New strings

geitenvla · #1 August 12th, 2007

This seems like the perfect place to ask the question that has been boggling me for years.

I have an acoustic spanish guitar with nylon strings. Each time I swap the strings the new ones will go off-tune by themselves very rapidly. Totally logical since they'll have to come to tention.
Usually when I mount new strings, I'll stretch them manually by pulling them like a bow and after tuning them, I'll wind them up a notch before I put my guitar aside.
This helps a little, but it still takes several days for the strings to get to the right tention.

Is there a way to speed up this process? How do professional guitar players do this. I once read a story about a player who swapped strings before each performance. How does he do that without constantly retuning his guitar?

Stratrat · #2 August 12th, 2007

I don't play nylon strings, but on my steel-string guitars I stretch the strings as you described (pulling on them like a bow) at several places up and down the string, re-tune to pitch, then repeat until the tuning stays stable. It usually only takes 4 or 5 stretches at the most, then they're pretty much good to go.

SlickCat · #3 August 12th, 2007

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stratrat

I don't play nylon strings, but on my steel-string guitars I stretch the strings as you described (pulling on them like a bow) at several places up and down the string, re-tune to pitch, then repeat until the tuning stays stable. It usually only takes 4 or 5 stretches at the most, then they're pretty much good to go.

Exactly.
I have seen players change tuning pegs because the guitar wont stay in tune and it turns out the player never stretched strings...just put them on and tuned up.
(the tuners were fine) You gotta stretch them.

geitenvla · #4 August 12th, 2007

Yeah, I own a steel string guitar as well, and it behaves exactly as you described, but when talking nylon it seems like a whole different cup of tea. It takes much longer for the strings to get the right tention. Gradually it gets better within a few days, but still... the strings will go off-tune without frequent tuning. Anyone else got a suggestion?