10 replies to this topic

[JessThrasher]

50 Guitar String Hacks for Recording Musicians - In the Jungle

I don't agree with that boiling your strings thing. Its an old folklure and i think it actually makes them rust faster.

[knight46]

Nice find Jess, thanks. You still in Taxes? Seen any cowboys yet?

[cj]

I've heard both ways on this one - that the neck is supposed to have tension on it as it is built that way and relaxing the strings will cause problems.
Owner of the local guitar store here told me that he ships guitars already tuned plus all guitars on the floor are tuned also.
The same question applies for # 20.

Anyone have a good reason for slacking the tension on the neck?

19. Take the tension off your strings when storing your guitar for any length of time. It’s better for your strings and your neck. I mean your guitar’s neck.

And how about #26?
Try playing with detuned strings. Tuning your guitar a semitone or two lower will give a jangly sound that may suit some songs. And the lower tension is better for your guitar neck. You might want to use a capo to bring the strings up to pitch.

Lower tension is better for your guitar neck??
I could understand that tension that's higher than the guitar was engineered for would be bad but why would less tension bet "better".

[Stratrat]

I don't buy that stuff about storing your guitar with the strings slackened. The neck was manufactured and intended to counteract the tension of strings, and I feel there's more possibility of problems by upsetting that balance. I liken it to the thought that it would be best to store your car with flat tires to avoid the air inside them putting tension on the tires. They were designed to have air in them and hold their shape under pressure - storing them flat will certainly lessen that pressure, but could surely cause problems with deformation.

...and if lower tension is good for the neck, why the contradicting advice to change your strings one at a time? Does the neck like lower tension, or higher tension?

[cj]

Yes, your second remark occurred to me also.

If I'm remembering correctly, Tommy Emmanuel changes strings by first removing all six. I'm sure he knows what he's doing and how else can you really clean/polish the fingerboard?

[Stratrat]

I'm not sure about Tommy, but Taylor Guitars has a very good, detailed video on their website about it - click the link, then click on videos, then on the "Clean & Restring Your Taylor Guitar" video.

[cshude]

I always remove all 6 at once to change- gives a chance to clean up the fretboard and get out that nasty bit of grime that can build up in the nooks and crannies around the frets. Never had any problems with the necks. I figure they built the guitar in the first place without having strings on it, so 15 minutes without strings shouldn't be a big deal.

[cj]

Re: Tommy... I seem to remember Kirk posting something about this a few years ago - but then my memory isn't what it used to be either, might have been somewhere else.

The Taylor videos are a good find. Thanks for posting.
Although I was surprised that he just put the string into the tuner and started winding. I forget where I learned this but I was told it was important to have a couple winds on the peg before inserting the string into the hole to help assure the string remained tightly wound.
Once again - I'm sure Taylor techs know what they're doing too.
I suppose there's some element of personal preference involved also.

[Stratrat]

cj said:

...Although I was surprised that he just put the string into the tuner and started winding. I forget where I learned this but I was told it was important to have a couple winds on the peg before inserting the string into the hole to help assure the string remained tightly wound.
Once again - I'm sure Taylor techs know what they're doing too.
I suppose there's some element of personal preference involved also.

I noticed that too when I watched the video - first time I'd seen it done like that. I've seen it done several different ways, so I have to assume that it's personal preference to some degree. My Taylor is the only guitar I have that's strung that way, but I have to admit that it has no tuning/string slippage issues.

My favorite tuners are the "vintage" type split-shafts - there's a hole in the center of the shaft and a screwdriver-type slot. Cut the string to length, insert it in the hole, bend it down into the slot and wind away - quick & easy, and no worries about string slippage.

[joshimax]

I think in the amount of time it takes to remove your strings, give the neck and frets a bit of a rub and start putting strings on it you won't have a problem.

If you take off all the strings, leave it for 6 months and come back to it then you may have some problems. Wood will move and bend etc but not in an instant.

[bugly]

JessThrasher said:

50 Guitar String Hacks for Recording Musicians - In the Jungle

I don't agree with that boiling your strings thing. Its an old folklure and i think it actually makes them rust faster.

I thought this was for wound nylon string?