None of my guitars want to stay in tune very long, and sometimes the strings are brand new. One time someone mentioned the allen-wrench spots on the bridge of the guitar, that adjusting them will help it stay in tune. Does anyone know how to adjust them properly?
2006-07-21 05:10:22 · 7 answers · asked by man_with_eyes 1 in Entertainment & Music ➔ Music
OK, there are two things I can suggest. First off, if you are using new strings, you have to 'stretch' them first. Get a tuner (I assume you have one, if not, get one, they are 20 bucks and will save you lots of time in the long run)
Do one string at a time. Start with the Big E (Low string). Tune the string to E, then pull the string away from the guitar, as if you were trying to pull it off the guitar. Don't worry, it won't break. Or you could just hit the E on the 12 fret and do the craziest bend you have the strength for. Usually I just pull the string away from the guitar. Then hit the string open, and it will be flat. Re-tune it to E and pull it again. Do this until it stays in tune (three or four times should be enough)
Do this on every string, then retune the entire guitar and it should stay in tune. You aren't actually stretching the strings, you are tightening the string around the tuner.
Another thing that I'll mention is that it sounds like you have a floating bridge. Do you have a whammy bar that you can pull up, as well as push down on? If so, you have a floating bridge. These are tricky, because when you change tension on one string, it changes the tension on all the other strings. For example, tune your high E to E, then tune your low E to E and the high E will be off slightly. For this reason, I hate the floating bridge. If you break a string in the middle of a show, all the other strings will go out of tune. For this reason I bought a telecaster. It has a fixed bridge. It's easier to tune and won't go out of tune if you break a string.
If you have a floating bridge, you just have to tune each string, one at a time, three or four different times to get it right.
If this doesn't work, take it to your local music store. It may need the springs in the back tightened or replaced.
2006-07-21 05:14:00 · answer #1 · answered by Answer Schmancer 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Take your guitar to a good shop and have them tuned. The bridge is probably causing your problem. See if the tech there can give you a quick tutorial about setting the bridge so you can do it yourself next time...
Also, make sure you store them in a place where they are not in direct sunlight, and the temp and humidty stay pretty stable. Changing environmental conditions can really screw with your ability to stay in tune.
stretching your strings is also quite key. The two conditions where strings are the most unstable is when they are brand new, and when they are very worn... this goes for electric and acoustic strings. Electric strings and thicker gauge strings require much more stretching than bronze or thin gauge strings.
2006-07-21 05:14:16 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
If you have an electric guitar,you should tune the neck of the guitar,so maybe that's the problem.You shouldn't put your guitar next to some source of heat,like radiator,because that's what makes strings loosen up.
Why don't you go to the music store,with your guitar,and ask the man/lady that works there for an advice.It's hard to know what are you talking about from here,especially because I have never had similar experience.Sure,I had to change the strings and tune,but that was it.I fixed it. I am positive that if you go to the music store and explain your problem,with your guitar,they will advise you are even fix it themselevs. Good luck!
2006-07-21 05:19:00 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Take your guitar to a qualified repair person. It could be the nut, the tuners or the bridge. If you try to diagnose it and fix it yourself you could end up with a completely messed up axe.....just take it to get fixed. And, yes, new strings do usually take a few hours to calm down and stretch out. Doing lots of bending, and using lots of whammy bar will cause your strings to go out of tune.
2006-07-22 07:31:56 · answer #4 · answered by ii7-V7 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I'm not sure how to adjust them, but I do know that storing your guitar in a humid place or moving it from dry to humid will warp the body and cause it to go out of tune right away. Good Luck!
2006-07-21 05:14:43 · answer #5 · answered by chartneck 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
well my advice to you is to get better guitar machine heads or tuners if you called them that way.if your guitar has a tremolo , or whammy bar like some us call it.if you use it to much, that also puts a guitar out of tune.I recommend to get Grover tuners, they are excellent and you guitar will stay in tune longer.
2006-07-21 05:17:00 · answer #6 · answered by Nando 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
haha, I play all. i'm one in each of those track geek I cue and play alongside with the songs I pay interest; be it the air bass, air guitar, air drums, or air piano =) Oh, and each so typically I play the air trumpet as rapidly as i'm getting distracted for the era of classes (I play quite trumpet each day...)
2016-10-15 01:17:21 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋