripe about the D-Tuna. It just needs a little....more. I'm far from the world's foremost luthier or guitar tech, but I'm also not the village idiot when it comes to setting one up. Just a little more detail or some relevant pictures would be easy to include and would go a loooong way to helping some of us less experienced folks! As for affiliate marketing, I tried that once and sold exactly nothing! LOL I think my main issue is that my channel, even after a few years now, is still very small so most affiliate sites won't accept my application. Even Amazon, who let's anyone sign up, cancelled my account after 6 months due to there being zero activity. Maybe if the channel grows more I'll give it a shot again. It'd be nice to have my hobby earn money rather than cost it!

[@ronmoore8732]

Thank you for explaining that better then the instructions .

[@timbmusician]

You're welcome! It's a great device, but the manual could use more detail for us newbs!

[@troylink9118]

Thanks for the video 😊

[@timbmusician]

Thanks for watching!

[@Havanacuba1985]

Very good video man, I’m so glad you went through this so we don’t have to ,I’m completely inept at technical stuff like this lol 😂 Have a great weekend

[@ihop4no14]

This helped a lot. Thanks!

[@Briansgate]

My Jackson has that Northern Lights finish, I love it!

[@timbmusician]

Everytime I open my case to play, I just pause a minute and appreciate how good it looks!

[@sbrave]

I'm finding I have to turn the side fine tuner screw in so far when the D tuna is pushed in to E tuning position, it makes it really hard to push and pull the D tuna in and out. No matter how I tune to drop D, when I push the D tuna in for E tuning, it's at least a 1/4 step down and then I have to adjust the fine tuner screw quite a bit, which makes it hard to move the D tuna. Doesn't seem like there's anything else to adjust when you tune to drop D initially, as the instructions say. I've even tried to have the Floyd fine tuner pressing down on the screw just a little or not at all.

[@paterson90]

Ive had the same problem, I have had to make the tremelo higher to adjust for how low it it gets when fine tuning. If not, I can't switch it easily.

[@humanbeing2420]

I have the exact same EVH Wolfgang Standard, in that same color. I installed a D-tuna a couple years ago but it didn't work for me because it threw the entire guitar out of tune every time I used it. I'm pretty sure that's because my bridge, while appearing to be flush with the body, wasn't actually flush with the body. It was very close, but not quite. So I de-installed the D-tuna and just went without it. I've since added a third spring in the back cavity and now the bridge is solidly flush with the body - I need to use lots of force to get the bar down. And I like that. I want to try the D-tuna again, but I really don't want to spend time mucking about - I like to spend my guitar time actually playing rather than dicking around with my equipment......

[@timbmusician]

Well, now that I fumbled my way through the install, I think I could do one again in about 10 minutes. Once I finally got through it, it made so much more sense. The real problem was that the documentation doesn't give you a good idea of what to expect. It would be so much better with just a few detailed photos of each step. That's the main reason my first go was a fiasco. But now that you've seen all the botches I made, anyone else's should go pretty smoothly! LOL With the Floyd back against the body, it'll work as advertised, in my experience. They say it can be used with a floating trem, but I've NEVER seen one work. It's best with a "dive-only" setup. Use the long screw and do it the next time you do a string change and it'll probably only add a little bit of time. Thanks for watching!

[@humanbeing2420]

@@timbmusician Thanks for the advice - I was about to do it earlier today but after reading the instructions - which are substandard for the precise reasons you cite - I thought I better watch a KZbin video or two before I give it another go. I might try it again.

[@humanbeing2420]

@@timbmusician How do you like that guitar?

[@timbmusician]

I still love mine!

[@humanbeing2420]

@@timbmusician I should watch your unboxing video. I got mine sight-unseen from Sweetwater during the pandemic. First new guitar I'd purchased since the 1980's. I like it - it's very fun to play. But I find its tonal palette very limited - I use mine strictly for metal and hard rock, almost always with OD or distortion, and only the bridge pickup. I keep it tuned to E♭ so it's my go-to for early VH, G'n'R and everything else that was recorded in E ♭. And for those purposes, it's great. And it looks great too. I'm very glad I got it even though I don't use it that much.

[@TheRockinDonkey]

I just bought an EVH 5150 guitar that came with one. The first thing I did was remove it when I saw they included the hardware to allow me to. I never play drop D, and if I ever want to, I have plenty of guitars I can retune. It's a cool little device, but it really sounds like a giant pain to use and keep in tune. Great for someone who's playing on stage and needs to quickly switch between standard and drop D. Not something I'd ever need. Just trying to figure out what I'm going to do with it now.

[@dannysale]

I'm convinced Standards shouldn't have d-Tunas on them. I can get mine up-and-running, seemingly performing normally, and the next thing I know the Low E is out of tune just a little bit. I couldn't get it permanently fixed so I ended up removing it. I have other guitars with d-Tunas, and they work fine with them. More power to anyone who can get one working with a Standard though.

[@leonskum.5682]

Good instructions. I have a question. My wolfie is left handed...am I right to assume that I wouldn't be able to fit one as the fine E tuner adjustment screw would be unreachable as it would face in?? Thanks in advance.

[@garygrinkevich6971]

This is one of those situations where they really should have paid sr. designer to create a usable installation guide, they could have included an illustrate the parts diagram, component list, expanded component view . the project lead looks like he took 2 good photos of the install and called it a day, pretty humorous because they went to the effort to give it a nice case, page numbers, and a staple but the layout and design are straight outta the back of a 1980 guitar catalog.

[@timbmusician]

Exactly! It's pretty clear they gave the manual very little thought. And to be fair, once you've done it one time, it'll be the easiest thing in the world for every other one. It really is pretty straight forward. If I read thru the instructions now, every single word is 100% correct. But without having done one before, I had zero idea of what much of it meant. There's just no context.

[@garygrinkevich6971]

@@timbmusician I'm in the process of getting all the parts together for a Frankie build the details are everything. =]

[@kaoe145]

I was going to install this with a tremol no so I can set my trem to float or dive only I had the misconception that you tune the guitar to standard tuning and use the d tuner to change to drop d but I found out that you tune to drop tuning then use the d tune to switch to standard tuning so I figured if you set the Floyd to float in drop d you would be able to pull up but when you engage the d tuner you would have to be in dive only mode I might just get it and do some experimenting to find out for my self and post my results I might also make a video I also saw you can leave it floating with a trem stabilizer so I’m thinking about experimenting with having a trem stabilizer, tremol no and d tuner installed at the same time to get full function of my Floyd while it’s floating andbeing able to use the d tuner to quickly switch between standard to drop d I can contact you once I made my findings

[@Alex_Martz]

Hi, did you made that modification? I was thinking of putting one of these along the Tremol-No too, how did that worked out?

[@timbmusician]

I put the Tremol-no on my Ibanez and the Ibanez bridge is incompatible with the d-Tuna. But I have a buddy who has used both on the same guitar and he told me that it worked fine. The catch is that in order to use the d-Tuna, the Tremol-no has to either be fully locked or dive only. If you are in fully floating mode, the d-Tuna will throw you out of tune when you use it.

[@Alex_Martz]

@@timbmusician ok, thanks for the reply

[@davekiddie4467]

Tremolo no is crap

[@markrogers7304]

My issue with the d tuna is that after 4-5 times of pulling the d tuna into drop d and back into e, the e tuning goes about a 1/4 step out if tune. This is on a flush mount original floyd on a 5150 replica I built.

[@timbmusician]

That stinks! I haven't had any trouble with tuning drift from switching back and forth. Just the normal amount of drift from letting it sit for a few days. I will say that after I have to unlock the nut and reset the overall pitch of the string, I have to dial the fine tuning on the d-Tuna in for a bit. But once it's set, I don't have to worry about it going out when I switch it in and out.

[@markrogers7304]

@@timbmusician well I have an update. I just finished my newest guitar build using the same neck from mentioned above guitar but with a new custom order built body from Locke Custom Guitars. Put the same Original Floyd Rose with same d-tuna on it. It's being super stable when changing from standard to drop d after about 30 changes back and forth. Weird only thing changed was the body. The neck was a custom made from Musikraft on the Locke body. Now it's a great guitar.

[@MainPrism]

Watch how you pull it out and push it back in. If you don't reset it almost exactly how it was before you pulled it out the tuning will drift. Pulling it out and lining it back up before pushing it back in will reset your tuning back to E. I had this same problem and looked it up here on YT. I found a video by the EVH people (iirc) and they adressed this very issue. I haven't had a single problem since. Congrats on your new build!

[@markrogers7304]

@@MainPrism I saw the vid before I think. I thought the same thing but didn't matter what or how it would drift by nearly 1/4 step constantly. Now with the newest guitar body it hasn't done it yet, tuning is very stable and I'm not even paying attention to how I'm dropping it to d or resetting back. I'm thinking it was the body causing it since it wasn't very good. The neck pocket wasn't in good shape after a repair, that one reason I ordered the new body. Thanks for congrats. The new guitar is really great mainly cause I got to have it made to the specs I wanted. Musikraft neck with stainless jumbo frets, 12-14" radius, d profile like charvel on a single pickup cut mid 80's to spec Kramer made by Locke guitars and he made all the changes I wanted for it. Now the pocket is so snug I can lift the guitar by the neck without the neck screws and it doesn't come apart.

[@MainPrism]

@@markrogers7304 yeah that would make sense then. Very nice! I bet that things absolutely rips!!!

[@simply3141592654]

Could put that on the Ernie Ball guitars too I suppose.

[@timbmusician]

You can put it on anything with a Floyd Rose as long as it's not a low-profile.

[@CalitranoN]

What if after you lock it your low D is out of tune ?

[@timbmusician]

Well, I tried to use the fine tuner on the bridge to make adjustments after locking, but then that threw the D-tuna off when I popped it into standard E position. So your best bet is to get the low D in tune when you lock. On my Wolfgang, I tend to have to go a hair under D before I lock, since locking has a tendency to pull it a hair sharp. Then when I lock, it's dead on. Then I tune the rest of the strings, pop the button to E and then use the fine tuner on the D-tuna. Hope that helps.

[@CalitranoN]

@@timbmusician Exactly, the low D goes way sharp as soon as I lock it? and I can't use the fine tuners ugh!., or can I? Maybe I just need to know why a Stock Floyd Rose on and EVH Special would go Sharp, The A string does not go sharp just the lowest string.

[@qua7771]

Someone should show how to use one on a floating bridge.

[@kaoe145]

If I install this would I only be able to have the Floyd fully floating while in drop tuning and dive only when I use the d tuna to switch to standard tuning I really like the concept and I’m interested in getting one I just had this one question I need answered before I pull the trigger so to speak

[@timbmusician]

I'm not 100% sure it will work if your trem floats. The instructions seem to say it can be done, but another KZbinr I saw said it did not work with a floating trem. And that makes sense to me, because whenever you switch between standard and drop tuning, you're changing the tension on the string. If you do that with a floating trem, you'll affect the tension on the other strings as well each time you push or pull the d-Tuna. I set my trem all the way back against the body so it's dive only. The d-Tuna works great that way.

[@kaoe145]

@@timbmusician I was going to install this with a tremol no so I can set my trem to float or dive only I had the misconception that you tune the guitar to standard tuning and use the d tuner to change to drop d but I found out that you tune to drop tuning then use the d tune to switch to standard tuning so I figured if you set the Floyd to float in drop d you would be able to pull up but when you engage the d tuner you would have to be in dive only mode I might just get it and do some experimenting to find out for my self and post my results I might also make a video I also saw you can leave it floating with a trem stabilizer so I’m thinking about experimenting with having a trem stabilizer, tremol no and d tuner installed at the same time to get full function of my Floyd while it’s floating andbeing able to use the d tuner to quickly switch between standard to drop d I can contact you once I made my findings

[@timbmusician]

I think a Tremol-no would work the way you're describing. You should be able to do a standard tuning, set the Tremol-no to fixed or dive only, then setup the d-Tuna. But I suspect you'd have to make sure the d-Tuna was pushed in (standard tuning) before you tried to use full floating mode.

[@replaythat4362]

Awesome video Man! One question I have though is lets the e string goes out of tune, normally you would use the fine tuner on the Floyd rose but would you have to fine tune on the D-tuna instead of the fine tuner on the Floyd rose? Thanks Man!

[@timbmusician]

That is a great question. Unfortunately, I am not sure about the answer. My suspicion is that you'd need to adjust the set screw on the d-Tuna. If it was *way* out, you'd need to unlock and retune at the headstock. In my setup, the fine tuner on the Rose isn't touching anything, so I think that it's not going to be any help, and while I was installing, it actually got in the way more than anything.

[@CyberSoulLover]

The guide in the d tuna instructions says to use the bridge fine tuner. What you do when setting up is 1 unlock nut and back fine tuner all the way 2 tighten the fine tuner down some 3 try to push the d tuna in and check the resistance. If you can’t push it to E without a lot of force then loosen it some 4 once you’ve got it to a comfortable spot lock the nut in d position. 5 now you will be able to use the bridge fine tuner on the Floyd Note the range of tuning won’t be anywhere as big as without the d tuna. But it works

[@replaythat4362]

@@CyberSoulLover Thank you for the answer!

[@bionno78]

So at the END you've used the longer screw or the shorter inside the d-tuna ?

[@timbmusician]

The longer.

[@bionno78]

@@timbmusician thanks, now another question, did you use a tremolo blocker (so you can't pitch up but only down} ? I tried to mount the d-tuna, but every time i switch from D to E my string goes down in tune

[@timbmusician]

@@bionno78 No. I didn't use any kind of blocker. It's just the stock Floyd Rose that comes on the Wolfgang Standard. I have a Tremol-No on my Ibanez, but nothing on the Wolfgang. But I did set it so it is all the way back against the wood of the body. So it does not float and cannot raise pitch. That's way Eddie set his up so I figured since I'm using his brand of guitar, I'd set it up like him. Plus, I've read that a d-Tuna will NOT work on a floating trem. So if yours floats, that's likely the issue.

[@bionno78]

@@timbmusician i have a EVH WolfGang Standard, i could barely raise the pitch but it does, i think i must setup the same at your, all the way back to the wood.

[@HamsterSpanks]

Thanks for the vid. F.y.i. a the head you are talking way too fast when giving instructions on when to the lock the the nut slash how to tune it up in E and how to tune it up in D. That's important info for people that have never put one of these in. It's ironic in that you complain about the lack of instructions (which I agree with) but there mush/rush through the how to at the end.

[@curtvogue5720]

I agree, the video is useful, I just got a Wolfgang Standard and I'm going to install an old D-Tuna I had on it, now I know I need the longer screw. It's a bit of a bummer that I had to watch 8 minutes of a 16 minute video to find that out. Also, on my instructions it's very obvious when it states "I cannot emphasize this enough, have the fine tuner on the bridge backed off as much as possible on the E string". Not sure why he had so much trouble with that, again like you said he's bagging on the instructions when (if they're like mine, I have the same pics in mine) he didn't even read through them properly.

[@samm3702]

you look like danny carey

[@GeorgeBonez]

I don’t understand? You clearly read the instruction regarding screwing the fine tuner all the way out then later when you had trouble tuning you acted like you never knew about this?

[@SixStringJoy]

1. The low E/D fine tuner doesn't work with a dtuna or it's a pita to pop it out/in, because the screw of the fine tuner hits the dtuna, unless it's all the way UP... The dtuna also seems to be really close to the body, even if the bridge is flush with the body .. aaaand: 2. A floating bridge isn't an option with the dtuna, so it has to be flush.. 3. Whatever I do, the D is somewhat flat and the E is sharp. Yes I use the peg to tune the D with tuna popped out, before I lock it and use the small wrench to tune the E...still sharp. Ehhhhhh. Anyone?

[@timbmusician]

I wish I had a good answer for the tuning issue, but mine stays in tune pretty well. But I do agree that the post sits very close to the body and I doubt you'd be able to use it with a floating trem. I've been able to use the fine tuner and still pop the d-Tuna in and out, but that's only been true for very small adjustments and only to go up a hair in pitch. If it needs more drastic adjustment, I'm better off unlocking the nut and getting it in tune down there.

[@SixStringJoy]

@@timbmusician After about a half hour I got it to where it stays 😂 floating with dtuna is impossible but I guess there’s only so much one can do locked with drop d, so win some lose some, but the thing does work just took some patience. Thanks for your reply

[@chuckydall9250]

Good job those are the worst directions I've ever seen. Did EVH invent this system??

[@timbmusician]

It's my understanding that Ed didn't invent it, just bought the rights and licensed it. But I could be wrong on that. They aren't the worst directions I've seen, but they could use a little more detail. A few pictures or diagrams would be better and not take up significantly more space on the page. They wouldn't even need to print extra pages, just use the existing space a little more efficiently. Thanks for watching!