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Posts: 10777
Location: Keepin' It Weird in Portland, OR | I've been avoiding asking this... Like the Plague.
Now... I understand why strings go flat... The strings stretch!
But Why do my strings go Sharp, just sitting in the case?
Just was tuning the 1115HB... It hasn't been played much in the last coupla weeks... And alot of the strings had gone Higher, just sitting in the case.
I've noticed this before on other guitars on other occasions. And I always wanted to ask.
I'm sure someone is gonna think it is a dumb question...
But someone else just may have a definitive answer! :cool: |
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Posts: 6996
Location: Jet City | I don't know the answer, but you're not alone. My LX does that hanging on the wall, I can only guess it's a temperature thing.
I don't know. To me it's like a "Why is the sky blue" question. Though there's a real answer I'm sure, I'd rather just go with the "Cuz it is" answer.
So does your's seem to go sharp across the board? Mine does. It stays in tune, just goes a bit sharp. |
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September 2006
Posts: 10777
Location: Keepin' It Weird in Portland, OR | Yeah, usually on a six-string it seems in "Relative Tune" across the board, but it is sharp with the tuner.
But on the twelve-string, it sounded alittle funky because of the Octaves...
So when I checked it, they were all sharp... except the B's... They were right, which is unusual.
And since the skinny strings changed pitch abit differently, it sounded weird.
Temperature, Humidity, who knows?
But SOMEONE must KNOW! |
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Posts: 7307
Location: South of most, North of few | Sun spots. |
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Posts: 1900
| Guitars expand and contract due to temperature and humidity. When they go sharp, it means they have expanded just enough to gradually increase the scale of the strings. When it's cold it slightly shrinks the scale, and they go flat. |
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Location: Jet City | Originally posted by Trader Jim:
Sun spots. Not here in WA! |
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April 2006
Posts: 972
Location: PDX | Both temperature and humidity changes can effect both the guitar and the strings.
I keep my action really low. There are times when i have to tweak the truss rod to keep the stings from fretting out. It's just changes in the environment.
_____
gh1 |
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Posts: 12759
Location: Boise, Idaho | One of my electrics would go flat sitting in the stand, but would go sharp hanging on the hook. I don't know if the neck was loose, but decided I didn't like all that weight hanging on the hooks. Now it seems to hold its tune on the stand. |
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Posts: 231
| I've been noticing this for many years, and with different brands of guitars, as well. Seems to be directly related to humidity changes, more than anything else. In severe dry conditions, I have also noticed the fret ends protuding a bit from the fingerboard, and feeling sharp to the touch. This is caused by the wood shrinking from lack of moisture. Same thing that causes cracks to occur in the guitar top. I always try to keep my guitars humidified during dry winter months. I guess that would depend on the part of the world that you live, but I like to keep the humidity around 45 percent year round, if possible. |
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Posts: 5750
Location: Scotland | A few weeks ago, for a bunch of gigs, we sailed from the UK to Belgium, then drove from Belgium to Rotterdam and Amsterdam. I had with me a Nylon Viper, Book Mandolin, '68 GC12, Lapsteel and Weissenborn, plus a Taylor and a Tacoma, all in gigbags. None of the instruments were more than a 2 or 3 cents sharp or flat between gigs. If it's a few cents either way at home and still in relative tune, what's the problem? |
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Posts: 231
| I don't see a problem, or a prevention, for that matter. More of an inconvienence than anything else. It requires tuning more often, but unless it's extremely dry, shouldn't cause any permanent damage. |
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Posts: 747
| Yep, temp and humidity for sure. Not so much with the Ovation though, seems more noticeable on my all wood guitars. |
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February 2002
Posts: 5750
Location: Scotland | Originally posted by Roundback:
I don't see a problem, or a prevention, for that matter. More of an inconvienence than anything else. Having to tune musical instuments occasionally is an inconvenience? As a performng musician who has 30-odd strings to tune every gig I might agree, but I still wouldn't trade jobs with the guy who clears your septic tank. My god, us creative types have such a hard life! |
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Posts: 10777
Location: Keepin' It Weird in Portland, OR | Gee Paul... It's not a "Problem" really. Just curious...
Usually, I put on new strings and spend a coupla days tuning the guitar Up repeatedly.
But after the strings settle in, I will set the guitar aside for a day or three, and it will drift sharp.
And like I said... I had been avoiding asking the question, cuz I didn't wanna sound dumb...
I have learnt that I am not alone in noticing this. And I will guess it is the Humidity (or lack thereof) in my case.
Portland is alot less humid than people think, since it is famous for Rain... (and Space Cadets).
Plus my building has this really dry ventilation system... :mad:
I pretty much got my answer... It's just "one-of-those-things"... |
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February 2002
Posts: 5750
Location: Scotland | Originally posted by Old Man Arthur:
...
Usually, I put on new strings and spend a coupla days tuning the guitar Up repeatedly.
OK, once you have the strings on grab each one and pull it away from the fingerboard. REALLY pull it. Do that 2 or 3 times, harder than you think you should. Then do it again. You'll find that you then no longer need to tune "repeatedly". I can change strings 5 minutes before going onstage and not have tuning issues if the strings are stretched in this way |
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November 2003
Posts: 231
| Tuning occasionally isn't what I was saying. I've been in situations where you had to retune after nearly every song, especially outdoors in humid weather. Humidity is always a problem here in Missouri during the summer months, and lack of humidity during winter.
Paul's technique of stretching the strings works pretty well. I've been doing that for nearly 40 years, myself. |
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September 2006
Posts: 10777
Location: Keepin' It Weird in Portland, OR | Originally posted by Paul Templeman:
OK, once you have the strings on grab each one and pull it away from the fingerboard. REALLY pull it. Do that 2 or 3 times, harder than you think you should. Then do it again. You'll find that you then no longer need to tune "repeatedly". I can change strings 5 minutes before going onstage and not have tuning issues if the strings are stretched in this way Now there's the trick....'REALLY pull it. Do that 2 or 3 times, harder than you think you should.'
I put them when I put them on... But I'd really REALLY hate to break something.
I'll try to force myself to do that...
If I break something, I wil surely let you know about it! :cool: |
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Posts: 14842
Location: NJ | I agree w/Paul & following the same method for YEARS (mostly changing strings an hour before a gig) and it works. In all those years, if I've broken three strings while stretching 'em, I broke a lot. After a while, you'll develop a "feel" for how much stretch a string needs.
Not on nylons, tho.
Since I don't change them that often, I generally give them a day or two to s-t-r-e-t-c-h on their own volition, till they consistently stay in tune day-to-day . . . |
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February 2002
Posts: 5750
Location: Scotland | Just to clarify. Put on the strings and tune to pitch, give each string a good hard tug. Tune back to pitch. Repeat another 2 or 3 times or until the strings don't go flat when you pull them. |
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May 2003
Posts: 425
Location: SE Michigan | But Why do my strings go Sharp, just sitting in the case?
Because when you are playing your body heat and friction warms the strings making them expand and slightly longer. You tweak the tuning as you go to keep them in pitch. Then when you put the guitar away the strings cool and shrink making them sharper next time you pick it up.
Simple thermo-dynamics. |
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Posts: 14127
Location: 6 String Ranch | I've seen the same thing with my guitars going sharp once they've settled in. Glad you asked the question. Not sure we got the answer yet. |
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Location: CT | It's magic, or the force, or ESPN or something. |
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Posts: 14842
Location: NJ | It's "FM". |
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Posts: 11039
Location: Earth·SolarSystem·LocalInterstellarCloud·Local Bub | Heheh-Heheh-Heheh-Heh....
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Another Tuning Question - Really? Yeah, Really!
