Originally Posted By: Joe V

I don't personally mind an initial tuning of my guitar, but hate when it goes slightly out frequently (as mine often do - maybe I just have crappy guitars : ( though with new strings, I believe this happens to everyone until they're stretched out a little.


With Nylon strings, yes.

With Steel Strings, however, Old Wives' Tale.

The physics of the steel tell us that once the string is tensioned to pitch, the properties of the metal itself, compliance, elasticity, can not change, therefore the tension cannot change.

What does happen, is usually involved with the WINDINGS around the tuning pegs. If these are not concentric, like a windlass, if they are too many windings that cross over themselves, or too little that slip around the post, the string will loosen, which means it goes flat, and people think the string has "stretched".

Pulling the string tight on the post after a restring, several times, can yield a guitar with brand new strings that does not slip out of tune.

The many pro Guitar Technicians who, out on the road, are often tasked with restringing a guitar mid-show, quickly, pulling the strings properly to eliminate post slip and possible bridge point slip, then tune to tuner, repull and check, redo above if it doesn't lock on, are testimonial to what I'm saying here. Then they toss said guitar to our onstage guitar hero, who proceeds to wail the bejonkers out of it - and it stays. in. tune.

Gee, I wonder why...


--Mac

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