Steel guitar strings don't stretch very much after the initial tensioning to bring them up to pitch. This is a matter of physics but many musicians won't believe that. (The Nylon string is a different entity entirely and does suffer from stretch problems when new strings are installed.) A Material Scientist could explain to you why steel strings cannot stretch very much after the initial pull up to the amount of tension required to strike a certain pitch. So could a second year Physics major, for that matter.

The primary reason for newly installed strings to keep going flat is due to improper and likely loose wrap around the tuning pegs.

I have trained guitarists and guitar technicians on how to string the instrument, tighten up the wraps, tune it, retighten the wraps and then have a newly strung geetar that does not detune when played.

When in support of musicians at shows, string breaks, star tosses guitar to road technician and picks up the other guitar. Road technician restrings the guitar, sometimes having to do so offrstage in less than stellar conditions, strings it, pulls the wraps tight, tunes it using the meter, pulls the wraps tight on each string again, performs one more tuning to the meter -- and by the end of the song can toss the guitar back at our star -- and it is ready to play and stays in tune.

Knowledge is power.


--Mac

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