Pirateking
New member
I understand how guitar strings go out of tune when they go flat, but my G string consistently goes sharp, like after every song essentially. How does this even happen? What can I do about it?
Guitar strings going sharp
- Thread starter Pirateking
- Start date
That's a little strange.
In all honesty, if I noticed that one of my strings was consistently going SHARP, I'd probably have a long, hard look at the construction of my guitar..and see if the thing is going wacky.
Maybe you should see if your guitar is strong enough to break a telephone pole when you hit it against it really hard.
In all honesty, if I noticed that one of my strings was consistently going SHARP, I'd probably have a long, hard look at the construction of my guitar..and see if the thing is going wacky.
Maybe you should see if your guitar is strong enough to break a telephone pole when you hit it against it really hard.
Pirateking
New member
Could it be caused by me occasionally pulling the guitar neck back to get a string bend effect?
eyeslikefire
I CAN SMELL EM!
Pirateking said:
That is not a good idea to do that to your neck, if you must have the string bend effect install a Floyd.
And yes It could be caused by that.
Anyway check the saddles on the bridge, check the nut. (and while your at it pass pencil lead between the groove)
Also you might want to check the truss rod and see if its loose.
eyeslikefire
I CAN SMELL EM!
Also make sure your pups aren't to close to your strings.
Pirateking
New member
Next time I'll check it with a tuner, but I'm pretty sure the other strings stay in tune.
Pirateking
New member
Uh, it varies. No central air and only gas heat (radiators). But this isn't happening between practices. I'll tune my guitar, play a song, and then the string will be sharp. I'll retune, play another song or two, and it's sharp again.
Kramer
Well-known member
I've only noticed this on Strat type guitars.The problem is usually with the string guides on the headstock.The first thing I do is remove the string guides on the headstock for the E B & G strings when I play a strat.Does this guitar have a tremolo?You can easily gain pitch after using the tremolo.
If you dont have a strat type guitar or one with string guides then I dont have a clue as to what it could be.
P.S. be sure and work out any kinks in that string.Tune it then bend the living daylights out of it for a few minutes,if it gains,retune it and bend it a little more and see what happens..it's gotta be hanging up on something somewhere.
If you dont have a strat type guitar or one with string guides then I dont have a clue as to what it could be.
P.S. be sure and work out any kinks in that string.Tune it then bend the living daylights out of it for a few minutes,if it gains,retune it and bend it a little more and see what happens..it's gotta be hanging up on something somewhere.
eyeslikefire
I CAN SMELL EM!
Kramer said:It's very possible.It happens all the time....how long have you been playing guitar?I bet you're a drummer.
LMAO!!!!!!
Classic Kramer response....
Apply liberal amounts of #2 pencil to all your string slots, saddles and any string trees. I bet that will do the trick.
If not you may need to cut the slots wider, or have a tech do it if your not good at that kind of thing.
Are you using heavier guage strings than what it came with?
If not you may need to cut the slots wider, or have a tech do it if your not good at that kind of thing.
Are you using heavier guage strings than what it came with?
I don't know if this will help the 'going sharp' problem (that does sound more like the nut-catching) but might a least help get quickly to a stable tuning.
When practical, tune up, from below (flat). Bring each string up to just below pitch, strum or play some, bring them up a little closer, strum/play some more, include some of your solo noting and bends if you're using them. Repeat as needed to see all the strings land in pitch but not above. By now everything should also be up to tempreture and all the variables played out.
The main thing this avoids is going up and down, past in pitch, fishing.
Another thing to consider (unless you have a guitar tech
not!), is when the set is over, tune your guitar first, then go on break. When you get back it will quickly come up to tune as it comes back to tempreture.
I would say that on average, about half the time I pull my guitar out of the case, it's still pretty close to in tune.
Wayne
When practical, tune up, from below (flat). Bring each string up to just below pitch, strum or play some, bring them up a little closer, strum/play some more, include some of your solo noting and bends if you're using them. Repeat as needed to see all the strings land in pitch but not above. By now everything should also be up to tempreture and all the variables played out.
The main thing this avoids is going up and down, past in pitch, fishing.
Another thing to consider (unless you have a guitar tech
not!), is when the set is over, tune your guitar first, then go on break. When you get back it will quickly come up to tune as it comes back to tempreture.I would say that on average, about half the time I pull my guitar out of the case, it's still pretty close to in tune.
Wayne
Kevin Blight
New member
Hi. My 2 penn'orth...
If you have a tremelo on the guitar the problem it is because the string is not returning to its original position and tension. This is caused by (1) movement at three points on the guitar - the nut (covered earlier in this thread with some sound advice), at the point where the string crosses the saddle on the bridge, and then further down the tremelo where the string is anchored (2) by the physical tensioning of the string during play.
A good tip for alleviating the bridge problems is to use a small length of insulating material from a piece of electrical cord (red, blue, Green & Yellow (UK convention) and sliding it over the strings so that they provide a sleeve that will prevent the string from sticking on the block in the bridge when you return the tremelo. You can't do much about the actual saddles other than to ensure that they are as smooth as possible. Graphite in the nut slot at the top end does work.
Also, when I put on new strings I tune them to concert pitch, then pull them away from the body of the guitar about an inch to stretch them. Then re-tune, thrash the guitar a bit, re-tune and maybe stretch them a bit more. The strings 'settle in' faster and are more consistent during the early period. Works for acoustics as well as electrics.
Finally, for greater stability I have found it is better to cut the string to length so that you don't have to cross the string over previous windings on the machine head. My theory is that you need to have as much of the string in contact with the post as possible, to keep the string stable on the guitar. See if it helps.
lecture over...
If you have a tremelo on the guitar the problem it is because the string is not returning to its original position and tension. This is caused by (1) movement at three points on the guitar - the nut (covered earlier in this thread with some sound advice), at the point where the string crosses the saddle on the bridge, and then further down the tremelo where the string is anchored (2) by the physical tensioning of the string during play.
A good tip for alleviating the bridge problems is to use a small length of insulating material from a piece of electrical cord (red, blue, Green & Yellow (UK convention) and sliding it over the strings so that they provide a sleeve that will prevent the string from sticking on the block in the bridge when you return the tremelo. You can't do much about the actual saddles other than to ensure that they are as smooth as possible. Graphite in the nut slot at the top end does work.
Also, when I put on new strings I tune them to concert pitch, then pull them away from the body of the guitar about an inch to stretch them. Then re-tune, thrash the guitar a bit, re-tune and maybe stretch them a bit more. The strings 'settle in' faster and are more consistent during the early period. Works for acoustics as well as electrics.
Finally, for greater stability I have found it is better to cut the string to length so that you don't have to cross the string over previous windings on the machine head. My theory is that you need to have as much of the string in contact with the post as possible, to keep the string stable on the guitar. See if it helps.
lecture over...
Tom Hicks
Well-known member
Good stuff Kevin. The tip about using a bit of electrical wire insulating jacket as a tunnel to eliminate friction at the contact point of the bridge-block and string sounds brilliant. Your further advise to cut the raw wire to length is also sound. Three winds is about ideal, always in a downward direction to keep a sharp angle across the nut. When string winds cross, there is the unwanted potential to store energy and unexpectedly release it as a slip. All winds must lie flat on the post consecutively. Metal has a strange sort of "memory". If a string was high and you drop the pitch, it can "remember" its previous tension and the pitch will actually rise.
Tune new strings to concert pitch. Check the straightness of your neck and adjust the truss rod to straight (although many rock players like a tiny upbow called "relief" to allow more string bends with less fret buzz). Retune to concert and re-adjust the neck, if necessary. Repeat untill the various forces pulling and tugging at about 500 psi on your guitar neck are stabilized.
Tune new strings to concert pitch. Check the straightness of your neck and adjust the truss rod to straight (although many rock players like a tiny upbow called "relief" to allow more string bends with less fret buzz). Retune to concert and re-adjust the neck, if necessary. Repeat untill the various forces pulling and tugging at about 500 psi on your guitar neck are stabilized.