My electric gets out of tune!

Spicy Lauren

Just wondering what are the factors for a guitar to get out of tune after playing say 3 songs at a gig? It really wrecks my head having to tune it back between songs!

Would it be just down to the type of strings I use or are there other factors?
My playing is quite heavy, I bend the strings often and also bend the neck of the guitar.

I can't tighten the headstock on the fukcer so that's not an option.

Ideas?

Lauren

novarock

i always found that putting the strings on with more windings/length always help with keeping the guitar in tune, also keeping the windings perfectly straight when you put the strings on.. Im also one of those people that plays the guitar too hard live...

white_falcon

could be the overall quality of the guitar, if you bend the neck during songs that will do it a bit, the tuning heads might be sh1t, crap strings might sometimes do it. Really really light strings I find go out of tune a bit easier too

white_falcon

the heat also does it. you should leave you guitar on stage for about an hr before your gig. the heat from the light can detune it. tune it, leave it on stage, come back up after an hr and tune it again.

Spicy Lauren

Nova - what are windings?
Falcon - no it's a good guitar

feylya

Sounds like a sticky nut. What guitar is it? And when you're tuning your guitar, do you tune up to the note ie when you're tuning to E but the string is a few cent above E, do you tune down to Eb and then back to E?

Voodu Child

Have a check of the nut - make sure the six slots are cut big enough for the strings you're using. Also, it's good practice to lubricate the nut - with something like graphite (from a pencil) or chapstick or some such.

Another thing to consider is the tuners - you're using a Fender with those old vintage style tuners right? If you can afford to change them, do, they're not fantastic IMO. If you're sticking with them, just make sure you're wrapping the string around the post properly when stringing.

Have a look at the bolts that hold the guitars neck to the body; make sure they're tightened properly. A loose neck can shift around when played aggressively, and any kind of shifting will put your guitar out of tune.

Also just make sure youre stretching the strings when you put them on first. Stretching the strings just takes out any slack in them beforehand.

Spicy Lauren

Feyla - That is quite a good point actually. I never tune the guitar that way. I shall try and see if it does the job. He's a Jags-tang.

Spicy Lauren

Voodoo - I do all that. What do you mean by 'nut'?

Voodu Child

Spicy Lauren wrote: »

Voodoo - I do all that. What do you mean by 'nut'?

Its the white thing at the top of the fretboard.

It has six grooves or slots cut for the strings, each string passes through one of the slots. The strings can slide back and forward up there a bit as you're playing, especially when you bend strings. If there's any 'stickage', they'll go out of tune a bit.

So you just lubricate each slot with something as mentioned, to help the string slide freely and not get stuck. And if you're using very big strings, you might need to check each slot is cut big enough.

novarock

I meant how the string actually wraps around the Machine head/tuner, the longer the string the better..

NoQuarter

as feylya said, you should always tune up to the note and never down to it! as in tune down way below the note you want and then tune back up! the do a few big bends on the string andhave a quick check of the tunings again! also if your just putting on new strings before a gig that would be the problem, they take a little while to expand fully!

FunkZ

Try Elixer strings if you haven't already. Though it's probably the guitar itself causing the problem.

Spicy Lauren

Funkz - what difference do they make?

(I'm learning so much today, thanks lads)

BossArky

Lauren, I reckon the problem is yourself. You are so hot that you are putting the rest of your band out of tune!

Try one of http://www.grc.nasa.gov/WWW/RT1998/images/5940hughes-f1.jpg

Spicy Lauren

Boss - ya krack me up!

feylya

http://www.mrgearhead.com/ghad/Guitar_Setup.pdf
http://www.projectguitar.com/tut/pro1.htm

Read those too

Johnny Storm

"When customers come to me complaining of tuning problems, improperly wound strings are the number one culprit"

Dr J will be along in a minute to tell you his better way to do it.;)

Doctor J

It's already in the resources sticky and it has worked for almost 20 years

novarock wrote: »

I meant how the string actually wraps around the Machine head/tuner, the longer the string the better..

Nope, don't do that, you just introduce more potential for buildups of slack, decrease the accuracy of the tuner and could actually make the problem worse, not better.

fish-head

And you could always use heavier strings aswell. Works for me.

SxE Punk

New strings go out of tune habitually for the first while, are your strings new?

Voodu Child

SxE Punk wrote: »

New strings go out of tune habitually for the first while

Only if they haven't been properly stretched. Actually, what you're describing is exactly what happens if they haven't been stretched.

Spicy Lauren

The strings are newish (a week old now) but I've been playing everyday.
I did strech the strings when I put them on.
I think it really is down to the fact that I put on 9s this time cos I ran out of my usual 10s. But I think the advice given has been really good. Hopefully when I get back to using my usual strings this won't happen again

thanks lads

xx
Lauren

Johnny M

really give the strings a good stretch when u put em on .use 10 gauge strings and use avg 4-5 turns on the headstock no overlapping maybe 3 turns for the top heavy strings.

Also why the hell is u bending the NECK of your axe?? no wonder its going out of tune! i if u do that u'll feck up your guitar maaan...you'll have truss rod probs i tell ya trust me...hey just cos slash does it dont mean we all can y'know!:D

Doctor J

Johnny M wrote: »

really give the strings a good stretch when u put em on .use 10 gauge strings and use avg 4-5 turns on the headstock no overlapping maybe 3 turns for the top heavy strings.

Gotta say, I've found you introduce more potential for string slippage when you leave surplus turns on the string. One over, one under and that's all you need.