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Stringing issues

A

Aiden Dollar

New Student
Nov 11, 2019
21
0
  • #1
    Lately I’ve been having major slippage issues and tuning issues with my acoustics. It’s the same tuning machine on both guitars, too. Basically, when I go to tune them, the strings will detune majorly almost to the point of coming undone. I’m not sure why this is happening but I suspect it’s age, as they’re both over 20 years old.
     
    J

    Jak Angelescu

    Guest
  • #2
    My dad has an acoustic guitar that has over 20 years old and doesn’t have that problem so I wouldn’t necessarily blame it on age. Are you pulling the string all the way through the hole by the bridge? Sometimes if you don’t because it gets stuck, when you actually go to tune it and it gets tighter and It’ll pop up a little bit more and detune it. Also the way you wrap the string around the tuning peg has a big play part in if a string will detune or not. How are you wrapping it?
     

    Ed Seith

    Supreme Galactic Overlord
    Staff member
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    • Nov 11, 2019
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  • #3
    It’s not age. I have an acoustic that was built in 1973, and it’s a tuning tank. Tell us a little more. Is this a steel or nylon string acoustic guitar, for starters? Did you change the strings? Are string changes something you’re used to (sorry, I don’t know your level of experience)?
     
    A

    Aiden Dollar

    New Student
    Nov 11, 2019
    21
    0
  • #5
    It’s a steel acoustic, and I am pulling the strings through, still no success. I might have a rod issue but from the looks of it, the neck is nice and straight. I’m not sure honestly, it might be an issue with the tuning pegs. I think it might have to do with one of my strings being stripped at the end on one of my guitars though, as the end of it has been stripped of all wire covering it.
     

    Ed Seith

    Supreme Galactic Overlord
    Staff member
    Legend+
  •
    • Nov 11, 2019
    3,882
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    6,603
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    soundcloud.com
    35
  • #6
    Shouldn’t be an issue if you have enough winds on the peg. Typically when you don’t have locking tuners (an upgrade I *highly recommend* for ANY guitar!), you want at least two winds on wound strings (EAD) and 4 or 5 on plain strings. If the winding is removed from one of your low strings, to where only the plain steel is around the tuning peg, then 4-5 because at the peg, it’s a plain steel string.
    Are they new strings? Are they properly stretched out? Stretching new strings is, to me, the most stressful part of restringing a guitar, even after 35 years I get some measure of anxiety from it.
     
    A

    Aiden Dollar

    New Student
    Nov 11, 2019
    21
    0
  • #7
    They’re old strings. I plan to buy new ones soon. And for me, tuning that high e string up terrifies me as I always snap it first while playing and it always strikes me. But yeah, I plan to buy two sets of new strings for my acoustics and another set for my strat as it hasn’t had a replacement yet.
     
    J

    Jak Angelescu

    Guest
  • #10
    Aiden, your high E string shouldn’t snap when you tune it OR when you play it unless the string is REALLY REALLY old and well over-used. The fact that you say “it always snaps when I play it” I hope it’s not for a very very very long time. It sounds like to me you may not be stringing your guitar properly. The tuning issues along with the snapping issues makes me think this way. Could you demonstrate on a video for us how you do it?
     
    A

    Aiden Dollar

    New Student
    Nov 11, 2019
    21
    0
  • #11
    I can try. They usually snap when I haven’t changed strings at all, for example on my Ibanez before I took it to get a set up the high e broke and the friend I bought it from said that he’d yet replaced the strings as they were all rusty and dirty. I over exaggerate, as I meant that of all the strings I’ve had snap the high e is always the first often from when it falls out of tune and I accidentally tune it a little too sharp.
     

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