Is it normal for me to re-tune my guitars THIS much? When i started practicing with my two guitars(R

ThomasGrace

When i started practicing with my two guitars(Rogue RD-80 and Jackson JS-22 Dinky) I found myself having to tune them every time I pick them up to practice with them. I practice with both every day. Which means that I tune them both every day. But today I had some extra time on my hands and I had three different practice sessions with about 20-30 minutes each practice session today.  I basically gave myself an hour break between sessions and did some other stuff so my fingers aren't too sore at the end of the day.  But EVERY SINGLE TIME, I had to RETUNE my two guitars again. My only explanation for them going out of tune is probably because the more you use guitar strings, the more they stretch. My strings are fairly new so I'm assuming they'll be like that for a bit. Both guitars sound great once they're tuned, and there is nothing structurally wrong with them. Both are in perfect condition. What are ya'all's thoughts on this? Is it normal to have to retune your guitar after putting it down for only an hour?

munckee

Do you stretch your strings in when changing, makes a massive difference.  temperature in the room might play a part too.

scrumhalf

I agree, room temp makes a bug difference to tuning stability.

Have you checked the tuning when you put the guitars down? You may be a little heavier-handed than you realise. 

skunkwerx

Its probably temp. All mine are slightly off when I pick them up daily, but after a warm up session its in tune or close. 

I fully stretch them in when changing strings mind. 

When playing its not that they stretch, its just bends over the bridge get more acute, wraps at the tuners get tighter, ball ends sit flusher etc. 

Next time you pick up, if its sharp a bit, play for 10 mins then check tuning and see if its closer. 

LastMantra

You should tune after warming the strings up then when they're warmed again they should be in tune.
I usually play some big bends and vibrato and a bit of heavy strumming. You can pinch each string and pull them out away from the body a few timed. That should do the trick.
If it's still way out there's some other problem. 

Rocker

For some odd reason a couple of my guitars go sharp tuning wise if they are hung on the wall. Those on a stand tend to remain in tune. Strange but that is how it is. 

steer

If they are new strings, then give each one a good pull / stretch at around the 12th fret - each one for about 30 seconds at least. Then retune. That should sort it, assuming it is just the new strings bedding in. 

p90fool

steer said:

If they are new strings, then give each one a good pull / stretch at around the 12th fret - each one for about 30 seconds at least. Then retune. That should sort it, assuming it is just the new strings bedding in. 

This. The string itself is not really stretching, it's mainly just settling its wraps around the tuner post. 

Funkfingers

Somebody I know had a JS series Randy Rhoads Vee. The neck on that guitar was flexible as f**k. I could bend against the neck relief for vibrato effects. IMO, this alone would explain the pitch instability. The screw-on neck joint and the stupid string angles over the nut towards the budget tuners did not help either.

I have no experience of Rogue acoustic guitars but, being another budget instrument, it is probably plagued by similar Cheepnis issues.

ESBlonde

@LastMantra makes valid points, particularly temp. I find a rub up and down the fingerboard/neck with my hand raises the temp and brings guitars back into tune when they are cool. Also does it stay in tune as a general rule? If not lube the nut slots with a pencil and see how that goes. A couple of my guitars are very stable and are in tune out of the case days later, others need attention from time to time.

LastMantra

I was actually thinking about starting a thread about this myself. 
If you're in the habit of tuning in before warming the strings up you could end up in a cycle of constantly tuning your guitar. Imo/e anyway.
People often comment on guitars staying in tune well...so they should!

Blueingreen

p90fool said:

steer said:

If they are new strings, then give each one a good pull / stretch at around the 12th fret - each one for about 30 seconds at least. Then retune. That should sort it, assuming it is just the new strings bedding in. 

This. The string itself is not really stretching, it's mainly just settling its wraps around the tuner post. 

Not saying you're wrong and I'm right, but this seems contrary to my experience.  Strings seem to take a bit time to settle into tuning stablity on guitars with locking tuners, ie virtually no wrap round the tuning post, and it seems to help speed up the process of them settling if you stretch them.

Corvus

I find mine change a little as they warm up in the hands even when they're used to the room. Not really a surprise because metal moves quite a lot with heat, not a massive effect but enough to notice a slight tuning shift.

LastMantra

Once the strings are fully stretched they shouldn't stretch any more. 
Like when you get a takeaway and you try to rip the bag open it'll stretch for a bit then stop and won't stretch any further. 

I'm assuming the OPs springs have settled after several hours/days of playing?

ICBM

You may not like to read all this, but firstly it's unlikely to be your fault!

Sadly the Jackson is a very poor design and tuning trouble is a certainty - it has a pointy headstock but no locking nut, and even worse, also a vibrato bridge. The sharp string angles at the nut guarantee the strings will stick when you either bend one, use the whammy bar, or possibly even just tune it.

The Rogue shouldn't be as bad, but even that has a rather wide headstock and hence sharper string angles than many other guitars. The nut is also the most likely cause of tuning problems on this one.

I would...

First, check the nut heights on both guitars. If they're too high they will cause intonation problems as well as making you bend the strings slightly when fretting, which will contribute to movement and sticking. Fret each string at the third fret while looking at the gap between the string and the first fret - it should be tiny, less than a quarter of the string diameter on any string.

Second, try to string the guitars with the absolute minimum of string winding on the post - if you use the 'half back turn and lock under' method you can usually get less than one complete turn on the post - this will help prevent any slipping or sticking.

Third, set the bridge on the Jackson flat onto the body as if it's a hardtail, and don't use the whammy.

If all that sounds like it's beyond your experience, have a tech look at them - there are a few more potential issues as well, but most of them (apart from the pointy headstock) can probably be sorted out.

If you do want to use the whammy bar, then really you probably need a better guitar, either with a straight headstock or a locking vibrato system like a Floyd Rose - these are *very* tuning-stable.

Sassafras

No more than 2 or 3 wraps round the tuning post and a good stretch should be enough to settle them.

grungebob

All my guitars are slightly flat when I pick them up but in tune with themselves. After a few minutes of play they are in tune with themselves AND the tuner. 

It’s weird because I expected it to be the other way round. When cold I assumed they’d be slightly sharp as the string would contract when cold (making them go slightly sharp) then settle into tune once warmed up. 

idiotwindow

Blueingreen said:

p90fool said:

steer said:

If they are new strings, then give each one a good pull / stretch at around the 12th fret - each one for about 30 seconds at least. Then retune. That should sort it, assuming it is just the new strings bedding in. 

This. The string itself is not really stretching, it's mainly just settling its wraps around the tuner post. 

Not saying you're wrong and I'm right, but this seems contrary to my experience.  Strings seem to take a bit time to settle into tuning stablity on guitars with locking tuners, ie virtually no wrap round the tuning post, and it seems to help speed up the process of them settling if you stretch them.

p90fool is right. If you were actually stretching the strings in the way I think is often implied – i.e. making them permanently longer – the strings would become plastically deformed (as opposed to elastically deformed, as when you bend a note for example) and you'd never be able to tune them. In becoming 'plastic', the strings under tension would no longer be able to return to their original shape and if you continued to wind them they would break without ever reaching proper pitch. Once plastically deformed, it would be like trying to tune a long thin bit of chewing gum.

thegummy

This thread made me realise I've not tuned either of my Strats for months and they're still in tune!

midlifecrisis

my guitars can stay in tune for months on end at home but the minute i take one to a gig its constantly needs retuning every song

Roland

I’m going to close this thread. It appears to be a direct copy from another forum. https://www.guitarforums.com/showthread.php?p=769898

When we’ve had this in the past it’s been a spammer building credibility: https://www.thefretboard.co.uk/discussion/160899/spammers-are-back

At time of posting the OP has not returned to the forum.