What makes guitars go out of tune

Finally, overall climate changes plays a role in any guitar staying in tune, including a new guitar. Environmental temperature changes and guitar humidity factor into a guitar more frequently going out of tune or pitch.

For example, when a guitar is played or stored in a cold environment, and then moved to a warm environment, you have to expect some tuning needs and a best room humidifier for guitars as well. Ideally, abrupt and excessive temperature and humidity changes should be avoided for guitars, at least as much as possible to reduce tuning issues. As stated above, there is no hard and fast rule for this. Warming up a guitar by playing it for ten or more minutes, and then tuning a string, is a good way to ensure a guitar string will stay in tune for a playing session.

Most guitar experts consider string stretching to be the most important factor when it comes to a guitar staying in tune or going out of tune too quickly. Experts often gently stretch strings before or immediately after installing them, in order to minimize the amount of string stretching that will take place when the new strings are first played. When stretching strings manually, it is important to be gentle as to not break or overstretch them. First, it is a good idea to play the guitar for at least a few minutes before performing any string stretching.

The key is to be gentle. When in doubt, it is best to consult a professional guitar technician. If a guitar continually goes out of tune frequently, especially if it previously stayed in tune more dependably, it is likely that some maintenance is in order. If the strings are too old, they simply will not stay in tune. The solution is to change the strings. If you have already checked the tuning pegs, truss rod , intonation adjustment, pickup height, the bridge, and the guitar nut slots, and have found everything to be fine, then it may be time to have an experienced electric guitar tech check it out.

There are also some additional factors to consider when a guitar seems to frequently not sound in tune. Setting guitar intonation plays a factor, and if the guitar is not properly intonated, it will simply not sound in tune.

The guitar nut sits at the very top of the fretboard. One thing you could try first is lubricating the nut by shaving some graphite from a pencil into each string slot to allow each string to pass over it more freely. Check if there is play in your tuning pegs. Another key tuning area is intonation, especially if you play chords that combine fretted and open notes higher up the neck. Just think of it like a routine car service that just needs to be done every so often. And sometimes a guitar not staying in tune is purely down to old strings so do change them regularly.

Also when you change strings make sure you leave enough space for a number of windings around each string tree. Generally unwound top strings need more winds than the wound lower ones. Another recurring tuning issue comes along with using a capo, especially on guitars with jumbo frets. It might sound simple, but old strings can keep you from that perfect tuning.

As they wear, they lost their capability to hold tension, making them feel brittle and less able to hit the fret. That will make some notes to sound sharp. A poorly placed capo can mess with your tuning, pulling the strings down towards the fretboard when attaching it and pulling them across the fretboard when taking it off.

Be careful with that capo! Be sure to go slow and be gentle! If you do this too quickly, the friction created can and will burn you or break your strings. The quality of guitar string is also incredibly important to your guitar holding proper tune for as long as possible.

This type of string will often refuse to straighten out completely, which causes frets and string buzzing. Also, the lighter the gauge, the longer it takes to stretch it properly. In many areas of life, size matters, and string size is no exception. When you purchase a guitar, note what size string it came with.

If you decide to change that size, you might need to re-cut them and adjust the truss rod for a proper fit. You might also be looking at an intonation adjustment if you jump string sizes. In general, the factory designed size is best for keeping your guitar in tune as long as possible. If you want to change sizes, consult a guitar service professional to find out how to do so and maintain your ability to hold a tune.