Members hugbot Posted August 15, 2011 Members Share Posted August 15, 2011 ...it gone sharp. So surely that suggests the case is pressing on it somewhere. Am I likely to see any damage from this? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Jkater Posted August 15, 2011 Members Share Posted August 15, 2011 This happens often for my electric guitars too... sometimes after they sit on a stand. This might suggest a flex in the neck but I can't imagine it leading to damage. Or it has to do with the strings settling in the nut and going sharp. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members billybilly Posted August 15, 2011 Members Share Posted August 15, 2011 Temperature change, it's to be expected. I tune up before I play regardless, it's part of playing guitar. Don't get me started on guys who don't. Okay, you have started me... I have a mate, I love him to death but he thinks its cool when his guitar is flat or sharp compared to others we are playing with. As soon as he goes to the toilet, I tune his guitar and he comes back and remarks how well his guitar sounds...? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Elias Graves Posted August 15, 2011 Members Share Posted August 15, 2011 Every time I take my guitar out of it's case... ...You realize you didn't complete your thread title? I hate it when that happens. EG Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Christhee68 Posted August 15, 2011 Members Share Posted August 15, 2011 I think the wood expands or contracts, resulting in tuning changes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members craigny Posted August 15, 2011 Members Share Posted August 15, 2011 How anyone can just take out their guitar and play, especially at a gig, without tuning up first is just unbelievable...nothing "cool" bout sounding like {censored} Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Belva Posted August 15, 2011 Members Share Posted August 15, 2011 I think the wood expands or contracts, resulting in tuning changes. This is the correct answer. It's simple physics. The wood on your guitar has more mass and only contracts a small amount while the strings contract more. That means the guitar SHOULD be sharp. If it isn't you may have tuners slipping, sloppy string winding or something else physically wrong with the guitar. When you find a guitar that's sharp, but still in tune with itself when pulled out of the case, keep that mutha! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members dcooper830 Posted August 15, 2011 Members Share Posted August 15, 2011 My guitars have done this for 30 years. I've never thought anything of it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Uncle Bastard Posted August 15, 2011 Members Share Posted August 15, 2011 Mine do the same thing, and they're out on stands; I always tune them before I play. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members xrleroyx Posted August 15, 2011 Members Share Posted August 15, 2011 Simple, tune that motha! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Hard Truth Posted August 15, 2011 Members Share Posted August 15, 2011 I never believed those people who say that their guitar always stay in tune. Metal expands and contracts depending on the temperature, that's how thermostats used to work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Jkater Posted August 15, 2011 Members Share Posted August 15, 2011 ...You realize you didn't complete your thread title? I hate it when that happens. EG So I'm not the only one annoyed by that?... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members theManfromAlabam Posted August 15, 2011 Members Share Posted August 15, 2011 Was the guitar tuned when you bought it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members stormin1155 Posted August 15, 2011 Members Share Posted August 15, 2011 Well, the first thing you have to do is find and capture the tuning gremlins that are probably living in your case, or perhaps even in your guitar. They like to hide in the cracks and crevices... inside folded paper, guitar string packs, etc. They are pretty hard to see with the naked eye. Your best bet is to trap them. You do this by putting sticky double-sided tape on your tuning buttons. Leave it overnight, and the next morning put on a pair of leather gloves and tightly squeeze each tuning button... hopefully you will kill them. Do this a couple times and that should take care of your tuning problem. You can also spray your guitar down with bug killer (that's what tuning gremlins really are... just little annoying bugs). If you do this, you should test it first in an area like under the pickguard to make sure it won't harm your finish. Poly is usually OK,... I don't recommend using it on nitro. ...or you can do what everyone else is suggesting... just tune your guitar each time. Your choice. Good luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Fuelish Posted August 15, 2011 Members Share Posted August 15, 2011 So I'm not the only one annoyed by that?... Nope!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members sk8centilli Posted August 15, 2011 Members Share Posted August 15, 2011 ...You realize you didn't complete your thread title? That is referred to as setting the hook. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Belva Posted August 15, 2011 Members Share Posted August 15, 2011 OP, as you can see this is a phenomenon that is to be expected. If it bothers you that much, give up on life and become a drummer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Brian Krashpad Posted August 15, 2011 Members Share Posted August 15, 2011 I still don't understand the physics... but it happens. Flat I get, sharp makes no sense to me. But quite common. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Brian Krashpad Posted August 15, 2011 Members Share Posted August 15, 2011 This is the correct answer. It's simple physics. The wood on your guitar has more mass and only contracts a small amount while the strings contract more. That means the guitar SHOULD be sharp. If it isn't you may have tuners slipping, sloppy string winding or something else physically wrong with the guitar. When you find a guitar that's sharp, but still in tune with itself when pulled out of the case, keep that mutha! THANK YOU. That's the first simple, cogent explanation of this phenom that I've seen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members grumphh Posted August 16, 2011 Members Share Posted August 16, 2011 I never believed those people who say that their guitar always stay in tune. Metal expands and contracts depending on the temperature, that's how thermostats used to work. Some of us have FR/Edge equipped guitars. Or Steinbergers. Those stay in tune for a very long time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Steadfastly Posted August 16, 2011 Members Share Posted August 16, 2011 It's temperature and humidity change that does it. I tried to tune my friends guitar in front of his fireplace once. I'll only do it once and never again. It was untuneable until I moved into the other room. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members diceman1000 Posted August 16, 2011 Members Share Posted August 16, 2011 Well, the first thing you have to do is find and capture the tuning gremlins that are probably living in your case, or perhaps even in your guitar. They like to hide in the cracks and crevices... inside folded paper, guitar string packs, etc. They are pretty hard to see with the naked eye. Your best bet is to trap them. You do this by putting sticky double-sided tape on your tuning buttons. Leave it overnight, and the next morning put on a pair of leather gloves and tightly squeeze each tuning button... hopefully you will kill them. Do this a couple times and that should take care of your tuning problem. You can also spray your guitar down with bug killer (that's what tuning gremlins really are... just little annoying bugs). If you do this, you should test it first in an area like under the pickguard to make sure it won't harm your finish. Poly is usually OK,... I don't recommend using it on nitro. ...or you can do what everyone else is suggesting... just tune your guitar each time. Your choice. Good luck! ... damnit, i wish i knew how to sig stuff... too damn funny... to the OP... all 11 of mine do this... nothing to worry about... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members kct666 Posted August 16, 2011 Members Share Posted August 16, 2011 always sharp for me too...great, thought also there was something wrong... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members theManfromAlabam Posted August 16, 2011 Members Share Posted August 16, 2011 GDan I apologize for my smartass reply...custometele is right, sharp is good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Belva Posted August 16, 2011 Members Share Posted August 16, 2011 I still don't understand the physics... but it happens. Flat I get, sharp makes no sense to me. But quite common. This may help. I'm an airplane mech. Take a small airplane like, say, a Cessna 150 with aluminum construction and steel flight control cables. As you go up in altitude the temperatures drop considerably. That means the flight control cables will get tighter right? Wrong. Aluminum expands and contracts more with temp changes than steel. So these cables actually become looser. The airplane has contracted more than the cables meaning less distance between the points contacting the cables.The wood in a guitar has way more mass than them skinny little strings. So they will contract more than that big guitar. So the exact opposite happens. A guitar warms up by coming in contact with your body. So this process reverses itself as you play. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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