Tuning ?

[poppytater]

 My guitar stays in tune fairly well, but when it does go out of tune , it's almost always sharp. Sometimes, one will show up flat, but that's the exception. If memory serves, the only other guitar I've had, a Fender cd-60,went pretty much both ways. I'm wondering if this is indicative of anything. Which way does yours go?

 

[panhandler]

Mine usually go flat.  However I used to own a 70's Epiphone Texan that would go sharp.

I never understood how or why.  Flat, I understand.  

The only reasonable possibility I can think of is the guitar is in a cooler environment shrinking the metal strings ever so slightly.  But that's a SWAG.  

[Opa John]

Mine stay in very good "relative" tuning, which suits my needs just fine. When I actually check the tuning with an electronic tuner, if they're not in perfect tune they're usually a little flat (low).  However, I DO remember a couple of times when I'd find them sharp and have to tune them back down a hair.

Some things we'll never understand, Poppy. If I can't fix it or change it, I don't worry about it.

[masterbuilt]

It's been my experience that both temperature and humidity can alter expansion and contraction, thereby changing the guitars tuning slightly either direction. I'd say that temperature fluctuations are less subtle.

 

[kwakatak]

My Larrivee is awesome at staying in tune. I can leave it out or in its case and it stays in tune. I can pack it up and take it to church ( where it's very dry) and I barely have to tweak it. Why, the other week it came sailing down the basement steps while I was tinkering in my workshop and not only did the single piece neck not crack but the tuning held true. Awesome guitar. My Martin would have turned to toothpicks.

[knockwood]

I'm with Ed's Bagel: sharp or flat depends on temp and RH.

[katopp]

Not necessarily temp and RH.

I live by the sea. Humidity is constant, "Dry" is not in my vocabulary ... only in terms of "dry Martini" or "dry Wine".

Temperature is also moderated by the sea. Doesn't get hot, doesn't get cold.

All my steel-string guitars go sharp. The older the strings, the quicker the sharper they get.

It's the strings. They are the culprits. I can repeat the process over and over and it's consistent with all my steelstrings. They go sharp, the older the strings, the quicker they get sharper.